Watchtower Literature is it trustworthy?
The Watchtower claimed to be a prophet of God.
The Watchtower claims that we must belong to their organization to be qualified to live on Paradise Earth.
The Watchtower informs us that we cannot read our Bible alone, but we also need their literature to help us to have
true understanding.
Considering these claims one would certainly expect to find their publications to be extremely accurate if there is any validity in
their claims at all.
Although there are many errors that can be focused on in this area we will limit it to two Watchtower publications.
1. Should You Believe in the Trinity, 1989
2. The New Worlds Translation of the Holy Scriptures.
1. Should You Believe in the Trinity?, 1989, page 7 (JW)
THE ante-Nicene Fathers were acknowledged to have been leading religious teachers in the early centuries after
Christ's birth. What they taught is of interest.
Hippolytus, who died about 235 C.E., said that God is "the one God, the first and the only One, the Maker and Lord of all,"
who "had nothing co-eval [of equal age] with him . . . But he was One, alone by himself; who, willing it, called into being what
had no being before," such as the created prehuman Jesus.
Origen, who died about 250 C.E., said that "the Father and Son are two substances . . . two things as to their essence," and
that "compared with the Father, [the Son] is a very small light."
Summing up the historical evidence, Alvan Lamson says in The Church of the First Three Centuries:
"The modern popular doctrine of the Trinity . . . derives no support from the language of Justin [Martyr]: and this observation
may be extended to all the ante-Nicene Fathers; that is, to all Christian writers for three centuries after the birth of Christ. It is
true, they speak of the Father, Son, and . . . holy Spirit, but not as co-equal, not as one numerical essence, not as Three in One,
in any sense now admitted by Trinitarians. The very reverse is the fact." Thus, the testimony of the Bible and of history makes
clear that the Trinity was unknown throughout Biblical times and for several centuries thereafter.
(End of Quote)
Reading the last paragraph of this quote a person is led to believe that no Christian writer in the 1st 3 centuries
taught or believed the doctrine that is now known as the Trinity.
It is easy to show that the doctrine known as the Trinity was taught and believed well before the 4th century. To do
this we will simply quote someone who lived before that time period. I would like to share 2 quotes from the Early Church
Fathers before the 3rd century.
(PDF version Vol. 1 pg. 98 or 117)
(1) Ignatius was said to be a pupil of the Apostle John he lived 90 A.D.
Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume I, The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philippians chapter 2.
"Wherefore also the Lord, when He sent forth the apostles to make disciples of all nations, commanded them to "baptize in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," not unto one [person] having three names, nor into three
[persons] who became incarnate, but into three possessed of equal honour."
This clearly shows that the early church in the 1st Century taught and believed the same doctrine that we call the Trinity today.
(PDF version Vol. 3, pg. 1133- 1134, or 1085-1086)
(2) Tertullian was a Christian theologian who lived 155-220 A.D. The following quote by him can be found in Roberts,
Alexander and Donaldson, James, Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume III, Tertullian Against Praxeas CH.25.
"What follows Philip's question, and the Lord's whole treatment of it, to the end of John's Gospel, continues to furnish us with
statements of the same kind, distinguishing the Father and the Son, with the properties of each. Then there is the Paraclete or
Comforter, also, which He promises to pray for to the Father, and to send from heaven after He had ascended to the Father.
He is called "another Comforter," indeed; but in what way He is another we have already shown, "He shall receive of mine,"
says Christ, just as Christ Himself received of the Father's. Thus the connection of the Father in the Son, and of the Son
in the Paraclete, produces three coherent Persons, who are yet distinct One from Another. These Three are, one
essence, not one Person, as it is said, "I and my Father are One," in respect of unity of substance not singularity of number."
