The Deity of Christ and the New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses

The Deity of Christ and the
New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses

Note: verse references marked with a "*" indicate a clear reference to Christ's Deity in the NWT.

WHO IS GOD?

Jehovah

*Deuteronomy 6:4 – Jehovah our God is one Jehovah
*Deuteronomy 32:39 – no gods with Jehovah

No Other "Gods"

*Isaiah 44:6-8 – besides me there is no God. There is no Rock besides me.
*Isaiah 43:10 – Before me there was no God formed.
*Isaiah 45:5, 22 – with the exception of me there is no God.
*Isaiah 46:8-11 – no other God, nor anyone like me.

No Other "gods"

*Deuteronomy 32:39 – no gods with Jehovah
*Exodus 20:2-3 – must not have any other gods

ALL OTHER GODS OR gods ARE FALSE

Baal

*Judges 6:31 – Baal, God

Dagon

*Judges 16:23-24 – Dagon, god

Satan

*2 Corinthians 4:4 – Satan, god

Herod

*Acts 12:21-23 – Herod, a god

ARE THERE MANY GODS OR MANY gods?

*Psalm 96:4-5 – One True God by nature
*Galatians 4:8 – those who by nature are not gods.
*1 Corinthians 8:4-5 – One God in 8:4. Verse 8:5 is referring to idols who by nature are not gods, as seen in Galatians 4:8

This helps us understand that being God is much more than a title or a name. It is the very nature of the being so described as God. God is God because of who he is, not because people call him God.

WHO IS LORD?

God

*Acts 17:24 – God, Lord of heaven and earth
*Ephesians 4:5-6 – One Lord... one God and Father
*Acts 4:24 – God... Sovereign Lord
*Acts 17:24 – God... Lord of Heaven and Earth

Jehovah

*Deuteronomy 10:17 – Jehovah is Lord of lords
*1Timothy 6:15 – Jehovah is Lord of lords

Jesus

*1 Corinthians 8:6 – one Lord, Jesus Christ
*Jude 4 – our only Owner and Lord, Jesus Christ
*Romans 10:9 – Jesus is Lord
*Revelation 17:14, 19:16 – Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of lords.
*Luke 2:11 – there was born to you today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

This verse (Luke 2:11) shows that Jesus was born Lord, not that he became Lord later.

HOW MANY LORDS ARE THERE?

One Lord

*Ephesians 4:5-6 – One Lord... one God and Father
*1 Corinthians 8:6 – one Lord, Jesus Christ
*Jude 4 – our only Owner and Lord, Jesus Christ

WHO IS SAVIOR?

God

*Titus 1:3 – Our Savior, God
*Titus 3:4 – Our Savior, God
*1 Timothy 1:1 – God, our Savior
*2 Samuel 22:3 – God my Savior
*Psalm 7:10 – God, a Savior
*Psalm 17:7 – God, o Savior
*Psalm 106:21 – God their Savior
*Isaiah 43:3 – God your Savior
*Isaiah 45:15 – God of Israel, a Savior
*Luke 1:47 – God my Savior
*1 Timothy 2:3 – our Savior, God
*1 Timothy 4:10 – God, who is a Savior
*Titus 2:10 – our Savior, God
*Jude 25 – the only God our Savior

Jehovah Alone

*Isaiah 43:11 – I am Jehovah and besides me there is no savior
*Isaiah 45:21 – Jehovah alone is Savior
*Hosea 13:4 – No savior but Jehovah
*Isaiah 49:26 – I, Jehovah, am your Savior and Repurchaser
*Isaiah 60:16 – I, Jehovah, am your Savior and Repurchaser

Jesus

*Philippians 3:20 – we are eagerly waiting for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ
Titus 2:13 – we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of [the] Savior of us, Jesus Christ.
NWT introduces [the] into the previous verse to obscure that Jesus is called God there.
*Titus 1:4 – God [the] Father and Christ Jesus our Savior
*Titus 3:6 – Jesus Christ our Savior
2 Peter 1:1 – our God and [the] Savior Jesus Christ.
NWT adds [the] to the previous verse to obscure the fact that Jesus is called God there.
*John 4:42 – the savior of the world
*Acts 5:31 – Chief Agent and Savior
*Acts 13:23 – a savior, Jesus
*Ephesians 5:23 – a savior of [this] body
*2 Timothy 1:10 – our Savior, Christ
*2 Peter 1:11 – the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
*2 Peter 2:20 – the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
*2 Peter 3:2 – Who is being spoken of here? Jehovah or Jesus?
*2 Peter 3:18 – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
*1 John 4:14 – the Father has sent forth his Son as Savior of the world

WHO IS OWNER AND LORD?

