Featured The Jehovah’s Witnesses Teach Jesus is Mighty God

The Jehovah’s Witnesses Teach Jesus is Mighty God

In John chapter 1, verse 1, the Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW’s) have translated the Greek, “kai theos ēn ho logos”, as “and the Word was a god”. Based on their false translation of this verse, and elsewhere, they conclude that Jesus Christ is the "first-created" by Jehovah, Who is the Father, and the only God.

This is completely contradicted by their own translation, in their New World translation (NWT), for Isaiah 9:6, which is a Prophecy on the Lord Jesus Christ.

“For a child has been born to usc, A son has been given to us; And the rulership* will rest on his shoulderd. His name will be called Wonderful Counselore, Mighty Godf, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (NWT 2013 edition)

There is no doubt as to Who is Child is, as we can see from the references used in the NWT. We have the letter “c”, which refer to Luke 1:15 and 2:11, both on the Birth of Jesus Christ. Then we have “*”, which has in a note, Or “government; princely rule.”. Next, “e”, with references to Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 7:28, 29; 12:42, which are for the First Coming and Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. The letter “f”, has references to Psalm 45:3, which is on the use of the Hebrew, “gib·bō·wr” (mighty one), and John 1:18, where the NWT reads, “No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten god who is at the Father’s side is the one who has explained Him”. In the Greek, both “theon” and “theos”, and without the article (ton, ho), in which case they have exactly the same meaning, “God”. Because of the theology of the JW’s, they translate the second as “god”, as it refers to Jesus Christ. This is the same perversion of the Truth, that they use in John 1:1, when the have the false reading, “and the Word was a god”.

It is clear from what we read in the NWT on Isaiah 9:6, that this verse is speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ. It is also clear, that the NWT has translated the Hebrew, “’êl Gibbôr”, as “Mighty God”, and not “mighty hero”, or “mighty god”, as some do. This is exactly how the NWT reads in Isaiah 10:21, where we also have, “’êl Gibbôr”, where it is used for “Jehovah”, as in the NWT.

In fact, the older Jewish Rabbis, understood this passage to refer to The Messiah. In the 1st/2nd century AD, Rabbi Yose HaGelili, said of this passage:

“Thus rabbi Jose, of Galilee, says, ‘The name of the Messiah is shâlôm, as is said in Isa 9:6, “Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.” ‘Ben Sira (fol. 40, of the Amsterdam Edition, 1679) numbers among the eight names of the Messiah those also taken from this passage, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace. The later Jews, however, have rejected this interpretation, because the Messiah is here described as God” (Albert Barnes Commentary)

About the same time we have the Jewish Targum of Jonathan Ben Uziel the disciple of Hillel (110 BC-10AD; Bab. Meg. 32):

“The prophet saith to the house of David, A child has been born to us, a son has been given to us; and he has taken the law upon himself to keep it, and his name has been called from of old (from eternity, Pauli ed), Wonderful counsellor, Mighty God, He who lives for ever, the Anointed one (or, Messiah), in whose days peace shall increase upon us. Great shall be the splendour of them that observe the law, and of them that preserve peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to build it in judgement and in righteousness from henceforth and for ever: by the Memra of the Lord of hosts shall this be wrought” (Targum Jonathan Ben Uziel. J F Stenning; The Targum of Isaiah, p 32. Oxford 1953 ed, also, Rev. C. W. H. Pauli; Targum Jonathan Ben Uziel: The Chaldee Paraphrase on The Prophet Isaiah; pp.30, 31)

It is clear from the Bible that is published by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, that Jesus Christ is “Mighty God”. I have read arguments from the JW’s, where they say, Jesus Christ is “Mighty God”, but He is not “Almighty God”. This does not address the fact, that they admit to TWO Persons, Who are called “Mighty God”. How does this agree with verses like Isaiah 44:8, “Is there a ’ĕ·lō·w·ah besides me?”; and 45:5, “I am Yahweh, and there is none else. Besides me, there is no ’ĕ·lō·hîm”? Yet, it is clear, we read in Isaiah 9:6, and 10:21, that there are indeed TWO distinct Persons, Who are equally called, “’êl Gibbôr”. How can Jesus Christ be called "a god", in John 1:1, Who is meant to be a Created Person, and then in Isaiah 9:6, He is "Mighty God", as if the Father is 10:21?

There can be no doubt from their own publication, that Jesus Christ is MIGHTY GOD, and COEQUAL with Jehovah!

 

this is from their own website and translation 9:6

For a child has been born to us, A son has been given to us; And the rulership will rest on his shoulder. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace

https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/isaiah/9/

and in 10:21 for Jehovah

Only a remnant will return,The remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God

https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/isaiah/10/

their own Bible version says there are two distinct Persons Who are Mighty God

 

No, it means that 2 distinct Persons are equally GOD, that is in the Godhead.

 

Thanks for sharing. I do know about this, but clearly they are deceived on this, as they are on other issues.

The OP is to show that in their own Bible version, they call Jesus Christ Mighty God. They also call Jehovah Mighty God. They don't believe that the Father and Jesus Christ are one and the same Person, so their own words admit to TWO Who are equally Mighty God.

The JW's could have translated “’êl Gibbôr” in Isaiah 9:6, as it refers to Jesus Christ as "Mighty Hero", as some do; and Mighty God in 10:21, when used for the Father. But they don't, and show that their own theology is not wholly Biblical.

Their Christological bias against Who Jesus Christ is in the Bible, is clear from the way they translate John 1:18. They accept, which I believe to be the Original reading as Written by the Apostle John, "Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε μονογενὴς Θεὸς"

But, they translate this in English as, "God no one has seen at any time; the only-begotten god", https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/kingdom-interlinear-greek-translation/books/john/1/

Like John 1:1, their dishonesty is all to clear. Why would they translate "Θεὸν" as "God", and "Θεὸς", when both nouns do not have the definite article in the Greek (τὸν, ὁ)? They say that because there is not Greek article in 1:1 in the last sentence, it should read, "a god". If this were true, which is is not, as John could not have written "καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος", without destroying his previous sentence with "πρὸς τὸν θεόν". According to their own "Greek grammar", 1:18 should read,"god no one has seen at any time; the only-begotten god"

 

are you saying that John Gill believed that Michael the Archangel is Jesus Christ? surely not?

 

I know that they believe this, however, as is seen from there own translation in Isaiah 9:6, Jesus Christ is Mighty God, as is Jehovah

 

NO, JW's are a CULT, and on their way to eternal punishment unless they repent and believe!

What I am showing as per the OP, that even though in their "theology", they believe that Jesus Christ is Created by Jehovah, and "a god", their own Bible versions says that He is Mighty God. Their Bible contradicts their own teachings!