Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Why don't Jehovah's Witnesses Believe in the Trinity?

Nowhere in the Bible is it mentioned that Jesus ever claimed to be God. Rather, he specifically called the "Father...the only true God." (John 17:1-3; Also see John 20:17; 2 Corinthians 1:3 and 1 Corinthians 8:6)

Nowhere in the Bible does it conclusively say that Jesus is God. Instead, the Bible repeatedly refers to Jesus as the "son of God". Because the Bible describes Jesus as the second oldest and second most important person in the universe, the Bible calls Jesus:

the "only-begotten Son" of God. (John 1:14; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9)

"the first-born of all creation". (Colossians 1:15)

"the beginning of God's creation". (Revelation 3:14)

The Bible shows that Jesus is subordinate to God: "The head of the Christ is God." (1 Corinthians 11:3) Jesus himself said: "The Father is greater than I." (John 14:28)

Concerning the supposed third person of the Trinity, nowhere in the Bible is the Holy Spirit called "God, the Holy Spirit." Instead, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is not a person, but rather is God's active force. Even many trinitarian scholars will admit this.

Not only does Biblical and historical evidence clearly not support the Trinity, but Historian Will Durant said that

"Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it. . . . From Egypt came the ideas of a divine trinity."

And Arthur Weigall stated that

"Nowhere in the New Testament does the word `trinity' appear. The idea was only adopted by the Church three hundred years after the death of our Lord; and the origin of the conception is entirely pagan." - The Paganism in our Christianity, pp. 197, 198.

Some look to a few selected Bible texts as "proof" of the Trinity. However, not even so much as one of these "proof texts" says that the Father, Jesus, and the holy spirit are one in some mysterious Godhead and, very often, the true meaning of such a text is clarified by the context of surrounding verses.

Learn more:
Search the Entire Content of Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site

Search the INDEX to the Official Jehovah's Witnesses Web Site

Official Jehovah's Witnesses Web Site, On-line Publications and Public Information

Contact Your Local Jehovah's Witnesses

FAQs from the Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses

Questions Often Asked By Interested People

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Examining So-Called Trinity 'Proof Texts'

Many who believe that Jesus is God or in the Trinity rely only on a few selected, so-called 'proof-texts'.

The following links lead to research showing how the most frequently used so-called 'Proof Texts' are not proof of the Trinity in any way.

(Links to more guides can be found at the bottom of this list.)

Gen. 1:26
Gen. 1:26 - "Let Us Make Man in Our Image" (Search For Bible Truths);   This scripture prove Trinity? (Search For Bible Truths);    Image (Examining the Trinity);   How is Man Made in God's Image? (Gen. 1:26) (Search For Bible Truths);   ("Let us make man in our image") - ELOHIM 3-6; I-AM 5; (Examining the Trinity)

Gen. 19:24
Gen. 19:24 ("Jehovah rained down fire ... from Jehovah") (Examining the Trinity)


Ps. 45:6
"Your throne, O God" - HEB (Examining the Trinity);   God and gods (Search For Bible Truths);   How is Jesus a god? (Search For Bible Truths)


Isa. 6:3
"Holy, Holy, Holy" - Is. 6:3 (Search For Bible Truths)


Isa. 9:6
Isa. 9:6 "Mighty God, Eternal Father" (Examining the Trinity);   Isa. 9:6 - NWT (DNWT);   NAME - “Jesus,” “Immanuel,” and Is. 9:6 (Examining the Trinity);   BOWGOD (God and gods) (Examining the Trinity);   Does Isa. 9:6 prove that Jesus is God? (Search For Bible Truths);   Why is Jesus called "Mighty God" at Isa. 9:6? (Search For Bible Truths);   One God in Three? (Pastor Russell; Heading: "No Trinity in the “Old Testament”');   How does the Codex Sinaiticus render Is. 9:6? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   How is translated Isaiah 9:6 in old Aramaic Targums? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)


Isa. 42:8
Heb. 1:3 / Isa. 42:8 Does Jesus really share Jehovah's Glory? (Examining the Trinity)


