It is being claimed that since only Jehovah saves, then, since it is necessary to know Jesus for salvation (John 17:3), that Jesus is by definition Jehovah.
The scripture says that there is no salvation apart from -- aside from -- Jehovah. (Isaiah 43:11; Hosea 13:14) This does not mean that Jehovah could not send others as saviors who would act in his behalf, except that those he sent must be Jehovah. The scriptures state that Jehovah sent more than one savior to Israel. (Nehemiah 9:27) The Hebrew word for "savior" is often transliterated as "Yasha'". This word is always in verb form in Biblical Hebrew and it is in verb form as used in Isaiah 43:11, although most translations render it in English as though it is a noun. This word, however, is used of many different people in the Old Testament. It is used of Moses in Exodus 2:17; does mean that Moses is Jehovah?
Here are some instances in which this word is used:
{Judges 2:16} Jehovah raised up judges, who saved [Yasha'] them out of the hand of those who despoiled them.
Were these judges all "Jehovah"?
The scripture says that Jehovah was with those judges that he raised up for Israel:
{Judges 3:9} When the children of Israel cried to Jehovah, Jehovah raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
What is said here concerning Othniel as being savior is similar to what the Bible says concerning Jesus. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 10:40; Mark 9:37; Luke 4:18; 9:48; 10:16; John 4:34; 5:23,24,30,36,37,38; 6:29,38,39,44,57; 17:1,3,16,18,28,29,33; 8:16,18,26,29; Acts 3:13-26; 1 John 4:10,14) According to the reasoning given, only Jehovah can be savior, and if one is consistent, Othniel must also be Jehovah.
Another savior that Jehovah sent:
{Judges 3:15} But when the children of Israel cried to Jehovah, Jehovah raised them up a savior [Yasha'], Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.
No one thinks that because Jehovah sent Ehud as a savior, that Ehud must be Jehovah. Likewise, there is no reason to imagine, assume, add to, and read into the scriptures that Jesus must be Jehovah because Jehovah sent Jesus to save us, which Jesus did by the offering of his humanity in sacrifice to the only true God.
{Judges 3:31} After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck of the Philistines six hundred men with an oxgoad: and he also saved [Yasha'] Israel.
Shamgar saved Israel. Should we assume that Shamgar must be Jehovah, because only Jehovah saves Israel? Obviously, it was indeed Jehovah who was the source of the salvation; Shamgar was but the instrument that Jehovah used. Likewise, Jehovah is the source of the salvation that comes through His Son; this does not mean that we need to add to the scriptures that Jesus is Jehovah, since, as assumed, only Jehovah saves.
{Judges 6:14} Jehovah looked at him, and said, "Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have not I sent you?"
Here Jehovah was speaking to Gideon, and Jehovah told Gideon to "save Israel from the hand of Midian". And he adds "Have not I sent you?" Isn't this similar to Jesus, for the Lord Jehovah sent Jesus to save the world? If Jehovah's sending Jesus as savior means that Jesus is Jehovah because only Jehovah saves, we should also consider Gideon to be Jehovah also.
{Judges 6:36} Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken,
{Judges 6:37} behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken."
Here Gideon asks for a sign that he save Israel, but he recognized this as not being of himself, but that Jehovah was to do this by -- through -- the hand of Gideon. Likewise, we read that God, through, by means of, Jesus, reconciled us to Himself [not to Jesus]. -- Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18,19.
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{Judges 10:1} After Abimelech there arose to save [Yasha'] Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.
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{Judges 10:1} After Abimelech there arose to save [Yasha'] Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.
Again, no one considers Tola to be Jehovah; likewise, there is no reaon to imagine and assume that Jesus is Jehovah.
{Judges 13:5} for, behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb: and he shall begin to save [Yasha'] Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
Here, an angel of Jehovah tells Manoah of Samson, and stated that Samson was to begin save Israel.
Again, Samson was a not savior apart from, besides, Jehovah, for it was Jehovah who is behind Samson; likewise, in sending His Son to save the world, Jesus is not savior apart from, besides, Jehovah, for it is Jehovah who sent Jesus to save the world. -- Isaiah 61:1,2; John 17:1,3; 1 John 4:14.
{1 Samuel 9:16} "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save [Yasha'] my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked on my people, because their cry has come to me."
Here Jehovah is speaking of Saul, who later proved unfaithful. Nevertheless, Jehovah said that Saul was to save Israel. Of course, Saul, as being savior of Israel was not such a savior besides Jehovah, for it was Jehovah who sent Saul as savior.
{1 Samuel 23:2} Therefore David asked Jehovah, saying, "Should I go and strike these Philistines?" Jehovah said to David, "Go strike the Philistines, and save Keilah."
{1 Samuel 23:4} Then David inquired of Jehovah yet again. Jehovah answered him, and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver [Yahsha'] the Philistines into your hand."
{1 Samuel 23:5} David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved [Yasha'] the inhabitants of Keilah.
Here Jehovah tells David to "save Keilah", a city in the land of Israel, which David did. David was not to be a savior besides Jehovah, nor was Jesus the savior of the world besides Jehovah. It was Jehovah who performed this deliverance through David. Likewise, it is Jehovah who saves the world through His son.
{2 Kings 13:5} Jehovah gave Israel a savior [Yasha'], so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel lived in their tents as before.
This is evidently referring to Joash. It was Jehovah who gave this savior to Israel -- this does not mean that we need imagine and assume that this savior is Jehovah because only Jehovah saves; likewise, it is Jehovah who gave his son as savior of the world, and likewise, we have no reason to imagine and assume that Jesus is Jehovah because only Jehovah saves. -- John 3:16,17; 1 John 5:11.
{Judges 2:18} When Jehovah raised them up judges, then Jehovah was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it grieved Jehovah because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.
The scripture above tells us that Jehovah was "with" those judges whom he "raised up" to save Israel. Likewise, the scripture says that Jehovah, the only true God who had raised up Jesus as the prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Acts 3:13-26), was "with" Jesus.
{John 8:29} He [the only true God of Isaiah 61:1 and John 17:3] who sent me is with me.
{John 16:32} Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father [the only true God of Isaiah 61:1 and John 17:3] is with me.
{Acts 10:38} even Jesus of Nazareth, how God [the Lord Jehovah of Isaiah 61:1] anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God [the Lord Jehovah of Isaiah 61:1] was with him.
It is being claimed that if Jesus is not Jehovah, then a person could be saved by knowing only the Father, but to know the Father only is incomplete.
The only true God, in order to save us, did indeed need a sinless human being to be the means of that salvation, for only by such means could the only true God remain just, while yet justifying the sinner. To settle the matter of justice, justice required a sinless human being to offset the condemnation through Adam. (Romans 3:26; 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6) There is nothing at all in this that would require that Jesus had to be Jehovah.
Some other scriptures related to this:
To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. -- Jude 1:25, World English.
Jehovah is Savior, "through Jesus Christ".
To us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we to him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him. -- 1 Corinthians 8:6, World English.
The word "things" is added by translators. All is from the only true God (John 17:1,3), through the one whom the only true God has made Lord and Christ. -- Ezekiel 34:23,24; Isaiah 61:1,2; Acts 2:36.
See:
The Basis of Atonement
No Savior Besides Jehovah
The Price of Redemption -- God or Man?
1 Peter 3:18, Romans 8:8,9 and Jesus' Sacrifice for Sin
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