apologetics
How to talk to a Jehovah's Witness about the Trinity
Arne Verster23 min read
Contents20 sections
Aa
In the following post, 'red' text indicates official Watchtower content or statements.
Make sure to watch the video in which Ray Lawrence, who was born and raised in a Jehovah's Witness family, discusses his experiences with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (WTBTS). He also offers advice on how to engage effectively with Jehovah's Witnesses, whether you encounter them on the street or welcome them into your home.
This post does not cover every aspect of a discussion with Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs); such conversations can go much deeper than what is presented here. Know your Bible thoroughly so that you can respond to any proof text they present, whether it is mentioned here or not.
The texts cited here as evidence of Christ's divinity are not comprehensive either. Many more passages make the same case, some of them only through careful exegesis.
The primary goal of this document is to highlight some of the logical inconsistencies in the JW use of proof texts from standard translations, and to point out where JWs deliberately misinterpret or alter a text because the straightforward reading does not support their view.
How to talk to a Jehovah's Witness
Ask what the Good News they proclaim actually is. According to their latest brochure, “Good News From God” which is distributed by the Watchtower, the answer is:
God wants people to enjoy life on earth. He created the earth and everything on it because he loves mankind. Soon he will act to provide a better future for people in every land. He will relieve mankind of the causes of suffering. No government has ever succeeded in eliminating violence, disease, or death. But there is good news. Shortly, God will replace all human governments with his own government. Its subjects will enjoy peace and good health.
The "Good News" of the brochure is not the Gospel of the Bible. Take the Jehovah's Witness to the texts below and share the Gospel with them, confident that those who are truly Christ's sheep will recognise His voice. If this is the only thing you do, it is enough. The power to save lies in the Word of God, not in clever or misleading human philosophies. Work through the texts in the order given, and press the point that the apostles preached Christ alone. Any other message put forward as gospel is a false gospel that cannot save.
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,** and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. **After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ** which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! **As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
At this juncture, the Jehovah's Witness (JW) might appear to agree with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for sinners. Press the point that they did not begin their presentation with this cornerstone of the Christian faith. That moves the conversation to the identity of Jesus, which is where it belongs, because what we are dealing with are two different answers to the question of who Christ is.
JWs hold the view that Jesus is the Archangel Michael, while Christians believe He is God incarnate. Make sure the JW understands what follows from following a false Christ: only the true Christ can save. At this point a JW may turn to passages from "your" Bible to argue that Jesus is not divine. They rely on a consistent set of texts, so knowing them lets you anticipate the argument and puts you in a strong position.
Aim to keep the JW responding to your points, and take the opportunity to show how the New World Translation (NWT) has altered biblical texts to fit Watchtower doctrine.
Texts to anticipate from the JWs
A. John 1:18
No one has ever seen God...
JW Interpretation
They might argue, "Since nobody has ever seen God, and John saw Jesus, it follows that Jesus cannot be God."
Correction
Read the rest of the verse...
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
The scripture indicates that no one has ever seen God, yet God, who is at the Father's side, has made Him known. This refers to Jesus Christ, manifest as God in the flesh.
Here, two distinct entities are identified as God: one who has never been seen and another who has come to make God known. This latter is referred to as the Word. tells us that everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word, nothing that exists would have been created. The New World Translation (NWT), however, modifies this passage to read that "all other things" were made through the Word. Highlight the alteration: the phrase "all other things" does not appear in the original Greek.
B. Revelation 3:14
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.
JW Interpretation
“The beginning of the creation by God” means Jesus was the first thing created by God.
Correction
The Greek term "arche", translated "beginning" here, carries more than one sense. Jehovah's Witnesses take it to mean "the first in a series," suggesting Jesus is the initial creation of God. But "arche" can also denote the "origin" or "source" of something, or "the one with whom a process begins."
Furthermore, it can signify "ruler" or "authority," as seen in the New International Version (NIV) and reflected in English words like "archbishop," "archangel," or "archenemy." In the realm of Greek philosophy, "arche" referred to the eternal absolute, the primal source from which all creation springs, a concept that influences modern terms like "archetype." So the statement that Jesus is the "beginning of the creation of God" turns on which sense of "arche" is in view. How does this use of "arche" define Jesus's relationship to creation?
The 1599 Geneva Bible offers an interesting translation: "beginning of the creatures of God," with an added note that takes it to mean Jesus is the source from whom all created things have their commencement. That reading stresses not Jesus's position within creation but His preeminence and authority over it as its originator.