The following definition of "Paraclete" is by Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 10th edition. Par.a.clete n [ME Paraclyte, fr. LL
Paracletus, Paraclitus, fr. Gk Parakletos, lit., advocate, intercessor, fr. parakalein to invoke, fr. para- + kalein to call--more at
low] (15c): holy spirit
Tertullian here is referring to John 14: 9-16 where Jesus said he would ask of the Father and he would send the Holy Spirit also
referred to as another Comforter in the King James Version of the Bible. We see in this text that Tertullian referred to the
Paraclete as the Holy Spirit. Notice he stated that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were three persons that were distinct
from one another. He further stated that these three persons were one in essence. Tertullian just defined the Trinity remember
he lived 155-220 A.D. Compare what Tertullian said to the following from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
TRINITY
The coexistence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the unity of the Godhead (divine nature or essence). The doctrine
of the trinity means that within the being and activity of the one God there are three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
The Ante-Nicene Fathers that are mentioned in this Watchtower publication did not teach or believe what the
Watchtower stated.
I have the writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers on CD Rom. My program has the capability of searching for words or phrases. I
used this to search for the quotes in this Watchtower publication. I did not find any of the quotes as the Watchtower used in their
publication. I did have two hits when I got to Tertullian however in both cases the text did not say what the Watchtower claimed
Tertullian said. So instead I looked for what Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Hippolytus, and Origen
did teach regarding the Trinity or the deity of Jesus Christ. Following is a quote from each of these early Christian writers.
(PDF version Vol.1 pg. 150 or 185)
Justin Martyr
The Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 The First Apology of Justin chapter LXIII
And all the Jews even now teach that the nameless God spake to Moses; whence the Spirit of prophecy, accusing them by
Isaiah the prophet mentioned above, said "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know
Me, and My people do not understand."{Isa.1:3} And Jesus the Christ, because the Jews knew not what the Father was, and
what the Son, in like manner accused them; and Himself said, "No one knoweth the Father, but the Son; nor the Son, but the
Father, and they to whom the Son revealeth Him."{Matt.11: 27} Now the Word of God is His Son, as we have before said.
And He is called Angel and Apostle; for He declares whatever we ought to know, and is sent forth to declare
whatever is revealed; as our Lord Himself says, "He that heareth Me, heareth Him that sent Me."{Lk.10:16} From the writings
of Moses also this will be manifest; for thus it is written in them, "And the Angel of God spake to Moses, in a flame of fire
out of the bush, and said, I am that I am, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of thy
fathers; go down into Egypt, and bring forth My people."{Ex.3: 6} And if you wish to learn what follows, you can do so from the
same writings; for it is impossible to relate the whole here. But so much is written for the sake of proving that Jesus the Christ is
the Son of God and His Apostle, being of old the Word, and appearing sometimes in the form of fire, and sometimes in the
likeness of angels; but now, by the will of God having become man for the human race, He endured all the sufferings which
the devils instigated the senseless Jews to inflict upon Him; who, though they have it expressly affirmed in the writings of
Moses, "And the angel of God spake to Moses in a flame of fire in a bush, and said, I am that I am, the God of Abraham, and
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," yet maintain that He who said this was the Father and Creator of the universe.
Whence also the Spirit of prophecy rebukes them, and says, "Israel doth not know Me, my people have not understood
Me."{Isa.1:3} And again, Jesus, as we have already shown, while He was with them, said, "No one knoweth the Father, but the
Son; nor the Son but the Father, and those to whom the Son will reveal Him."{Matt. 11:27} The Jews, accordingly, being
throughout of opinion that it was the Father of the universe who spake to Moses, though He who spake to him was indeed the
Son of God, who is called both Angel and Apostle, are justly charged, both by the Spirit of prophecy and by Christ Himself, with
knowing neither the Father nor the Son. For they who affirm that the Son is the Father, are proved neither to have become
acquainted with the Father, nor to know that the Father of the universe has a Son; who also, being the first-begotten
Word of God, is even God. And of old He appeared in the shape of fire and in the likeness of an angel to Moses and
to the other prophets; but now in the times of your reign, [Rather, "of your empire."] having, as we before said, become Man
by a virgin, according to the counsel of the Father, for the salvation of those who believe on Him, He endured both to be set at
nought and to suffer, that by dying and rising again He might conquer death. And that which was said out of the bush to Moses,
"I am that I am, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and the God of your fathers." This signified
that they, even though dead, are let in existence, and are men belonging to Christ Himself. For they were the first of all men to
busy themselves in the search after God; Abraham being the father of Isaac, and Isaac of Jacob, as Moses wrote."
