Jesus no longer really "a god"?

by M.J. 44 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  M.J.

  I saw the latest WT magazine released this week. I don't have it on me but on the cover it asks the question, "is there only one true God?"

  Skimming the story inside I noticed they quoted the verse in Isaiah where it mentions there is only one God and there never was or will be a god alongside him.

  "hmm," I wondered, "how will they reconcile this with John 1:1?"

  The way they did it was to suggest that since people are sometimes figuratively referred to as gods in the Bible (but not really gods/divine), that Christ also was figuratively referred to as a god, and thus is not really "a god"/divine.

  This is the first time I see an article that completely strips Christ of divinity. They are saying, in effect, he is no more "a god" than you or I. Is this new?
• 

  Super_Becka

  Ooo, this should be an interesting topic. *gets popcorn*

  If Jesus is no longer considered "a god" by the WTS, then what exactly do they consider him now?? I know they've been downplaying the divinity of Jesus for a while now, but now that they've completely stripped him of his divinity, what does that make him?? An angel?? A prophet?? What??

  -Becka :)
• 

  kid-A

  Jesus has always been considered nothing more than an "upper level" angel according to the dubs. Not sure what that means, jehoober gave him an extra pair of wings and keys to the corporate limo?
• 

  M.J.

  Should You Believe in the Trinity? says,

  ***

  ti p. 27 What About Trinity "Proof Texts"? ***

  So John 1:1 highlights the quality of the Word, that he was "divine," "godlike," "a god," but not Almighty God. This harmonizes with the rest of the Bible, which shows that Jesus, here called "the Word" in his role as God’s Spokesman, was an obedient subordinate sent to earth by his Superior, Almighty God.

  Insight says,

  ***

  it-2 p. 52 Jesus Christ ***

  Prehuman

  Existence. The person who became known as Jesus Christ did not begin life here on earth. He himself spoke of his prehuman heavenly life. (Joh 3:13; 6:38, 62; 8:23, 42, 58) John 1:1, 2 gives the heavenly name of the one who became Jesus, saying: "In the beginning the Word [Gr., Lo´gos] was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god ["was divine," AT; Mo; or "of divine being," Böhmer; Stage (both German)]
• 

  Stephanus

  Maybe they'll be like Islam and consider Jesus their SECOND most important prophet (after the WBTS, of course!)
• 

  M.J.

  They've come a long way:

  The Watchtower, October 15, 1945, p. 313:

  When God’s only begotten, firstborn Son was made a man on earth, Jehovah God saw good to "make him but little less than messengers divine", or less than godly angels, elohim. (Ps. 8: 5, Roth. Pss.) Now, at Christ’s coming to reign as king in Jehovah’s capital organization Zion, to bring in a righteous new world, Jehovah makes him infinitely higher than the godly angels or messengers and accordingly commands them to worship him. This does not mean that Christ Jesus is Jehovah, a "Jehovah-Christ", as certain religionists say; but it simply fulfills what Jesus said on earth: "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him." (John 5: 22, 23) Since Jehovah God now reigns as King by means of his capital organization Zion, then whosoever would worship Him must also worship and bow down to Jehovah’s Chief One in that capital organization, namely, Christ Jesus, his Co-regent on the throne of The Theocracy. The holy angels gladly obeyed the divine command and they proved their worship of Jehovah’s new King and their subjection to him by joining in his "war in heaven" against Satan and his wicked angels. Thereafter, when Christ Jesus came to the temple of God in 1918, to begin judgment at the house of God, many of such angels came along as his loyal, obedient servants. (Rev. 12 : 7-12 ; Matt. 25: 31; Isa. 6: 1-8; Matt. 24: 31, 32) At Armageddon they will fight under him to the utter destrucuon of Satan’s entire organization.
• 

  IP_SEC

  They will have to revise 1:1 to say "the word was of devine origin"
• 

  kid-A

  They seem to have no clear answer to the question "what is jesus?" in other words, is he a "unique" creature, or on the same level of ethereal existence as other angels? They have no answer.

  This brings up another interesting question, if Jesus is to be considered the same species of being as an "angel" this would render him "mortal", since another famous angel, satan, according to the dubs, will indeed be eternally destroyed. If angels can perish (in the heavenly not fleshly sense), so can jesus, who, like the angels was "created" into being rather than simply always existing.
• 

  yaddayadda

  MJ, how about scanning the article rather than expecting us to base our comments on your summary of it, because if you are right this latest article would flatly contradict other comments by the Society about John 1:1, ie, they acknowledge that Jesus (the Logos) is a God and of the divine nature (but is always a lesser God than the Father Jehovah).
• 

  M.J.

  Yaddayadda,

  You're right, that would be helpful. I was hoping someone on the board might have the article handy. Like I mentioned, I don't have it with me today.