Chapter 3: Arianism and Jehovah’s Witnesses – The Created Christ Error

The Ancient Heresy of Arius

To understand modern denials of Christ’s deity, we must first travel back to the early fourth century, to the bustling city of Alexandria, Egypt. There, around the year 318 AD, a popular and charismatic presbyter named Arius began teaching something that shook the Christian church to its foundations. Though Arius claimed to be defending the unity of God, his teaching actually struck at the heart of the gospel by denying the full deity of Jesus Christ.

Arius was described by his contemporaries as tall, lean, and ascetic in appearance – a man whose serious demeanor and persuasive speech won him many followers. He served in the Baucalis district of Alexandria, where his teaching and pastoral care had earned him considerable respect. But beneath his orthodox exterior lay a theological time bomb that would explode into one of the greatest controversies in church history.

The Alexandria Controversy

The controversy began when Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, was teaching about the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son. Alexander maintained what Christians had always believed: that the Son eternally exists with the Father, sharing the same divine nature. But Arius objected. He argued that this teaching compromised the absolute uniqueness and transcendence of God the Father.

Arius’s logic seemed compelling to many. He argued: “If the Father begat the Son, then the one who was begotten had a beginning of existence. It is clear that there was a time when the Son was not. It follows necessarily that He had His existence from the non-existent.” In other words, Arius taught that before God created the Son, the Son did not exist. There was a time – perhaps before time itself – when only the Father existed, alone in His transcendent glory.

According to Arius, the Son was God’s first and greatest creation, through whom God then created everything else. The Son was like God, Arius admitted, but not truly God. He could be called “god” in a lesser sense, much like judges and angels in the Old Testament were sometimes called “gods,” but He did not share the Father’s eternal, uncreated nature. This teaching spread like wildfire through Alexandria and beyond, carried by popular songs that Arius composed to promote his views. Dock workers and sailors sang ditties about how “there was when He was not,” spreading Arian theology through catchy tunes.

“There Was When He Was Not”

The phrase “there was when He was not” became the rallying cry of Arianism. It encapsulated the core of Arius’s heresy: the denial that the Son is eternal. If there was ever a time when the Son did not exist, then the Son cannot be truly God, for God by definition is eternal, without beginning or end.

Arius tried to have it both ways. He wanted to honor Christ as the highest of all creatures, the one through whom all other things were made. He was willing to call Christ “god” and to worship Him. But he insisted that Christ was fundamentally different from the Father in His very being. The Father alone was truly God – unbegotten, eternal, unchangeable. The Son, no matter how exalted, remained a creature who had a beginning.

This teaching found support in certain biblical passages that, when taken out of context, seemed to suggest Christ’s inferiority to the Father. Arius pointed to Proverbs 8:22, where Wisdom (whom he identified with Christ) says, “The LORD created me at the beginning of His way.” He cited Colossians 1:15, which calls Christ “the firstborn of all creation.” He emphasized John 14:28, where Jesus says, “The Father is greater than I.”

But Arius’s opponents, led by Bishop Alexander and his young deacon Athanasius, recognized that this teaching destroyed the gospel. They understood that if Christ is not truly God, then God Himself has not come to save us. We are left with a mere creature trying to bridge the infinite gap between the Creator and His creation – an impossible task.

The Council of Nicaea’s Response

The Arian controversy threatened to tear the church apart. Emperor Constantine, having recently legalized Christianity, was disturbed by this division in the church he hoped would help unify his empire. After attempts at reconciliation failed, Constantine called for a general council of bishops to meet in Nicaea (in modern-day Turkey) in 325 AD.

Approximately 300 bishops gathered, many bearing scars from the recent persecutions. These were men who had suffered for their faith, who had been willing to die rather than deny Christ. Now they were called to define precisely who this Christ was whom they worshipped.

The council was not evenly divided. Only about seventeen bishops initially supported Arius, while the vast majority recognized his teaching as contrary to Scripture and apostolic tradition. But the challenge was to formulate a statement that would clearly exclude Arianism while faithfully expressing biblical truth.

The debates were intense and sometimes heated. Arius presented his views with confidence, assured that his biblical arguments would prevail. But as bishop after bishop rose to speak, the poverty of Arian theology became apparent. The bishops pointed out that Scripture consistently presents Christ as the object of worship, the Creator of all things, the one who forgives sins – all prerogatives that belong to God alone.

The Nicene Creed Explained Phrase by Phrase

The council produced what we now know as the Nicene Creed (though it was expanded slightly at Constantinople in 381). Let’s examine its key phrases about Christ:

The creed concludes with anathemas against those who say “there was when He was not” or that the Son was created from nothing or is of a different substance than the Father. The Arian heresy was decisively condemned.

Yet the Council of Nicaea did not end the controversy. Arianism continued to trouble the church for decades. Through political maneuvering and imperial support, Arian bishops gained power and influence. At one point, it seemed Arianism might triumph. Jerome would later write, “The whole world groaned and was amazed to find itself Arian.”

But truth prevailed. Champions of orthodoxy like Athanasius (who was exiled five times for his defense of Christ’s deity), the Cappadocian Fathers, and Hilary of Poitiers continued to defend and explain Nicene theology. By 381, at the Council of Constantinople, Arianism was definitively defeated in the Roman Empire, though it continued among some barbarian tribes for centuries.

Modern Arianism: Jehovah’s Witnesses

While Arianism as a movement died out centuries ago, its central denial of Christ’s deity has been resurrected in modern times. The most significant and successful neo-Arian movement is the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, better known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. With over 8 million active members worldwide and a massive publishing operation, they represent the largest organized assault on Christ’s deity in the modern world.

Charles Taze Russell’s Revival of Arianism

The Jehovah’s Witnesses trace their origins to Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916), a Pennsylvania businessman who became disillusioned with traditional Christianity. Russell had no formal theological training, knew no biblical languages, and yet presumed to overturn nearly two thousand years of Christian orthodoxy.

