A Christian Response to the Watch Tower Article What Do the Scriptures Say About the Divinity of Christ
Part 4
By Tom and Ella McCrea
The Watchtower magazine of January 15, 1992 printed a four page article aimed solely at stripping Jesus of His divinity.In the last issue of Concern Tom and Ella McCrea continued their examination of this article and asked what Scriptural proof, if any, the Watch Tower Society, presented to its readers to back up its claims. We print the third part of their findings below.
ON page 22 of the Watchtower it goes on to describe ‘Jesus’ true position and although scriptures are quoted on Christ being subject to His Father, the Watchtower says Jesus is ‘inferior’ to the Father! The word 'inferior' occurs 3 times in the New Testament and never in connection with Jesus’ relationship with the Father.
MISUNDERSTOOD
Remember Jesus is the Mediator between God and man, he , as it were, has to represent both sides. In that sense, he is subject to the Father but not inferior. A wife is not inferior to her husband. Both share the same nature.
The scripture at I Corinthians 15: 24,28 is next discussed. This scripture is greatly misunderstood by JWs. They believe Christ plus 144,000 of their anointed will form a heavenly government They will rule over the people on earth, after Armageddon, for a literal 1,000 years. Their rule will gradually lift the sin of those on earth until at the end of the 1,000 years, all will stand perfect. However, at this point Christ will hand over the earthly subjects and the Father will rule directly over mankind. Satan will be loosed to test mankind and will be eventually destroyed along with many who follow him.
CONTRADICTS
But this is not what the Bible is saying. 1 Corinthians 15: 24 - 27 says Christ rules until he puts all enemies under his feet. To say he hands over before Satan and death are dealt with, contradicts the Bible. Also, we must remember that Christ's kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Daniel 7:14; Luke 1:33; 2 Peter 1: 1 1. 1 Corinthians 15 is dealing with the resurrection and Christ's work as mediator. We know that Christ's death was to 'abolish death' (2 Timothy 1: 10), but the complete fulfilment of that will be realised with the resurrection of the body. This takes place when Christ returns - I Corinthians 15: 51 - 54; 1 Thess. 4: 15 - 18. The mediator will then lay down his office, at the feet of the Father.
THE FACTS
Regarding the use of the word ‘worship’ in the New Testament, here are the facts:
The word ‘worship’ plus the noun formed by it occurs 61 times. Of these 22 instances are clearly divine worship, five more of worship used intransitively. A further 17 condemn idol worship, 15 cases refer to worship of Jesus and only 2 refer to salutation to men. These are Matthew 18: 26 and Revelation 3: 9.
The former scripture depicts the king as a type or picture of God (verse 29 uses a different word when used between fellow servants. ‘besought’ ‘entreat’ NWT) Revelation 3: 9 refers to the enemies of the church being forced to acknowledge Jesus’ love for the church. Compare this with Isaiah 60: 14,15.
Sadly, the Watchtower Society cannot make up its mind whether or not Jesus should be worshipped. For example, the Watchtower March 1880 page 83 says -
"to worship Christ in any form cannot be wrong."
Even as late as the Watchtower 15 October 1945, page 313, Jehovah’s Witnesses were told you must worship and bow down to Jehovah’s chief one, namely Jesus Christ.
However, by 1964 this was the instruction : -
"...it is unscriptural for worshipers of the living and true God to render worship to the Son of God, Jesus Christ." Watchtower 1/1 V64 page 671.
The idea that men only did obeisance to Jesus as to a human being, does not explain why we are to bow the knee before one we cannot literally see before us. It does not explain why Jesus is worshipped by every creature - Revelation 5:13, instead of being with them as a worshipper.
Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden to worship Jesus and to pray to him. They will say they pray through Jesus. But please consider, what does that mean? Do we believe Jesus can hear these prayers and intercede for us? Hebrews 7:25.
Why do JWs believe it is wrong to pray through Mary or the saints?
If all the saints in every place call upon the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 1: 2), how, if he is not God, can he hear us?
Clearly then the scriptures do teach the Divinity, yes, the Deity of the Lord Jesus.