Jehovah's Witnesses: What is your take on whether Jesus is a true God or a false god?

Question

I know that JW's New World Translation staes in John 1:1 that Jesus is " a god ". So if Jehovah is one true God, is Jesus a false god?

How do you see it?

Unsilenced Lamb: LOL. Great minds think alike ; )

Moises Frias : I am not suggesting evil association with Jesus, I believe He is God.

I am saying that if there is only one true God and there is no other gods and you say Jesus is not true God, that suggests that Jesus is a false god.

So when we establish that Jesus is not a false god, then Jesus must be one true God, Jehovah.

Keiichi : The phrase "only true " ( in "only true God" ) in John 17:3 in both grammar and context - is not intended to contrast the Father and the Son, but rather the one true God's nature with that of false gods.

The greek word for "true" in verse carriesthe meaning " real" or "genuine". Hence, Jesus in this verse is is simply saying that the Father is the "only true God"-as opposed to the many false gods and idols.

John 17:3 does not take away from Christ's deity in any way. And John firmly establishes Christ's deity as one true God elsewhere in his gospel ( John 1:1, 8:58; 20:28.

Klaudya: 'they' suggest that a tue God has a god son? When there is one true God like it is in John 17:3 and there is not other gods. How can anyone say that there is no other gods and then say Jesus is a god?

THA: Christians believe there is only one true God, and there is no other gods. Jws belive that there is one true God and then there are other "lesser gods"? So is JWs' belief system polytheistic?

Curly Sue: If they just read the Bible and see what it says and theywould not think what the organization is saying it says.

It is hard for them to separte from the organization teachings.

Achtung heiss: I am not saying that JWs say that Jesus is false. I am saying that your version of the Bible, NWT, says that Jesus is " a god". Read all the other translations and compare. NWT writers did not have a formal training in biblical languages.

I am saying, if you believe that there is one true God, and you believe Jesus is "a god" ...if Jesus is not a one true God, is he a false god?Is your religion polytheistic?

Answer 1

As the Bible calls all other gods false gods then your reasoning is accurate. I have had this discussion with JW's before and they, as usual, are unable to offer any biblical answer, only reasoning on the scriptures; reasoning, I might add, that comes from the Watchtower society and is clearly flawed. The scriptures clearly state that there is no other true God other than Jehovah/Jesus. Deuteronomy 32:39 "See now, that I - I am he. And there are NO OTHER Gods together with me." JW's teach that Jesus was a god, Jesus stated several times that before he came to earth he was with his Father, therefore either this verse is a lie, or JW's reason wrongly. They claim that Jehovah created Jesus (a god) and yet Isaiah 42:10 says "Before me there was no there God formed, and AFTER ME there continued to be none." Isaiah 44:6 "I am the first and the I am the last, and besides me there is NO OTHER God." They also teach, that as a god, Jesus created the heavens and the earth, John :2-3 "This one was in the beginning with God. All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence." Isaiah 44:24 says different "I, Jehovah, am doing everything, stretching out the heavens BY MYSELF, laying out the earth. WHO WAS WITH ME." Therefore by JW's own reasoning Jesus is a false god, or, their reasoning, as said before is seriously flawed. They continually point to Jesus's many references to God being greater than he etc, however, fail to grasp the very simple concept that whist Jesus was incarnate in the flesh he WAS inferior to his father, for how can a fleshly man be equal to God, and, whilst he was incarnate that is ALL he was, a fleshly man.

Keiichi: The Bride of Christ would not teach such terrible falsehoods as the leaders of the JW organisation have done since the late 1800's. Are we really to expect that Jesus' bride would tell it's followers such ridiculous things as 'vaccinations are against Gods natural law', thereby possibly condeming children to illness and even death; or that accepting an organ trasplant is 'cannabilism'; allowing peope to die, only years later to overturn that decision; or to deny many people blood transfusion, again causing death, and again, years later, changing the decision and allowing components of blood (still taken from human blood). What hypocrisy.

Answer 2

Contrary to your belief about John 17:3, the context excludes Jesus from being the only true or real God, because the Real God sent Jesus forth.

If Fred sent Joe, then Joe can not be Fred.
If Fred has the power to send Joe, then Joe can not be equal to Fred.

Where in the bible does it say there are only True Gods and False Gods?

This is a weak trinitiarn misquote of scripture.

The bible actually lists three types of Gods / gods.

the simple definition of the word God is 'Mighty One'

How many Mighty Ones are in the bible?

1) Jehovah the only true God
(the expression true God appears in the bible some 460 times and only applies to Jehovah)

Whereas the word God / god appears in the bilble some 5800 times and also applies to Satan, food, money, and Baal.

2) These gods or Gods are false Gods because people worship them.

the third type of God / god Mighty One mentioned in the bible

are those called God but are not the true God Jehovah.

3) These include

Moses (Ex 7:1)
The angel of Jehovah (Judges 13:21,22)
The human judges (Ps 82:6)
Jesus (John 1:1)

This last group become false Gods only if you worship them.

In English what is wrong with this sentence?

In the beginning was the Spokesman, the Spokesman was with the Mighty One, the Spokesman was Mighty One.

Remember be honest in you answer.


Footnote from the NAB for Jn 1:1:

"Was God: lack of a definite article with "God" in Greek signifies predication rather than identification. "

Predication is a big word meaning "quality" thus God(2) is a quality and NOT AN IDENTIFICATION.

Jesus has the quality of God not Jesus is the God.

John at Rev 1:6 makes it very clear his belief about the godship of Jesus:

"who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,"

Who is the God and Father of Jesus?

It is the trinitiarns who have turned Jesus into a false God, because they insist on worshipping the Son.