Jesus

*Jude 4 – our only Owner and Lord, Jesus Christ
*Ephesians 4:5-6 – one Lord, one faith. Who is the one Lord? Jehovah or Jesus?

WHO FORGIVES SINS?

God

*Mark 2:7 – God alone can forgive sin
*Luke 5:21 – God alone can forgive sin

Jesus

*Mark 2:5-7, 10 – Jesus forgives sin
*Luke 5:24 – Jesus forgives sin

WHO PURCHASED CHURCH WITH HIS OWN BLOOD?

God

Acts 20:28 – Why is [Son] in brackets? How can this be "understood" without being in the Greek text explicitly?

SAVED BY FAITH IN WHO?

Jesus

*Acts 4:12 – There is not another name under heaven by which we must be saved. Whose name is this?
*Acts 10:43 – everyone putting faith in him gets forgiveness of sins through his name. Who is "him?"
*John 1:12 – to them he gave authority to become God's children, because they were exercising faith in his name
*John 3:16 – everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life
*1 John 3:23 – this is his commandment, that we have faith in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
*1 John 5:13 – you may know that you have life everlasting, you who put your faith in the name of the Son of God
*Romans 3:19-26, 28 – man is declared righteous by faith in Jesus
*Romans 10:9 – declare that Jesus is Lord and exercise faith... for salvation

WHO CREATED ALL THINGS?

God

*Ephesians 3:9 – God, who created all things

Jehovah alone

*Isaiah 44:24 – I, Jehovah..., stretching out the heavens by myself. This does not allow for a "junior partner" in creation. Jehovah clearly states that He Himself created the heavens without the aid of anyone else.
*Isaiah 48:13 – My own hand laid the foundation of the earth and my own right hand extended out the heavens. This does not allow a "junior partner" in creation. See also Hebrews 3:1-4

Jesus

*John 1:1-3 – all things came into existence through him. If Jesus is a created being then he is a "thing". But this verse says all "things" came into existence through Jesus. This excludes Jesus from the realm of "things" and puts him in the class of being uncreated, eternal, not part of the created world.
Colossians 1:16 – by him all [other] things were created. What is [other]? How can that be "understood" if it isn't present in the original language?
Revelation 3:14 – arkhe = beginning Note: same arkhe applied to Jehovah in Revelation 21:5-7 – How is Jehovah the "beginning" as the WT demands that arkhe must be translated? [Should You Believe In The Trinity? p.14]
*Psalm 102:24-27– Who? Jehovah?
*Hebrews 1:10-12 – This is a direct quote of Psalm 102:24-27 and is applied to Jesus. See also Isaiah 44:24

Is Jesus a "master worker" with Jehovah in creation?

WT says yes from Proverbs 8:3. Proverbs 8 is a personification of Wisdom speaking in a feminine voice (which NWT does not accurately reflect even though WT has confessed of the speaker's feminine gender in Proverbs 8.) See Proverbs 7:4 and 9:4 for the gender of "wisdom" in Proverbs. Why did the NWT translate wisdom in chapter 8 as "it" instead of "she" as the original language indicates?

WHO IS FIRST AND LAST?

Jehovah

*Isaiah 44:6, 8 – Jehovah says I am the first and I am the last
*Isaiah 48:12 – Jehovah says I am the first and I am the last

Jesus

*Revelation 1:17-18 – I am the First and I am the Last, and the living one; and I became dead...
*Revelation 2:8 – the First and the Last, who became dead and came to life again
*Revelation 22:12-13, 20 – Look! I am coming quickly, ... I am the first and the last
*Revelation 22:16, 20 – I, Jesus, sent my angel to bear witness to you... Yes; I am coming quickly.
*Revelation 4:8 – Holy is Jehovah God, the Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is coming.

