This file was written to answer some of the claims brought up by Jehovah’s
Witnesses, who reject the teaching that Jesus is God.
While there are several files that deal with the subject of the “Trinity” and
whether Jesus is truly God in human form, after being on the round table a few
times, I felt that I might be able to express my thoughts and ideas better
with this file. I do not claim to have all the answers, but I do feel that
this will give some of the reasons why I do belive that Jesus is God.
Ron Powers
************************************************************
TRINITY
“The coexistence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in unity
of the Godhead.”
“While not a biblical term, “trinity” represents the
crystallization of NT teaching”
The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible 1962 Vol 4, page 711
“While overlaid with idolatry, the recognition of a
Trinity was universal in all the ancient nations of the
world, proving how deep-rooted in the human race was the
primeval doctrine on this subject, which comes out so
distinctly in Genesis”
The Two Babylons, Page 18 By the Rev. Alexander Hislop
*************************************************************
Colossians 1:15
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of
every creature:”
FIRSTBORN
PROTOTOKOS, First Born
expressing His priority to, and preeminence over,
creation, not in the sense of being the first to be born.
a) Col I:15 Where His eternal relationship with the
Father is in view, and the clause means both that He
was the Firstborn before all creation and that He
Himself produced creation.
An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Word – 1984, Page 434 W.E. Vine
The phrase first-born of all creation is likewise a title
of dignity and function; it has nothing to do with
relations of time. It certainly does not imply that
Christ is Himself a part of creation, even the first
part; the ancient church fathers rightly insisted that he
is called (First Born), not (First Created).
The Interpreter’s Bible In Twelve Volumes – 1955 Vol XI, Page 164
Colossians 1:15 is not stating that Jesus is the first thing created, but that
He is preeminent over all creation, because He created all things.
Col 1:16 For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are
in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: 17 And
He is before all things, and by Him all things consist: 18 And He is the head
of the body, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the
preeminence.
It should be noted that the word “other” was added by the Watch Tower in “The
New Word Translation”, and is found no where in the Greek, not even in “The
Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures”. (Page 896, 1969 Ed.)
*************************************************************
Revelation 3:14
“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans
write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true
witness, the beginning of the creation of God;”
BEGINNING
ARCHE means a beginning. The root arch- primarily
indicated what was of worth. Hence the verb arch¢ meant
‘to be first’, and arch¢n denoted a ruler. So also arose
the idea of a beginning, the origin, the active cause,
whether a person or thing, e.g., Col. I:18
An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Word – 1984, Page 103 W.E. Vine
3. that which anything begins to be, the origin, active
cause . . .
Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament – 1977 Page 77 Joseph H.
Thayer
Jesus is the beginning of creation, in that He is the source or origin of all
creation.
*************************************************************
Proverbs 8:22-25
“The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way,
before His works of old.
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or
ever the earth was.
When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when
there were no fountains abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I
brought forth:”
Though out this section of Proverbs, Wisdom is personified. While Jesus is
called the wisdom of God (I Cor. 1:24) these verses in Proverbs can not be
referring to Him, since wisdom is always referred to with the feminine
pronouns, she and her. Even though the Watch Tower has replaced these
pronouns with “it” and “its”, they where not able to change Prov 7:4 which
says “Say to wisdom: “You are my sister”; and may you call understanding
itself “Kinswoman,”” Jesus would never be called our “Sister”.
*************************************************************
John 1:18
“No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son,
which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared
Him.”
to know God’s will, 3 Jn. 11; from the intercourse and
influence of Christ to have come to see (know) God’s
majesty, saving purposes, and will [cf.W. 273 (257)], Jn.
xiv. 7, 9; in an emphatic sense, of Christ, who has an
immediate and perfect knowledge of God without being
taught by another, Jn. i. 18; vi 46
Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament -1977 Page 451 Joseph H.
Thayer
This verse is not saying that no one has physically seen God at any time, but
that no one has fully understood God at any time. That is why Jesus came to
declare or explain God to us.
*************************************************************
JESUS IS GOD
John 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.”
GOD
As to this latter it is usual to employ the article with
a proper name, when mentioned a second time. There are,
of course, exceptions to this , as when the absence of
the article serves to lay stress upon, or give precision
to, the character or nature of what is expressed in the
noun. A notable instance of this is in John I:I, “and
the Word was God;” here a double stress is on the theos,
by the absence of the article and by the emphatic
position. To translate it literally, ‘a god was the
Word,’ is entirely misleading. Moreover, that “the Word”
is subject of the sentence, exemplifies the rule that the
subject is to be determined by its having the article
when the predicate is anarthrous (without the article).
An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Word – 1984, Page 490 W.E. Vine
Revelation 1:8
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,
saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to
come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:17-18
“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He
laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I
am the first and the last:
I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am
alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and
of death.”
Revelation 22:12-16
“And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me,
to give every man according as his works shall be.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the
first and the last.
Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they have
right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the
gates into the city.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers,
and murders, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and
maketh a lie.
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these
things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring
of David, and the bright and morning star.”
Who is the “Alpha and Omega”? God Almighty.
Who is the “first and last”? Jesus.
According to Rev 22:13, the “Alpha and Omega” is the “first and last”, so
Jesus (the first and last) is God (the Alpha and Omega).
The “Alpha and Omega” is also the one who is coming quickly (Rev 22:12), and
Rev 22:20 states that it is Jesus who is coming quickly.
Even in the Old Testament, God is identified as the First and Last (Is 41:4,
44:6, 48:12) the same title Jesus is given.