Part 1 Many people are confused about the
Jehovah’s Witnesses. People have written to ask if they are Christians or do they worship a different God? The following article may help to answer this important questions.
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christians have some things in common. For example, they share common concerns about religious apostasy, and they teach against Evolution.
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christians do, however, differ on many important doctrines. In an attempt to keep this article to a reasonable length, let us not concentrate on ALL the differences. Rather…
…LET US INVESTIGATE THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE, THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.
JW’s believe that
Jesus Christ was a perfect man, and that He is a person distinct from God the Father. However, they also teach that before His earthly life, Jesus was a spirit creature,
Michael the
archangel, who was created by God and became the
Messiah at
His baptism. According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jesus is a mighty one, although not almighty as
Jehovah God is. According to
John 1:1 in their Bible,
The New World Translation,
Christ is “a god,” but not “the God.” They teach that Jesus “was and is and always will be beneath Jehovah” and that “
Christ and God are not coequal”.
Does the Bible confirm their beliefs, or does it teach the orthodox Christian concept that
Christ is God? This is an extremely important question. Consider the following points:
- The Christ of the New Testament is the Jehovah of the Old Testament.
These verses demonstrate that the name “Jehovah” is used for both God the
Father and of God the
Son. Although they are distinct persons they are each called “Jehovah” because they each possess deity.
”
How do Jehovah's Witnesses' teachings about Christ compare with Scriptures? - ChristianAnswers.Net
Though some feel that "the Christ of the New Testament is the Jehovah of the Old Testament", this is not the case. The use of Isaiah 6:1-10 to John 12:31-42 to say that Jesus is Jehovah does not "hold water." For example, at Exodus 24:12, it says: "And Jehovah said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee the tables of stone, and the law and the commandment, which I have written, that thou mayest teach them."(American Standard Version) Further, at verse 16, it says: "And the glory of Jehovah abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud." Was Jehovah personally there, talking to Moses ? No. How can this be known ?
Over fifteen hundred years later, when Stephen was before the Sanhedrin, he told this body religious leaders: "You stubborn people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do."(Acts 7:51, American Standard Version) Stephen then said to these obstinate body of religious leaders that "you who received the Law given through angels, and yet have not obeyed it."(Acts 7:53, Weymouth's New Testament)
In addition, at Exodus 3:2, it says that "the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush". However, just a few verses later, it says that "when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses."(Ex 3:4, American Standard Version) Thus, Jehovah was not there in person, but was represented by an angel or angels, who spoke as if Jehovah God himself was there on Mt. Sinai. Moses was instructed concerning Aaron: "And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and it shall come to pass, that he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God."(Ex 4:16, American Standard Version)
At Genesis 32:28, it says that the one speaking to Jacob, said that he had "contended with God". Jacob however, did not grapple with God, but with an angel, for Hosea 12:4 says that Jacob "he wrestled with the Angel, and prevailed."(Darby's Bible) Hence, angels and men have spoken for Jehovah, as his representative, even saying that they are Jehovah, when, in fact, are only angels.
Concerning Exodus 34:14, it says: "for thou shalt worship no other god: for Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:"(American Standard Version) What does Hebrews 1:6 say about Jesus ? According to the King James Bible, it reads: "And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." Did it really say that the angels worshiped Jesus ? The Greek word used at Hebrews 1:6 for "worship" is proskyneo and means "to fawn or crouch to. i. e. prostrate oneself in homage."(Strong's # G4352 )
What does homage mean ? According to Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2005, it means "a show of reverence and respect toward somebody." Though the Greek word proskyneo can mean "worship", it also can mean to show "reverence and respect toward somebody". Young's Bible reads "bow before him" at Hebrews 1:6. Scholars derive the Greek term proskyneo from the verb ky·ne´o, “kiss.” The usage of the word in the Christian Greek Scriptures, commonly called the New Testament (as also in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, commonly called the Old Testament) shows that persons to whose actions the term is applied prostrated themselves or bowed down.
When Satan requested that Jesus do just "an act of worship (Greek proskyneo) to me", Jesus responded, quoting Deuteronomy 5:9 annd 10:20: "Go away, Satan! For it is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship (Greek proskyneo) , and it is to him alone you must render sacred service ("sacred service", Greek la·treu´seis ).’” (Matthew 4:9 10) Hence, only Jehovah God is to be worshipped and rendered "sacred service " to and not Jesus. Thus the New World Translation reads "obeisance" at Hebrews 1:6 and not "worship."
Even Jesus worships Jehovah God, for he told the Samaritan woman: "You worship One of whom you know nothing. We worship One whom we know (Jesus included himself in worshipping the Father); for salvation comes from the Jews. But a time is coming - nay, has already come - when the true worshippers will worship the Father ( and not Jesus) with true spiritual worship; for indeed the Father desires such worshippers."(John 4:22, 23, Weymouth's New Testament)
And concerning Isaiah 44:6, it says: "Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God."(American Standard Version) Though Jesus calls himself "the First and the Last" at Revelation 1:17, only Jehovah God speaks of himself as "the Alpha and Omega" at Revelation 1:8 and later at Revelation 22:13. This is further seen at Revelation 21:6, with verses 5 and 7 saying that the one speaking is seen sitting "on the throne" and to the one "conquering...I shall be his God."
When the apostle John fell down to worship the angel that delivered the message at Revelation 22, the angel said: "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words in this book. Worship God!"(Rev 22:9, International Standard Version) The angel never mentioned to worship Jesus, but only God. This harmonizes with Jesus words that it is "Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service."