Isa. 43:11
Isa. 43:11 / 2 Pet. 3:18 Jehovah only Savior; Jesus Savior (Search For Bible Truths);   Title Confusion Trick "Saviour" (Examining the Trinity); A short exchange on "savior" and Isaiah 43:11 (IN Defense of the NWT)

Isa. 44:6
Isa. 44:6 "pronoun confusion trick" (Examining the Trinity);   Isa. 44:6 / Rev. 1:17 "First and the Last" (Search For Bible Truths)


Isa. 48:16
Isa. 48:16; Trinitarian "speaker confusion" trick (Search For Bible Truths)


Jer. 23:6
"Jehovah Is Our Righteousness" - NAME 4 (Examining the Trinity);   Why is Jesus called Mighty God? (Search For Bible Truths)


Micah 5:2
Micah 5:2 (Examining the Trinity);   BWF - 'Beginning,' 'Wisdom,' and 'Firstborn' (6th par. down; Examining the Trinity);   Is Micah 5:2 saying that Jesus' ORIGIN was “from early times”? (Search For Bible Truths);   Who created Jesus? (Search For Bible Truths);  Micah 5:2 (JW Stand Firm)


Hab. 1:12
Habakkuk 1:12 (INDNWT);   Why does the NWT render Habakkuk 1:12 "Are you not from long ago, O Jehovah? O my God, my Holy One, you do not die", when many other Bibles render it as "O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die."? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   Scribal notes (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   "King of Eternity" did not die, but His Son did (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)


Zech. 12:10
Zech 12:10 / John 19:37 (Defending the NWT);   Zech. 12:10 "...they shall look upon me whom they have pierced." (DNWT);   Zechariah 12:10 (INDNWT)


Mt. 1:22,23
Matt. 1:23 ("Immanuel") - NAME 2 (Examining the Trinity);   How was it that "all things were made through (Jesus)"? (Vs. 22) (SFBT);   How and why did Jesus come to Earth? (Search For Bible Truths);  Jesus merely a man? (Search For Bible Truths);   Should Jesus really be considered to be God because he was symbolically “named” Immanuel (Isa. 7:14; Mt. 1:23) which means “God is with us”? (Search For Bible Truths)


Mt. 12:32
Blasphemy to Christ: forgiven; to HS: not - HS (Last 20 par.) (and f.n.#10 &11);(Examining the Trinity);   BOWHS (f.n.) (Examining the Trinity);   Matthew 12:32 "whoever says something against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven" (Examining the Trinity)


Mt. 28:19
What does Mt. 28:19 mean? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers; Quote from WT 2002 April 1st);   Mt. 28:19 "...in the NAME of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity);   Mt. 28:19 - NWT (DNWT);   Does Mt. 28:19 prove that the Holy Spirit is God? (Search For Bible Truths);   Concerning Mt. 28:19... (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   2 Cor.13:14 "Jesus", "God", "and the...Holy Spirit" (Search For Bible Truths);   Shem Tov's Hebrew Matthew 14th century manuscripts (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   Some comments by scholars and translators (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   Online references that discuss the possible spurious origins of Matt. 28:19 (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)


