We resume our examination of Watchtower claims concerning the importance of the name “Jehovah.”
Watchtower Claim #3: Jesus used the name “Jehovah” when referring to God. (pp. 215-216)
The Watchtower translation quotes Jesus as using the name “Jehovah” 25 times. The New Testament was originally written in Greek. Ask the Witnesses if they have a Greek interlinear Bible with them. Ask them to show you one instance where the name “Jehovah” or the Hebrew Tetragrammaton (YHWH) from which it is derived appears in the Greek New Testament. It isn’t there.
The Watchtower’s own Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures verifies the total absence of the Tetragrammaton, stating “One of the remarkable facts, not only about the extant manuscripts of the original Greek text, but of many versions, ancient and modern, is the absence of the divine name.”
Ask, “Given that the divine name doesn’t appear in any Greek New Testament manuscript, is it unreasonable to conclude that its use cannot be of critical significance to the Christian faith?”
They may argue that it appears in the Septuagint, but that is a Greek translation of the Old Testament, not a New Testament manuscript.
Watchtower Claim #4: Scribes who copied the Scriptures tampered with God’s Word by removing the divine name. (pp. 216-218)
If they make this claim, ask, “Don’t you believe that God has preserved his Word over the centuries? How is it that we can trust in the complete reliability of the New Testament except for this one issue? Wouldn’t we have to ask what other alterations they have made to the Bible text out of fear, superstition, bias, or prejudice? The entire reliability of the New Testament text would be called into question.”
The irony is that in every other respect, the Watchtower vigorously defends the reliability of the Scriptures.
Watchtower Claim #5: We must make Jehovah’s name known because Jesus did so. (pp. 218-220)
The Watchtower cites Jesus’ prayer in John 17:26 as a proof text: “I have made your name known… and will make it known.”
Ask, “Does making God’s name known mean using the word ‘Jehovah’ or does it mean proclaiming and reverently showing what God is like—the greatness of his person and character?”
You can use a personal illustration by saying, “If you ask me what my father’s name is, and I tell you, ‘His name is [give your father’s name]’, have I told you much of consequence about him? Would I be `honoring his name’ by using his name frequently and encouraging other people to do so? Wouldn’t it be far more important for me to tell you what he is like and to exhibit all his good qualities and teachings in my own life? Likewise, it seems to me that this is what Jesus was talking about—extolling and demonstrating the great qualities of his Father. If so, it is God’s character—not the verbalizing of the name ‘Jehovah’—that is important.”
Witnesses will insist that “making God’s name known” involves actually using the name “Jehovah,” something the religious leaders refused to do because of their tradition. But if Jesus used the divine name frequently in public, wouldn’t the scribes and Pharisees would have accused him of blasphemy for violating their interpretation of the Third Commandment? After all, they accused him of everything else they could think of, including trivial things like allowing his disciples to eat with unwashed hands in violation of their tradition.
Ask the Witnesses to show you anywhere in the Scriptures where any such confrontation occurred. Point out that the religious leaders did accuse Jesus of blasphemy but they never accused him of doing so because he uttered the divine name.
You can also point out that if Jesus used the divine name in public and emphasized its use as of crucial importance, we would expect to see him rebuking the scribes and Pharisees for giving in to fear and superstition by their refusal to use it. Ask them to show you any such confrontation in the Scriptures. He rebuked the religious leaders for many things, but never for failing to speak the divine name.
You can summarize your point by saying, “I really don’t understand. Given the facts that no Greek New Testament manuscript uses the Tetragrammaton and that the Bible contains no confrontation between the religious leaders and Jesus over his using the name in public, what is the more reasonable conclusion—that Jesus used the divine name frequently in public or that he didn’t?”
Watchtower Claim #6: We must call on the name of Jehovah in order to be saved. (pp.220-221)
The Watchtower claims that using the name “Jehovah” is a salvation issue. Their Bible renders Romans 10:13 as follows: “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved’.” (Watchtower translation).
Have the Witnesses look up that verse in their Greek interlinear Bible. Although Romans 10:13 quotes an Old Testament verse where the Tetragrammaton appears (Joel 2:32), neither the Tetragrammaton nor the name “Jehovah” or “Yahweh” appear in the Greek. Instead, the Greek word kyrios (which means “Lord”) is used. Show the Witnesses that the context of the passage emphasizes the importance of Jesus. For example, Romans 10:9 says that “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Point out to them Acts 4:12, which says of the name of Jesus, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Likewise, Acts 22:16 says that we get our sins washed away by “calling on his name.” (Watchtower translation).
Study Questions
- What is a good response if Jehovah’s Witnesses tell you that scribes who copied the New Testament tampered with God’s Word by removing the divine name hundreds of times? (pp. 216-218)
- How would you reply to a Jehovah’s Witness who tells you that genuine Christians must make Jehovah’s name known because Jesus did so? (pp. 218-220)
- What would you say to a Jehovah’s Witness who claims that Jesus used the name “Jehovah” when referring to God, citing the Watchtower’s translation, which has “restored” the divine name more than 200 times in its rendering of the New Testament? (pp. 218-220)
- How would you reply to a Witness who tells you that we must call upon the name of Jehovah in order to be saved, citing the Watchtower’s translation of Romans 10:13? (pp. 220-221)
Leave a Reply
4 Comments on "The Divine Name: Watchtower Claims #3-#6"
I’d be interested to know how JWs react to this if you point it out. Unfortunately, much of the time, they consider such things to be too complicated and simply assume that the WT has an explanation that’s beyond their understanding.
Hi Brian, I understand where you’re coming from but if you really want to be technical, the name Jehovah is not God’s name. I personally been studying to read the Bible in its original languages (Hebrew OT, Koine Greek NT). The problem is that the name Jehovah is a combination of YHWH and Adonai. Additionally, there is no letter “J” in Hebrew. And as Bill already mentioned the Watchtower has shot themselves in the foot on many occasions. Attributing Jesus as Jehovah in their own publications and then flip flop when it doesn’t suit their needs.