According to one regular "God cannot lie"

Thus when Jehovah said "This is my Son" I believe him.

.

Answer 3

If we should see, for example, someone being called the `TRUE prophet', that should mean that the person so described is TRULY a prophet. In either case this certainly does not have to mean that all other prophets must be FALSE. Even if it was said that this one was the "ONLY true Prophet," we would probably consider him the ONLY prophet in the HIGHEST of the word, but that still would not make ALL other prophets of God FALSE prophets.

For God to say that he is the TRUE God does not demand that ALL others called `god' or `gods' are FALSE gods as a few trinitarian apologists imply. The inspired scriptures when speaking of FAITHFUL angels, prophets, God-appointed judges, kings, and magistrates clearly calls them "gods" on occasion. These are called "gods" in the sense of faithful servants of God, representing the true God.

At John 17:1, 3 Jesus prays to the Father: "FATHER, .... this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." - New International Version (NIV). Here the Father ALONE is not only very clearly identified as the only true God, but Jesus Christ is again pointedly and specifically EXCLUDED from that identification ("AND Jesus Christ whom YOU [the only true God] have sent").

Notice how this respected trinitarian Bible has rendered John 17:1, 3 - "FATHER,....This is eternal life: to know thee WHO ALONE art truly God, AND Jesus Christ whom THOU hast sent." - New English Bible (NEB).

So, the title "the TRUE God" does not have to mean that there are no others who may be called "gods" or "a god" in a subordinate but righteous sense. It is, however, an EXCLUSIVE title for God, the Most High, only true God, Jehovah. And clearly it refers EXCLUSIVELY to the FATHER. No one else is the God or the True God. (Compare Ps. 86:10; 2 Kings 19:19; Is. 37:16.)" -RDB

Answer 4

One of the most important words in John 17:3 is the word "AND." From the KJV: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, >>AND<< Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

Here Jesus makes it clear the "the only true God" is an entity other than himself.

Yet in John 1:1 we read that he is either "God" or "a god" depending on your translation.

It is not the Witnesses of Jehovah who inspired these two passages to be written; it was Jehovah himself. Additionally, it was Jesus who was speaking in John 17:3.

Therefore, anyone who has a problem with the facts as presented in the Bible has a problem, not with Jehovah's Witnesses, but with the Jehovah himself, as well as Jesus.

Answer 5

The only Scripture which refers to "the only true God" makes it incredibly obvious that Jesus is a person distinct from "the only true God"!

(John 17:3) This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.

Since Jesus (the Son) was "sent forth" on an assignment from "the only true God", the two cannot be the same person. Interestingly, the verse even teaches that God is superior to Jesus (since Jesus the Son directs prayer to and performs the work assigned by God the Father).


Meanwhile, it is sad when anti-Witnesses imply that Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus to be "false".

None of the Scriptures which have been translated to refer to Jehovah as "true" actually uses a term which is strictly an antonym of "false". Instead, in both Hebrew and Greek the terms convey the sense of being an "absolute" or "genuine" god in comparison with other so-called "gods". Almighty Jehovah has no peer among so-called "gods" such as Baal and Molech, Zeus and Jupiter.

Interestingly, the Scriptures nine times refer to Jehovah as "the true Lord". Yet the word "lord" is used dozens of times in reference to kings, dignitaries, masters, angels, and (of course) Jesus Christ. Would this questioner pretend that all of these "lords" must be "false" or else also be part of a single mysterious multi-personalitied "true Lord"?

Learn more:
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/20050422/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/200602b/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/19990208/article_03.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/20040122/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/20050422/article_03.htm

http://watchtower.co.uk/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_05.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_04.htm

Answer 6

Jesus is a true god.
What is so difficult to understand?
I just don't get it; why u keep asking??
I'm puzzled.
Oh I read the details...sorry about that.
U said "So if Jehovah is one true God,
is Jesus a false god?"
Yes, Jehovah is the one true God.
And No, Jesus is Not a false god.
Jesus is a god.
He is not "The God."
Wanted 2 answer all ur Q's.

Answer 7

Jesus is a true God because He is the Son of God
It is good if the False Jehovah witness have concluded that Jesus is God. Anyway even in the original bible before changing the translation in John 1:1 to 5, it is very clear that it was stated that Jesus is God.

Tnaks to God they have at last realize their mistake. Congratulations Jehovah witnesses. Line Dancer congratulations.
jtm.

Answer 8

JW's do not believe in the trinity. therein lies the contradiction. They state that there is only one true God, God the father Jeh**a, and yet they have to accommodate for the many times Christ claims to be the son of man, also the son of God, and has directly implied (without a doubt) that he is God and one with the Father. So he is made to be a lesser God rather than deal with the hard to understand idea of the trinity. However, the New World Translation they use is corrupt and a tool of the watchtower to get them to believe ridiculous things. They are not encouraged to question their religion or their authorities at all.

Answer 9

Jesus a true God? At John 17:3, he called his Father THE ONLY TRUE GOD! How many true Gods is that? ONE!

The Bible calls Satan a god. 2 Cor:4:4. Imperfect human judges were called gods. Ps. 83:18

Jesus is a god, "god" meaning mighty one. But he is not a rival to his Father like Satan is. That's why Satan is a false god, but Jesus isn't.

Answer 10

Pigeons in London have long been observed hitching rides on the subway with earthbound commuters, reports New Scientist magazine. Additionally, some people claim that the birds even know at which stop they should get off. Following an invitation by the magazine, a number of readers wrote to tell about their own experiences with the feathered travelers. One man, for example, wrote: “During 1974-76, I regularly encountered a single pigeon of light reddish colouring boarding the underground at Paddington and disembarking at the next station.”