Why is it important to believe that Christ was God?

Question

I hear a lot of people saying that Jehovah's Witnesses aren't going to heaven because they don't believe that Jesus was divine, but that he was God's son. Why is this important? It seems that it is more of a inessential theology thing than the big deal it is made into. Why is this important?

Answer 1

To Brad:



Since you already believe that Jesus is God, I'm not going to spend much time proving to you that He is. (Just enough as it relates to why its important). I want to show WHY it's imperative that a person does believe this.



It is imperative because Jesus said if you don't believe this, then a person will pay for their own sins. They have no Savior.



In John 8:24, Jesus said, "Unless you believe that I AM, you will die in the sins of you". (Straight literal translation from the greek)



Now, Jesus knew exactly what He was saying, and how it would be received. By referencing Exodus 3:14, He was claiming to be the same person that spoke to Moses from the burning bush. And thats exactly how His enemies took it. Thats why they wanted to stone Him. ("You being a man, make yourself equal with God"). Their charge was true. They had a choice; Either fall down and worship Him, or reject what He was saying, and stone Him for blasphemy.



Now I know there are folks and groups who like to "spin" it and say that He really did'nt mean THAT. Doesnt matter what they think. The only thing that matters is what He said. If He didnt mean it, THAT is the LAST thing He would have ever uttered. He KNEW how it would be received. Many times in His ministry He would preface statements with the " I AM." Such as, "I AM the Door", " I AM the Good Shepard," or "I AM the light". This time He wanted to be SURE to be understood. Why? Because a persons salvation DEPENDS on it. Thats why He let it stand alone.



So thats why its important that a person believes it. Because if you dont, then you have NO salvation, and you die and pay for your own sins.

I hope you see now why its important, and why as Christians, we insist on it.

Its a NON-NEGOTIABLE.

Because it was a non-negotiable with Jesus.



....theBerean

Answer 2

Without His Divinity, Jesus' Atoning Death on The Cross would be nothing. He must be Divine to reconcile Offending Man to an Offended God. II Corinthians 5:21

Bless The Holy Name of Jesus !

Minister

Answer 3

The test of the JW belief is clearly what is taught. In the translation of the Bible they use (The New World Translation) they incorrectly translate John 1:1 like this :



"In the begining was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was a God".



Note the slight difference in accepted translations that correctly render the phrase "Word was God" verses "Word was a God".



Now if The New World Translation is correct, Jesus was not God, then all of His I AM statements, and His reference to being the Son of Man, and the statement "I and the Father are one" and all the other references to the fact Jesus was indeed God are false. Therefore salvation by Grace becomes false and one must still continue to be judged by their good works, which is the basis for the JW faith. They chose to live by the law which is not the better way. For the law leads to sin, and sin unto death.



They believe Jesus lived, but that he was a separate diety, a lesser God. To disbelieve that Jesus was infact God incarnate, is to tear down the foundation of Salvation by Grace and not of works. If the foundation is not solid the whole house will fall.



"And I will build my Church upon this rock that even the very gates of hell shall not prevail against it" Jesus was not refering to Peter, but to the stone the builders rejected, The Chief Cornerstone was Jesus.



God said that this plan of salvation was thought out before the foundation of the world. God knew that He would at a specific point in time have to become the one, that would be the acceptable sacrafice.



Any other belief that denys the diety of Christ, JW's and LDS as well (They teach that Jesus is infact Michael the Arch Angel and is the spirit brother of Lucifer) are indanger of eternal damnation.



"Though we or an angel preach any other Gospel to you let him be accursed" "Only by the Holy Spirit can anyone say that Jesus is Lord" this last reference by the way demonstrates the untimate power of the Holy Spirit, in that one day "every knee shall bow and every toung shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" On the day of Judgement, the time for free will is taken away for all creatures (even satan and his demons) and the Spirit of God will compell all to make this statement. Some of us will be compelled by our obedients to our heart and the call of the Holy Spirit and it will not be a hard thing at all, and some will be compelled force, by the almighty Power of a Holy God, but it will happen. I look forward to that great day.