In 1879, Russell began publishing Zion’s Watch Tower (now called The Watchtower), spreading his unique interpretations of Scripture. Central to Russell’s teaching was a denial of Christ’s deity that closely paralleled ancient Arianism. Like Arius, Russell taught that Christ was God’s first creation, through whom everything else was made. Russell wrote: “Our Lord Jesus Christ is a God, but not the God, Jehovah. He was the first and direct creation of Jehovah, through whom all other things were made.”

Russell’s successor, Joseph Franklin Rutherford, coined the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses” in 1931 and further developed the organization’s theology and structure. Under Rutherford and later leaders, the movement grew exponentially, developing sophisticated evangelism techniques and producing massive amounts of literature to spread their message.

The Watchtower’s Systematic Theology

The Watchtower has developed a comprehensive theological system that consistently subordinates Christ to a creaturely status. Their teaching can be summarized in several key points:

1. Jesus is Michael the Archangel: The Watchtower teaches that before His incarnation, Jesus existed as Michael the Archangel, the first and greatest of God’s creations. They claim that after His resurrection, Jesus returned to His identity as Michael. This teaching has no biblical support and contradicts Hebrews 1, which explicitly states that God never said to any angel what He said to the Son.

2. Jesus is “a god” but not “the God”: Following their mistranslation of John 1:1, Witnesses believe Jesus is divine in a lesser sense – a mighty spirit creature with godlike qualities, but not possessing the full nature of deity. They compare Christ’s divinity to that of Satan, who is called “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), or to human judges who are called “gods” (Psalm 82:6).

3. Jesus was created before all other things: The Watchtower teaches that Jehovah first created Jesus, then used Jesus as His “master worker” to create everything else. They base this primarily on their interpretation of Colossians 1:15 (“the firstborn of all creation”) and Revelation 3:14 (“the beginning of the creation of God”).

4. Jesus is not to be worshipped: Consistent with their denial of His deity, modern Watchtower teaching forbids the worship of Jesus. Interestingly, earlier Watchtower publications allowed for Christ’s worship, but this was changed as they more consistently applied their Arian theology. They now teach that Jesus should receive only “obeisance,” not worship.

The New World Translation’s Distortions

Perhaps the most effective tool in spreading Watchtower theology has been their own Bible translation, the New World Translation (NWT). Published initially in portions between 1950-1960 and revised several times since, the NWT systematically alters passages that clearly teach Christ’s deity.

The most notorious example is John 1:1, which in standard translations reads: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The NWT renders the last phrase as “and the Word was a god.” By inserting the indefinite article “a” (which does not appear in the Greek text), they change John’s affirmation of Christ’s deity into support for their view that Christ is merely a lesser divine being.

The Watchtower attempts to justify this translation by arguing that since the Greek word for God (theos) in the last clause lacks the definite article, it should be translated indefinitely. However, this betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of Greek grammar. In Greek, the absence of the article does not necessarily make a noun indefinite. Greek scholars across all denominational lines – including those who are not Trinitarians – universally reject the NWT’s rendering of John 1:1 as grammatically unjustifiable and theologically motivated.

“A god” vs. “God” in John 1:1

The controversy over John 1:1 deserves special attention because it reveals the Watchtower’s systematic distortion of Scripture. In Greek, the verse reads: “En archē ēn ho Logos, kai ho Logos ēn pros ton Theon, kai Theos ēn ho Logos.”

The Watchtower focuses on the fact that in the phrase “Theos ēn ho Logos” (literally “God was the Word”), the word Theos lacks the definite article. They argue this means John was saying the Word was “a god” rather than “God.” But this argument falls apart for several reasons:

First, Greek grammar operates differently than English. The presence or absence of the article is determined by various grammatical rules, not simply definiteness or indefiniteness. In this case, Theos is the predicate nominative, and in Greek, predicate nominatives preceding the verb typically lack the article. This is called Colwell’s Rule, though the grammatical pattern was recognized long before E.C. Colwell formalized it.

Second, if John had included the article with Theos, he would have been teaching modalism – that the Word was identical with the Father. By omitting the article while retaining the word order, John perfectly expresses that the Word shares the nature of deity while remaining distinct from the Father as a person.

Third, the Watchtower’s translation creates a theological contradiction. If the Word is “a god,” then John is teaching polytheism – the existence of multiple gods. This contradicts the fundamental biblical teaching of monotheism that Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to uphold. They cannot have it both ways: either there is only one who is God by nature, or there are multiple gods.

Fourth, the context makes John’s meaning crystal clear. John 1:3 states that through the Word “all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” If the Word created everything that was made, then the Word Himself cannot be something that was made. The Word must be the uncreated Creator – in other words, God.

Biblical Proofs of Christ’s Full Deity

While Arians ancient and modern work hard to explain away the Bible’s testimony to Christ’s deity, Scripture speaks with overwhelming clarity. The evidence is not limited to a few proof texts but permeates the entire New Testament and finds its roots in Old Testament prophecy. Let’s examine the biblical case for Christ’s full deity systematically and thoroughly.

The “I AM” Statements

One of the most powerful proofs of Christ’s deity is His use of the divine name “I AM.” In Exodus 3:14, when Moses asked God His name, God replied, “I AM WHO I AM” (Hebrew: ehyeh asher ehyeh). He told Moses to tell the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.” This became the most sacred name of God, related to the divine name YHWH (Yahweh or Jehovah).

Jesus explicitly claimed this divine name for Himself. In John 8:58, Jesus declared to the Jewish leaders: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (Greek: ego eimi). Notice that Jesus didn’t say “I was” (which would be grammatically correct if He were merely claiming to have existed before Abraham) but “I am” – using the present tense to indicate His eternal, timeless existence.

The Jewish leaders understood exactly what Jesus was claiming. Their immediate response was to pick up stones to stone Him (John 8:59). Under Jewish law, stoning was the penalty for blasphemy. They recognized that Jesus was claiming to be Yahweh, the eternal God of Israel.

