On one extreme, you have Trinitarians who elevate the Son to a position of conjoined twin (or triplet) with the Father and Modalists who make the Father and Son out to be one and the same, just wearing different "hats". On the other extreme, you have JWs degrading Christ to a position where their Governing Body can actually be equal to him. Neither of these positions is correct or scriptural. While Jesus obviously is "the same nature as God" - in a similar way, our own children are the same nature as us (but in Jesus' case, there is more to it than just similarity, which I will elaborate on below) - this does not denote equality.
As is usually the case, the truth in the Bible is logical and stated. There is no need to extrapolate "implied" information, as that allows for human error. As soon as humans start explaining the Bible, the true message begins to be lost. This happens at several stages: In copy where perhaps good-intentioned monks inserted or changed the text to more clearly state church doctrine (which they may have believed the Bible indicated), in translation where there is no word-for-word rock-solid way to convey the original text with all its nuances in tact, and in interpretation when church leaders plant seeds of understanding which can taint the purity of the Bible message to subtly nudge us into reading passages with a pre-conceived slant.
Perhaps on another online resource, I made this argument, because I was under the impression I'd made it in this forum but can't find it. I have pored over the relationship of Father and Son, the pro- and anti-Trinity Bible verses, the original Greek and what experts indicate an accurate translation to English (since I don't understand Koine) would be. So, in case anyone is interested, I'll make it clear what my understanding of the relationship between Jehovah and Jesus is and see if it doesn't fit all of the Bible. Because the Bible doesn't argue both sides of a point and if it seems like it does, there is probably another understanding that hasn't been considered which would not invite dispute.
My working theory of Father/Son, John 1:1, and holding to all Biblical references to God and Christ:
Adam was created from dust (Gen 2:7). Obviously, dust was created first, so God had something already in place for Adam to be created from. Jesus created dust, and later Adam (John 1:3). Jehovah is credited with creation because he is the source and catalyst of all energy/material for creation (Isa 40:26). Jehovah brought his son into existence (obviously a father preexists a son and is considered a higher position, which is why the Bible uses this relationship) and entrusted his only-begotten with the creation of everything else (Col 1:15; Pro 8:22-31.) "Begotten" isn't a magical word that totally changes meaning when used in the context of Scripture. Something or someone begotten has to, at one time, not existed, because in order for begetting to occur, something has to be brought into existence.
Since up until the time Jesus was brought into existence, the Father was the only thing/entity which did exist, what would Jesus have to have been made from? Obviously, the only source of creative "material" from which God would have initiated the existence of a companion "son" was himself. Like an amoeba, God literally split into two entities, making a separate but entirely similar likeness of himself. Some would argue this would make a rival for God, but remember the Father wanted a son, not a brother or cousin. To keep his higher position, he would have not made an equal, splitting himself into exact halves, but would have used a relatively small piece of himself to assure a hierarchy where he remained God, even to the other god (the one we know as Jesus) he'd just brought into being.
There is no telling how long Father and Son continued as the only 2 beings in existence before the Father decided to bestow upon the Son the task of bringing additional similar beings into the picture by creating the Heavenly host of angels. The Father would have been the source of creative energy, via what we know as Holy Spirit. Recall the account of the woman who touched Jesus' garment and Holy Spirit went out from him (Mark 5:25-34). In a similar way, Jesus may have been granted access to God's power without the Father having to okay every decision and every action of Jesus in his task of creating. This allows both Father and Son to be credited with creation while retaining their separateness.
Being a literal "chip off the old block", Jesus bears the likeness of God in every way: Personality, essence, substance, features, etc. For all intents and purposes, Jesus is God (John 1:1) just as Adam was dust (Gen 2:7). Obviously, none of us or the entirety of all humanity constitute all dust, as there is plenty left over. Likewise, Jesus - while being made of God - is made of a small portion of God. Any time Jesus says "if you have seen me, you have seen the Father", "the Father and I are one", "the Father is in me and I am in the Father", these verses fit without having to contradict things like "no man has seen God", "the Father is greater than I", or Jesus praying or referring to his Father as a separate and higher entity. This understanding is allowed in the light of all Scripture and doesn't invite arguments where the Bible seems to contradict itself and argue both sides.
This understanding certainly isn't the JW understanding or Arianism (as I've been accused of holding), yet it also isn't the Trinity, Oneness, or Modalism. When one forms their doctrine based on parroting human understanding, they create the straw man that will be used against them. I don't believe in the JW Jesus or the Trinity Jesus, but the Biblical Jesus, as described in all Scripture and not just some "proof texts" that are cherry-picked to establish a man-made belief while ignoring other Bible truths. We must make our beliefs fit within the Bible, not attempt to shoehorn the Bible into our beliefs. Obviously, this understanding didn't come of myself, but from digging for truth in Scripture (Pro 2:1-6; 3:5) and avoiding putting my faith in human understandings (Jer 10:23, Psa 146:3) which attempt to confine God and Jesus in a box of their making rather than allowing the Bible to explain what we need to know and leaving anything not stated as unknown and unnecessary.