WHO IS ALPHA AND OMEGA?

Jehovah

*Revelation 1:8 – Jehovah is the Alpha and Omega, the Almighty

Jesus

*Revelation 22:12-13 – Alpha and Omega = first and last. Who is this?
*Revelation 22:16 – Shows Jesus as speaking in vs. 12-13
*Revelation 1:12-18 – Who is the Son of man? Jesus. What does he call himself? First and Last. First and Last = Alpha and Omega = the Almighty. Jesus is Almighty God.
*Revelation 22:12-13 – Alpha and Omega is "coming." Is Jehovah "coming?"

SHOULD WE BOW BEFORE ANOTHER GOD OR god?

*Exodus 34:14 – Don't prostrate before another god.

Jesus

*Philippians 2:9-11 – Knees bend at the name of Jesus

Father

*Ephesians 3:14 – Knees bend before the Father

WHO RECEIVES WORSHIP?

God

Matthew 4:10 – Worship the Lord God only

Jesus

In all of these verses the NWT has replaced the word "worship" with "obeisance."
Matthew 2:2, 11 – Magi worship Christ
Matthew 14:33 – Disciples worship Jesus
Matthew 28:9 – Mary worships Jesus
Matthew 28:16-17 – The eleven worship Jesus
John 9:38 – The healed blind man worshipped Jesus
Hebrews 1:6 – All angels worship Jesus
Revelation 5:11-14 – Millions of angels worship Jesus

People worshipped other people or angels and were rebuked for it. See Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9; Acts 10:25

What is obeisance?

Watchtower defines it as follows, "used to designate the custom of prostrating oneself before a person..." (Reasoning, p.215) Applying the Watchtower's own definition of obeisance to the verses describing people giving obeisance to Jesus, we could say that they "prostrated themselves before a god" since Jesus is "a god" in Watchtower theology. This is a clear and logical conclusion to reach by following the Watchtower's own definition of obeisance and who they believe Jesus is. Upon reaching this conclusion we need to go immediately to the following verse.
*Exodus 34:14 – For you must not prostrate yourself to another god, because Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, he is a jealous God.

While the Watchtower attempts to draw the unwarranted conclusion that "obeisance" to Jesus is somehow different than worship, their own definition of obeisance leads them into clear and direct conflict with Exodus 34:14. Either Jesus is God or those rendering obeisance to him are guilty of "prostrating themselves before another god."

This refutes the Watchtower's claim that "obeisance" to Jesus is ok because it is not worship. The Watchtower has inadvertently admitted that worship is given to Jesus in the Reasoning book p. 214. The question is stated as follows, "Does the fact that worship is given to Jesus prove that he is God?"

JESUS NAME IS EXALTED IN NEW TESTAMENT

*Matthew 18:20 – where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name
*Luke 10:17 – demons are made subject to us by use of your name
*Acts 16:18 – I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her
*Luke 24:47 – on the basis of his name repentance for forgiveness of sins would be preached
*John 1:12 – to them he gave authority to become God's children, because they were exercising faith in his name
*John 3:16 – everyone exercising faith in him
*Acts 10:43 – everyone putting faith in him gets forgiveness of sins through his name
*1 John 3:23 – this is his commandment, that we have faith in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
*1 John 5:13 – you may know that you have life everlasting, you who put your faith in the name of the Son of God
*Acts 4:12 – there is not another name under heaven... by which we must be saved
*John 14:13-14, 26 – whatever you ask in my name, I will do it
*Acts 3:16 – our faith in his name has made this man strong
*Acts 4:7-10, 30 – healing and signs come in the name of Jesus
*1 Corinthians 1:2 – with all who everywhere are calling upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
*Ephesians 1:21 – far above every name named
*Philippians 2:9-11 – the name that is above every other name
*Acts 1:8 – you will be witnesses of me

WHO KNOWS MEN'S HEARTS?