This was not an isolated incident. Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus makes seven formal “I AM” statements that echo God’s self-revelation in the Old Testament:

Each of these statements claims for Jesus a role or identity that the Old Testament attributes exclusively to Yahweh. Jesus is not merely claiming to represent God or speak for God; He is claiming to be God.

Worship Accepted by Jesus

One of the clearest indicators of Christ’s deity is that He accepted worship – something that would be blasphemous for any mere creature to do. The Bible is emphatic that only God is to be worshipped. In Matthew 4:10, Jesus Himself quotes Deuteronomy 6:13: “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.”

Yet Jesus repeatedly accepted worship without rebuke:

The healed blind man worshipped Him: “Lord, I believe!’ And he worshiped Him” (John 9:38). The Greek word used here is proskuneo, the same word used for worshipping God throughout the New Testament.

The disciples worshipped Him after He walked on water: “And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God'” (Matthew 14:33).

Thomas worshipped Him as God: After seeing the risen Christ, Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas for blasphemy but rather commended his faith: “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

The disciples worshipped Him at His ascension: “And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:52).

Contrast this with the response of godly creatures when offered worship. When Cornelius tried to worship Peter, Peter immediately stopped him: “Stand up; I myself am also a man” (Acts 10:26). When John tried to worship an angel, the angel rebuked him: “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant… Worship God!” (Revelation 19:10).

If Jesus were merely a creature – even the highest creature – He would have been obligated to refuse worship. His acceptance of worship is either the height of blasphemous pride (if He is not God) or the appropriate response of God incarnate.

Divine Attributes of Christ

Scripture attributes to Christ qualities that belong only to God. These are not merely superhuman abilities but attributes that define the very nature of deity:

Eternality: Christ exists from eternity. Micah 5:2 speaks of the Messiah whose “goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Jesus claimed, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). Revelation 1:8 quotes Christ: “I am the Alpha and the Omega…who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Omnipresence: Christ is present everywhere. He promised, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20) and “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Only God can make such promises.

Omniscience: Christ knows all things. John testified, “Now we are sure that You know all things” (John 16:30). Jesus knew people’s thoughts (Matthew 9:4), knew what was in man (John 2:25), and knew all future events (Matthew 24).

Omnipotence: Christ has all power. He declared, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). He demonstrated power over nature (calming storms), over demons (casting them out with a word), over disease (healing every sickness), and over death (raising the dead).

Immutability: Christ never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). This echoes Malachi 3:6: “For I am the LORD, I do not change.”

The ability to forgive sins: When Jesus forgave the paralytic’s sins, the scribes correctly reasoned, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7). Jesus then healed the man to prove “that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” (Mark 2:10).

Old Testament Yahweh = New Testament Jesus Passages

One of the most compelling proofs of Christ’s deity is how New Testament writers apply Old Testament passages about Yahweh directly to Jesus. They show no hesitation in identifying Jesus with the God of Israel:

Isaiah 6:1-10 and John 12:41: Isaiah saw a vision of Yahweh sitting on His throne, surrounded by seraphim crying “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts.” John, commenting on this vision, says, “These things Isaiah said when he saw His [Christ’s] glory and spoke of Him” (John 12:41). John identifies the one Isaiah saw as Jesus Christ.

Joel 2:32 and Romans 10:13: Joel wrote, “Whoever calls on the name of the LORD [Yahweh] shall be saved.” Paul quotes this verse and applies it to Jesus: “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord [Jesus] shall be saved.”

Isaiah 45:23 and Philippians 2:10-11: God declares in Isaiah, “To Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.” Paul applies this to Jesus: “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Psalm 102:25-27 and Hebrews 1:10-12: The psalmist addresses these words to Yahweh: “You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.” The writer of Hebrews quotes these exact words and applies them to the Son.

Isaiah 8:13-14 and 1 Peter 3:14-15: Isaiah writes, “The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow…He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling.” Peter applies this to Christ: “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts…Christ is the stone of stumbling.”

Thomas’s Confession: “My Lord and my God”

Perhaps no biblical text more clearly affirms Christ’s deity than Thomas’s confession in John 20:28. After the resurrection, Thomas had doubted the other disciples’ testimony that they had seen the risen Lord. But when Jesus appeared to Thomas and invited him to touch His wounds, Thomas responded with the most explicit declaration of Christ’s deity in Scripture: “My Lord and my God!”

The Greek text reads: “Ho Kurios mou kai ho Theos mou” – literally, “The Lord of me and the God of me.” Both “Lord” and “God” have the definite article, making this an unambiguous identification of Jesus as the one true God. Thomas is not making two statements (“My Lord!” and separately, “My God!” directed to the Father); he is addressing Jesus directly as both Lord and God.

Jesus’s response is crucial. He doesn’t rebuke Thomas for blasphemy or correct his theology. Instead, He accepts Thomas’s worship and gently chides him for requiring physical proof: “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

The Watchtower has tried various tactics to explain away this passage, including the desperate claim that Thomas was so surprised he was taking God’s name in vain – essentially cursing! But the context makes clear that this is a moment of profound worship and recognition. John follows this account by stating his Gospel’s purpose: “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).

Refuting JW Proof Texts

Jehovah’s Witnesses have developed a arsenal of biblical texts they believe support their denial of Christ’s deity. However, when these passages are examined in context and in light of the whole counsel of Scripture, they actually affirm rather than deny Christ’s divine nature. Let’s carefully examine their main arguments.

Colossians 1:15 – “firstborn” explained

One of the Watchtower’s favorite texts is Colossians 1:15, which calls Christ “the firstborn of all creation.” They argue that “firstborn” means “first created,” making Christ part of creation. This interpretation, however, fails on multiple levels.

First, the Greek word for “firstborn” is prototokos, not protoktisis (first-created). If Paul wanted to say Christ was the first creature God made, he had a Greek word available to express that idea, but he didn’t use it. The word “firstborn” emphasizes preeminence and rank, not origin in time.

