I. JESUS WAS THE FIRST CREATION BY GOD

THE DEITY OF CHRIST: Refuting JW Doctrine #2 I. JESUS WAS THE FIRST CREATION BY GOD A. In the late 1800 s, Charles Taze Russel founded the organization that would later be known as the Jehovah s Witnesses. 1. Judge J.F. Rutherford gave them their current name. 2. The organization is under the oversight of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. a. The source of their teaching & the organization by which their leaders & members are controlled. [In this lesson we ll consider the Bible passages they use to support their mistaken ideas about Jesus Christ. We take their arguments from their own publication, Make Sure of All Things, Hold Fast To What Is Fine, pgs 282-288.] Rev 3:14 And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning (arche; ar-khay ) of the creation of God. A. Beginning can be defined in two ways: 1. The first in time, that is, the commencement of something, or 2. The first in rank & authority, that is, the head of something (arche; ar-khay ). Luke 20:20 So they watched Him, & sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power (arche; ar-khay ) & the authority of the governor. 1 Cor 15:24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule (arche; ar-khay ) & all authority & power. Eph 1:21 far above all principality (arche; ar-khay ) & power & might & dominion, & every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come 1

B. Jesus was not the first creation; He is the head or ruling authority of creation: CREATOR! 2. God uses the term firstborn when the literal meaning would not apply. John 1:3 All things were made through Him, & without Him nothing was made that was made. Heb 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory & the express image of His person, & upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven & that are on earth, visible & invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him & for Him. a. David: (Psa 89:19-29, 27) b. Israel (Exo 4:18-23, 22) [The word indicates a privilege & preeminence granted by God. The only difference in the case of Jesus is that He is co-existent, co-eternal & one in nature w/god.] C. In Colossians 1:15, the word firstborn often used to make their point. II. THROUGH HIM ALL OTHER THINGS WERE CREATED Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. A. The NWT perversion of Colossians 1:16. 1. Jesus was not the first thing God created; Jesus holds the rank of a firstborn son. 1. The word other is not in the Greek text, nor is it in any other translation of the Bible. a. And He holds that rank not by birth, but by authority granted (Col 1:16-20). 2. Satan dragged man into his present state, by adding one word to God s. 2

Gen 3:4 Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. Deut 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Prov 30:5-6 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. 6 Do not add to His words, jest He rebuke you, & you be found a liar (Rev 22:18-19). [The very fact that the committee behind the NWT deemed it necessary to insert a word into the original text calls into question their motives.] a. They compare Isaiah 9:6 with 10:21 in our English translations. b. In Isaiah 10:21, a clear reference to Jehovah, a definite article the precedes Might God, but in 9:6, a clear reference to Christ, it does not. c. What they don t tell you is that the Hebrew text omits the definite article in both passages. III. A MIGHTY GOD, BUT NOT ALMIGHTY GOD, JEHOVAH. A. Isaiah 9:6-7 is one of the clearest OT prophecies relating to the Deity of Jesus Christ. 1. Yet the JW s say, He is a Mighty God, but not the Almighty God who is Jehovah. 2. How do they arrive at that conclusion? d. That happens in the NT with the name Christ (cp. Matt 16:16; Acts 26:23 with Rom 5:6) are there 2 Christs? B. The NWT perverts another text to try & prove that Jesus was not equal with God. 1. John 1:1 (NWT) In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, & the word was a god. 3

NWT Appendix pages 773-774 (1951 Edition), the Watchtower editors try to justify their translation of John 1:1 by saying, Careful translators recognize that the articular construction of the noun (that is, the construction in which a noun appears with the definite article) points to an identity, a personality, whereas an anarthrous construction (a construction in which a noun appears without the definite article) points to a quality about someone. (p. 774). 1. They are saying when the Greek word for God (Theos) appears without the definite article, it must be rendered, a god. 2. This argumentation is spurious, false, bogus: simply not true. a. Theos is used many times in the NT, sometimes with, & sometimes w/out an article. b. The NWT does not even live by its own rule. It does not add the definite article to these verses (Jn 1:6, 12, 13, 18). Phil 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, A. The NWT contorts this passage to fit Watchtower doctrine. 1. existing in God s form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal with God. Phil 2:7-8 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, & coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself & became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 2. However, the context will not allow this rendering. a. Paul presents Jesus as the perfect example of humility, & then instructs us to have the same mind. IV. JESUS IS LESSER THAN JEHOVAH 4

b. But what is humble about Jesus NOT doing what He COULD NOT do? c. According to the Watchtower Society, Jesus gave no consideration to seizing equality with God when He (Jesus) had no chance of being equal to God. d. How is that an example of humility? e. It would be like saying that an average British citizen is humble because he did not consider seizing the throne of Queen Elizabeth when he can t even qualify for that office. f. However, if a person was a King (the highest ranking official) & became a servant, that would be humility. Phil 2:5 AMP Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] 6 Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality [original privileges and rightful dignity, bj] with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, 7 But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity but not His Godhood, bj], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. 8 And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! 9 Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, 10 That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [In Phil. 2:5-8, the KJV & NKJV express that Jesus did not grasp, clutch or cling to His rightful place of honor & dignity in Heaven to the extent that He was unwilling to fulfill His Father s will on earth.] CLOSING A. Scripture confirms the fact that Jesus was God on earth: Col 2:9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (cf. 1:19) Adam Clarke "The fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Christ 'bodily,' as opposed to the Jewish tabernacle, or temple; truly and really, in opposition to types and figures; not only effectively, as God dwells in good men, but substantially or personally, by the strictest union, as the soul dwells in the body; so that God and man are one Christ." Confess Him if you have not (Jn 20:27-29; Rom 10:9; 1 Tim 6:11-14). 5