Jehovah alone

*1 Kings 8:39 – Jehovah alone knows all men's hearts

Jesus

*Revelation 2:23 – Jesus searches the hearts of all men
*Matthew 9:4 – Jesus knew their thoughts
*Matthew 12:25 – Jesus knew their thoughts
*Luke 6:8 – Jesus knew their reasoning
*Luke 9:47 – Jesus knew the reasoning of their hearts

FULLNESS OF DEITY

Jesus

Colossians 2:8-9 – What does KIT say? Divine quality or Deity? What does "all" mean? What does "fullness" mean? Theotes vs. Theiotes or Essence vs. Quality. Theotes is "fullness" used here to describe Jesus, showing that the "essence of God dwells in him bodily." It isn't a question of him having divine qualities. Instead it shows that he is God in the flesh.

WHO IS THE SHEPHERD?

Jehovah

*Psalm 23:1 – Jehovah is my Shepherd
*Isaiah 40:10-11 – Jehovah is like a shepherd

Jesus

*John 10:11 – Jesus is the fine shepherd

WHO IS MIGHTY GOD?

Jehovah

*Isaiah 10:20-21 – the Mighty God, Jehovah
*Jeremiah 32:18 – the mighty one, Jehovah

Jesus

*Isaiah 9:6 – Jesus is Mighty God

IS JESUS GOD?

In all but the last verse of the following references the NWT mistranslates each one.

Titus 2:13
Hebrews 1:8
Psalm 45:6
2 Peter 1:1
1 John 5:20
*Isaiah 9:6 – Mighty God

IS JESUS JEHOVAH?

*Romans 10:9-13 – Publicly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that he was raised from the dead and you will be saved.
*Romans 10:9 – (Whose name are you calling on for salvation?)
*Romans 10:10 – With the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation. (What public declaration? That Jesus is Lord.)
*Romans 10:11 – None that rests his faith on him will be disappointed. (Who is "him?" He is the subject of verses 9 and 10, Jesus.)
*Romans 10:12 – One Lord, rich to those calling on him. (On who? Verse 9 identifies that we are to call on Jesus by name.)
*Romans 10:13 – For "everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved." (Return to verse 9 to see whose name must be called on to be saved. It is Jesus. What Paul was doing in vs. 9-13 was clearly explaining that Jesus is God based on OT verses about God (Joel 2:32) applied directly to Jesus. Verse 9 and verse 13 are references to the same profession that saves, precisely that Jesus is Lord. Verse 13 is identifying the same one to call on for salvation that is named in verse 9.)
*Ephesians 1:21 – Jesus' name above every name in this system and the system to come
*Acts 4:12 – Salvation in Jesus' name alone
*Philippians 2:9 – Jesus' name above every other name
*Exodus 34:12-15 – Jehovah's command not to prostrate before other gods. Note that Jehovah condemns little "g" gods here. If JWs were to bow before Jesus then according to their theology they would be bowing before a little "g" god. This would violate Jehovah's command. But Jehovah has said that at the name of Jesus every knee will bend. (Philippians 2:9-11) Would Jehovah command that people bend their knees to Jesus when he has expressly forbidden bowing before other gods?
*Ephesians 3:14 – compare with Philippians 2:9
*Isaiah 45:22-24 – for OT parallel of bowing to the Father that Paul was quoting in Philippians 2:9 – and applying to Jesus in saying that "every knee will bend down and every tongue will swear". It is a direct quote from the OT referring to Jehovah and is applied clearly and directly to Jesus. Paul definitely believed that Jesus is Jehovah.
Zechariah 14:3-5 with Matthew 25:31 and Acts 1:11-12 – Who is returning with the holy ones? Jesus or Jehovah?
Zechariah 14:5 with 1 Thessalonians 3:13

IS JESUS ALMIGHTY?

*Hebrews 1:3 – He sustains all things by the word of his power. Is this mighty or almighty? Could anything less than "all might" sustain "all things?"
*Revelation 4:8 – Jehovah God, who was and is and is to come, the Almighty. Who is coming? Jehovah or Jesus?
*Revelation 22:20 – Jesus is coming as identified in Revelation 4:8. Jesus is Almighty God.

