A Question for Jehovah's Witnesses

[Behold]

5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Here we see that John the Baptist's water dunking, didnt cause anyone to receive the Holy Spirit.

See, "there is one Lord, one Faith, and ONE Baptism"..

Why does the NT verse say "ONE", when there are at least 7 "baptisms, in the BIBLE. ???????????

Its because the ONE that SAVES YOU< is to be baptized into The Spirit of God, by The Holy Spirit.

SALVATiON... .or to become """"a NEW CREATiON.. IN CHRIST.."""

= This is cause by the Holy Spirit., not by water or works.

Baptism, is an IMMERSION. .. its to go INTO it....... So, when the Holy Spirit Baptizes you, that is the "regeneration"< = you are put INTO the Spirit of God, BY the Holy Spirit.

That is what it literally means to be : "BORN.....again".

Paul was still preaching the gospel and water baptizing in Acts to people who didn't receive the Holy Spirit upon becoming believers.

Paul said this..

"He that hath not the Spirit of God, is NONE of God's"..

So, if you are a True believer, then you are born again....so, you do have the Spirit, or you are not born again yet.

Being born again, is the only PROOF you are a CHRISTian...

As its the one thing a person can not FAKE....as this new Birth, is GOD caused.

 

[Rella ~ I am a woman]

Amen!

What about them though? What do you think they mean?

Seriously?????

I did pass 1st grade reading and I know when Dick saw Spot chase the ball... Spot was running after the ball.

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

What does this mean?

Before the Son of God, called Jesus was born.... He WAS from the very beginning called the Word.
It was He who spoke things into existence... He was God... They were God.... They each had their own roles.

You are you and your wife is she. You each have your own roles in your marriage. But God calls you one.
Eph 5:31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

 

[rebuilder 454]

Neither Jesus nor I created all things. That's the point I am making

One was not supposed to get the wrong idea that a human being like Jesus created all things. I am sure Paul did not intend for any person to think that.

As Paul pointed out in Colossians 1:15, Jesus isn't the invisible God and Jesus was created. Going forward in this passage, the "all things" refers to the framework for the church in heaven and earth, but not literally all things. Jesus being the creator is demonstrably false using Scripture. The Father, also known as YHWH, is the sole creator. Genesis 2:4-7, Isaiah 44:24, Acts 4:24-27, Acts 17:24,25, etc.

Colossians 1:15 proves Jesus isn't the invisible God and then verses 18-20 prove that the context is about the creation of the church and that the "all things" Jesus accomplished in heaven and earth happened after he was born, when he died, by his blood on the cross.

Colossians 1
20and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

side note: Ephesians 2:11-18 is a parallel to Colossians 1:15-20.

The Father calls the Son GOD.
You say no He isn't.
That makes you a heretic.
You deny Jesus.
No way around it.
No verses you can recklessly re interpret to make it void.
The bible says Jesus created all things.
A 6 yr old understands that.
You do not agree with the bible.
And you have in your false doctrine, angels and humans worshipping a created being.
100% false doctrine

 

[marks]

One was not supposed to get the wrong idea that a human being like Jesus created all things. I am sure Paul did not intend for any person to think that.

Jesus in fact created all things, and therefore is not Himself created.

John 1:1-17 KJV
1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2) The same was in the beginning with God.
3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15) John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16) And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

There is no ambiguity in this passage.

Colossians 1:13-16 KJV
13) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

None here either.

I'm sure that both John and Paul intended that we would understand Jesus is the Creator God, YHWH of the Old Testament, Jesus in the New.

I've read many long and convoluted arguments over why I shouldn't believe the simple clarity of these passages. Either one believes them, or one finds ways to not.

Much love!

 

[rebuilder 454]

Jesus in fact created all things, and therefore is not Himself created.

John 1:1-17 KJV
1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2) The same was in the beginning with God.
3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15) John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16) And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

There is no ambiguity in this passage.

Colossians 1:13-16 KJV
13) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

None here either.

I'm sure that both John and Paul intended that we would understand Jesus is the Creator God, YHWH of the Old Testament, Jesus in the New.

I've read many long and convoluted arguments over why I shouldn't believe the simple clarity of these passages. Either one believes them, or one finds ways to not.

Much love!

Watchtower = men without the Holy Spirit reading a spiritual book and come to mental conclusions every time.
They have no depth, because if we remove the deity of Jesus the entire gift of salvation is wrecked and destroyed.
They do not know that the dilemma of sins separation between God and man had ONLY ONE SOLUTION.
There had to be a remedy, and only one remedy

A second Adam, but one without sin. A perfect man
A God man.
ONLY ONE REMEDY.
The fact that Jesus resurrected under his power is actually indirect. A fact but an indirect fact, because He is God, and the grave can not HOLD GOD.
See that's the thing. ( I know you already know what I am saying)
In rev 5 we see the kinsman redeemer.
That is from "ruth"
Rev 5 says NO MAN, NO MAN, NO MAN Was found WORTHY in heaven or earth to open the seals.
The GOD MAN Jesus was the only MAN, ONLY GOD MAN, WORTHY TO TAKE THE SCROLL FROM THE FATHER.
THE KINSMAN REDEEMER.
HE HAD TO BE both God and man.
Watchtower may at some point see truth, but only the Holy Spirit can guide us.
I would be right there with them if all I had was a mental picture and no revelation.
Watchtower is a spirit, a religious spirit.
No depth.
No understanding.
No Holy Spirit.
The irony is that "understanding" is their error.
All men can be deceived.
...except one man...JESUS.
IF I do like John and put one ear on His wonderful glorious and beautiful chest, while He speaks
Into my other ear, I come from an amazing place.
I come FROM HEAVEN, TO MAN.
I have at that point a likelihood of no deception.
We are born again. They are not.
We receive by faith.
Their religion is mental, and 100% faithless.
We walk by faith
They walk by sight and " understanding"
Actually they are walking miracles.
It is a miracle they miss the barn with their shotgun from 2 ft away.
They are truly a miracle.
Very very sad, men spend that much time to actually deny something right before them. (The king of the universe.)
They had a vivid forerunner....the pharisees.

