- Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the deity of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity. They teach that Jesus was really Michael the archangel, the first creation of Jehovah God.
- When arguing this point, Jehovah’s Witnesses will often refer to passages like John 14:28 and say, “Jesus said, ‘The Father is greater than I.’ Therefore, Jesus is not God almighty.”
- This argument is a classic example of Jehovah’s Witnesses taking scriptural references out of context and ignoring the totality of the Bible’s revelation in order to support their false, man-made teachings.
- What’s really taking place in John 14:28 is that Jesus is giving respect to the Father. He’s simply showing a difference in position between himself, as the incarnate Son, and the Father who is in Heaven. Jesus is not, however, saying that he is intrinsically inferior to the Father.
- To illustrate the above point, have the Jehovah’s Witness read John 5:18 and ask them, “How could Jesus be equal to the Father if he thought himself inferior?”
- Some other helpful passages to highlight in response to this Jehovah’s Witness argument are John 1:18; 5:22-23; 10:30 and 20:28-29.
- John 20:28-29 in particular poses an interesting dilemma for the Jehovah’s Witness. Read this passage and ask them, “Why does Jesus affirm Thomas for calling him, ‘My Lord and my God’? Wouldn’t this have been a blasphemous statement if Jesus was simply a created being?”
For more helpful information on witnessing to Jehovah’s Witnesses, please check out Dr. Carlson’s book, Fast Facts on False Teachings, available in our online store.