sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of
God?’” (St. John 10:34-36).
The Witnesses often seize upon this verse and claim that Christ is
comparing Himself to the judges of the Old Testament in the following
sense: If they could be given the title of “gods” (Ps. 82 [81]:1-6, 8) despite
their injustice, then how much more did He deserve to be called “Son of
God” due to His righteousness. There is an argument here from the lesser to
the greater, but it runs more like this: if the judges were called “gods”
because they were vehicles of the word of God, how much more
permissible is it then to call Him who is the actual Word of God, “Son of
God”?
“My Lord and my God” (St. John 20:28).
These clear and unequivocal words of St. Thomas the Apostle pose the
greatest difficulty for the Witnesses. One argument of theirs is that St.
Thomas was directing his words as an exclamation of astonishment to God
rather than to Christ. Furthermore, they state that even if they were directed
to Christ, St. Thomas’ words have to be “harmonized with the rest of the
Scriptures,” meaning re-interpreted according to the Witnesses’ pre-
conceived doctrines.
The following passages also speak of Christ’s divinity:
“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, His name shall be called
Emmanuel (i.e., God with us)” (Is. 7:14).
“...to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh,
comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen” (Rom.
9:5).
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was
in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be
exploited” (Phil. 2:5-6).
“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9).
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