C. Proverbs 8:22ff
The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
JW Interpretation
Jehovah's Witnesses interpret verse 12 of Proverbs 8, which identifies "wisdom" as the speaker, to mean that "wisdom" represents Jesus. They argue that Jesus, as "wisdom," claims he was "produced" by God and served as His "master worker" (verse 30), suggesting Jesus was created by God as "the earliest of His achievements" and then participated in the creation process.
Correction
To understand the speaker in Proverbs 8 correctly, it's essential to start at the beginning of the book. Proverbs opens with wisdom being personified as a woman who calls out in public spaces. Personification is a literary device that attributes human qualities to abstract concepts or inanimate objects. For instance, saying to my wife that "opportunity is knocking at the door" uses personification to depict "opportunity" as if it were a person capable of knocking, though it's understood that "opportunity" isn't literally someone at the door. In Proverbs 8, wisdom is similarly personified: it is given human traits (), so that it appears as though wisdom is a literal person speaking. This is a figure of speech, not an indication that wisdom is an actual individual. Reading "wisdom" here as Jesus, and therefore as a created being, misses the poetic and symbolic use of language in Proverbs.
D. John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
JW Interpretation
“Only-begotten” means Jesus was begotten or given birth by God. So he had a beginning.
Correction
Ask the JW to read .
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son
Some older translations of the Bible use the term "only-begotten son" to describe Jesus. However, this term can be misleading if interpreted strictly as meaning the only son born to a father. For example, Isaac is referred to as Abraham's "only-begotten son" in , despite Abraham having another son, Ishmael, through Hagar. Ishmael was born before Isaac, making it clear that "only-begotten" cannot simply mean the only son Abraham had.
In the context of Isaac, "only-begotten" signifies that he was the unique son of Abraham, chosen for a special purpose: through Isaac, God's covenant would be fulfilled. Thus, "only-begotten" conveys notions of uniqueness, chosen status, specialness, or exaltedness. The Greek word translated as “only-begotten” in both and is “monogenes,” which can mean:
- Being the only one of its kind within a specific relationship.
- Being unique in kind or class.
When Jehovah's Witnesses argue that "begotten" implies a beginning of existence, one can counter by asking whether that interpretation holds in , where Isaac is called "only-begotten" without implying he was Abraham’s only child. Thus, no scripture explicitly states that Jesus was created, based on the term "only-begotten."
This discussion is part of a longstanding theological debate. Before the Council of Nicea in 325, a bishop named Arius from Alexandria propagated a heresy concerning Christ's deity, claiming:
If the Father begat the Son, then he who was begotten had a beginning in existence, and from this it follows there was a time when the Son was not.
Arius was severely rebuked and the heresy dismissed. The JW arguments aren't new.
E. Colossians 1:15
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
JW Interpretation
Jesus was the first thing created by God.
Correction
Linking back to our discussion on , the comprehension of the term "first-born" is crucial. The Greek language has a specific word for "first-created," which is "Protoktistos."
Had Paul intended to convey that Christ was the first being created, he would have used this term. Instead, Paul opts for "Prototokos," indicating a different nuance. Paul is aligning with the Jewish understanding of "first-born," which transcends the literal order of birth to signify a status of sovereignty and pre-eminence.
Consider , where God declares David as "My first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth." Is David literally Jesse's first-born son? No, David is actually the youngest, the eighth son of Jesse. So, why is David called the first-born? In the Old Testament, "first-born" conveys a sense of pre-eminence or sovereignty over all kings of the earth, rather than birth order.
This interpretation aligns with how "first-born" is used in , which clarifies the term further, just three verses later.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he can be preeminent…
Asking whether Jesus was the first to return from the dead might lead to confusion if one recalls the story of Lazarus, among others in the Bible, who was brought back to life before Jesus's resurrection. However, the significance of Jesus being called the "first" in this context goes beyond the chronological order of resurrection.
F. John 14:28 and 1 Corinthians 11:3
"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
JW Interpretation
“How can Jesus be God when He says, “the Father is greater than I am?” Jesus may be referring to his incarnate position, not his essence.
Correction
The distinction between "greater" and "better" is crucial for understanding certain biblical passages and theological concepts. "Greater" refers to a position of authority or rank, while "better" speaks to the inherent quality or nature of something or someone.
Consider the analogy of a president, whether of the United States or South Africa. In their capacity as the nation's chief executive, the president holds a position that is "greater" than that of ordinary citizens. However, this does not imply that the president is "better" in terms of being a superior kind of human being. The distinction lies in role and authority, not intrinsic value or nature.