Throughout Scripture, “firstborn” often designates the one who has the rights and privileges of the firstborn, regardless of actual birth order. God calls Israel “My firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22), though many nations existed before Israel. David is called firstborn (Psalm 89:27), though he was the youngest of Jesse’s sons. The term designates priority in rank and honor, not chronological origin.

Second, the context absolutely forbids understanding Christ as a creature. The very next verse states: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16).

Paul emphatically states that Christ created “all things” – using the Greek word panta (all things) repeatedly. He leaves no category of creation outside Christ’s creative work. If Christ created all things, then He Himself cannot be a created thing. You cannot create yourself!

The Watchtower tries to escape this by inserting the word “other” into their translation: “By means of him all [other] things were created.” The word “other” appears nowhere in the Greek text. They bracket it to show it’s added, but most Jehovah’s Witnesses reading their Bible don’t understand that the brackets indicate words not in the original. This is not translation; it’s theological manipulation.

Third, verse 17 states that Christ is “before all things.” The Greek word “before” (pro) indicates both temporal priority and supremacy. Christ exists before all creation because He is not part of creation.

Revelation 3:14 – “beginning of creation”

In Revelation 3:14, Christ calls Himself “the Beginning of the creation of God.” Jehovah’s Witnesses interpret “beginning” (Greek: arche) to mean Christ was the first thing God created. But this interpretation misunderstands both the word and the context.

The Greek word arche has multiple meanings. It can mean “beginning” in a temporal sense, but it more frequently means “ruler,” “origin,” “source,” or “first cause.” We get our English words “architect” and “archbishop” from this Greek word – neither meaning “first in time” but rather “chief” or “ruler.”

The context of Revelation makes clear which meaning is intended. In Revelation 21:6 and 22:13, God and Christ call themselves “the Beginning and the End,” “the Alpha and the Omega,” “the First and the Last.” These are titles of deity, indicating sovereignty over all creation, not membership within creation.

Furthermore, understanding arche as “source” or “origin” fits perfectly with the biblical teaching that Christ is the Creator. John 1:3 states, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” Christ is the beginning of creation not as its first product but as its originating source.

Proverbs 8 – Wisdom personified

Jehovah’s Witnesses frequently appeal to Proverbs 8, where Wisdom is personified and says, “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old” (Proverbs 8:22). They argue that Wisdom represents Christ and that this passage teaches Christ was created.

This interpretation faces several insurmountable problems:

First, Proverbs 8 is poetry using personification – a literary device where abstract concepts are given personal characteristics. Wisdom is personified as a woman throughout Proverbs (see Proverbs 1:20-21; 9:1-5). If we take this literally as referring to Christ, we would have to conclude that Christ is female!

Second, the Hebrew word translated “possessed” (qanah) has multiple meanings, including “possessed,” “acquired,” “created,” and “brought forth.” The ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) translated it as “created,” but other ancient translations used “possessed.” The context must determine the meaning.

Third, even if we granted that Proverbs 8 refers to Christ (which most scholars reject), and that “possessed” should be translated “created” (which is debatable), this would only describe Christ’s human nature, not His divine nature. The New Testament clearly teaches that Christ, in His incarnation, was “made” and “born” – but this refers to His taking on human nature, not to His eternal divine nature.

Fourth, 1 Corinthians 1:24 does call Christ “the wisdom of God,” but this doesn’t mean every Old Testament reference to wisdom is about Christ. That would lead to absurd conclusions, like Christ being a woman calling out in the streets (Proverbs 1:20-21).

John 14:28 – “The Father is greater”

Jesus’s statement “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28) is perhaps the verse most frequently cited by those who deny Christ’s deity. But understood in context, this verse actually supports, rather than undermines, the doctrine of the Trinity.

First, we must understand the context. Jesus is comforting His disciples, who are sad that He’s leaving them. He tells them they should rejoice because He’s going to the Father, “for My Father is greater than I.” In what sense is the Father greater?

During His earthly ministry, Jesus had voluntarily humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7). He had subjected Himself to human limitations – hunger, thirst, fatigue, and ultimately death. The Father, remaining in heavenly glory, was “greater” in position and condition than the incarnate Son. Jesus is saying His disciples should rejoice because He’s leaving His state of humiliation and returning to the glory He had with the Father before the world began (John 17:5).

Second, “greater” (Greek: meizon) refers to position or rank, not nature or essence. A president is “greater” than a citizen in terms of office and authority, but not in terms of essential humanity. Similarly, the Father is greater than the incarnate Son in position, but not in essential deity.

Third, this interpretation is confirmed by the broader context of John’s Gospel, which emphatically affirms Christ’s deity. In the same discourse where Jesus says the Father is greater, He also says:

• “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9)
• “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me” (John 14:10)
• “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do” (John 14:13)

These are not the claims of a mere creature but of one who shares the divine nature.

The Stakes: Why Christ Must Be God

The debate over Christ’s deity is not merely academic or theoretical. It strikes at the very heart of the gospel and determines whether Christianity offers real salvation or merely religious platitudes. The stakes could not be higher – if Christ is not truly God, then Christianity itself collapses into meaningless religious activity.

Only God Can Save

Scripture is emphatic that salvation belongs to God alone. Isaiah 43:11 declares, “I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior.” Isaiah 45:21 reinforces this: “There is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me.”

Yet the New Testament consistently presents Jesus as Savior. The angel announced to the shepherds, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Paul writes that we are “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Peter declares that God has exalted Jesus “to His right hand to be Prince and Savior” (Acts 5:31).

If only God can save, and Jesus is our Savior, then Jesus must be God. A mere creature, no matter how exalted, cannot bridge the infinite gap between holy God and sinful humanity. The gulf is too wide, the debt too great, the requirement too high. Only God Himself can accomplish our salvation.

Consider the enormity of our sin problem. We have rebelled against an infinitely holy God. Every sin is an act of cosmic treason against the sovereign Creator. The penalty for sin is death – not just physical death, but spiritual death, eternal separation from God. How can this infinite debt be paid?