Is Jesus divinity a big deal? It is the biggest truth ever told and we as Christians must defend it with as much zeal as the Holy Ghost gives us. This truth is as prescious as the blood He spilled on the way and at Calvary. It is the eternal truth of John 1:1 and verse 14 "and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us". What wonderous Love is this oh my soul oh my soul.



God bless

al 4 now B

Answer 4

Denying the divinity of Christ makes Him out to be a liar. The Berean hit the nail right on the head. Jesus used God's name "I AM," and applied it to Himself several times.



The problem is that English Bibles do not do a good job (except in one case, which is John 8:58.) Several other passages (in the Greek) are clear. These include: Matthew 14:27, Mark 6:50, Mark 13:6, Luke 21:8, John 4:26, John 6:20, John 8:24, 28, and John 13:19. Many of the English Bibles translate "I AM" to "It is I," or "I am He."



Denying the deity of Christ is an old heresy that goes back to a man named Arius. His heresy was a prime reason for the Council of Nicea, which resolved (at least in Christian circles) this fundamental belief.

Answer 5

Because if He wasn't,

The Holy Bible,

your salvation and mine

would be a lie,

hence making God the Father a Liar

and He could not be if He was!

Answer 6

Dear Brad,



I read this before I went to church this morning and it has stuck in my mind all day..



Great question, Brad!

Hands down especially BEST answer has to go to theBerean!



I certainly can't top theBerean's answer but I would like to comment on the overall discussion.



During Communion this morning it really hit me that the ONLY reason that Communion has any meaning whatsoever is that Jesus Christ was, is and always shall be God. Otherwise each and everyone of us would still be DEAD in our sins with absolutely no hope.



Our Gospel reading today was Mark 2:1-12 - Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic. The scribes state a truth - Who can forgive sins but God alone? - but they stubbornly refused to believe what they saw with their eyes.



It is very clear to me that if Jesus were not God then that paralytic would have remained on his mat and we would not be having this discussion today. But he didn't remain on his mat and we are having this discussion. Jesus was not a false prophet.



However, the JWs have proven to be false prophets based on Deuteronomy 18:20-22. The organization through the years gave specific dates for Armageddon. Those dates came and went without the prophesied event. Since God proved them to be false prophets we should not listen to their views of heaven or anything else relating to the Bible.



I forgot who it was who asked why Jesus was praying to his Father. He was teaching his disciples something that had never been done before in the history of mankind.



Look at Jeremiah 3:19

"... 'You shall call Me, "My Father,"

And not turn away from Me.'"



Jesus had to show mankind the way to pray.



For His glory,

JOYfilled

Answer 7

Brad



I actually have been praying about this very issue because I am very concerned about the JWs. (Lots of husband's family in there.)



I told the Lord that I do not want to try to judge anyone, yet I want to tell people the real truth. I prayed to know whether I need to help them or if they are saved because they believe He died on the cross for our sins.



It became impressed upon me to touch the cross that I wear around my neck. Not sure if the "feeling" that I got next was from the Holy Spirit or my own thought process...but it occurred to me at that very minute that the cross is a constant reminder of the price that our Lord paid for us to have eternal life with Him. Every time I look in the mirror and see it, or reach up and touch it, it reminds me how much He loves us. (NOTE: I do not worship the cross. It simply serves as a reminder of what my Lord did for me.)



And that satan fears the cross. Satan would love for everyone to stop looking at the cross, so that they forget about this gift and he can weasel his way in to change things around. What I'm saying is that it became impressed upon me that satan is coming as a wolf in sheep's clothing and a sign of his presence might possibly be if the "Christian" religion does not like the cross.



I know that the JWs don't like the cross or torture stake as a symbol of what our eternal life cost Jesus. (So a brick tower reminds them of what??) Jewish people do not believe that Christ's death atoned for our sins and therefore the cross is not a reminder for them.



