Wrestling With the Watch Tower: Development of the Trinity

In "Church Fathers and the Trinity," we examined the Watch Tower's claim that early "Church Fathers" did not teach a Trinitarian understanding of God's nature. In so doing, we discovered that the Watch Tower lies in their brochure, and that in fact the ancient theologians they quoted did teach that the Son of God is eternal and equal with the Father, two Persons but one God in substance and essence. Their brochure, "Should You Believe in the Trinity?", continues in a section entitled, "How Did the Trinity Doctrine Develop?"

NICAEA AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

"AT THIS point you might ask: 'If the Trinity is not a Biblical teaching, how did it become a doctrine of Christendom?' Many think that it was formulated at the Council of Nicaea in 325 C.E.

That is not totally correct, however. The Council of Nicaea did assert that Christ was of the same substance as God, which laid the groundwork for later Trinitarian theology. But it did not establish the Trinity, for at that council there was no mention of the holy spirit as the third person of a triune Godhead."

Much could be said in refutation of this short introduction alone; remember, the Church Fathers leading up to Nicaea had already been teaching for over two centuries that "Christ was of the same substance as God." What is important about this introduction, however, is the impression given that the Council did not teach that the Holy Spirit is one of the Persons in the Trinity.

My Lord and My God: Introducing the Trinity

When the disciples of Jesus gathered after witnessing the resurrected Christ, Thomas was doubtful. "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). He soon got the proof he needed:

Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." (John 20:27-29)

When Thomas responded to Jesus' invitation to touch His wounds, he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" He didn't merely express shock in the way we today might say, "Oh my God!" No, he "answered" him. The word rendered "answered" is the Greek apokrinomai, and means "to give an answer." Thomas was specifically addressing Jesus and was calling Him his Lord and his God. And far from admonishing Thomas for improperly identifying Him as God, Jesus commends him for it, but assures a greater blessing for those who, like us today, have believed without seeing.

Wrestling With the Watch Tower: Not a God of Confusion

Previously in this series we saw that some of the passages the Watch Tower points to in order to cast doubt on the belief that Jesus is God do not support their case. In Jesus, the Firstborn of All Creation we found that the word "firstborn" communicates preeminence, rather than birth order. In Jesus, the Only-Begotten Son we discovered that the word rendered "only-begotten" is used of children born second to parents whose firstborn is still alive, and means "unique" rather than "only one born to." And in "The Father is Greater than I" we saw that the Father is greater than the Son in terms of authority, not nature.

NOT A GOD OF CONFUSION

Jehovah's Witnesses argue their case from other passages as well, and we'll look at those later in this series. At this point, however, the Witness at the Christian's door may try to cast doubt on the historic understanding of God's nature by claiming that it is confusing, pointing to 1 Corinthians 14:33 which reads, "God is not a God of confusion." In their brochure, "Should You Believe in the Trinity?", in an article entitled How Is the Trinity Explained?, the Watch Tower writes:

Thus, the Trinity is considered to be "one God in three Persons." Each is said to be without beginning, having existed for eternity. Each is said to be almighty, with each neither greater nor lesser than the others.

Is such reasoning hard to follow? Many sincere believers have found it to be confusing, contrary to normal reason, unlike anything in their experience. How, they ask, could the Father be God, Jesus be God, and the holy spirit be God, yet there be not three Gods but only one God?