A mere creature could perhaps die as a substitute for one other creature. But how could one creature’s death atone for the sins of billions of people throughout history? Only if that one possesses infinite value – the value of God Himself – could His sacrifice have infinite worth.

Only God Should Be Worshipped

The first and greatest commandment is to worship God alone. When Satan tempted Jesus to worship him, Jesus responded with Scripture: “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve'” (Matthew 4:10, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13).

Yet Scripture commands us to worship Jesus. Hebrews 1:6 states, “When He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.'” God the Father commands the angels to worship the Son! This would be blasphemous if the Son were not truly God.

Philippians 2:9-11 declares that God has highly exalted Jesus and given Him the name above every name, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Every knee will bow to Jesus – not just humans, but angels and demons as well. Every tongue will confess Him as Lord. This is worship that belongs to God alone. If Jesus is not God, then God is commanding idolatry, which is impossible for the holy God to do.

Furthermore, in Revelation 5:11-14, we see a vision of heavenly worship where “every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea” worships both “Him who sits on the throne” (the Father) and “the Lamb” (Jesus Christ), saying, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

The Lamb receives the exact same worship as the Father. They are worshipped together with the same words of praise. This is either the highest blasphemy (if Christ is a creature) or the appropriate worship of the Triune God.

The Infinite Value of Christ’s Sacrifice

The value of Christ’s sacrifice depends entirely on who He is. If Christ is merely a perfect human or even the highest angel, His death has limited value. It might serve as an example of obedience or love, but it cannot actually pay for sins.

Consider the Old Testament sacrificial system. Bulls and goats were offered continually, year after year, yet Hebrews 10:4 states, “It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Why? Because the value of an animal is far less than the value of the humans for whom it was offered. The sacrifice was insufficient.

Similarly, if Christ is merely a creature, even a perfect creature, His sacrifice is insufficient to atone for sin. One creature cannot bear the infinite penalty due to billions of sinners. Only if Christ is truly God does His sacrifice have infinite value, sufficient to save “whoever believes in Him” (John 3:16).

This is why Paul can write, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). It wasn’t just that God sent someone else to reconcile us; God Himself, in the person of the Son, accomplished our reconciliation. Acts 20:28 speaks of “the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Whose blood purchased the church? God’s own blood, through the incarnate Son.

The Incarnation Requires Full Deity

The incarnation – God becoming man – is the central miracle of Christianity. John 1:14 declares, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

But the incarnation only makes sense if Christ is truly God. If Christ is a created being who became human, that’s not incarnation – that’s just a spirit being taking on flesh, something angels did in the Old Testament when they appeared in human form.

The scandal and glory of the incarnation is that the eternal, infinite Creator entered His own creation. The One who spoke galaxies into existence became a baby in a manger. The One who holds all things together by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3) became dependent on a human mother for milk.

Paul expresses this mystery in Philippians 2:5-8: Christ Jesus, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Notice the progression: Christ existed in the form of God, possessed equality with God, but didn’t cling to His divine privileges. Instead, He took on human nature and humbled Himself to death. This is not the journey of a creature becoming human, but of the Creator entering creation while remaining fully divine.

Examining JW Translation Tricks

The Watchtower Society has produced its own Bible translation, the New World Translation (NWT), specifically designed to support their doctrines. While claiming to be more accurate than standard translations, the NWT systematically alters passages that clearly teach Christ’s deity. Understanding these translation tricks helps us recognize theological manipulation disguised as biblical scholarship.

Inconsistent Translation of Divine Names

One of the most revealing aspects of the NWT is its inconsistent treatment of divine names and titles when applied to Christ. The translators follow different rules depending on whether a passage might support Christ’s deity.

For example, the NWT inserts “Jehovah” into the New Testament 237 times, claiming they’re restoring God’s name where it originally appeared. They base this on the assumption that when New Testament writers quoted Old Testament passages containing YHWH (Yahweh/Jehovah), they would have used the divine name.

However, they apply this principle inconsistently. In Hebrews 1:10, the writer quotes Psalm 102:25-27, which is addressed to Yahweh, and applies it to Christ. If the NWT were consistent, they would translate this as “You, Jehovah, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth.” But this would identify Christ as Jehovah, so they simply use “Lord” instead.

Similarly, in Romans 10:13, Paul quotes Joel 2:32: “Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved” (NWT). But the context makes clear Paul is talking about calling on Jesus for salvation (see Romans 10:9). The Watchtower’s own teaching creates a contradiction in their translation.

The Greek word kurios (Lord) appears over 700 times in the New Testament. The NWT translates it as “Jehovah” when they think it refers to the Father, but as “Lord” when it clearly refers to Jesus – even when quoting the same Old Testament passages!

Adding Words Not in Greek

The NWT frequently adds words to the biblical text to support Watchtower doctrine, particularly the word “other” in passages about Christ’s role in creation. Colossians 1:16-17 in the NWT reads: “By means of him all [other] things were created… All [other] things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all [other] things and by means of him all [other] things were made to exist.”

The word “other” appears four times in these verses in the NWT, but not once in the Greek text. The translators bracket the word to indicate it’s added, but most readers don’t understand what the brackets mean. This addition completely changes the meaning – from Christ creating everything (making Him the uncreated Creator) to Christ creating everything else (making Him a created being who then created other things).

They perform the same addition in Philippians 2:9, where the NWT reads that God gave Christ “the name that is above every [other] name.” Again, “other” doesn’t appear in Greek. The clear implication of the original is that Christ’s name is above every name without exception, including all divine names. The addition of “other” protects their doctrine but violates the text.

The Divine Name Controversy

The Watchtower makes much of their use of “Jehovah” as God’s personal name, criticizing other translations for using “LORD” instead. They claim that removing God’s name from the Bible is part of a conspiracy to hide truth.