This principle applies to the theological discussion about Jesus Christ's relationship with God the Father. illustrates that Christ, though divine ("in the form of God"), chose not to cling to His status but emptied Himself to serve, ultimately becoming human ("took on the form of a servant"). This act of emptying does not indicate a change in His divine nature or suggest inferiority to God the Father; rather, it highlights a willing assumption of a different role for human salvation. Had Jesus intended to convey inferiority in nature, He would have used a term akin to "better" rather than discussing His role or position.
provides an example where "better" is appropriately used to describe Jesus' superiority in nature over the angels, underscoring His divine essence and not merely a higher rank or role.
, often cited by Jehovah's Witnesses to suggest Jesus' inferiority to God, actually supports the distinction between role and nature within the Trinity and human relationships, like marriage. The concept of headship does not imply a difference in essence or value between men and women, nor does it between Jesus and God the Father. It reflects a structured order of relationships, not a hierarchy of worth or being.
Pointers towards the deity of Christ
Being well-prepared to address specific scriptures that Jehovah's Witnesses may present is essential, but it's equally important to be ready with a positive case for your beliefs.
The stakes are high: a wrong conception of Jesus or of God has consequences for salvation. Paul warns against accepting a different Jesus or a different gospel in .
The Bible asserts the existence of only one God, a foundational tenet of Christian faith. declares the unity and uniqueness of God with the words, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Similarly, reinforces this monotheistic belief, stating, “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me.” These passages underscore the importance of understanding and acknowledging the one true God as defined by the scriptures.
Demonstrating the deity of Christ, and with it the Trinity, takes more than a few proof texts. It demands a comprehensive and systematic reading of the Scriptures, and usually more than one brief exchange.
For example, a profound illustration of Scripture affirming Christ's divinity is found in the parallels between the visions in the books of Daniel, Revelation and Jesus' transfiguration.
In , Jesus is depicted with a head and hair as white as wool and snow, and eyes like a fiery flame, offering a vivid portrayal of His divine attributes. This imagery mirrors the depiction of God in , where similar imagery is utilized to describe the divine presence. The parallelism between Daniel and Revelation highlights a consistent representation of divine qualities attributed to Jesus, reinforcing His deity.
The New Testament testifies to Jesus' divine nature again in the accounts of the Transfiguration, recorded in and , where His appearance is transformed, His face shining like the sun and His clothes becoming dazzlingly white. That light and purity resonates with the imagery of white hair and fiery eyes, underscoring the divine glory that Jesus embodies.
Regardless of the above, we can still look at isolated verses that might prove useful in a conversation with a JW:
A. Colossians 2:8-9
General Translation:
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.
New World Translation:
Look out that no one takes you captive by means of the philosophy and empty deception according to human tradition, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ; because it is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily.
The New World Translation (NWT) renders "fullness of deity" as "divine quality." The significance of the change lies in the Greek: the word translated "deity" in traditional translations is "theotēs," which means deity or Godhead, the divine essence or nature of God.
Translating "theotēs" as "divine quality" rather than "deity" or "Godhead" shifts the meaning: it implies that Christ possesses qualities of the divine rather than being fully divine Himself. The modification is subtle but deliberate, and it diminishes Christ as God incarnate, a fundamental tenet of Christian doctrine.
B. John 8:58
General Translation:
Jesus said, unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
New World Translation:
Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to you, before Abraham came into existence, I have been.”
The New World Translation (NWT) again alters the text, replacing "I am" with "I have been." The change obscures the link to God's self-identification to Moses at the burning bush as "I am," a foundational part of the biblical revelation of God's eternal and unchanging nature.
The Greek verb translated "am" in most English versions is "eimi," which conveys existence in the present tense. It means "to be," "to exist," or "to be present," signifying ongoing, unending presence and being. The NWT's past tense, "I have been," introduces a temporal aspect that is not in the Greek, and dilutes both the claim of eternal existence and its association with the divine name revealed to Moses.
C. Isaiah 44:6, Revelation 22:13
Ask the Jehovah's Witness how many bear the title "Alpha and Omega". On the biblical text, the answer is one. That question opens onto the divine nature and identity of Jesus Christ.
Then turn to the scriptures where the title is used. Note that in Revelation the identification of the speaker as Jesus is less direct, since Jesus communicates through an angel. But the context and content of the messages affirm that Jesus Himself, sharing in the divine identity with God the Father, claims this title.
