CHAPTER 1

p. 10, paragraph 7:

Worse yet, religious teachers sometimes lead people to think that God is hardhearted. How so? When tragedy strikes, they say that it is God’s will. In effect, such teachers blame God for the bad things that happen…[1]

Please see my articles on Theodicy, beginning at http://www.thearmchairscholar.org/id62.html for arguments against the WTS assertion above.

p. 11, paragraph 10:

Furthermore, God is holy. (Isaiah 6:3) This means that he is pure and clean. There is no trace of badness in him. So we can trust him completely. That is more than we can say for humans, who sometimes become corrupt…[2]

Please note that the above states the human begins sometimes become corrupt. Humans become corrupt only sometimes?

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (KJV)

According to Romans, human beings don’t “sometimes” become corrupt. The writer of Romans tells us that all have sinned. All fall short. The JW I met with indicated that the WTS included “sometimes” above in order to avoid offending unbelievers, but doing so, in my opinion, unnecessarily perverts the Gospel message to make it more politically correct. We’ve all fallen short. We all need God’s grace and salvation through Jesus Christ. Not some of us. All of us! Not sometimes. All of the time! As far as I’m concerned, declaring anything less is blasphemy. Shame on the WTS!

p. 13, paragraph 14:

…However, the Bible also teaches that God has a personal name: Jehovah…If your Bible translation does not contain that name, you may want to consult the Appendix on pages 195-7 of this book to learn why that is so…So Jehovah wants you to know his name and use it…[3]

Please see my articles on the proper translation of God’s name and the NWT use of God’s name in the Bible at: KNOWLEDGE, Chapter 3 (http://www.thearmchairscholar.org/id49.html) and YHWH in the New Testament (http://www.thearmchairscholar.org/id50.html).

Also, if you will turn to

Matthew 6:9

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (KJV)

Jesus directed his disciples and through them, us, to pray to God by calling him Father. Even the NWT translates Jesus’ model prayer here as directed to the Father, not Jehovah. We are told to call God our Father inside the New Testament documents. Nowhere inside the New Testament documents are we told to refer to God as Jehovah. Nowhere. Seems very obvious to me that God wants us to call him Father, not Jehovah – much like my biological father wants me to call him Dad rather than his personal proper name. Do I know my biological father’s name? Sure. Do I use it in conversation? No.

In fact…

Jesus referred to the Father about 350 times. In doing so, He used the name "Yahweh" very sparingly. In the NWT (the Watchtower New World Translation) there are only twenty places recorded where Jesus used the name "Jehovah." Most of these were quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures (This is how the Jehovah’s Witnesses refer to the Old Testament.). By contrast, Jesus used the word "God" over 180 times and "Father" roughly 175 times. Never did Jesus address the Father as "Yahweh," nor did He ever tell His followers to address the Father as "Yahweh." By His example in Matthew 6:9 He taught that we should address God as "Father."[4]

So even Jesus referred to God as Yahweh (or Jehovah) sparingly even in the NWT. Jesus, overwhelmingly referred to God as “God” or “Father” and specifically taught us to refer to God as our Father in his model prayer. Not Jehovah. Our Father.

p. 15, paragraph 16:

…Similarly, Jehovah alone is referred to as “the Almighty.”

Many commentators, theologians and other Christians believe Revelation 1:8 refers to Jesus as the Almighty:

Revelation 1:8

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (KJV)

Please see my article, “Jesus as God: Explicit References” for a discussion on Mighty vs. Almighty God at: http://www.thearmchairscholar.org/id54.html. See also my arguments for Revelation 1:8 referring to Jesus in “What Kind of God is Jesus – Omnipotent” at http://www.thearmchairscholar.org/id57.html for more details.

The word translated as “almighty” in the New Testament is pantokrater. It is used a scant 10 times[5] in the New Testament documents and only once appears outside the book of Revelation. By New Testament standards, “almighty” is a word that is rarely applied to the Father as well.

p. 15, paragraph 17:

Jehovah is also unique in that he alone is the Creator.

Oh really?

John 1:3                              

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (KJV)

Colossians 1:16

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (KJV)

According to John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16, Jesus created. Yet, we find in the Old Testament, assertions by Yahweh that he alone created, such as:

Isaiah 44:24

Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; (KJV)

Job 9:8

Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. (KJV)

See my article, “What Kind of God is Jesus – Omnipotent” at http://www.thearmchairscholar.org/id57.html in regards to the work of creation attributed to Jesus.

p. 16, paragraph 19:

…continue what you are doing now—learning about God. Jesus said: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3)

Please see my article on KNOWLEDGE, Chapter 1 for a thorough discussion in regards to the NWT of ginosko as “taking in knowledge” at: http://www.thearmchairscholar.org/id10.html. John 17:3 emphasizes forming a personal, intimate relationship with God, not simply studying information about God.

p. 16, paragraph 21:

You will come to understand why the Bible teaches us to think of Jehovah as our Father. (Matthew 6:9)

If you will refer to Matthew 6:9 above, you will see that the Bible does not direct us to merely think of Yahweh as our Father. Jesus specifically tells us to call God our Father in his model prayer. Believers have an earthly (biological) father and a spiritual father – Jehovah God. I don’t “think” of God as my Father. He is my Father. Period.