However, their argument faces several problems:

First, “Jehovah” is not actually the correct pronunciation of God’s name. The Hebrew text has YHWH (called the Tetragrammaton), which ancient Jews stopped pronouncing out of reverence. The vowels from the Hebrew word Adonai (Lord) were later added to remind readers to say “Adonai” instead of trying to pronounce the divine name. “Jehovah” is actually a hybrid word that never existed in ancient times. Most scholars believe “Yahweh” is closer to the original pronunciation.

Second, the New Testament manuscripts don’t contain the Tetragrammaton. When we have over 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, and none of them contain YHWH. They all use kurios (Lord) or theos (God). The Watchtower’s insertion of “Jehovah” into the New Testament has no manuscript support.

Third, the New Testament writers, under divine inspiration, chose to use “Lord” when quoting Old Testament passages about Yahweh. If God wanted His personal name emphasized in the New Testament, He would have inspired the writers to use it. The fact that they didn’t suggests that God was revealing something new – that the name “Jesus” is now the name above every name (Philippians 2:9).

Scholarly Consensus Against NWT

The scholarly consensus regarding the NWT is overwhelmingly negative. Greek and Hebrew scholars from various theological backgrounds – liberal, conservative, Catholic, Protestant – uniformly reject the NWT as a biased, inaccurate translation.

Dr. Bruce M. Metzger, one of the world’s leading Greek scholars, said of the NWT’s rendering of John 1:1: “It must be stated quite frankly that, if the Jehovah’s Witnesses take this translation seriously, they are polytheists.”

Dr. William Barclay, though himself a theological liberal who didn’t accept all orthodox doctrines, wrote: “The deliberate distortion of truth by this sect is seen in their New Testament translation… It is abundantly clear that a sect which can translate the New Testament like that is intellectually dishonest.”

Dr. Julius Mantey, co-author of a standard Greek grammar, was so upset by the Watchtower’s misuse of his work that he wrote them a letter demanding they stop quoting him. He stated that their translation of John 1:1 “is a shocking mistranslation” and “is neither scholarly nor reasonable.”

Even scholars who don’t believe in the Trinity acknowledge that the NWT is biased. Dr. BeDuhn, often quoted by Jehovah’s Witnesses as supporting their translation, actually wrote that while the NWT is good in some areas, “it emerges as the most biased translation of the ones considered” when dealing with passages about Christ’s deity.

Witnessing to Witnesses

Engaging Jehovah’s Witnesses in spiritual conversation requires patience, love, and preparation. These are people zealous for what they believe to be truth, often at great personal cost. Many have been disowned by family, lost jobs, and sacrificed much for their faith. They deserve our respect even as we seek to share biblical truth with them.

Effective Conversation Strategies

When Jehovah’s Witnesses come to your door or you encounter them elsewhere, remember these principles:

1. Show genuine love and respect. These are people made in God’s image, often sincere in their desire to please God. Don’t treat them as enemies but as people who need the true gospel. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to give our defense “with gentleness and respect.”

2. Ask questions rather than just making statements. Questions cause people to think. Instead of declaring “Jesus is God,” ask, “Why do you think Thomas called Jesus ‘My Lord and my God’ in John 20:28?” This approach is less confrontational and more likely to promote genuine dialogue.

3. Focus on one topic at a time. Jehovah’s Witnesses are trained to jump from topic to topic when pressed. If they try to change the subject when you’re discussing Christ’s deity, gently bring them back: “That’s an interesting point, but could we first finish discussing what Thomas meant when he called Jesus God?”

4. Use their own translation when possible. While the NWT is flawed, it still contains enough truth to demonstrate Christ’s deity. For instance, even the NWT shows Jesus accepting worship in the older editions, and even their rendering of John 20:28 has Thomas calling Jesus “God.”

5. Share your personal testimony. Witnesses are trained to debate doctrine, but they can’t argue with your personal experience of knowing Christ. Share how Jesus has changed your life, how you pray to Him, and how He answers prayer.

Key Verses to Memorize

Having key scriptures memorized and ready to share is crucial. Here are essential verses every Christian should know when discussing Christ’s deity:

Questions That Make Them Think

Strategic questions can help Jehovah’s Witnesses recognize contradictions in their beliefs:

“Who raised Jesus from the dead?” The Bible says the Father raised Jesus (Galatians 1:1), Jesus raised Himself (John 2:19-21), and the Spirit raised Jesus (Romans 8:11). How can all three be true unless all three are God?

“Why does God share His glory with Jesus?” Isaiah 42:8 says God will not share His glory with another. Yet Jesus shares the Father’s glory (John 17:5) and receives worship. Doesn’t this mean Jesus must be God?

“How can Jesus be ‘a god’ without making you polytheists?” If Jesus is “a god” as the NWT translates John 1:1, and Jehovah is God, how many gods are there? Doesn’t this contradict Deuteronomy 6:4?

“Why did the apostles worship Jesus if He’s not God?” The apostles were Jews who knew only God should be worshipped. Yet they worshipped Jesus (Matthew 28:9, 17). Were they committing idolatry, or did they recognize Jesus as God?

“If Jesus is Michael the Archangel, why does Hebrews 1 say Jesus is superior to all angels?” Hebrews 1:5 says God never said to any angel what He said to the Son. Doesn’t this exclude Jesus from being an angel?

“How can Jesus be the Creator if He’s part of creation?” John 1:3 says “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” If Jesus made everything that was made, how can He Himself be made?

The Importance of Prayer and Patience

Remember that spiritual blindness can only be overcome by God’s Spirit. You can present the clearest biblical arguments, but unless the Holy Spirit opens their eyes, they cannot see the truth. This is why prayer is essential.

Pray before, during, and after your conversations with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Pray for:

• Wisdom to know what to say
• Love to genuinely care for them
• Patience when progress seems slow
• The Holy Spirit to open their hearts
• Protection from discouragement
• Opportunities for continued conversation

Be patient. Many former Jehovah’s Witnesses report that it took years of patient witness from Christians before they came to faith. One conversation rarely changes anyone’s mind, but it can plant seeds that God will water and grow.