IS JESUS OMNIPRESENT?

*Matthew 18:20 – Where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name
*Matthew 28:20 – I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things

DOES JESUS HAVE ALL AUTHORITY?

*Matthew 28:18 – all means all

WHAT IS HEADSHIP?

*1 Corinthians 11:3 – Headship, not quality of being. Is man a superior human in quality compared to woman? No. Therefore this verse cannot be teaching that Christ is inferior to the Father if it is not teaching that women are inferior to men. If it is teaching that Christ is inferior in quality to the Father, then language demands that the same inferiority of quality be applied to women, and we know that it cannot be.

WHAT DOES FIRSTBORN MEAN?

*Colossians 1:15 – Jesus is firstborn of all creation. Does this refer to order of creation or to the headship of Christ? The Greek word used is proto-tokos. There is a different Greek word that specifically means 'first created', proto-tiktos.
*Psalm 89:20-27 – David was not born first.
Also, who was Joseph's firstborn? See Genesis 41:50-52, Genesis 48:1-20, Psalm 89:27, and Jeremiah 31:7-9

IS JESUS EQUAL TO JEHOVAH?

*1 Corinthians 15:28 – This verse identifies a change in the Son's position relative to the Father. What is the Son's position before subjecting himself to the Father? Equal to! This verse describes a change in position. The Son "becomes subject" to the Father. This means that at some point he is not subject and he changes position to "become subject." Note the presence of "when" and "then" in the verse.

DOES JESUS SHARE JEHOVAH'S GLORY?

*Isaiah 6:1-5 with John 12:37-41 – Isaiah's vision of Jehovah's glory is applied by John to Jesus in verse 41. He says Isaiah saw his glory. Who did John mean by [his] and who did Isaiah see?
*Isaiah 42:8 with John 17:5 – Jehovah will not share his glory yet Jesus has glory alongside Jehovah
*John 12:45 – Can any creature claim this? No. Jesus is not like any created being.
*Isaiah 48:11 – Jehovah will not give his glory to anyone else.

IS JESUS THE EXACT REPRESENTATION OF THE FATHER?

*John 12:45 – He that beholds me beholds him that sent me
*2 Corinthians 4:4 – Christ, who is the image of God
*Hebrews 1:3 – the exact representation of his very being
*John 8:19 – if you knew me, you would know my Father also
*John 12:44 – he who puts faith in me
*John 14:7-9 – know me, know my Father also
Colossians 2:9 – Theotes vs. Theiotes or (Essence vs. Quality)

IS JESUS MASTER?

*Colossians 3:24 – Slave for the Master, Christ

WHO IS THE STUMBLING STONE?

Jehovah

*Isaiah 8:13-14 – Who? Jehovah.

Jesus

*1 Peter 2:6-8 – Who? Jesus.

HOLY SPIRIT SENT IN WHOSE NAME?

Father

*Luke 10:17 – Father's name.

Jesus

*John 14:26 – Jesus' name

WHO DO WE SERVE?

Jehovah alone

*Matthew 4:10 – Then Jesus said to him: "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.'"

God and Jesus

*James 1:1 – James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus

*Romans 1:1 – Paul, a slave of Jesus
*2 Corinthians 5:15 – Live for him who died for us
*Galatians 1:10 – Christ's slave
*Philippians 1:1 – Paul and Timothy, slaves of Jesus
*Colossians 3:24 – slave for the Master, Christ
*Colossians 4:12 – Epaphras, a slave of Jesus Christ
*Jude 1 – Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ

CHRIST'S HUMILIATION OR EMPTYING OF HIMSELF TO BECOME A MAN

*Philippians 2:7 – he emptied himself
*John 14:28 – The Father is greater than I am
*John 20:17 – I am ascending to my God and your God
*Acts 17:30-31 – he purposes to judge by a man he has appointed
*1 Corinthians 11:3 – Is this quality of being? Is man by nature superior to woman? Or is this headship which does not imply any innate superior quality of the one holding the headship? Yes. See 1 Corinthians 15:28.

WHO HAS WITNESSES?

