This is the first in a series of columns addressing Jehovah’s Witnesses and their understanding of Jesus. Jehovah’s Witnesses have high regard for Scripture. They believe the Bible is the Word of God. They base their beliefs and practices on it. And they prove themselves adept at using select Bible passages to weave convincing arguments for their unique doctrines – particularly doctrines that place the Watch Tower outside the margins of historic Christianity. These include a denial of the … [Read more...]

One way the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ New World Translation (NWT) seeks to undermine the Trinity is by consistently rendering the name “Holy Spirit” as the inanimate “holy spirit.” The unnamed translators of the NWT often omit the article “the,” which results in stilted verses such as: “That one [Jesus] will baptize you with holy spirit …” (Matt. 3:11). John the Baptist “will be filled with holy spirit even from before birth” (Luke 1:15). Mary, the mother of Jesus, “was found to be pregnant … [Read more...]

After Simon Peter makes his famous declaration that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” Jesus tells the apostle, “you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matt. 16:16, 18 NIV). Jesus’ reference to “this rock” has been the subject of much debate. The Catechism of the Catholic Church declares, “The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the ‘rock’ of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and … [Read more...]

Last month, Russell Nelson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced that God had impressed upon him the urgency of casting off the nickname “Mormon.” Non-Latter-day Saints in the 19th century used the “Mormon” moniker disparagingly to identify members of the organization founded by Joseph Smith, whose followers came to embrace the name as a badge of honor. Even so, Nelson argued that “Mormon” does not do justice to the name that God, in 1838, gave Smith for … [Read more...]

This is the last in a series of articles on the Incarnation. Over the last six columns, we have examined the doctrine of the Incarnation. As we complete our study, let’s test what we’ve learned about the person and work of Jesus. Answer the following questions (feel free to refer to previous columns). The correct responses are listed at the end of each question. 1. What is the Incarnation? (a) The state of living in a country that’s crazy about automobiles (b) The eternal Son of God … [Read more...]

This is the fifth in a series of articles on the Incarnation. In the previous column, we examined six key passages of Scripture that help us understand the Incarnation – the eternal Son of God taking on human flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The Bible is clear that Jesus is one person with two distinct, but undivided, natures: human and divine. This means, at least in part, that by adding sinless humanity to His deity, Jesus did not become less than co-equal with the other … [Read more...]