John 1:1
In Defense of the New World Translation. John 1:1 files (INDNWT);   John 1:1 - A Number of Trinitaran Translations and Scholars Admit "a god" (Defending the NWT);   Defending the charge that the NWT translators made up a rule for the word for "God/god" (theos). (Defending the NWT);   How does the Coptic text render John 1:1? (VIDEO AT BOTTOM OF POST; Search For Bible Truths);   The Coptic Language and John 1:1 (Search For Bible Truths);   John 1:1c - English translation: "The Word was a god." (Search For Bible Truths);   John 1:1 "and the Word was" (pastorrussell);   "and the Word was divine." (pastorrussell);   Should John 1:1 read: "And the Word was divine"? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   "and the word was with (pros) God."  (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   John 1:1c Primer (Examining the Trinity);   DEFinite John 1:1c (Examining the Trinity);   Harner's JBL 'Qualitative' Article (Examining the Trinity);   HARNER: JBL 'Qualitative' Article Refuted (Examining the Trinity);   QUAL ("Qualitative" John 1:1c) (Examining the Trinity);   SEPTGOD (John 1:1c and the Septuagint) (Examining the Trinity);   Logos (The 'Word') (Examining the Trinity);   VIDEO: John 1:1 Part 1 and Part 2 (Search For Bible Truths);   John 1:1 was examined by Origen in his "Commentary on John." (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   IF God is a trinity, then how is it that “the Word (Jesus) was WITH God”? (John 1:1) (Search For Bible Truths);   Is the New World Translation the only Bible to phrase John 1:1c as "the Word was A God"? (Search For Bible Truths);   NWT - John 1:1 (Defending the NWT);   "Was" and "Beginning" in John 1:1 (Examining the Trinity);   If Jesus is not God, how can he be a god? (Search For Bible Truths);   God and gods - What is a god and who have been called 'gods'? (SFBT);   Video: "Early Jewish and Christian Monotheism - The Early use of "God" and the Christological Implications" (SFBT);   God and gods (from BOWGOD study) (Examining the Trinity);   Was the Word “God” or “a god”? (pastorrussell);   If the Father is the "only true God" (John 17:3), does that mean that Jesus is a false god? (SFBT);   Why is Jesus called "Mighty God" at Isa. 9:6? (SFBT);   The Holy Trinity (pastorrussell);   They call me Trinity (pastorrussell);  Jn 1:1 NWT - Mantey (DNWT);   Jn 1:1 Martin (DNWT);   John 1:1c - English Translation: "The Word was a god." (SFBT);  With God? (SFBT) 


John 2:19-22
RU - Jesus Raised Himself? (Examining the Trinity);   The Trinity and John 2:19-22 (JW United)


John 5:18
John 5:18 "...making himself equal to God" (Examining the Trinity);   John 5:18 - What is this scripture saying? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)


John 5:23


John 6:7-15
John 6:7-15 Holy Spirit as a "he" (Examining the Trinity);   Why, in John 16:7, is the holy spirit spoken of as a "helper"? (Examining the Trinity)


John 8:19
How is John 8:19 to be explained? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)


John 8:58
What did Jesus actually say at John 8:58? (SFBT);   John 8:58 "I AM"; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity);   In Defense of the New World Translation. John 8:58 files (INDNWT);   Stafford's "'ANI HU and the LXX of Isaiah" (INDNWT);   Sahidic Coptic John 8:58 and Sahidic Coptic Exodus 3:14 (Sahidic Coptic Insight on NT Verses);    What About...John 8:58? (From God's Word);   John 8:58 (Bible Translation and Study; Scroll down to First Scriptural Heading);   Miscellaneous Questions about the New World Translation (Jn 8:58) (Bible Translation and Study; Scroll down to Fifth Heading); How do we know that 'I Am' at Ex. 3:14 in KJV is incorrect? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   Jesus' reply had to do with the length of his existence...not his identity (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   Luke 23:43 and the New World Translation (SFBT)


John 10:17,18


John 10:30


John 10:33
John 10:33 "a god" or "God"? (Examining the Trinity);   THEON (Examining the Trinity);   MY GOD 8-9; (Examining the Trinity);   How is Jesus a god? (SFBT); John 1:1c - English Translation: "The Word was a god." (vs. 33) (SFBT);   How is John 10:33 translated in the coptic? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)


John 14:7-9
Seen Me: Seen Father - John 14:7-9 (Examining the Trinity) 


John 14:14
John 14:14 (DNWT);   Words Omitted (John 14:14) (DNWT);   What kind of prayers are heard by God? (SFBT); John 14:14: To "me" or not to "me", that is the question (Sahidic Coptic Insight on NT Verses);   The Sahidic Coptic of John 14:14 (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)


John 20:28
John 20:28 "My God" (DNWT);   MY GOD (Examining the Trinity);   Why did Thomas say "My Lord and my God" at John 20:28? (SFBT); Why did the apostle Thomas exclaim "My Lord and my God!" at John 20:28? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   John 20:28 - Is Jesus Given the Title 'ho theos'? (Bible Translation and Study; Scroll down to 3rd Scriptural Heading);   God and gods (SFBT);   How is Jesus a god? (SFBT)