What I'm getting at.... it occurred to me that it would be very interesting to see if people who believe that Jesus is the Almighty God the Father incarnate, are the only ones that can appreciate all that the cross stands for - whether it be in a picture, on a church,etc. (Maybe some of you already know/knew this, but I felt truly enlightened by this thought.)



Are there any other supposed Christian religions besides JW that frown on the cross? Or the opposite - are any of the ones that do not believe Jesus is God actually ok with the cross? I have not researched this, but would love to know the answer if anyone else has researched or knows....



I have to admit that reading theBerean's answer confirmed this for me. Nice job!

Answer 8

There are several reasons why this is important. First, in order for Jesus to be able to be the necessary blood sacrifice for our sin, he had to be completely without blemish, perfectly without sin. This is not possile for any normal human being since we all fall under the original sin of Adam. Secondly, begotten refers to one generated by procreation. In order for Jesus to be God's "only begotten Son," or "one and only Son" (John 3:16) he had to have been divine.

Answer 9

John 14:6 and 7

I am the way, the truth , and the life:

no man comes unto the Father, but by me.

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:

and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.



The founder Russell was proven a false prophet. Joseph Rutherford who followed was also a false prophet.



JW's deny the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. These are two main fundamentals of Christianity and the Holy Bible which is the Word of God. Many things can be agreeably argued about but there are basic fundamentals of Christianity. To deny them is to deny the Word of God.



The JW's rewrote the Bible into "The New World Translation."

They claim 5 Greek scholars rewrote it, but anyone who knows Greek or Hebrew knows there are gross errors in this translation. Nathan Knorr didn't learn from this previous false prophets and he began to prophecy that 1975 would be the end of the age.



Quite similar to the Pope of old, they believe only the Organization of Watch Tower can interpret the Bible. They believe to reject the Organization is to reject God. The Organization is God's sole channel for His truth and not the Bible God's Word as Christians believe.

Answer 10

First, there is overwhelming evidence that the Bible teaches the deity of Christ. Secondly, if Christ is not divine his sacrifice on the cross can not be sufficient to atone for the sins of all mankind and we are all subsequently lost. If Christ is not divine the Bible is false and Christianity is without hope.

Answer 11

Because only God can really save people from sin. That is the whole point of the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

A friend of mine on a mission trip in Africa used the example of the enormous termite mounds they have there. If a human wanted to communicate something vitally important to the termite world, how could he do that? They can't hear us and probably don't really percieve us unless we impinge directly on their world. They wouldn't understand our words, so what to do? The only way would be *to become a termite* and communicate in their own way so they can understand. That's what God did.

Jesus wasn't "separate from" or "other than" God, he is God in the flesh. If you like, God's manifestation in our world. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word *was* God...and the Word became flesh and lived among us."

You can't put it clearer than that. The Word (Jesus, the Logos) WAS (and is) God. Only God could make a sacrifice acceptable to Himself that would cover All the sins of all mankind, past, present and future. Not everyone takes advantage of the offer of that grace and forgiveness but it is there.

I once heard a young man pray for Saddam Hussein's conversion. (this was several years ago). At first I was indignant, but then I thought, "No, that is what Jesus meant when he said we are to pray for our enemies. Not just the people we think are "worthy."

Can you imagine how someone like that, or say Stalin or Hitler, would feel if they *truly* were converted and realised the enormity of what they had done?

And yet, sin is sin. We all need the forgiveness bought by the Cross.

Answer 12

It is important because that is the clear testimony of Jesus, and His apostles. I have to make this statement and ask this question. The claim to sonship is a claim to deity. Hebrews 1:8 - "but to the Son, God says, Your throne o God is forever and ever." Why does Jesus always receive worship and never refuse it. In eternity, we will be praising God and His Son for all eternity. God the Father doesn't say, don't worship Him worship Me only, after all I am the Lord your God."

