Our Readers Ask . . .

Is the Trinity a Bible teaching?

▪ The Trinity doctrine is defined this way, although there are many variations: “Three divine Persons (the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost), each said to be eternal, each said to be almighty, none greater or less than another, each said to be God, and yet together being but one God.” Is this a Bible teaching?

Matthew 28:19 is usually cited to prove the doctrine. The text from the King James Version quotes Jesus: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” True, the Father, the Son, and the holy ghost (or spirit) are all mentioned in this text. However, nothing is said about their being one. Jesus was commissioning his Jewish followers to teach and baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit. As a nation, what did the Jews believe?

When the nation of Israel received the Law covenant, which forms part of the Bible, they were commanded: “You must never have any other gods against my face.” (Deuteronomy 5:7) How many persons were speaking here? Without any confusion, Deuteronomy 6:4reads: “Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah”​—not three in one. Israel had just been liberated from Egypt, where Osiris, Isis, and Horus (shown at left)​—one of a number of triads of gods—​were worshipped. Therefore, Israel was commanded to worship just one God. How important was it for people to understand this command? According to Dr. J. H. Hertz, a rabbi: “This sublime pronouncement of absolute monotheism was a declaration of war against all polytheism . . . The Shema excludes the trinity of the Christian creed as a violation of the Unity of God.”*

Since Jesus was a Jew by birth, he was instructed to follow this same command. After his baptism, when tempted by the Devil, he said: “Go away, Satan! For it is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’” (Matthew 4:10; Deuteronomy 6:13) We can learn at least two things from this incident. First, Satan was trying to entice Jesus to worship someone other than Jehovah, an attempt that would have been absurd if Jesus were part of the same God. Second, Jesus made it clear that there is just one God who must be worshipped when he said “him alone,” not “us,” which he would have said if he were part of a Trinity.

When people come to an accurate knowledge of God and want to serve him, they are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) They understand and accept the authority of Jehovah and the role of Jesus Christ in the outworking of Jehovah’s purpose. (Psalm 83:18; Matthew 28:18) They also comprehend the function and activity of God’s holy spirit, which is his active force.​—Genesis 1:2;Galatians 5:22, 23; 2 Peter 1:21.

The Trinity doctrine has confused people for centuries. On the other hand, Jesus enlightened his followers and directed them to “the only true God,” Jehovah.​—John 17:3.

[Footnote]

The confession of the oneness of God as expressed in the Shema, a prayer based on Deuteronomy 6:4, forms a central part of synagogue worship.

[Picture Credit Line on page 23]

Musée du Louvre, Paris

Our Readers Ask . . .

Must You Believe in the Trinity to Be a Christian?

A high-school textbook, World Religions in Denmark, published in 2007, described Jehovah’s Witnesses as a Christian minority who follow the Bible closely. In fact, Jehovah’s Witnesses are the third-largest Christian denomination in Denmark.

However, a bishop of the Danish National Church severely criticized the author’s decision to include the Witnesses in the textbook. Why? “I have yet to meet a theologian who considers [Jehovah’s Witnesses] to be Christians,” said the bishop. “They deny the Trinity, which is the heart of the Christian religion.”

The author of the book, religion sociologist Annika Hvithamar, pointed out that when people are asked why they consider themselves to be Christians, they hardly ever answer that it is because they believe that God is a Trinity. Moreover, a section in the textbook entitled “Are You a Christian?” states: “The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the more difficult problems of Christian theology.” It adds: “At all times, it has been difficult to explain to unschooled Christians why the Christian God is still one god and not three gods.”

“The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the more difficult problems of Christian theology”

What the Bible teaches about God and Jesus is clear and simple. It is not difficult to understand. Neither the word “Trinity” nor the concept is found in God’s Word. The Bible clearly states that Jesus Christ is God’s firstborn Son. (Colossians 1:15) It also points to Jesus as being the “mediator between God and men.” (1 Timothy 2:5) About the Father, the Bible says: “You, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.”​—Psalm 83:18.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that faith in Jesus is vital. (John 3:16) For this reason, they take seriously Jesus’ command: “It is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’” (Matthew 4:10) Surely, someone who strives to obey Jesus’ commands can be called Christian.

Our Readers Ask . . .

Does It Really Matter to God Whether I Use Tobacco?

▪ A sincere person may ask that question, since no law in the Bible mentions tobacco products. Does that fact mean that God’s thinking on the matter is difficult to discern? No, not at all.

The Bible says that “all Scripture is inspired of God.” (2 Timothy 3:16) The Scriptures contain clear principles and statements that reveal how God wants us to care for our health. First, let us review what researchers have discovered about the impact that tobacco use has on human health. Then we will consider how Bible principles relate to those findings.

Tobacco damages a user’s health and is a leading cause of preventable death. In the United States, tobacco use is to blame for 1 out of every 5 deaths. In that country, it kills more people each year than “alcohol, illegal drug use, homicide, suicide, car accidents, and AIDS combined,” states a report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Those who smoke tobacco harm others. There is no safe amount of exposure to cigarette smoke. Nonsmokers who inhale secondhand smoke increase the risk of developing lung cancer and heart disease by up to 30 percent. In recent years, doctors have identified another danger that they call “third-hand smoke.” This term refers to the chemical residues left on clothes, carpets, and other surfaces that linger long after the visible smoke dissipates. Those poisonous chemicals especially harm the health of children and can retard their ability to learn.

Tobacco is addictive. It makes the user a slave to the damaging habit. In fact, researchers believe that addiction to nicotine, a key chemical in tobacco, is one of the most difficult addictions to break.

How do Bible principles relate to those facts? Note the following:

God wants us to respect life. In the Law, which God gave to the nation of Israel, he indicated that those who want to please him must respect human life. (Deuteronomy 5:17) Israelites had to build a parapet, or low wall, around the edge of the roof of their houses. Why? The roofs were flat and were used as a living space. The wall prevented the family and others from falling and being injured or killed. (Deuteronomy 22:8) In addition, the Israelites had to ensure that the animals they owned did not cause injury to others. (Exodus 21:28, 29) A person who uses tobacco violates the principles that underpin those laws. He willingly damages his own health. In addition, his smoking endangers the health of those around him.

God expects us to love him and to love our neighbor. Jesus Christ stated that his followers should obey the two greatest commandments. They must love God with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and love their neighbor as themselves. (Mark 12:28-31) Since life is a gift from God, a person who uses tobacco shows a gross lack of respect for that gift and thus a lack of love for God. (Acts 17:26-28) That person’s habit can cause serious harm to others, so he belies any claim he makes to love his neighbor.

God requires that we avoid unclean habits. The Bible instructs Christians to cleanse themselves of “every defilement of flesh and spirit.” (2 Corinthians 7:1) Tobacco use obviously defiles a person. Those who want to quit smoking to please God face a difficult challenge. But with God’s help, they can break free from this defiling addiction.