Page 73 - Cults and Marginal Groups - Textbook w videos short

In dealing with this verse, it is important to resolve this issue: Is Jesus a true God or a false God?

WITNESSING NOTE: Take the JW through this line of reasoning with these questions:

According to John 17:3, how many true Gods are there? (one- Jehovah God). Quite right.

Now, would you agree that whatever is not a true must be a false? (yes)

Then, if there is only one true God, all other gods must be false gods, right? (sure).

Now according to John 1:1 in the NWT, Jesus is a god. Do you agree with that? (of course)

Well then, is Jesus a true god or a false god? (Hmmmm)

He can’t be a false god, can he, since that would mean the apostle John was guilty of falsely honoring
Jesus as god?

Therefore, he must be a true God. But Jehovah is the only true God. Therefore, Jesus must be
Jehovah!

In John 17:3 “only true” in grammar and context is not intended to contrast the Father and the
Son, but rather contrast the one true God’s nature with that of false gods. The Greek word for
true (alethinon) denotes true in the sense of real, genuine and is used of God (Father – John
7:28) and of Christ (John 1:9) in contrast to false gods.

Jesus is not distinguishing Himself from being God in this verse, rather He is pointing out the fact
that the Father is the “only true God” – the only real or genuine God – as opposed to the many
false gods and idols in the world. John firmly establishes Christ’s deity quite thoroughly
throughout the rest of the gospel (John 1:1, 8:58, 10:30, 20:28).

WITNESSING NOTE: In Rev. 1:7, Jesus is seen to be the pierced Yahweh who is described in Zechariah
12:10.

Rev 1:7 BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced
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Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

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Zechariah 12:10 "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of
grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for
Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a
firstborn.

The reference to Yahweh and Elohim in Isaiah 40:3 is seen to be fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ
in Mark 1:2-4

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