Tag: John 1:18

Dealing with the Anti-Trinity Appendix

Bible teach Ch 4

Click image to access this “Bible Teach” chapter on the Watchtower’s website

Paragraph 12 of Chapter 4 (p. 42) of “Bible Teach” refers you to the Appendix entitled “The Truth About the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” (pp. 218-219). I will call this “The Anti-Trinity Appendix.”

If you have decided to discuss the full doctrine of the Trinity at this point in your study with the Witnesses, you will want to discuss this appendix in some depth. If you prefer to leave that discussion for later (Chapter 10 or Chapter 15), you can come back to this discussion at that point.

The appendix begins with this statement (p. 201): “PEOPLE who believe the Trinity teaching say that God consists of three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each of these three persons is said to be equal to the others, almighty, and without beginning. According to the Trinity doctrine, therefore, the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, yet there is only one God.”

That is actually a good statement of the Trinity doctrine!

But p. 202 follows that up by saying, “Many who believe the Trinity admit that they are not able to explain this teaching. Still, they may feel that it is taught in the Bible.”

That statement provides a springboard for you to discuss anything I covered in The Jesus Is the God-Man Approach and The Holy Spirit Is God Approach from my book, Getting Through to Jehovah’s Witnesses: Approaching Bible Discussions in Unexpected Ways,  including presenting a positive biblical case for the Trinity rather than just a response to Watchtower proof texts. Continue reading

Do the Unexpected

16 UnexpectedWhy should you do the unexpected when discussing Bible doctrine with Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Because if you don’t, they will just recite their Watchtower talking points and you won’t get through to them.

The Watchtower trains them in how to present Watchtower doctrines. It also tells them what you and I are likely to say and informs them how to respond.

I found this out the hard way many years ago. I was particularly frustrated when my conversation with some Jehovah’s Witnesses was going nowhere. I felt as if I were talking to a Watchtower magazine instead of to human beings. Continue reading

“No Man Hath Seen God At Any Time”

No Man Has Seen GodIn arguing against the deity of Christ, Jehovah’s Witnesses sometimes cite John 1:18: “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (KJV)

The Watchtower’s argument essentially is as follows:

  1. No man has seen God at any time.
  2. Men have seen Jesus.
  3. Therefore, Jesus cannot be God.[1]

Let’s consider how to answer them using some soundbites. Continue reading

Using Soundbites to Communicate

Reagan at Berlin WallWhat type of rhetoric do you find more persuasive—long, carefully crafted arguments or concise, easy-to-remember soundbites?

By “soundbites,” I mean brief, catchy comments or sayings that convey the essence of your message and stick in the minds of your audience. Continue reading

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