(End of quote)
Note Justin did not say Jesus was "a created angel" He did say Jesus was "called" angel and apostle and gave an
explanation as to why Jesus was given this title. One of the definitions of Angel in the Webster's Dictionary is a messenger of
God. One who is "sent forth to declare whatever is revealed" as Justin stated is a messenger. This is Justin's explanation as to
why Jesus was given the title Angel of God. Justin also said of Jesus that he was " appearing sometimes in the form of fire,
and sometimes in the likeness of angels. This does not mean that Jesus is literally an angel anymore than it means Jesus is
literally a fire. Justin partially quoted EX.3:2-6 Here the Angel of God said, I am that I am, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of thy fathers. Justin did not say Jesus was a created angel inferior to God as the Watchtower
would have us believe. He did say Jesus was given the title of Angel and Apostle and Jesus is the God of Abraham.
(PDF version Vol.1 pg. 409 or 452)
Irenaeus
The Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 Irenaeus against Heresies, Book 3, Chapter XX & XXI
And again, specifying the place of His advent, he says: "The Lord hath spoken from Zion, and He has uttered His voice from
Jerusalem." And that it is from that region which is towards the south of the inheritance of Judah that the Son of God shall
come, who is God, and who was from Bethlehem, where the Lord was born [and] will send out His praise through all the earth,
thus says the prophet Habakkuk: "God shall come from the south, and the Holy One from Mount, Effrem. His power covered the
heavens over, and the earth is full of His praise. Before His face shall go forth the Word, and His feet shall advance in the
plains." Thus he indicates in clear terms that He is God, and that His advent was [to take place] in Bethlehem, and from Mount
Effrem, which is towards the south of the inheritance, and that [He is] man. For he says, "His feet shall advance in the plains:
"and this is an indication proper to man. (Chapter XXI) 1. God, then, was made man, and the Lord did Himself save us,
The Watchtower claimed to be a prophet of God.
The Watchtower claims that we must belong to their organization to be qualified to live on Paradise Earth.
The Watchtower informs us that we cannot read our Bible alone, but we also need their literature to help us to have
true understanding.
Considering these claims one would certainly expect to find their publications to be extremely accurate if there is any validity in
their claims at all.
Although there are many errors that can be focused on in this area we will limit it to two Watchtower publications.
1. Should You Believe in the Trinity, 1989
2. The New Worlds Translation of the Holy Scriptures.
1. Should You Believe in the Trinity?, 1989, page 7 (JW)
THE ante-Nicene Fathers were acknowledged to have been leading religious teachers in the early centuries after
Christ's birth. What they taught is of interest.
Hippolytus, who died about 235 C.E., said that God is "the one God, the first and the only One, the Maker and Lord of all,"
who "had nothing co-eval [of equal age] with him . . . But he was One, alone by himself; who, willing it, called into being what
had no being before," such as the created prehuman Jesus.
Origen, who died about 250 C.E., said that "the Father and Son are two substances . . . two things as to their essence," and
that "compared with the Father, [the Son] is a very small light."
Summing up the historical evidence, Alvan Lamson says in The Church of the First Three Centuries:
"The modern popular doctrine of the Trinity . . . derives no support from the language of Justin [Martyr]: and this observation
may be extended to all the ante-Nicene Fathers; that is, to all Christian writers for three centuries after the birth of Christ. It is
true, they speak of the Father, Son, and . . . holy Spirit, but not as co-equal, not as one numerical essence, not as Three in One,
in any sense now admitted by Trinitarians. The very reverse is the fact." Thus, the testimony of the Bible and of history makes
clear that the Trinity was unknown throughout Biblical times and for several centuries thereafter.
