Defend Jehovah's Witnesses: Exposing the False Reasoning Behind Each Major Trinity 'Proof-Text'

Many who believe that Jesus is God or in the Trinity rely only on a few selected, so-called 'proof-texts'.

The following links lead to research showing how the most frequently used so-called 'Proof Texts' are not proof of the Trinity in any way.

(Links to more guides can be found at the bottom of this list.)

Gen. 1:26
Gen. 1:26 - "Let Us Make Man in Our Image" (SFBT); This scripture prove Trinity? (SFBT); Image (Examining the Trinity); How is Man Made in God's Image? (Gen. 1:26) (SFBT); ("Let us make man in our image") - ELOHIM 3-6; I-AM 5; (Examining the Trinity)

Gen. 19:24
Gen. 19:24 ("Jehovah rained down fire ... from Jehovah") (Examining the Trinity)

Ps. 45:6
"Your throne, O God" - HEB (Examining the Trinity); God and gods (SFBT); How is Jesus a god? (SFBT)

Isa. 6:3
"Holy, Holy, Holy" - Is. 6:3 (SFBT)

Blasphemy to Christ: forgiven; to HS: not - HS (Last 20 par.) (and f.n.#10 &11);(Examining the Trinity); BOWHS (f.n.) (Examining the Trinity); Matthew 12:32 "whoever says something against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven" (Examining the Trinity)

Mt. 28:19

What does Mt. 28:19 mean? (JWQ&A; Quote from WT 2002 April 1st); Mt. 28:19 "...in the NAME of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity); Mt. 28:19 - NWT (DNWT); Does Mt. 28:19 prove that the Holy Spirit is God? (SFBT); Concerning Mt. 28:19... (JWQ&A); 2 Cor.13:14 "Jesus", "God", "and the...Holy Spirit" (SFBT); Shem Tov's Hebrew Matthew 14th century manuscripts (JWQ&A); Some comments by scholars and translators (JWQ&A); Online references that discuss the possible spurious origins of Matt. 28:19 (JWQ&A)

John 1:1

John 2:19-22

RU - Jesus Raised Himself? (Examining the Trinity); The Trinity and John 2:19-22 (JW United)

John 5:18

John 5:18 "...making himself equal to God" (Examining the Trinity); John 5:18 - What is this scripture saying? (JWQ&A)

John 5:23

John 5:23 - "That all may honor the Son JUST AS [kathos] they honor the Father." - NIV (Examining the Trinity)

John 6:7-15
John 6:7-15 Holy Spirit as a "he" (Examining the Trinity); Why, in John 16:7, is the holy spirit spoken of as a "helper"? (Examining the Trinity)

John 8:19

How is John 8:19 to be explained? (JWQ&A)

John 8:58
What did Jesus actually say at John 8:58? (SFBT); John 8:58 "I AM"; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity); In Defense of the New World Translation. John 8:58 files (INDNWT); Stafford's "'ANI HU and the LXX of Isaiah" (INDNWT); Sahidic Coptic John 8:58 and Sahidic Coptic Exodus 3:14 (Sahidic Coptic Insight on NT Verses); What About...John 8:58? (From God's Word); John 8:58 (Bible Translation and Study; Scroll down to First Scriptural Heading); Miscellaneous Questions about the New World Translation (Jn 8:58) (Bible Translation and Study; Scroll down to Fifth Heading); How do we know that 'I Am' at Ex. 3:14 in KJV is incorrect? (JWQ&A); Jesus' reply had to do with the length of his existence...not his identity (JWQ&A); Luke 23:43 and the New World Translation (SFBT)

John 10:17,18

Did Jesus raise himself up from the dead (John 10:17-18)? (SFBT); RU - Jesus Raised Himself? (Examining the Trinity)

John 10:30

ONE - John 10:30 (Examining the Trinity); In John 10:30, does Jesus say that he and his Father are one person? (SFBT);