Is a son less valuable than his father? No, they are equal in intrinsic value. Jesus was not a created being. He always was. Jesus said, "before Abraham was, I am" The same thing that God said to Moses in Exodus 3. We are called to give the Lord the glory due His name. The bring Christ down to a created being is a heresy of the first rank which was why Arias was excommunicated in the fourth century. This heresy threatened the well being of the church. Phiippians 2 cleary affirms Jesus' deity. In fact, I John says you can't be a Christian and deny Jesus being the Son of God. If Sonship meant something less than deity, why would John make that statement. Jesus had to be both God and man to be the Mediator between God and man. I Timothy 2. He has all the qualities of deity: eternal, Savior, Lord over the cosmos and the elements. Yes, this is a big deal and not just a minor point of doctrine. God bless.

Answer 13

It's important because it's the central belief of Christianity. If you do not believe that Christ was God, you cannot legitimately call yourself a Christian. Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Society even come right out and say that they do not consider themselves to be a Christian denomination.



Theology:



It's important that Christ is God, because the sacrifice He made for us on the Cross would not have the same meaning if He were not God. God Himself had to become one of us in order to show us that He was willing to go through the same suffering and travails as we as humans do, including death.



One early commentator remarked once that if all you needed was a good virtuous person to die, just an ordinary human, no God, then the Bible could have ended with the story of Cain killing Abel.



Only God Himself could ransom us, and pay the terrible price to atone for all the sins of mankind for all time. No mere human being could do it, no matter how holy that human might be - only God could save us.



It is a very big deal, in fact the biggest deal of all ;-)

Answer 14

The most important reason that Jesus has to be God is that if He is not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Only God could pay such an infinite penalty. Only God could take on the sins of the world (2 Corinthians 5:21), die, and be resurrected - proving His victory over sin and death.

Answer 15

Correct.



No where in the bible does it state that salvation comes from believe Jesus is divine. Instead Salvation is a free gift from God. There is nothing you can do to get it. Not even works.



"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)



Adam was a perfect man as was Jesus. Adam was not a God and neither was Jesus on Earth. Jesus could not perform the miracles he performed without his father's spirit (or power).



Acts 10:38 "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power"



The bible clearly states Jesus is divine when he was in Heaven.



John 1:1 - Word was god.

Answer 16

1. Yes, he entered in the 1st stage of life...Conception...he didn't go in as a 1yr old 2. He became man and lived as man lives, he was fully human and fully divine 3. He is God (He the second part of the trinity) He is the word made flesh, God the Father created through his Word (Jesus-as seen in the OT) and the Holy Spirit is their love between them 4. God is Alpha Omega, Beginning and End, He was and Ever will be. He became incarnate but that doesnt mean God was only two during Bible times 5. He is still alive and never will die. He gave his physical life death on the cross for ur sins and those of the world, and then he rose again. He still can be in ur life and nothing can replace him but u should stop putting such crude comments about him. Still, He will wait for u

Answer 17

Because then they're not much different than Jews and Muslims who believe in monotheism but deny Christ's divinity. How is it inessential if faith in Jesus is the basic premise of Christianity. If people believe Jesus was merely a created being, then by definition it can't be considered true faith. There are even people who say that believing in one true God is nonessential and that you can believe in other gods and still be saved. A inessential theology would be side issues like debating whether there was a literal 6 day creation or whether there is going to be a rapture.

Answer 18

I know Jesus is God.I received that revelation while reading the Word.I was doing a Bible study and reading St.John and my mind was opened to the knowledge that Jesus is God that He is the holy Ghost-Spirit that comes and takes up His abode in us.

I read all the answers and am very impressed by so many people who know Jesus is God.The Berean gave a concise and en lighting answer and most of the others were very clear on the point Jesus is God.

I love Him with all my heart and the relationship I have with Him makes life worth living.

Answer 19

And the good news is ,you don't have to follow every path of theology ,the truth is the bible .Some of the theology ,not all ,were made by human ,and sometimes ,it has gone too far ,so you just have to stick with the bible ,to the word of God Himself ,nothing far more important than that ,why sometimes the christian were shattered ? Because we're not following the word of God again ,we start to think like a human ,not following God anymore ,so take my advice ,stay away from a useless debate like that ,stick to your Bible at home ,and the great Father who's watching you and never debate about who is He ,nor but a loving God for all human ,God bless you.