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts;** I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.**
Who is the redeemer of Israel?
[Jesus] I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
D. John 10:30
Interestingly, this passage remains the same in the New World Translation. The interpretation will surely differ.
I and my Father are one.
In , Jesus declares, "The Father and I are one," a profound statement affirming His divine nature and unity with the Father. This proclamation is crucial as it directly led to accusations of blasphemy from the Jewish leaders, who recognized it as a claim to divinity. They understood Jesus to be equating Himself with God, which, according to their interpretation of the law, warranted the punishment of stoning for blasphemy. Jehovah's Witnesses are thus challenged to explain why Jesus faced such accusations if His words did not imply a claim to Godhood.
E. Isaiah 9:5
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
The Watchtower Society distinguishes between the titles "mighty God" and "almighty God" to argue that Jesus, while powerful, does not share the full divine status of God the Father. Passages where Jesus is called "mighty God" are cited as evidence that he is not God in the full sense of the term.
The argument runs into the broader biblical context. The same title, "mighty God", is applied to God the Father in the following chapter, which undercuts the claim that it marks a lesser form of divinity.
A Jehovah's Witness who uses the distinction against Jesus's full divinity therefore contradicts himself. "Mighty God" applied to both Jesus and the Father indicates a shared divine status, not a hierarchy of divinity, and so supports the doctrine of the Trinity, which affirms the co-equality and co-eternality of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
"Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the Lord [YHWH, or Jehovah], the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God,"
F. Isaiah 43:10 - 11, Luke 2:11
You are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
** - **11
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
In Isaiah, God declares, "... beside me there is no saviour," emphasizing His unique role as the sole source of salvation. This statement sets a foundational premise: salvation comes exclusively from God. Luke's Gospel, however, identifies Christ as the Savior, aligning Jesus with this divine role. According to the principle of non-contradiction, which asserts that contradictory statements cannot both be true in the same sense at the same time, these biblical declarations suggest a profound theological unity. If God alone is the Savior and Jesus is called the Savior, then, by logical extension, Jesus must be divine. This conclusion upholds the consistency of scripture and the integrity of Christian doctrine.
The theme of salvation being exclusively attributed to God, yet manifested through Jesus in the New Testament, underscores a significant aspect of Christian theology. Throughout the Old Testament, God's actions to save His people are well-documented, establishing Him as the ultimate redeemer and protector. The New Testament revelation that Jesus saves us is not a departure from this theme but a continuation and fulfillment of God's redemptive work. In Jesus, God's salvific promise is realized, bridging the testamentary narratives and affirming Jesus's divinity.
G. Hebrews 1:8
General Translation:
But about the Son he says,“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
New World Translation:
But about the Son, he says: “God is your throne - forever and ever, and the scepter of your Kingdom is the scepter of uprightness.
presents a powerful affirmation of Jesus's divinity by quoting , where the psalmist addresses God with the words, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever." This application of an Old Testament passage directly to Jesus in the New Testament serves as a clear testament to His divine status. The author of Hebrews deliberately uses this quote to illustrate Jesus's deity, positioning Him as God in a dialogue that leaves little room for ambiguity about His nature.
Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
Psalm 45: 6 -7
Note: there is some debate about the translation of this verse, so it is better avoided in conversation.
H. Titus 2:13
General Translation:
while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
New World Translation:
while we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
A minor modification in the text by the Watchtower results in distinguishing God from Jesus.
I. John 20: 28-29
General Translation:
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
New World Translation:
In answer Thomas said to him: “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him: “Because you have seen me, have you believed? Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Jehovah's Witnesses read Thomas's exclamation, "My Lord and my God!", as a reaction of surprise, akin to the modern use of "OMG", so that Thomas did not call Jesus his God at all. Alternatively, they propose that he directed "My Lord" towards Jesus and then looked up to heaven, exclaiming "My God!" in astonishment.
Both readings are far-fetched, and to dismiss Thomas's confession as mere blasphemy is no more reasonable.
J. Zech 12:10
General Translation:
And I [God] will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced...
New World Translation:
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of favor and supplication, and they will look to the one whom they pierced...
Conclusion
Engaging with Jehovah's Witnesses on this topic requires a deep understanding of the scriptural passages, and a respectful approach that names the differences in interpretation honestly rather than glossing over them.
Always be well-prepared before engaging, and rather avoid the conversation unless you have spent at least a few hours studying the WTBTS, its practices and doctrines.