John 10:33

John 10:33 "a god" or "God"? (Examining the Trinity); THEON (Examining the Trinity); MY GOD 8-9; (Examining the Trinity); How is Jesus a god? (SFBT); John 1:1c - English Translation: "The Word was a god." (vs. 33) (SFBT); How is John 10:33 translated in the coptic? (JWQ&A)

John 14:7-9

Seen Me: Seen Father - John 14:7-9 (Examining the Trinity)

John 14:14

John 14:14 (DNWT); Words Omitted (John 14:14) (DNWT); What kind of prayers are heard by God? (SFBT); John 14:14: To "me" or not to "me", that is the question (Sahidic Coptic Insight on NT Verses); The Sahidic Coptic of John 14:14 (JWQ&A)

John 20:28

John 20:28 "My God" (DNWT); MY GOD (Examining the Trinity); Why did Thomas say "My Lord and my God" at John 20:28? (SFBT); Why did the apostle Thomas exclaim "My Lord and my God!" at John 20:28? (JWQ&A); John 20:28 - Is Jesus Given the Title 'ho theos'? (Bible Translation and Study; Scroll down to 3rd Scriptural Heading); God and gods (SFBT); How is Jesus a god? (SFBT)

Acts 5:3,4

Acts 5:3, 4 Lied to the Holy Spirit...lied to God? (Examining the Trinity); Acts 5:3 "play false" (INDNWT); The Doctrine of the Trinity and Acts 5:3, 4 (JW United); The Holy Spirit - God's Active Force (JW United)

Acts 8:29

Does Acts 8:29 prove that the Holy Spirit is a person? (SFBT)

Acts 10:38

"Anointed with Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity)

Acts 13:2

Acts 13:2 "The holy spirit said: “...for the work to which I have called them.'” (Examining the Trinity); The Holy Spirit "speaks" at Acts 13:2 ('Reasoning From Scripture' Archive)

Acts 20:28

Acts 20:28 ("God...with his own blood") (DNWT); ACTS 20:28 (In Defense of the NWT); Does Acts 20:28 really say that God bought the church with his "own" blood? (SFBT); Acts 20:28 ("God...with his own blood") (Examining the Trinity); A Response to Alleged New World Translation "Errors" (Jehovah's Witnesses United); "The Sahidic Coptic version...does not speak of 'the church of God which he purchased with his own blood,' (Acts 20:28) (NWT and Coptic); God bought church with His own blood?; (SFBT); How does the 2nd/3rd century Sahidic Coptic version translate this text? (JWQ&A);

Acts 28:25

Acts 28:25 "The holy spirit aptly spoke through Isaiah" (Examining the Trinity)

Rom. 8:27

Rom. 8:27 (phronema) (INDNWT); Rom. 8:27 - Why is the Greek word translated differently in the NWT? (Jehovah's Witnesses United); Rom. 8:27 "Mind of the Spirit" (Examining the Trinity)

Rom. 9:5

ROM. 9:5 - " ... Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." - KJV (DNWT); AO - Speaker Confusion (Listing #6) (Examining the Trinity); Is Rom. 9:5 really proof that Jesus is God? - " ... Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." - KJV (SFBT); ROMANS 9:5: Is the Christ here "God"? (IDNWT); "God Over All" in Romans 9:5: Translation Issues and Theological Import (JW United); "The Coptic text of Romans 9:5 has some ambiguity, it appears to be less so than the Greek, and points clearly to two entities -- Christ and God" (Sahidic Coptic Insight on NT Verses)

1 Cor. 8:5,6

How was it that "all things were made through (Jesus)"? (Vs. 6) (SFBT); 'Unitized Title' Vs. 'Title with Identifiers' (1 Cor. 8:6) (Examining the Trinity); 1 Cor. 8:5,6 ("To us one God, the Father") - TC 6-7 (and f.n.'s #4, 6); BWF 3-4 ("source")

1 Cor. 12:11

1 Cor. 12:11 "The holy spirit wills" (Examining the Trinity); Do scriptures personifying the "Holy Spirit" mean that it is a person? (SFBT)