Answer 20

I don't know about anyone else's sins, but lest He were God, no other blood would have been sufficient for the washing away of my sins.



My sins are so bad against God that only His perfect blood, His perfect grace, His perfect sacrifice could ever begin to wash away my sins, making me a new creation able to stand before His perfection.



I am so in awe that God would do that for me; Leave His heavenly throne, becoming perfect man, while remaining our perfect God so that I would have an escape through Him, at the cross from what would have been my perfect and just condemnation according to my sin nature.



We, at a graduation celebration, were just talking about how small we are within the universe. Our galaxy being the size of a speck of pepper in the state of Texas and our world being even smaller within this galaxy and then us in that world... We are indeed truly NOTHING without our Lord and Savior, Jesus, our Creator of the Universe.



That we could be so small and so seemingly worthless, yet He came to die for us so that we might not have to according to John 3:16!



God is so amazing, and I am frustrated that there are no words sufficient to thank Him.

Answer 21

Why is it important? A lot of things hinge on this. That Jesus is God is important for salvation, prophecy and the like. It is also something that Jesus claimed for himself and the JW's deny/overlook.

Answer 22

If we did not believe Jesus was the son of God,there would be no Christianity,no New Testament and we would all be living under the Jewish rules of the Old Testament.

Answer 23

It's an interesting statement.

It causes several questions to arise.

If Jesus was God then to whom was He praying?

When he offered us the Lords Prayer, why does it begin, Our Father, which art in Heaven?

God is the Father.

Jesus Christ is the Son.

Jesus himself said, none come to the Father but through me.

While I understand the generalization of this statement I fear it is denying God.

Answer 24

JW's do indeed believe Jesus is divine. So I'm not sure your question is valid. However, I think there is a valid question to be asked. Does the Bible teach that if someone doesn't believe Jesus is as fully divine as the Father does that mean they aren't saved?



I can honestly say I can think of nothing in the Bible that insists on this. Let's also keep in mind that the first four centuries of Christianity involved a heck of a lot of varied opinions on the subject until about 50 or so years *after* the Nicene Creed. This varied opinions actually included an over turning of the Nicene Creed at one point that was signed by the Bishop of Rome whom Catholics believe was the Pope at the time.



On the other hand, I *can* think of a lot in the Bible that says we shouldn't be judging the JW's salvation. It seems to me that the insistence of some Christians that JW's aren't Christian because they have an Arian view of Jesus (I'm not even sure that's accurate) is itself a violation of Jesus' command to judge not lest ye be judged.



Think of it another way. Imagine a JW named Bob going to heaven and finding out there that much of his religion was wrong, such as the existence of the afterlife and all of the unique portions of their religion. Say that he meets Jesus at the judgment bar and Jesus says to him, "Bob, I know you spent your whole life believing I redeemed you through my blood. I know you believe I'm divine. But you see, because you saw me as not being the Almighty this, to me, means you didn't really see me as divine. Thus I'm afraid I'm not really your savior and thus I'm going to send you to hell."



Can anyone in good conscious say that they believe Jesus has such a character? It seems to me that people that insist on calling JW's not Christian are insisting that Jesus has such a character. This strikes me as a much more serious error then the ones they claim the JW's are making.

Answer 25

The only way to forgiveness is through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Answer 26

I am in wholehearted agreement with theBerean on this one. I am glad that he is not a compromiser of gospel truth...especially that spoken by our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!



