At the very heart of Christianity is the identity of God Himself and if a person or a group of persons get God wrong, it definitely means everything else will be wrong.
One of the most defining features of Jehovah’s Witness doctrine is their total rejection of the Trinity. They teach that:
- The Father alone is God.
- Jesus is a created being.
- The Holy Spirit is not a person but an impersonal force.
They often accuse Christians of believing in “three gods.” This accusation expressly shows a serious misunderstanding of what the Trinity truly teaches and before we examine their error, it is important that we establish what the Bible actually teaches about God and trinity.
WHAT THE TRINITY REALLY MEANS (BIBLICALLY)
The Trinity does not mean:
- Three gods
- One God who changes forms
- The Father, Son, and Spirit being the same person
The Trinity means:
There is ONE God, eternally existing in THREE distinct Persons:
The Father is God,
The Son is God,
The Holy Spirit is God.
Yet there is only ONE God.
This truth is revealed across the entire Bible.
THE FATHER IS GOD
“To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things.” — 1 Corinthians 8:6
Jehovah’s Witnesses agree with this.
JESUS CHRIST IS ALSO GOD (NOT A CREATED ANGEL)
This is the first major point of conflict but of course, the Bible is crystal clear:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” — John 1:1
Jehovah’s Witnesses alter this verse in their New World Translation to say:
“The Word was a god.”
That single added letter completely changes the meaning of the verse and introduces polytheism which the Bible strongly rejects.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” — John 1:14
This confirms that Jesus is the eternal Word who is God.
“But to the Son He says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.’” — Heb. 1:8
If the Father Himself calls the Son God, then denying Christ’s deity is not a minor disagreement but a direct contradiction of God’s testimony.
“Before Abraham was, I AM.” — John 8:58
Jesus directly took the eternal name of Yahweh and that’s why the Jews tried to stone Him for blasphemy, because they understood the weight of that confession.
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus is Michael the Archangel and the Bible never teaches this at any point, not indirectly, not symbolically.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD (NOT A FORCE)
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that the Holy Spirit is like electricity—an impersonal power. However, the Bible reveals the Holy Spirit as a divine Person:
The Holy Spirit Speaks (Acts 13:2), Teaches (John 14:26), Can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), Has a will (1 Corinthians 12:11), Can be lied to (Acts 5:3–4).
In Acts 5, the apostle Peter says:
“You have lied to the Holy Spirit… you have not lied to men but to God.”
The Holy Spirit is clearly called God.
THE BIBLICAL TRIUNE REVELATION
At Jesus’ baptism:
“The Son was baptized, the Spirit descended like a dove, the Father spoke from heaven.” Matthew 3:16–17
Three Persons. One event. One God.
Jesus also commanded:
“Baptize them in the name (singular) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19
One name. Three Persons. One God.
WHY DENYING THE TRINITY IS ERRORNEOUS TO THE FAITH
The Trinity is not a theological luxury but very foundational to salvation.
If Jesus is not fully God, then His sacrifice cannot fully save. If the Spirit is not God, then He cannot regenerate dead sinners. If the Son is a created angel, then worshipping Him becomes idolatry.
Meanwhile the Scripture commands men to:
“…honor the Son just as they honor the Father.” — John 5:23
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not honour the Son this way which is one way we know their doctrine is outside and against biblical Christianity.
CONCLUSION
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in One God with no triune nature, a created Jesus, and an impersonal Spirit while the Bible reveals One God in three Persons, an eternal and divine Jesus, and also a personal and divine Holy Spirit, not small differences. These beliefs and revelations affect who God is, who Jesus is, how salvation works, and how we worship. Denying the Trinity is to deny the true God of Scripture.
