Destroying Jehovah's Witness Theology that a Veter
When John writes En Arche, it means before anything, including time existed. This is also what Bereshit means in Genesis, which is what John is paralleling. Bereshit and En Arche is what supports creation ex nihilo.
Notice, it follows with 'was the Logos.' The Greek grammar tells us that the Logos pre existed before anything was created and pre existed time itself. En Arche En Ho Logos right there alone says that Jesus is not a creature.
When it says "and the WORD was with GOD" the with, pros, means face-to-face. So we see two eternal uncreated persons without beginning facing each other so perfectly that they indwell each other.
Then it says, "and the WORD was GOD." The NWT translation is just wrong saying a god. The greek is word ordered as "and GOD was the WORD" but the lack of an article necessitates the English translation as "and the WORD was GOD." Had John used an article with Theos, then he would have been saying the Son and the Father are the same Person. The NWT translation declares Jehovah's Witness theology as polytheistic.
Next, John doubles down to tell us that He (the WORD) was with GOD in the beginning. He is saying the Logos is a Person unlike the Stoic Greek idea of an impersonal Logos.
Following this, John says all things were made by Him and not anything made was made without Him. John gives a positive and a negative statement about Jesus being the Creator of all created things. Looking at it from the Creator's perspective, He made everything. Looking at it from the creations' perspective also says that no matter who, what, when, or where you exist as a creation, Jesus is your Creator.
The JW heresy must make an illogical exception to place Jesus as the only creation not created. If John meant to say Jesus was an exception, he would have worded the passage differently. The reason John doubled down was to emphasize that Jesus is the Uncreated Creator.
When Jesus says He is the First and Last, the Alpha and Omega, He is claiming to be the bookends of creation not the first and last book of creation. As the bookends, He preceeds the creation and exists after it. This is a copy of Jehovah Himself in Isaiah saying that He is the First and the Last, besides Him there are no other gods. Why did Jesus apply this to Himself? Because He is Jehovah YAHWEH.
In no way is JW theology even remotely correct.
Kevin Dewayne Hughes
In engaging with the theology presented by Jehovah's Witnesses, it is important to approach scripture with a nuanced understanding of the original Greek language and biblical context. For example, the term "En Arche" at the opening of John's gospel directly parallels the Hebrew "Bereshit" from Genesis, both signifying "in the beginning," which predates not only time but the existence of any created thing. This foundational concept supports the Christian doctrine of creation ex nihilo, meaning creation out of nothing. One of the critical theological distinctions arises from the interpretation of "the Logos" (the Word). Unlike the Stoic philosophical notion of an impersonal cosmic principle, John's Gospel asserts the Logos was with God and was God, identifying the Word as a distinct yet fully divine person who existed eternally with God before creation. This is evident in the Greek grammar and syntax, where "and the Word was God" shows a unique relationship rather than polytheism. Jehovah's Witnesses often argue Jesus was a created being, placing him as the first and greatest creation of Jehovah. However, scriptural passages clarify that all things were made through Him, and nothing was made without Him, positioning Jesus as the Creator rather than a created entity. Statements such as Jesus being "the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last" indicate His eternal nature, mirroring declarations attributed to Jehovah in Isaiah, which emphasize monotheism and God's sole deity. When approaching such debates, personal reflection and careful language study can be enlightening. For instance, examining the context of "pros" (translated as "with" but meaning "face-to-face with") deepens our understanding of the intimate relationship between God the Father and the Word. This relationship defies simplistic categorization and challenges interpretations that diminish Jesus’ divinity. From my experience studying these theological nuances, engaging with original texts and trusted scholarly commentaries helps clarify misconceptions. It’s also valuable to remember that such discussions are more than academic—they impact faith and spiritual understanding. Thus, while Jehovah’s Witness theology raises important questions, scriptural and linguistic evidence strongly supports the Christian belief in Jesus as the eternal, uncreated Logos, fully divine and integral to the Godhead.
