- Last week we looked at the common Jehovah’s Witness argument that the doctrine of the Trinity is unbiblical because the word “Trinity” is not found anywhere in the Bible.
- Another argument Jehovah’s Witnesses often employ against the doctrine of the Trinity is this, “The Trinity is unreasonable. It doesn’t make sense!”
- In responding to this argument it is first helpful to point out that just because a concept is hard to understand doesn’t mean it’s unreasonable. For example, ask the Jehovah’s Witness to explain how electricity works, or radio waves, or how light travels, or Quantum Physics. These might be difficult concepts to grasp, but that doesn’t make them unreasonable. Explain that the same holds true with the doctrine of the Trinity.
- Second, carefully define the doctrine of the Trinity for the Jehovah’s Witness. Assure them that the Christian belief in the Trinity is not a belief in three gods. Rather, as Christians we affirm that within the nature of the One God there are three eternal Persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Third, walk the Jehovah’s Witness through the biblical case for the Triune nature of God. Highlight passages that speak to the full deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as well as those affirming the truth that there is only One God (we’ve shared some helpful passages in recent Fast Facts).
- Lastly, sometimes illustrations can help illuminate the concept of the Trinity for the Jehovah’s Witness. While no illustration for the Trinity is perfect, one of our favorites is an experiment from Physics called, “The Triple Point of Water”. In this experiment, water in a vacuum tube is cooled, and pressure is applied, causing the water in the tube to coexist as liquid, solid (ice), and gas simultaneously.
For more helpful teaching on the doctrine of the Trinity, please check out Dr. Carlson’s lecture, What is God Like? available in CD or MP3 in our online store.