The Watchtower has stated: “The majority of Christendom’s churches say that there are three persons in one God, that he is, as it were, a “three-headed” God. They teach that when Jesus died, God died.” (The Watchtower, “Are the Churches Leading the Nations Into Collision With God?”, 10/15/71, p. 627)

It’s clear that the Watchtower is trying to make the concept of the deity of Christ appear absurd.

Before we respond to the substance of the Watchtower’s argument, let’s address two threshold challenges.

Dealing with insulting language

I’m sure you noticed the “three-headed God” language in the opening quotation.

Watchtower literature is replete with insulting, loaded language like that:

• “…a grotesque three-headed trinitarian God…” (The Watchtower, “How Is Jehovah Different From All Other Gods?” 2/15/72, p. 104 )

• “…a three-headed trinitarian monstrosity…” (The Watchtower, “Death of A Dynasty,” 7/1/65, p. 405)

• “I had never seen a three-headed man and just could not bring myself to believe that the God I was to worship as my Creator was a God with three heads…” (The Watchtower, “Searching for and Finding God,” 11/1/65, p. 667)

If the Witnesses openly express this type of derision, take it in stride.

The goal is to lead the Witnesses to Christ, not to retaliate in kind.

If you feel that you can’t just let the insult pass, I recommend that you address the issue like this: “I’m really surprised to hear you using loaded language like that. Is that what the Watchtower organization considers Christian witnessing?”

Dealing with Watchtower indoctrination of Witnesses

Even if they don’t use loaded language in your presence, you need to be aware that the Watchtower continuously indoctrinates Jehovah’s Witnesses in that manner.

For that reason, they think in those terms.

The best way to counter it is to pray silently that the Holy Spirit will break through to them.

Another way is to say something like this: “I suppose some of our beliefs will seem strange to each other, and I hope we can discuss them in a respectful manner and try to understand each other before we offer a contrary position.”

The Watchtower misunderstanding

Now let’s look at the substance of the Watchtower’s argument, which can be expressed in this syllogism:

1. Jesus died.
2. If Jesus was God, then God died.

Where have they gone wrong? 

Christians agree that Jesus died, of course, but we don’t accept the conclusion of the syllogism.

The Watchtower quotation misstates the Christian position: “They teach that when Jesus died, God died.”

Because it disagrees with us, it ignores what we believe about the dual (divine and human) nature of Christ.

You may know the theological term “hypostatic union,” which is a term theologians use to refer to the fact that Jesus is both fully God and fully man.

I don’t recommend that you use that expression with Jehovah’s Witnesses, though, since that term doesn’t appear in the Bible even though the concept does.

Theologian Wayne Grudem explains the concept as it relates to Jesus’ death:

…in his human nature, Jesus died. (citations omitted) But with respect to his divine nature, he did not die, but was able to raise himself from the dead (John 2:19-21; 10:17-18; Heb. 7:16)…. When Jesus died, his physical body died and his human soul (or spirit) was separated from his body and passed into the presence of God the Father in heaven (Luke 23:43, 46)… it is not correct to say that Jesus’ divine nature died or could die… Nevertheless by virtue of union with Jesus’ human nature, his divine nature somehow tasted something of what it was like to go through death. The person of Christ experienced death.” (Systematic Theology, p. 560)

Jehovah’s Witnesses may tell you that this is so complicated that it is impossible to understand.

In response, you can point out that the Watchtower teaching is equally complicated and difficult for you to understand:

• First, the Archangel Michael existed in heaven and Jesus didn’t exist at all.
• When the time was right, Jehovah took Michael’s spirit (an impersonal life force) and placed it in the womb of Mary.
• At that time, Michael the Archangel, went out of existence and Jesus, the human, came into existence.
• When Jesus died, Jesus went out of existence, and neither Jesus nor Michael existed.
• Three days later, Jehovah placed Jesus’ spirit (an impersonal life force) into Michael’s spirit body, and Michael came back into existence.
• Jesus, the human, will never come back into existence.
• Yet, after the resurrection both Jesus and Michael are mentioned by name and are both described as carrying out activities in heaven and from heaven.

Focus on Jesus

I recommend that you keep the Witnesses’ attention on Jesus by asking one of them to read Hebrews 1:3 aloud from the Watchtower translation: “He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact representation of his very being, and he sustains all things by the word of his power.” (emphasis added)

You can conclude by saying something like this:

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand the Watchtower’s position. How could a mere created being sustain all things by the word of his power? Isn’t that something only God can do? At what point did he begin to do this, and why?”