Why do Jehovah Witnesses not believe that Jesus is God when He is many times referred to as Lord in the Bible?

Question

And all throughout the Old Testament there is references to "The Lord, Your God" , "The Lord God" or just "Lord" but with clear indications that His power is Divine.
There is no other person or being besides God and Jesus referred to as Lord in either the old or new testament.
One example of the NT reference is Peter saying "it is the Lord" when he saw Him walking on the water. This is one amongst many other references, so I don't understand how anyone would think that He isn't God.

Answer 1

The questioner's argument is extremely weak; the Scriptures apply the term "lord" to a wide range of human and superhuman individuals.

Insight on the Scriptures, volume 2, page 265
[quote]
The Greek and Hebrew words rendered “lord” (or such related terms as “sir,” “owner,” “master”) are used with reference to Jehovah God (Eze 3:11), Jesus Christ (Mt 7:21), one of the elders seen by John in vision (Re 7:13, 14), angels (Ge 19:1, 2; Da 12:8), men (1Sa 25:24; Ac 16:16, 19, 30), and false deities (1Co 8:5). Often the designation “lord” denotes one who has ownership or authority and power over persons or things. (Ge 24:9; 42:30; 45:8, 9; 1Ki 16:24; Lu 19:33; Ac 25:26; Eph 6:5) This title was applied by Sarah to her husband (Ge 18:12), by children to their fathers (Ge 31:35; Mt 21:28, 29), and by a younger brother to his older brother (Ge 32:5, 6). It appears as a title of respect addressed to prominent persons, public officials, prophets, and kings. (Ge 23:6; 42:10; Nu 11:28; 2Sa 1:10; 2Ki 8:10-12; Mt 27:63) When used in addressing strangers, “lord,” or “sir,” served as a title of courtesy.—Joh 12:21; 20:15; Ac 16:30.
[unquote]


Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians; they teach that Christ was and is divine and of the same nature as God.

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe!

Jehovah's Witnesses love and respect and honor Christ. However, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Scriptures quite plainly demonstrate that Jesus and the Almighty are separate distinct persons, and the Almighty created Jesus as His firstborn son.

(Colossians 1:15) the firstborn of all creation

(Mark 10:18) Jesus said to him: 'Why do you call me good? Nobody is good, except one, God.

(Revelation 3:14) the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by God

(Philippians 2:5-6) Christ Jesus, who, although he was existing in God's form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God

(John 8:42) Neither have I come of my own initiative at all, but that One sent me forth

(John 12:49) I have not spoken out of my own impulse, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to tell and what to speak

(John 14:28) I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am

(1 Corinthians 15:28) But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him

(Matthew 20:23) this sitting down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father

(1 Corinthians 11:3) I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; ...in turn the head of the Christ is God

(John 20:17) I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.

(Deuteronomy 6:4) Jehovah our God is one Jehovah

(1 Corinthians 8:4-6) There is no God but one. For even though there are those who are called "gods," whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many "gods" and many "lords," there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him

Thanks again for an opportunity to share what the bible actually says about the distinct persons of Jesus Christ the Son and Jehovah God the Father!

Learn more!
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_05.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050422/
http://watchtower.org/e/20020515/
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/index.htm?article=article_04.htm

Answer 2

NO Jehovah created all issues...yet with Jesus' help. Jehovah created Jesus...Proverbs 8; 22-31...Jesus strengthen into the 1st actual of Jeovah's crations. (Colossians a million:15) he's a lifeless ringer for the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; To be the 'photograph' is to have the comparable traits, yet not certainly BE Jehovah himself...a marvelous huge difference, yet needed. The Bible would not say that Jesus created something, yet that issues have been created via him and FOR him...via JEHOVAH... Jesus strengthen right into a helper... Jesus IS Michael...there is in common terms one archangel. As such, he's named a PRINCE...PRINCE OF PEACE. And has been GIVEN authority... (Matthew 28:18) And Jesus approached and spoke to them, asserting: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on earth. via WHO... via his father, Jehovah.

Answer 3

This group relies upon scriptures which have been tailored to fit their beliefs. They will tell you they are open to using any Bible, but when you discuss the Divinity of Jesus, they cling to the NWT Bible which they have published, because it has corrupted all scriptures which prove that Jesus is God. This cult puts the words of men before God's. That is why they believe as they do.

Answer 4

Lord is merely a title of elevation. Jehovah God is our Lord and so is Jesus Christ. Considering that Jehovah's name has been removed from many translations and many people read the Bible (if at all) with the bias of the Trinity they've been taught, it is no wonder that so many draw the conclusion that Jesus and Jehovah are 1 and the same.
However, Jesus clearly stated that the Father was greater than him and knew things that he did not. He referred to himself as the Son of God but never did he once say that he was God Almighty.
How many times does it specifically say in the Bible that Jesus Christ is God Almighty?
(please let's not get into the grammatical discussion of John 1:1, because I'd hate 2 have to go in depth to prove what that actually says at the moment)

Answer 5

In most Bibles, God's name, Jehovah was replaced by the word "LORD".
The Bible says clearly that Jehovah God is different from Jesus.