2 Cor. 3:17

2 Cor. 3:17 "The Lord is the Spirit." (Examining the Trinity)

2 Cor. 4:4

2 Cor. 4:4 "Christ, who is the image of God" (Examining the Trinity); Image (Examining the Trinity); Does Gen. 1:26 prove Trinity? (SFBT)

2 Cor. 13:14

2 Cor. 13:14 "the sharing in" (INDNWT); 2 Cor.13:14 "Jesus", "God", "and the...Holy Spirit" (SFBT); HS fn. #13 (Examining the Trinity); 2 Cor. 13:14 "Jesus", "God", "and the...Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity); 2 Cor.13:14 "Jesus", "God", "and the...Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity)

Eph. 4:30

Eph. 4:30 "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity); How can the Holy Spirit be "grieved"? (SFBT); What about scriptures that seem to show the Holy Spirit being personified? (SFBT)

Eph. 5:5

Eph. 5:5 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S RULE - Pt 1 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S Rule - Pt 2 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity); 'Sharp's Rule' Primer (Examining the Trinity); Sharp's Rule (A response to a major accusation made by Robert H. Countess) (DNWT); Titus 2:13 "Sharp's Rule" (DNWT); Trinitarian Apologetics: A Case Study Involving Rob Bowman and Granville Sharp (Jehovah's Witnesses United)

Phil. 2:6

PHIL 2:6; Part 2 - Notes (Examining the Trinity); NWT - Criticism by Zondervan's So Many Versions? - "[Other]" and Phil. 2:6 (DNWT); New World Translation and Philippians 2:6 (INDNWT); What does it mean when Phil. 2:6 says that Jesus was in God's form? (SFBT); Huparchon (or `Uparchon') - Does the word `being' in Philippians 2:6 [KJV], really literally mean `remaining or not ceasing to be'? (SFBT); God and gods (SFBT)

Col. 2:9

Why does the NWT at Col. 2:9 state that in Jesus "all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily," where as other translations state that in Jesus "dwells the fullness of Deity or the Godhead?'"; (DNWT) Does Col. 2:9 prove that Jesus is God? (SFBT); Col. 2:9 - "Fulness of Deity" (Examining the Trinity); "Theotes simply does not literally mean "godhead," and the use of "godhead" by the KJV translators was not intended as some would understand it today..." (JWQ&A); "The Fullness of the Divine Quality" in Colossians 2:9 (Bible Translation and Study)

2 Thess. 1:12

SHARP'S RULE - Pt 1 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S Rule - Pt 2 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity); 'Sharp's Rule' Primer (Examining the Trinity); Sharp's Rule (A response to a major accusation made by Robert H. Countess) (DNWT); Titus 2:13 "Sharp's Rule" (DNWT); Trinitarian Apologetics: A Case Study Involving Rob Bowman and Granville Sharp (Jehovah's Witnesses United)

1 Tim. 3:16

1 Tim. 3:16 God "manifest in the flesh" KJV (Examining the Trinity); How does the 2nd/3rd century Sahidic Coptic version translate this text? (JWQ&A);

1 Tim. 5:21

Titus 2:13

SHARP'S RULE - Pt 1 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S Rule - Pt 2 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity); 'Sharp's Rule' Primer (Examining the Trinity); Sharp's Rule (A response to a major accusation made by Robert H. Countess) (DNWT); Titus 2:13 "Sharp's Rule"; (DNWT); Trinitarian Apologetics: A Case Study Involving Rob Bowman and Granville Sharp (Jehovah's Witnesses United)

Heb. 1:3

Heb. 1:3 `He [Jesus] is the reflection of his [God's] glory' (Examining the Trinity); Heb. 1:3 / Isa. 42:8 Does Jesus really share Jehovah's Glory? (Examining the Trinity)