(End of Quote)
Reading the last paragraph of this quote a person is led to believe that no Christian writer in the 1st 3 centuries
taught or believed the doctrine that is now known as the Trinity.
It is easy to show that the doctrine known as the Trinity was taught and believed well before the 4th century. To do
this we will simply quote someone who lived before that time period. I would like to share 2 quotes from the Early Church
Fathers before the 3rd century.
(PDF version Vol. 1 pg. 98 or 117)
(1) Ignatius was said to be a pupil of the Apostle John he lived 90 A.D.
Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume I, The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philippians chapter 2.
"Wherefore also the Lord, when He sent forth the apostles to make disciples of all nations, commanded them to "baptize in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," not unto one [person] having three names, nor into three
[persons] who became incarnate, but into three possessed of equal honour."
This clearly shows that the early church in the 1st Century taught and believed the same doctrine that we call the Trinity today.
(PDF version Vol. 3, pg. 1133- 1134, or 1085-1086)
(2) Tertullian was a Christian theologian who lived 155-220 A.D. The following quote by him can be found in Roberts,
Alexander and Donaldson, James, Ante-Nicene Fathers: Volume III, Tertullian Against Praxeas CH.25.
"What follows Philip's question, and the Lord's whole treatment of it, to the end of John's Gospel, continues to furnish us with
statements of the same kind, distinguishing the Father and the Son, with the properties of each. Then there is the Paraclete or
Comforter, also, which He promises to pray for to the Father, and to send from heaven after He had ascended to the Father.
He is called "another Comforter," indeed; but in what way He is another we have already shown, "He shall receive of mine,"
says Christ, just as Christ Himself received of the Father's. Thus the connection of the Father in the Son, and of the Son
in the Paraclete, produces three coherent Persons, who are yet distinct One from Another. These Three are, one
essence, not one Person, as it is said, "I and my Father are One," in respect of unity of substance not singularity of number."
The following definition of "Paraclete" is by Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 10th edition. Par.a.clete n [ME Paraclyte, fr. LL
Paracletus, Paraclitus, fr. Gk Parakletos, lit., advocate, intercessor, fr. parakalein to invoke, fr. para- + kalein to call--more at
low] (15c): holy spirit
Tertullian here is referring to John 14: 9-16 where Jesus said he would ask of the Father and he would send the Holy Spirit also
referred to as another Comforter in the King James Version of the Bible. We see in this text that Tertullian referred to the
Paraclete as the Holy Spirit. Notice he stated that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were three persons that were distinct
from one another. He further stated that these three persons were one in essence. Tertullian just defined the Trinity remember
he lived 155-220 A.D. Compare what Tertullian said to the following from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
TRINITY
The coexistence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the unity of the Godhead (divine nature or essence). The doctrine
of the trinity means that within the being and activity of the one God there are three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
The Ante-Nicene Fathers that are mentioned in this Watchtower publication did not teach or believe what the
Watchtower stated.
I have the writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers on CD Rom. My program has the capability of searching for words or phrases. I
used this to search for the quotes in this Watchtower publication. I did not find any of the quotes as the Watchtower used in their
publication. I did have two hits when I got to Tertullian however in both cases the text did not say what the Watchtower claimed
Tertullian said. So instead I looked for what Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Hippolytus, and Origen
did teach regarding the Trinity or the deity of Jesus Christ. Following is a quote from each of these early Christian writers.