Don’t be discouraged if they seem unmoved by your arguments. The Watchtower has programmed them with responses to most objections. But truth has a way of working in hearts over time. Many former Witnesses report that questions Christians asked them continued to trouble them long after the conversation ended.

Other Groups Denying Christ’s Deity

While Jehovah’s Witnesses are the largest and most organized group denying Christ’s deity today, they are not alone. Understanding these other groups helps us recognize patterns in anti-Trinitarian arguments and prepares us to defend biblical truth in various contexts.

Christadelphians

The Christadelphians, founded by John Thomas in 1848, share many similarities with Jehovah’s Witnesses in their denial of Christ’s deity. They teach that Jesus did not exist before His birth in Bethlehem and that He was a man who obtained perfection through His obedience to God.

Key Christadelphian beliefs include:

• Jesus is the Son of God but not God the Son
• The Holy Spirit is God’s power, not a person
• The Trinity is a pagan corruption of Christianity
• Jesus had a sinful nature but never sinned
• Jesus needed salvation Himself before He could save others

Christadelphians often use similar arguments to Jehovah’s Witnesses, focusing on verses that emphasize Jesus’s humanity while ignoring or explaining away verses that teach His deity. They particularly emphasize that Jesus was “made like His brothers in every way” (Hebrews 2:17), arguing this means He had a fallen human nature.

The response to Christadelphians involves showing that Jesus’s full humanity doesn’t negate His deity. The incarnation means Jesus is both fully God and fully man. His human nature was like ours except without sin (Hebrews 4:15). If Jesus had a sinful nature, He couldn’t be the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sins.

Some Unitarians

Unitarianism as a movement has a complex history, but classical Unitarianism denies the Trinity and Christ’s deity. Modern Unitarian Universalism has largely abandoned Christianity altogether, but there remain some who claim to be Christian Unitarians.

Christian Unitarians typically believe:

• God is one person, not three
• Jesus was a great moral teacher and prophet but not God
• The Holy Spirit is God’s influence or power
• Salvation comes through following Jesus’s moral example
• The Trinity was invented by the church centuries after Christ

Unitarians often present themselves as more rational and intellectual than Trinitarians. They argue that the Trinity is illogical and that educated modern people cannot believe in such mysteries. They emphasize ethical living over doctrinal correctness.

Responding to Unitarians requires showing that the Trinity, while beyond full human comprehension, is not illogical or contradictory. We’re not saying 1+1+1=1, but that God is one in essence and three in person. The mystery of God’s nature shouldn’t surprise us – if we could fully understand God, He wouldn’t be God.

Liberal Christianity’s Low Christology

Many liberal Christian theologians, while remaining in mainline denominations, have effectively denied Christ’s deity through what they call “low Christology.” They may use orthodox language but empty it of its traditional meaning.

Liberal views often include:

• Jesus was divine in the sense that all humans have divine potential
• The resurrection was spiritual, not physical
• Miracles are mythological ways of expressing spiritual truths
• Jesus’s divinity consists in His perfect God-consciousness
• The Trinity is a helpful metaphor but not literal truth

Liberal Christianity often maintains Christian vocabulary while radically redefining it. They speak of Jesus as “divine” but mean He perfectly revealed God’s love, not that He is ontologically God. They affirm the incarnation but mean God’s love was fully expressed in Jesus, not that the Second Person of the Trinity took on human nature.

This makes liberal Christianity particularly dangerous – it sounds orthodox to the casual listener but denies the heart of the gospel. When someone says they believe in Christ’s divinity, we must ask what they mean by that. Do they mean Jesus is truly God, the Second Person of the Trinity, or merely that Jesus shows us what God is like?

Key Points Summary

Practical Application: Preparing Your Family to Respond to JWs

The reality is that Jehovah’s Witnesses will likely knock on your door. They may engage your children at school or your relatives at work. Your family needs to be prepared, not just intellectually but spiritually and practically. Here’s how to equip your household to stand firm in the faith while showing love to those who need the true gospel.

Teaching Children About Christ’s Deity

Children need to understand who Jesus is from an early age. This doesn’t require complex theological discussions but simple, clear truths reinforced regularly:

For Young Children (Ages 3-7):

Use simple statements and stories. “Jesus is God who became a baby to save us.” “Jesus made everything – the stars, the animals, and you!” “We pray to Jesus because He is God.” Read Bible stories that show Jesus doing things only God can do – calming storms, forgiving sins, raising the dead. When they ask questions, give simple, clear answers without overwhelming them with details.

For Elementary Age (Ages 8-11):

Begin introducing key verses about Jesus’s deity. Help them memorize John 1:1, John 20:28, and Colossians 2:9 in simple translations. Explain that some people don’t believe Jesus is God, but the Bible clearly teaches He is. Role-play scenarios: “What would you say if someone told you Jesus was just a good teacher?” Teach them that it’s okay to say, “I need to ask my parents about that” when confronted with confusing religious claims.

For Teenagers (Ages 12+):

Engage in deeper discussions about why Christ’s deity matters. Study the “trilemma” – Jesus is either Lord, liar, or lunatic. Examine specific JW arguments and biblical responses together. Encourage questions and admit when you need to research answers together. Help them understand that defending their faith is not about winning arguments but about loving people enough to share truth with them.

Family Bible Study on the Trinity

Regular family Bible study builds a strong foundation. Here’s a practical 4-week study plan on Christ’s deity:

Week 1: Who Does Jesus Claim to Be?

Read John 8:48-59 together. Discuss why the Jewish leaders wanted to stone Jesus. Look at other “I AM” statements in John. Practice explaining to each other what Jesus meant when He said, “Before Abraham was, I am.”

Week 2: What Can Only God Do?

Make a list of things only God can do (create, forgive sins, receive worship, know all things, etc.). Then find Bible verses showing Jesus doing each of these things. Create a chart to hang on the refrigerator showing “Only God Can…” and “Jesus Did…” with matching verses.

Week 3: How Do We Know Jesus Rose from the Dead?