Heb. 1:6

Heb. 1:6 "All angels of God worship him" KJV (Examining the Trinity) Worship (as used in Scripture) (Examining the Trinity); Worship or Obeisance? (Bible Translation and Study); PROSKYNEO-Always "Worship"? (In Defense of The New World Translation); Heb. 1:6 - "Let all the angels of God worship him [Jesus]." (JWQ&A); Heb. 1:6 "All angels of God worship him" KJV (SFB); Instance of prototokos in NT (SFBT)

Heb. 1:8

Heb. 1:8 "Thy Throne O God" (Examining the Trinity); Hebrews 1:8 "Thy throne, O God" (DNWT); Heb. 1:8 (INDNWT); George Wesley Buchanan and Hebrews 1 (INDNWT)

2 Pet. 1:1

Trinity "Proof Texts"SHARP'S RULE - Pt 1 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S Rule - Pt 2 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity); 'Sharp's Rule' Primer (Examining the Trinity); Sharp's Rule (A response to a major accusation made by Robert H. Countess) (DNWT); Trinitarian Apologetics: A Case Study Involving Rob Bowman and Granville Sharp (Jehovah's Witnesses United)

2 Pet. 3:18

Isa. 43:11 / 2 Pet. 3:18 Jehovah only Savior; Jesus Savior; (SFBT); Title Confusion Trick "Saviour" (Examining the Trinity)

1 John 5:7

The 'Johannine Comma' - 1 John 5:7 (INDNWT); But Your Bible's Been Changed! (From God's Word); Newton proved that the words in 1 John 5:7 were spurious... (Pastor Russell); 1 John 5:7 (KJV) (Examining the Trinity); How does the accuracy of the New World Translation Bible compare to other translations? (SFBT); 1 John 5:7 proof of the Trinity? (SFBT); "Word" and 1 John 5:7, KJV ("Oneness") (JWQ&A); "Jehovah" in the New Testament (end notes) (SFBT, 10th par. end note #1, 10th par. "Zondervan")

1 John 5:8

1 John 5:8 (Examining the Trinity); Trinitarian reasoning - water and blood persons too? (SFBT); How can the Holy Spirit be "grieved"? (SFBT); What about scriptures that seem to show the Holy Spirit being personified? (SFBT)

1 John 5:20

Translating "In" (DNWT); 1 John 5:20 "True God" (DNWT); 1 John 5:20 "We are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." - KJV (Examining the Trinity); 1 John 5:20 (INDNWT); "The Only True God" (Examining the Trinity) If the Father is the "only true God" (John 17:3), does that mean that Jesus is a false god? (SFBT);

Rev. 1:8

Rev. 1:8 "Alpha and Omega" (Examining the Trinity);

Rev. 1:17

Isa. 44:6 / Rev. 1:17 "First and the Last" (SFBT); Title Confusion Trick - "First and Last" (Is. 44:6; Rev. 1:17) (Examining the Trinity)

Rev. 5:6

Throne (Rev. 22:1) (Examining the Trinity); Rev. 5:6 and Rev. 5:13 "Throne" (Examining the Trinity); "Jehovah" in the New Testament; "Holy, Holy, Holy" - Is. 6:3 (SFBT)

Rev. 5:13

Rev. 5:6 and Rev. 5:13 "Throne" (Examining the Trinity)

Rev. 22:1

Throne (Rev. 22:1) (Examining the Trinity)

Rev. 22:13

Alpha and Omega (AO) - Speaker Confusion Trick (Examining the Trinity);

More material:

Trinity 'Proof' Texts Refuted (From In Defense of The New World Translation of The Holy Scriptures)

What About Trinity "Proof Texts"? (rs p. 405-p. 426; Watchtower Online Library)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

(Still can't find what you're looking for? Try using the Scripture Index.)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BACK TO HOME PAGE INDEX

Defend Jehovah's Witnesses

JW.ORG and Watchtower Library in one search box:

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Exposing the False Reasoning Behind Each Major Trinity 'Proof-Text'