Jehovah

*Isaiah 43:10 – "You are my witnesses" says Jehovah
*Isaiah 44:6-8 – you are my witnesses

Jesus

*Acts 1:8 – You will be witnesses of me
*Acts 13:31 – who are now his witnesses
Acts 8:35 – Philip witnessed about Jesus

IS JESUS MICHAEL?

*Daniel 10:13, 21 – Michael, one of the foremost princes
*Daniel 12:1 – Michael will stand up
*Jude 9 – when Michael had a difference with the Devil he did not dare to bring a judgment against him
*Luke 4:8 – Jesus rebukes Satan
*Hebrews 1:6 – Let all God's angels worship him
*Philippians 2:9 – the name that is above every other name
*Hebrews 1:6 – Jesus is above all angels. The text does not say "all other angels." It says all angels and shows that Jesus is not included in that group. Thus he cannot be Michael the Archangel.

COME TOGETHER IN JESUS' NAME

*Matthew 18:20 – where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name

HEALING COMES IN JESUS' NAME

*Acts 4:7-10 – Healed a lame man by faith in the name of Jesus
*Acts 3:16 – his name, by [our] faith in his name, has made this man strong

SIGNS COME IN JESUS' NAME

*Acts 4:30 – signs and portents occur through the name of your holy servant Jesus

DEMONS ARE SUBJECT TO JESUS' NAME

*Luke 10:17 – the demons are made subject to us by the use of your name

WHO ANSWERS PRAYER?

Father

*John 15:16 – Father's name

Jesus

*John 14:13-14 – Jesus answers
*Luke 10:17 – Jesus' name
*Acts 7:59-60 – Stephen prayed to Jesus

IS CHRIST IN US?

John 15:4-5 – NWT says 'in union with us'. This is especially inconsistent seeing that similar Greek construction 'in the vine' doesn't have 'union with' inserted into it.
John 17:23, 26 – Why 'union with' added to verse 23? In verse 26 same phrase of love 'in them' doesn't say 'in union with'.
Romans 8:9-10 – God's spirit in you... Christ in union with you. Vs. 9 shows the Spirit "in you." Vs. 10 says Christ is "in union with you." This obscures our deep personal relationship with Christ, with him living "in us." In verse 9 "in you" comes from Greek [en humin]. Vs. 10 also says [en humin] but the NWT chooses to obscure the issue by translating it as "in union with." Why the inconsistency?
2 Corinthians 13:5 – Jesus in us is the test of the faith. Once again NWT has added 'union with.' More examples of addition of 'union with': Galatians 1:15-16, Galatians 2:20

IS CHRIST'S SPIRIT EQUAL TO GOD'S SPIRIT

*Romans 8:9 – True Christians have God's spirit and Christ's spirit dwelling in them.

WHO RAISED JESUS?

God

*1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 – Whom he [God] raised up from the dead
*Acts 2:24 – God raised Jesus from the dead.

Jesus

*John 2:19, 21 – I will raise it up

WHO IS THE JUDGE OF MAN?

Jesus

*John 5:22-23 – Jesus
*2 Corinthians 5:10 – Jesus

WHO IS LORD OF THE SABBATH?

Jesus

*Matthew 12:8 – Jesus

JESUS' CLAIMS ABOUT HIMSELF

*John 5:18 – The Jews understood Jesus made himself equal with God.
*John 10:28-33 – The Jews said "You make yourself God."
*John 10:36 – "I am God's Son" is a claim to a unique relationship with God. Jews considered it blasphemy because Jesus was claiming to be God by saying this. They wanted to stone him. There are five reasons for stoning:

Spiritism Leviticus 20:27; Blasphemy Leviticus 24:10-23; False Prophecy Deuteronomy 13:5-10; Stubborn son Deuteronomy 21:18-21; Adultery or rape Deuteronomy 22:21-24 Leviticus 20:10

JESUS AT BIRTH

Lord

*Luke 2:11 – there was born to you today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Did Jesus become Lord later or was he Lord from birth?

Christ

*Luke 2:11 – there was born to you today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Did Jesus become the Christ at his baptism by John? This verse shows that Jesus was born the Christ. Born today, who is the Christ, not "who will become" the Christ.