(PDF version Vol.1 pg. 150 or 185)
Justin Martyr
The Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 The First Apology of Justin chapter LXIII
And all the Jews even now teach that the nameless God spake to Moses; whence the Spirit of prophecy, accusing them by
Isaiah the prophet mentioned above, said "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know
Me, and My people do not understand."{Isa.1:3} And Jesus the Christ, because the Jews knew not what the Father was, and
what the Son, in like manner accused them; and Himself said, "No one knoweth the Father, but the Son; nor the Son, but the
Father, and they to whom the Son revealeth Him."{Matt.11: 27} Now the Word of God is His Son, as we have before said.
And He is called Angel and Apostle; for He declares whatever we ought to know, and is sent forth to declare
whatever is revealed; as our Lord Himself says, "He that heareth Me, heareth Him that sent Me."{Lk.10:16} From the writings
of Moses also this will be manifest; for thus it is written in them, "And the Angel of God spake to Moses, in a flame of fire
out of the bush, and said, I am that I am, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of thy
fathers; go down into Egypt, and bring forth My people."{Ex.3: 6} And if you wish to learn what follows, you can do so from the
same writings; for it is impossible to relate the whole here. But so much is written for the sake of proving that Jesus the Christ is
the Son of God and His Apostle, being of old the Word, and appearing sometimes in the form of fire, and sometimes in the
likeness of angels; but now, by the will of God having become man for the human race, He endured all the sufferings which
the devils instigated the senseless Jews to inflict upon Him; who, though they have it expressly affirmed in the writings of
Moses, "And the angel of God spake to Moses in a flame of fire in a bush, and said, I am that I am, the God of Abraham, and
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," yet maintain that He who said this was the Father and Creator of the universe.
Whence also the Spirit of prophecy rebukes them, and says, "Israel doth not know Me, my people have not understood
Me."{Isa.1:3} And again, Jesus, as we have already shown, while He was with them, said, "No one knoweth the Father, but the
Son; nor the Son but the Father, and those to whom the Son will reveal Him."{Matt. 11:27} The Jews, accordingly, being
throughout of opinion that it was the Father of the universe who spake to Moses, though He who spake to him was indeed the
Son of God, who is called both Angel and Apostle, are justly charged, both by the Spirit of prophecy and by Christ Himself, with
knowing neither the Father nor the Son. For they who affirm that the Son is the Father, are proved neither to have become
acquainted with the Father, nor to know that the Father of the universe has a Son; who also, being the first-begotten
Word of God, is even God. And of old He appeared in the shape of fire and in the likeness of an angel to Moses and
to the other prophets; but now in the times of your reign, [Rather, "of your empire."] having, as we before said, become Man
by a virgin, according to the counsel of the Father, for the salvation of those who believe on Him, He endured both to be set at
nought and to suffer, that by dying and rising again He might conquer death. And that which was said out of the bush to Moses,
"I am that I am, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and the God of your fathers." This signified
that they, even though dead, are let in existence, and are men belonging to Christ Himself. For they were the first of all men to
busy themselves in the search after God; Abraham being the father of Isaac, and Isaac of Jacob, as Moses wrote."
(End of quote)
Note Justin did not say Jesus was "a created angel" He did say Jesus was "called" angel and apostle and gave an
explanation as to why Jesus was given this title. One of the definitions of Angel in the Webster's Dictionary is a messenger of
God. One who is "sent forth to declare whatever is revealed" as Justin stated is a messenger. This is Justin's explanation as to
why Jesus was given the title Angel of God. Justin also said of Jesus that he was " appearing sometimes in the form of fire,
and sometimes in the likeness of angels. This does not mean that Jesus is literally an angel anymore than it means Jesus is
literally a fire. Justin partially quoted EX.3:2-6 Here the Angel of God said, I am that I am, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of thy fathers. Justin did not say Jesus was a created angel inferior to God as the Watchtower
would have us believe. He did say Jesus was given the title of Angel and Apostle and Jesus is the God of Abraham.