Park

Answer 27

The important thing is to believe that Christ IS God (not 'was'!) because only when we realise just WHO it was who died in our stead on the cross, will we truly bend our knee in Jesus' name and confess him to be the only Lord and Savior. If we think Jesus was just a perfect man, or (as JWs teach) a perfect man who, in an earlier life, was the archangel Michael, we will get false notions of it being possible for created beings - such as we are - to work hard enough to achieve perfection, and thus our own salvation. This is the fatal flaw with JW theology. They are working now at obedience to their leaders' interpretations and requirements in order to pass the test of Armageddon, then they expect to keep working in that way for 1,000 years on earth before the final hurdle of Satan's last assault. If they pass that test, then they expect to be rewarded with everlasting life on a paradise earth. They pay mere lip service to the need to have faith in Jesus for salvation because they consider him to be no more than an example for them to follow.



The Trinity doctrine was not developed in order to weed out 'undesirables' (for the Kingdom of Heaven is comprised solely of 'undesirables'). It was a matter of gradual revelation. It dawned on the 1st century disciples just who Jesus is as they received the Holy Spirit's teaching in revealing scripture about that, and they worshipped Christ. The Church saw afresh the OT truth that there is only one true God who is to be worshipped, in light of Jesus' deity. Alas, JWs do not understand the pitfall of polytheism that they fall into by declaring Christ is divine. Because they say he is not the Almighty God, merely 'a god', they have TWO GODS - a Big God, and a little god! The Trinity doctrine guards against that hideous spiritual crime. For those JWs astute enough to see this dilemma, they carefully relegate the meaning of 'worship' to nothing more than a respectful, obedient attitude. Either way, they fall between two stools.



This doctrine is crucially important because it is a revelation from God, regarding God, and is given in order that we might worship God in spirit and in truth. Nobody needs to be able to explain it in order to be saved. Yet Jesus said, "For the Father... has committed all the judging to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son JUST AS they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son DOES NOT HONOR THE FATHER who sent him" (Jn 5:22-23 KIT). JWs are not honoring Christ sufficiently. What will they say to him on the Day of Judgment?

Answer 28

I am surprised that so few of you do not comprehend the question. The question is not whether Jesus is God, but rather why did the saviour have to be God?

Answer 29

Jehovah's Witnesses do believe that Jesus was divine as John 1:1 says. Divine does not mean the almighty, just that he was a spirit being.



If Jesus were God, no salvation would be possible according to the pattern set forth in the wilderness.

Answer 30

whatever. its only important to believe in Christ as god only if you actually think it is. did you forget that not everybody is Christian?? by your question you seem to want to impose your beliefs on to everybody else!! if you believe that "Chirst was God", then good for you. but just because thats your belief doesnt make it right for everybody! i dont believe it is important to believe in Christ as god because i dont believe in Christ. i simply believe in god, plain and simple! thats my opinion. and not everybody has to agree.

Answer 31

well, jehova's witness are wacked out when it comes to knowing the truth! but your question is the same question as why do we need to know our history???

Answer 32

Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus when he said how we are to be saved.



John 3: 16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.



according to my dictionary begotten means "brought to life, created."



when was Jesus brought to life?



Col 1:15 "Firstborn of all creation."



Rev 3:14, "the beginning of creation by God."



Why do people get upset,



Jesus said there would be those who will kill you thinking they are rendering service to God.



Trinitarians have a long history of killing those who disagree with them.



By your fruits (actions) people will know if you are a true christian or a false christian.



John 10:36do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?





Jehovah's Witnesses are accused of blaspheming because we say "Jesus is the Son of God."

Answer 33

God Father speaks to mankind throw ...jnsr site.... read:

'As God wishes.



*******



29 December 2006-St Thomas











The Eternal Father: So you still don’t believe that I will perform this Miracle! This Peace, that from Heaven will come down, is the great Gift that God will offer to the Earth to let her know that the Father does not set any limit to the Gift that He is about to give by the Glorious Return of His Divine Son on His Earth.



Everything that He will ask Me, I will give it to Him.



For Me He is My Heart in action. The Father gives everything He has to His beloved Son. He is the One who, from My Being came out to be united to My Life. Eternal, He is as I am.



From Him I am waiting without having to wait because He has already heard and understood Me.



What I want, He wants it too.



And what He is saying to Me, I already said it to Him.



Because we already understand each other in everything.



He is in Me as I am in Him.



