Matthew 28:18
Matthew 28:1818Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
The Watchtower reads as describing authority granted to Jesus by Jehovah at his exaltation — delegated authority, not intrinsic divine authority. "All authority… has been given me" is taken to support the JW Christology in which Jesus exercises power on Jehovah's behalf without sharing the divine nature. The verse is also read alongside the 1914 framework: Christ's authority was granted at his ascension but his Kingdom rule began invisibly in 1914 with limited scope, awaiting the future earthly extension at Armageddon.
Take Jesus's claim at face value. He has been given "all authority in heaven and on earth" — a comprehensive declaration that excludes nothing. Pair with (Peter at Pentecost: "God has made him both Lord and Christ"), (Christ "seated… far above all rule and authority and power and dominion"), and ("he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet"). Christ already reigns with all authority — his enthronement happened at the resurrection-ascension, not in 1914, and there is no "heaven authority now / earth authority later" partition the text supports. The JW-specific 1914 framework requires Christ's authority to be partial during the so-called Gentile Times, but declares the authority complete already at the ascension.