(PDF version Vol.1 pg. 409 or 452)
Irenaeus
The Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 Irenaeus against Heresies, Book 3, Chapter XX & XXI
And again, specifying the place of His advent, he says: "The Lord hath spoken from Zion, and He has uttered His voice from
Jerusalem." And that it is from that region which is towards the south of the inheritance of Judah that the Son of God shall
come, who is God, and who was from Bethlehem, where the Lord was born [and] will send out His praise through all the earth,
thus says the prophet Habakkuk: "God shall come from the south, and the Holy One from Mount, Effrem. His power covered the
heavens over, and the earth is full of His praise. Before His face shall go forth the Word, and His feet shall advance in the
plains." Thus he indicates in clear terms that He is God, and that His advent was [to take place] in Bethlehem, and from Mount
Effrem, which is towards the south of the inheritance, and that [He is] man. For he says, "His feet shall advance in the plains:
"and this is an indication proper to man. (Chapter XXI) 1. God, then, was made man, and the Lord did Himself save us,
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| Note I have all 38 Volumes of the ante-Nicene Fathers from Logos.com. This is where I found all of my quotes. I cannot legally give away copies of this software. What I can give away is a PDF version that I have of Volumes 1-5, 1 2 3 4 5 (Right click on each number and choose "Save link as") By downloading these 5 volumes here you can look up and read the quotes I use in those volumes in context. The 1st number is in the Adobe Reader counter. The 2nd number is in the bottom left corner of the page itself. In the following text wherever a quote came from Volume 1-5 you will find the PDF Volume number and page number. (Example PDF version Vol.1 pg. 98 or 117) In this example once you downloaded those books you would open Volume 1 and go to page 98 in the Adobe Reader counter to read the quote I used here in full context. On the bottom of the page it will say 117 My version of Adobe Reader on the toolbar under "Find" I choose "Open full reader search" this allows me to search the PDF document. You may want to try to find the quotes used by the Watchtower yourself. Although I believe you will find as I did they do not exist. |
Justin Martyr, who died about 165 C.E., called the prehuman
Jesus a created angel who is "other than the God who made all
things." He said that Jesus was inferior to God and "never did
anything except what the Creator .. . willed him to do and say."
Irenaeus, who died about 200 C.E., said that the prehuman
Jesus had a separate existence from God and was inferior to
him. He showed that Jesus is not equal to the "One true and only
God," who is "supreme over all, and besides whom there is no
other."
Clement of Alexandria, who died about 215 C.E., called Jesus
in his prehuman existence "a creature" but called God "the
uncreated and imperishable and only true God." He said that the
Son "is next to the only omnipotent Father" but not equal to him.
Tertullian, who died about 230 C.E., taught the supremacy of
God. He observed: "The Father is different from the Son
(another), as he is greater; as he who begets is different from him
who is begotten; he who sends, different from him who is sent."
He also said: "There was a time when the Son was not. . . .
Before all things, God was alone."
Jesus a created angel who is "other than the God who made all
things." He said that Jesus was inferior to God and "never did
anything except what the Creator .. . willed him to do and say."
Irenaeus, who died about 200 C.E., said that the prehuman
Jesus had a separate existence from God and was inferior to
him. He showed that Jesus is not equal to the "One true and only
God," who is "supreme over all, and besides whom there is no
other."
Clement of Alexandria, who died about 215 C.E., called Jesus
in his prehuman existence "a creature" but called God "the
uncreated and imperishable and only true God." He said that the
Son "is next to the only omnipotent Father" but not equal to him.
Tertullian, who died about 230 C.E., taught the supremacy of
God. He observed: "The Father is different from the Son
(another), as he is greater; as he who begets is different from him
who is begotten; he who sends, different from him who is sent."
He also said: "There was a time when the Son was not. . . .
Before all things, God was alone."
| http://www.watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm To Read this Watchtower publication Copy and paste link above into your browser to go the official Watchtower website to the index page of this publication. Then click on "Is it Clearly a Bible Teaching?" Then scroll down to What the Ante-Nicene Fathers Taught After doing so you would be reading the following below. |