Acts 5:3,4


Acts 8:29


Acts 10:38
"Anointed with Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity)


Acts 13:2


Acts 20:28


Acts 28:25
Acts 28:25 "The holy spirit aptly spoke through Isaiah" (Examining the Trinity)


Rom. 8:27


Rom. 9:5


1 Cor. 8:5,6
How was it that "all things were made through (Jesus)"? (Vs. 6) (SFBT);  'Unitized Title' Vs. 'Title with Identifiers' (1 Cor. 8:6) (Examining the Trinity);   1 Cor. 8:5,6 ("To us one God, the Father") - TC 6-7 (and f.n.'s #4, 6);  BWF 3-4 ("source")


1 Cor. 12:11


2 Cor. 3:17

2 Cor. 3:17 "The Lord is the Spirit." (Examining the Trinity)


2 Cor. 4:4
2 Cor. 4:4 "Christ, who is the image of God" (Examining the Trinity);   Image (Examining the Trinity);  Does Gen. 1:26 prove Trinity? (SFBT)


2 Cor. 13:14


Eph. 4:30


Eph. 5:5
Eph. 5:5 (Examining the Trinity);   SHARP'S RULE - Pt 1 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S Rule - Pt 2 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity);   'Sharp's Rule' Primer (Examining the Trinity);   Sharp's Rule (A response to a major accusation made by Robert H. Countess) (DNWT);   Titus 2:13 "Sharp's Rule" (DNWT);   Trinitarian Apologetics: A Case Study Involving Rob Bowman and Granville Sharp (Jehovah's Witnesses United)


Phil. 2:6
   

Col. 2:9
      

2 Thess. 1:12



1 Tim. 3:16



1 Tim. 5:21


Titus 2:13
SHARP'S RULE - Pt 1 (Examining the Trinity);   SHARP'S Rule - Pt 2 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity);   'Sharp's Rule' Primer (Examining the Trinity);   Sharp's Rule (A response to a major accusation made by Robert H. Countess) (DNWT);   Titus 2:13 "Sharp's Rule"; (DNWT);   Trinitarian Apologetics: A Case Study Involving Rob Bowman and Granville Sharp (Jehovah's Witnesses United)


Heb. 1:3


Heb. 1:6
Heb. 1:6 "All angels of God worship him" KJV (Examining the Trinity)   Worship (as used in Scripture) (Examining the Trinity);   Worship or Obeisance? (Bible Translation and Study);   PROSKYNEO-Always "Worship"? (In Defense of The New World Translation);   Heb. 1:6 - "Let all the angels of God worship him [Jesus]." (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers);   Heb. 1:6 "All angels of God worship him" KJV (SFB); Instance of prototokos in NT (SFBT)


Heb. 1:8
Heb. 1:8 "Thy Throne O God" (Examining the Trinity);   Hebrews 1:8 "Thy throne, O God" (DNWT);   Heb. 1:8 (INDNWT);   George Wesley Buchanan and Hebrews 1 (INDNWT)


2 Pet. 1:1



2 Pet. 3:18



1 John 5:7


1 John 5:8

1 John 5:20


Rev. 1:8
Rev. 1:8 "Alpha and Omega" (Examining the Trinity);


Rev. 1:17


Rev. 5:6
Throne (Rev. 22:1) (Examining the Trinity);   Rev. 5:6 and Rev. 5:13 "Throne" (Examining the Trinity);   "Jehovah" in the New Testament; "Holy, Holy, Holy" - Is. 6:3 (SFBT)


Rev. 5:13
Rev. 5:6 and Rev. 5:13 "Throne" (Examining the Trinity)


Rev. 22:1
Throne (Rev. 22:1) (Examining the Trinity)


Rev. 22:13


More material:
 
Trinity 'Proof' Texts Refuted (From In Defense of The New World Translation of The Holy Scriptures)

What About Trinity "Proof Texts"? (rs p. 405-p. 426; Watchtower Online Library)
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