@Lost in the Fog,
I figured from a young age that Jesus couldn't have been God
Why would you elevate the thinking of a child over what the bible says? I'm not suggesting you must believe the bible, but at least find out what it says before you abandon it. Then, you can make an informed decision.
The reason XJW's have a hard time with the tri-nature of Jesus is because they never accepted what the bible said about the tri-nature of man. We only thought we believed the bible as JW's, when in reality we were trained to introduce different meanings and definitions to certain biblical terms. In a sense, we were taught a different language that made us unable to reason and communicate biblically.
Let's take the word "death" for example. In the 18th century the rise of materialism philosophy redefined this word to mean non-existence or annihilation. Simultaneous with this NEW definition, Russell started preaching the same thing.
But if you look into the dictionary at the time you can get an accurate definition of the word death which includes the following:
9. In theology, perpetual separation from God, and eternal torments; called the second death Revelation 2:10.
10. Separation or alienation of the soul from God; a being under the dominion of sin, and destitute of grace or divine life; called spiritual death
When we leave the WT, we take a lot of unbiblical philosophy with us that gets camouflaged by the larger society around us that also largely has materialism as its world-view of existence.
The bible writers assume that readers know that we are a tri-partite being constructed with a soul, body & spirit. Man is not whole unless all three of these are joined together in one being. Usually, when these parts become separated, with the demise of the body, a death occurs.
This is clear in the case of Rachel:
"And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem". - Gen. 35
We have the same problem with the word "Resurrection". What the WT says it means is not what it means. Resurrection ALWAYS is the reversal of death - a re-constitution of the three elements of man, soul, spirit & body... a rejoining of the three.
There is no such thing as being resurrected to spirit life in heaven as the WT teaches. Souls have been going to heaven, not resurrected persons.
Now, with these biblical definitions we can ask who raised Jesus from the dead? Didn't he say that he would?
“No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. - John 10: 18
In reality, the Bible indicates that all three Persons of the Godhead were involved in Jesus’ resurrection. Galatians 1:1 says that the Father raised Jesus from the dead. First Peter 3:18 says that the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead (see also Romans 1:4, and note that Romans 8:11 clearly says that God will resurrect believers “through His Spirit”). And in John 2:19 Jesus predicts that He will raise Himself from the dead (see also John 10:18). So, when we answer the question of who resurrected Jesus, we can say God did. And by that we can mean it was the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
These scriptures prove that Jesus was fully man and fully God, not just one or the other. When Jesus died, his spirit (God) separated from his lifeless body. He resurrected himself (by rejoining the three parts), just as he predicted he would. This event astonished much of the Jewish world and birthed "one new man" made up Jew and Gentile in the church age based on faith and not law.
Unless you're saying that God can be killed.
Yes, that is just exactly what the bible claims in Acts 20: 28
"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."
The bible is claiming that Jehovah not only made you but loved you enough to bear the punishment due you, in himself. He became a man for this purpose, born to die. This is a very different God than the Jehovah portrayed in WT literature.
Again, you don't have to accept any of this. But this is Christianity, take it or leave it.