His Love comes from Me just as I already have it coming from Him.



We are united in everything because everything comes from Me and Him.



This long awaited Peace will come out from His Divine Heart,



because if He wants happiness for His Earth,



I am also wishing the same Peace with My Son and the Spirit of Holiness.



My child, if you are still here,



it is because your God, in His Goodness, will make of you what has to be made:



a Messenger of His Word for Peace



as God wishes.



as well as with all of those who will be willing to follow Me.



To make of each child of flesh a pure spirit,



because God is Spirit.



Then it will be Peace



because every child will come back to God



as it should be



and as God wishes.







God, the Eternal One in the Trinity of Love.



† † †

'

Answer 34

It's a lie. While Jesus is often called the Son of God in the Bible, nobody in the first century ever thought of him as being God the Son. Even the demons, who "believe there is one God," knew from their experience in the spirit realm that Jesus was not God. So, correctly, they addressed Jesus as the separate "Son of God." (James 2:19; Matthew 8:29) And when Jesus died, the pagan Roman soldiers standing by knew enough to say that what they had heard from his followers must be right, not that Jesus was God, but that "certainly this was God's Son."—Matthew 27:54.



Hence, the phrase "Son of God" refers to Jesus as a separate created being, not as part of a Trinity. As the Son of God, he could not be God himself, for John 1:18 says: "No one has ever seen God."—RS, Catholic edition.



The disciples viewed Jesus as the "one mediator between God and men," not as God himself. (1 Timothy 2:5) Since by definition a mediator is someone separate from those who need mediation, it would be a contradiction for Jesus to be one entity with either of the parties he is trying to reconcile. That would be a pretending to be something he is not.



The Bible is clear and consistent about the relationship of God to Jesus. Jehovah God alone is Almighty. He created the prehuman Jesus directly. Thus, Jesus had a beginning and could never be coequal with God in power or eternity.

Answer 35

It would seem that Trinitarians are unwilling to relinquish an invented "stick" with which they beat Jehovah's Witnesses.



(Matthew 24:42-51) Keep on the watch, therefore, because you [self-described Christians] do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ...46 Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him [providing spiritual food]. ...But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ 49 and should start to beat his fellow slaves ... the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, 51 and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites. There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be.





Shameless trinitarians even pretend repeatedly that Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian! Trinitarians use an artificial, trinity-specific definition of the term "Christian" which excludes anyone who does not believe that Jesus is God Himself, rather than the Son of God. Interestingly, pagans in the first century pretended that Christ's followers were Atheists(!) because the Christians had a somewhat different idea from the pagans about the nature of God.



Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe! Both secular dictionaries and disinterested theologians acknowledge that Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian religion.



The Trinitarian arguments are intended to insult and demean Jehovah's Witnesses, rather than to give a Scripturally accurate understanding of the term "Christian".



In fact, the bible most closely associates being "Christian" with preaching about Christ and Christ's teachings. Review all three times the bible uses the term "Christian" and note that the context connects the term with:

"declaring the good news"

'teaching quite a crowd'

'open eyes, turn from dark to light'

"uttering sayings of truth"

"persuade"

"keep on glorifying"



(Acts 11:20-26) [The early disciples of Jesus] began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus... and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.



(Acts 26:17-28) [Jesus said to Paul] I am sending you, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God... Paul said: “I am not going mad, Your Excellency Festus, but I am uttering sayings of truth and of soundness of mind. ...Do you, King Agrippa, believe the Prophets? I know you believe.” But Agrippa said to Paul: “In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian.”



(1 Peter 4:14-16) If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy... But if he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name





So why do anti-Witnesses try to hijack the term "Christian" and hide its Scriptural implications? Because anti-Witnesses recognize that it is the preaching work that makes it clear that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are by far the most prominent followers of Christ:



(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded





Learn more!

http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_04.htm

http://watchtower.org/e/20050422/article_02.htm

http://watchtower.org/e/pr/index.htm?article=article_04.htm

Answer 36

It isn't. Christians have it wrong.