If Jesus isn't God . . .

Then what do you do with John 1:1?

One of the many clear verses that show that Jesus is God is John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” However, Jehovah Witnesses would argue that the last clause of that verse should be translated “the Word was a god.” Their justification for this change is that there is no definite article before the word “God” so it should be understood as “a god” rather than “the God.”

Rather than going into the Greek grammar to explain why the Jehovah Witnesses are wrong, one can easily use the Jehovah Witness translation against them. If they want to argue that not having an article before the word “god” means that it cannot be referring to Jehovah, then why didn’t they follow this rule in verses 6, 12,13, and twice in verse 18. Every time the word “god” appears in those verses, it does not have the definite article but the Jehovah Witnesses still render it as “God” (referring to Jehovah).

In summary, the word “God” is used without the definite article six times in the first 18 verses of John 1. Jehovah Witnesses translate it as “God”, referring to Jehovah, in every instance except for when it refers to Jesus. Interesting!