JOHN 1:1 “AND THE WORD WAS GOD.”
The apostle Paul said that those who are not saved are blinded to two things:
1. The gospel of Christ
2. The glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:3,4)
Instead of arguing doctrinal issues with Jehovah’s Witnesses that go nowhere, we simply want to share the gospel of Christ, (1 Cor.15:1-4) which is His death, burial, and resurrection, by which we are saved. Also, that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone, and not by flesh-works. (Eph.2:8,9) It is also beneficial to share the glory of Christ with them by addressing the question, “Who is Jesus Christ”?
Most Jehovah’s Witnesses think they can explain the New World Translation’s rendering of John 1:1, where they claim Jesus is only, “a god.” They even claim that their translation is the only correct rendering.
The New World Translation’s rendering of John 1:1 presents the Jehovah’s Witness with some unique problems and provides us with questions to ask:
Q-1: Does this mean that you have two “gods,” a big God and a little one? If they are honest they will answer, yes. (They will say that is why they only worship the big God, Jehovah.)
Q-2: So, has there always been 2 Gods? (They will say that the big God, Jehovah created Jesus.)
Q-3: When did the big God create the little god, since Isa. 43:10,11 says that there was no god created before Him or after Him?
(Also, Isaiah 44:24 says, “1 am the Lord (Jehovah), that made all things; that stretched forth the heavens alone, that spread abroad the earth by myself.” Colossians 1:15-18 says that all things were created by Jesus and for Jesus and He holds everything together. Isaiah 44:8 says, “Does there exist a God besides me? No, there is no rock, I have recognized none.” Jesus is called God and the Rock also. (Rom. 9:33;1Cor.10:3,4;1Peter 2:4-8)
Q-4: Isn’t it true that there is only ONE true God? Then is Jesus a false god?
Q-5: John 1:1 starts with, “In the beginning, the Word WAS,” meaning that in the beginning, before any creation, the Word already existed, right?
Q-6: Verse 14 says that Jesus was begotten. Begotten is completely different from created, right?
Q-7: Why did the big God create a little god? To be a god, the person has to be worshipped. A golden calf is just a trinket until someone worships it to make it a god! Did the big God need a little god that He could worship? (They may reply that God created the little god to worship the big God.)
Q-8: But, if Jesus is a god, big or little, doesn’t that mean that we should worship him? (They may not understand this truth, and may say, no.)
Q-9: But, doesn’t God tell all the angels to worship Jesus at Hebrews 1:6?
Q-10: If he isn’t worshipped, then he’s not “a god,” right? (They may disagree.
Q-11: If the little god was with the big god before all creation, then he had to be of the same nature as the big God, or he would have been toast, right?
Q-12: Why is it only your translation and the translations of 2 spiritists, Johannas Greber & John Thompson that change John 1:1 to read, “a god”?
Q-13: Why is it that all the major Bible translations by Greek scholars say that the Word was God, with both the Word and God, being capitalized, which means that the Word, who became flesh, Jesus, is GOD?
Special thanks to Leo Cetnar for his input on this subject
Reproduced from the March 2003 Revealer with permission