Witness to a Witness - Confusion?

This installment on the subject of Jehovah's Witnesses deals with a primary argument for why they don't believe that The Trinity exists.

This particular argument also applies to atheists who hold the same view.

In this post I'll cite the New World Translation (NWT) that The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society publishes for Jehovah's Witnesses, along with citing the King James Version (KJV) that's the basis for historical Christian theology.

To be helpful to both groups I believe it's important to show them both side-by-side. The NWT text is in the darker block first, followed by the KJV in the lighter block.

Jehovah's Witnesses claim that since 1 Corinthians 14:33 says “God is not the author of confusion” (KJV), or “God is a God not of disorder” (NWT), then The Trinity can't be true because it is confusing.

But just because a person is confused doesn’t mean a doctrine isn't true, it just means that person doesn’t get it.

You could say the same thing about believing in an invisible God. Someone could say - “It doesn’t make any sense, how do you know he exists? I will only believe in something I can touch!”

But The Bible says it takes faith:

(Hebrews 11:6 NWT)
Moreover, without faith it is impossible to please [him] well, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.

(Hebrews 11:6 KJV)
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Since it’s entirely reasonable that some people would be confused about how we could even believe in God in the first place, the whole argument that it's confusing isn't logical at all. If it were, then God is guilty himself of creating confusion by being invisible!

Besides that, God clearly intended some things to be very confusing!

(1 Corinthians 1:27 NWT)
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put the wise men to shame; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put the strong things to shame;

(1 Corinthians 1:27 KJV)
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

It’s clear in both translations that some people just won’t understand some things, whether it's a particular doctrine or even the basic fact that God exists at all.

But that doesn’t mean it’s confusion. What it means is that some people are incapable of understanding:

(Isaiah 55:8-9 NWT)
8 “For the thoughts of YOU people are not my thoughts, nor are my ways YOUR ways,” is the utterance of Jehovah.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than YOUR ways, and my thoughts than YOUR thoughts.

(Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV)
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Not only are his ways and thoughts higher than ours and thus confusing to us, he has done it intentionally...God does it on purpose!

(1 Peter 2:6-8 NWT)
6 For it is contained in Scripture: “Look! I am laying in Zion a stone, chosen, a foundation cornerstone, precious; and no one exercising faith in it will by any means come to disappointment.”
7 It is to ​YOU, therefore, that he is precious, because ​YOU​ are believers; but to those not believing,“the identical stone that the builders rejected has become [the] head of [the] corner,”
8 and “a stone of stumbling and rock‐mass of offense.” These are stumbling because they are disobedient to the word. To this very end they were also appointed.

(1 Peter 2:6-8 KJV)
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

One might ask then, who can understand God? Who can figure it all out?

If you have The Spirit of God, by putting your faith in the rock of offense (in verse 6 above), you will understand it!

(1 Corinthians 2:12-14 NWT)
12 Now we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that have been kindly given us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not with words taught by human wisdom, but with those taught by [the] spirit, as we combine spiritual [matters] with spiritual [words].
14 But a physical man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot get to know [them], because they are examined spiritually.

(1 Corinthians 2:12-14 KJV)
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

So we see that to fully understand the doctrines in The Bible clearly, one must have The Spirit of God. The next question is: How do I get this Spirit of God?

By accepting Jesus Christ as your savior and being born again!

(1 John 3:23-24 NWT)
23 Indeed, this is his commandment, that we have faith in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and be loving one another, just as he gave us commandment.
24 Moreover, he who observes his commandments remains in union with him, and he in union with such one; and by this we gain the knowledge that he is remaining in union with us, owing to the spirit which he gave us.

(1 John 3:23-24 KJV)
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Notice what The Bible does not say: it does not say to have faith in the name of 'Jehovah', but it says that if we have faith (or believe) in the name of his Son he will give us his Spirit.

And what spirit is this that it's talking about? It is The Spirit of His Son!

(Galatians 4:4-6 NWT)
4 But when the full limit of the time arrived, God sent forth his Son, who came to be out of a woman and who came to be under law,
5 that he might release by purchase those under law, that we, in turn, might receive the adoption as sons.
6 Now because ​YOU​ are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his Son into our hearts and it cries out: ​“Abba,​ Father!”

(Galatians 4:4-6 KJV)
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

The Spirit of his son, is the same as The Spirit of God - Which is The Holy Spirit. Thus adding one more proof of the validity of the doctrine of The Trinity!!

This has been a long post, and I hope you haven't been 'confused' by it! :-)

But I believe if you read The Bible (in any version), you'll see that it's difficult understand the more complex doctrines of The Bible unless you have The Spirit of God in your hearts!

Please accept Jesus today, receive The Holy Spirit, and he will open your eyes to the reality of The Trinity, and many more things in The Bible.

Continue to pray for and reach out in love to Jehovah's Witnesses who are sincerely seeking God.