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." -- Colossians 1:15
Jesus was created and, so, he has a begining.

"Jesus said to him: “Why do you call me good? Nobody is good, except one, God."" -- Mark 10:18
Jesus is a distinct person from God.

“Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.” -- Matthew 24:36
If God and Jesus are the same shouldn't Jesus know the day?

"YOU heard that I said to YOU, I am going away and I am coming [back] to YOU. If YOU loved me, YOU would rejoice that I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am." -- John 14:28
Jehovah God is greater than Jesus.

"After being baptized Jesus immediately came up from the water; and, look! the heavens were opened up, and he saw descending like a dove God’s spirit coming upon him." -- Matthew 3:16
The Holy Spirit is a force, not a person.


For more information go to:
http://www.watchtower.org/library/na/article_05.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2005/4/22/article_02.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/library/ti/article_08.htm

Answer 6

people have commited a grievous sin and removed the name of the one whom Jesus calls "the only true God" at John 17:3.

everywhere you see LORD in the old testament is where these sinful people have extracated God's name YHVH (Jehovah in English)

beside that, there are many gods and many lords; see 1 Corinthians 8:5, 6

god is simply a title and does not always apply to the one Jesus worships as "the only true God"

agape!

Answer 7

When you read LORD in capital letters in the translation of the Bible you are reading, you will find that it is replacing in the original Hebrew text the tetragrammaton (YHWH) or where God's name appeared in the original text.

At some point Jewish tradition stopped them using God's name and when they read the text of the scriptures and came across God's name they said Lord. Gradually, the name was also replaced in the text.

So, rather than being swayed by a Jewish tradition that removed God's name, Jehovah's Witnesses glorify Jehovah and recognise where God's name appeared in the original text.

Therefore, your argument above is flawed, the use of LORD in the OT is not referring to Jesus, it refers to Jehovah, his Father.

Answer 8

At John 17:3, Jesus makes a clear distinction between himself and his heavenly Father. He calls his Father “the only true God.” And toward the end of his Gospel, John sums up matters by saying: “These have been written down that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God.” (John 20:31) Notice that Jesus is called, not God, but the Son of God.

Lord, God are titles/personality...not personal names. We are humans but we have our distinct names. So does God and his Son.

“There are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’. There is actually to us one God the Father,” and “there is one Lord, Jesus Christ.”—1 Corinthians 8:5, 6.

Answer 9

Dear Miss Sierra Sun,

Watchtower Witnesses are not children of the awesome uncreated Creator of the universe but children of the father of lies.

They do not have a right relationship with the Alpha and the Omega but rather they have a man-made religion.

But the heavenly Father does not leave us in our religious unreality. I know that for a fact because I have met a great many people on this forum who saw the falsehoods taught by the jws and left.

There is a wonderful chart called One Truth Exposes a Thousand Lies - Traits Shared Between Jehovah and Jesus at http://www.soulright.com

After looking at this chart one person said "I'd say that's a suspicously high number of qualities that Jehovah and Jesus share. And since Jehovah God will not share His glory with anyone (Isaiah 42:8) it seems odd that the two have the same characteristics through and through.

I know that if Jesus weren't fully God and fully man, then I could not have been put back into a right relationship with my heavenly Father. It baffles my mind to hear the contortions jws make of God's Word.

Edit for Arianne: I have read many many versions of the Bible and each of them shows that Jesus is fully man and fully God.

I have also read the black book which the Watchtower has written. It is definitely not divinely inspired. In spite of the fact that the NWT is not the Living Word of God it does prove that Jesus Christ was/is fully man and fully God.

If the JWs would simply read the NWT without using all of the Watchtower publications they would finally be able to see the Truth. The book that jws gave me last December even suggested reading the Bible through in one year. I have done that many times since I first started doing it in 1992 and I highly recommend doing it.

I have even made the offer to my jw mom that if she would read The Daily Walk Bible with me one year I would read the NWT with her the following year.
She keeps turning me down saying jws read the whole Bible every three years.

Answer 10

read the beginning of John's gospel. It says in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Jesus is referred to as being the Word several times in the bible. The Holy Spirit also gets referred to in Genesis in the creation account. This means all three were present, all three are God. God the Father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit. A Godhead. The trinity.

Answer 11

Look in the front of your Bible. It should explain that when you see LORD with all caps., it is there as a replacement for YHWH, which is God's name. Jehovah in English.

God, Lord, Father, those are simply titles. Even some humans are called "Lord." In Spanish, Senor means lord. That doesn't mean that every Spanish man is God Almighty.

Jesus said "The Father is greater than I am." He is not Almighty God, but he is God's Son, our Lord. He never claimed to be God. He often prayed to his Father.