Study the resurrection accounts. Discuss how Jesus’s resurrection proves His claims to deity. Look at what changed the disciples from fearful deserters to bold proclaimers. Talk about how we can have confidence in the historical reality of the resurrection.

Week 4: Why Does It Matter?

Discuss what would change if Jesus were not God. Could He save us? Should we worship Him? Would His death have value? End by having each family member share what it means to them personally that Jesus is God.

Door-Step Strategies

When Jehovah’s Witnesses come to your door, you have a unique opportunity. Here are practical strategies for different situations:

If You Have Time for Discussion:

Invite them in or speak on the porch. Be friendly and welcoming. Let them present their material briefly, then ask, “May I share what I believe the Bible teaches about this?” Focus on one topic – Christ’s deity is best. Use questions more than statements. Share your personal testimony of knowing Jesus as God. Give them something to think about rather than trying to convince them immediately.

If You Have Limited Time:

Be honest about your time constraint. Say something like, “I only have a few minutes, but I’d love to share why I believe Jesus is truly God.” Share one powerful verse (John 20:28 or Colossians 2:9) and your brief testimony. Offer to meet at another time for a longer discussion. Give them a tract or book about the deity of Christ if you have one.

If Children Are Present:

This is a teaching opportunity. Have your children listen as you kindly but firmly explain what your family believes. After the Witnesses leave, discuss with your children what happened. Affirm them: “Those people love God but are confused about who Jesus is. We need to pray for them.” Use it as an opportunity to review what the Bible teaches about Jesus.

If You’re Not Prepared:

It’s okay to say, “I’m not prepared to discuss this right now, but I’d be happy to study and meet with you next week.” This gives you time to prepare and pray. It also shows you take their claims seriously enough to study. Most JWs will respect this and return, giving you an opportunity to share truth after preparation.

Creating a Family Response Plan

Every family should have a plan for responding to false teaching. Here’s a practical framework:

1. Designate a Point Person: Decide who will primarily engage with JWs when they come to the door. This might be the parent most comfortable with apologetics, but others can be present for support and learning.

2. Prepare Resources: Keep a folder with key verses printed out, helpful tracts, and perhaps a book on witnessing to JWs. Having these ready prevents scrambling when opportunity arises.

3. Practice Together: Role-play scenarios where one family member pretends to be a JW. This helps everyone become comfortable with the arguments and responses. Make it age-appropriate and even fun for younger children.

4. Establish Guidelines:

• Children should not answer the door to strangers without parents
• Teenagers should feel free to engage briefly but invite JWs to return when parents are home
• All family members should be respectful and kind, never mocking or rude
• Any literature received should be reviewed with parents before reading

5. Pray Together: When JWs visit, pray as a family afterward. Pray for their salvation, for wisdom in future encounters, and thank God for the truth of His Word. This teaches children that spiritual battles are won through prayer, not just arguments.

6. Debrief After Encounters: Discuss what went well and what could improve. Let children ask questions. Address any confusion immediately. Celebrate when family members stand firm in their faith while showing love to others.

Building Confidence Through Preparation

Many Christians feel anxious when JWs arrive because they feel unprepared. This preparation builds confidence:

Memorize Key Verses: You don’t need to know hundreds of verses. Master five or six that clearly teach Christ’s deity. Know them well enough to quote from memory and explain their meaning.

Understand Their Basic Arguments: You don’t need to know everything JWs teach, but understand their main arguments against Christ’s deity. When you know what they’ll say, you won’t be caught off guard.

Practice Your Testimony: Be able to share in 2-3 minutes how you came to know Jesus as Lord and God. Personal testimony is powerful because it’s your experience – they can’t argue with what God has done in your life.

Study Regular: Don’t wait until JWs come to study these issues. Regular Bible study that includes doctrine builds a foundation that won’t be shaken by clever arguments.

Connect with Support: Know mature Christians you can consult with questions. Have your pastor’s phone number handy. Join or form a study group on defending the faith. You’re not alone in this.

Prayer and Reflection

Heavenly Father, we come before You in awe of the mystery and majesty of Your triune nature. We praise You, Lord Jesus Christ, as our God and Savior, the eternal Word who became flesh for our salvation. We thank You that You did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Yourself, taking the form of a servant, becoming obedient even to death on a cross.

Lord Jesus, we confess with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” We acknowledge You as our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. You are the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. All things were created through You and for You, and in You all things hold together. You are before all things, and by You all things consist.

Father, we pray for those trapped in the deception of denying Christ’s deity. Open the eyes of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christadelphians, and all who have been led astray from the truth about Your Son. Break the chains of false teaching that bind them. Show them that Jesus is not a created being but the eternal God who created all things.

Give us wisdom, Lord, as we encounter those who deny Your deity. Help us to speak truth in love, to be patient in discussion, gentle in correction, and persistent in prayer. Give us the right words at the right time. Help us to ask questions that penetrate hearts and plant seeds of truth that You will water and grow.

We pray for the millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world. Many are sincere, zealous, and devoted, yet sincerely wrong. They go door to door with a false gospel that cannot save. Turn their zeal for error into zeal for truth. Save them, Lord, as You saved Saul of Tarsus who zealously persecuted the church until he met You on the Damascus road.

Strengthen Your church, Lord, to stand firm against every wind of doctrine. Help us to grow in our knowledge of You so that we will not be “children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14). Ground us deeply in Your Word that we might be able to give an answer to everyone who asks us for the reason for the hope that is in us.

We pray for our families, Lord. Help us to teach our children who You truly are. Give us wisdom to explain deep truths in simple ways. Protect our loved ones from deception. Build in them a faith that cannot be shaken by false arguments or clever philosophy.

Lord Jesus, we worship You as our God. With the angels we cry, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” With every creature in heaven and earth we declare, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:12-13)

Come, Lord Jesus. We long for the day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Until that day, use us as Your witnesses to proclaim Your deity, Your lordship, and Your saving power to a world that needs to know who You truly are.

In Your precious and powerful name we pray, Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God. Amen.

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