 

[Wrangler]

They have no depth, because if we remove the deity of Jesus the entire gift of salvation is wrecked and destroyed.

What verse in Scripture says that?

Asking for a friend.

 

[The Learner]

I quoted greek scholars that I know are correct. We believe Jesus is fully God and fully human, thus your proof text has no effect.

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Timothy 2 - Easy-to-Read Version

God Wants Us to Pray for Everyone - First of all, I ask that you pray for all people. Ask God to bless them and give them what they need. And give thanks. You should pray for rulers and for all who have authority. Pray for these leaders so that we can live quiet and peaceful lives—lives full of...

www.biblegateway.com

Revelation 1-3

Easy-to-Read Version

​

John Tells About This Book​

1 This is a revelation[a] from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must happen soon. And Christ sent his angel to show it to his servant John, 2 who has told everything he saw. It is the truth that Jesus Christ told him; it is the message from God. 3 Great blessings belong to the person who reads the words of this message from God and to those who hear this message and do what is written in it. There is not much time left.

John Writes to the Churches​

4 From John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is coming; and from the seven spirits before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the faithful witness. He is first among all who will be raised from death. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth.
Jesus is the one who loves us and has made us free from our sins with his blood sacrifice. 6 He made us his kingdom and priests who serve God his Father. To Jesus be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
7 Look, Jesus is coming with the clouds! Everyone will see him, even those who pierced[b] him. All peoples of the earth will cry loudly because of him. Yes, this will happen! Amen.
8 The Lord God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega.[c] I am the one who is, who always was, and who is coming. I am the All-Powerful.”
9 I am John, your fellow believer. We are together in Jesus, and we share these things: suffering, the kingdom, and patient endurance. I was on the island of Patmos[d] because I was faithful to God’s message and to the truth of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day, the Spirit took control of me. I heard a loud voice behind me that sounded like a trumpet. 11 It said, “Write down in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 I turned to see who was talking to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. 13 I saw someone among the lampstands who looked like the Son of Man. He was dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash tied around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool—wool that is white as snow. His eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like brass that glows hot in a furnace. His voice was like the noise of flooding water. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand. A sharp two-edged sword came out of his mouth. He looked like the sun shining at its brightest time.
17 When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He put his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the one who lives. I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. 19 So write what you see. Write the things that happen now and the things that will happen later. 20 Here is the hidden meaning of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands that you saw: The seven lampstands are the seven churches. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church in Ephesus​

2 “Write this to the angel of the church in Ephesus:
“Here is a message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2 “I know what you do, how hard you work and never give up. I know that you don’t accept evil people. You have tested those who say they are apostles but are not. You found that they are liars. 3 You never stop trying. You have endured troubles for my name and have not given up.
4 “But I have this against you: You have left the love you had in the beginning. 5 So remember where you were before you fell. Change your hearts and do what you did at first. If you don’t change, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But there is something you do that is right—you hate the things that the Nicolaitans[e] do. I also hate what they do.
7 “Everyone who hears this should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To those who win the victory I will give the right to eat the fruit from the tree of life, which is in God’s paradise.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church in Smyrna​

8 “Write this to the angel of the church in Smyrna:
“Here is a message from the one who is the First and the Last, the one who died and came to life again.
9 “I know your troubles, and I know that you are poor, but really you are rich! I know the insults you have suffered from people who say they are Jews. But they are not true Jews. They are a group[f] that belongs to Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what will happen to you. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison. He will do this to test you. You will suffer for ten days, but be faithful, even if you have to die. If you continue to be faithful, I will give you the reward[g] of life.
11 “Everyone who hears this should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Those who win the victory will not be hurt by the second death.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church in Pergamum​

12 “Write this to the angel of the church in Pergamum:
“Here is a message from the one who has the sharp two-edged sword.
13 “I know where you live. You live where Satan has his throne, but you are true to me. You did not refuse to tell about your faith in me even during the time of Antipas. Antipas was my faithful witness[h] who was killed in your city, the city where Satan lives.
14 “But I have a few things against you. You have people there who follow the teaching of Balaam. Balaam taught Balak how to make the people of Israel sin. They sinned by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sins. 15 It is the same in your group. You have people who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 So change your hearts! If you don’t change, I will come to you quickly and fight against these people with the sword that comes out of my mouth.
17 “Everyone who hears this should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!
“I will give the hidden manna to everyone who wins the victory. I will also give each one a white stone that has a new name written on it. And no one will know this name except the one who gets the stone.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church in Thyatira​

18 “Write this to the angel of the church in Thyatira:
“Here is a message from the Son of God, the one who has eyes that blaze like fire and feet like shining brass.
19 “I know what you do. I know about your love, your faith, your service, and your patience. I know that you are doing more now than you did at first. 20 But I have this against you: You let that woman Jezebel do what she wants. She says that she is a prophet,[i] but she is leading my people away with her teaching. Jezebel leads my people to commit sexual sins and to eat food that is offered to idols. 21 I have given her time to change her heart and turn away from her sin, but she does not want to change.
22 “So I will throw her on a bed of suffering. And all those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly. I will do this now if they don’t turn away from the things she does. 23 I will also kill her followers. Then all the churches will see that I am the one who knows what people feel and think. And I will repay each of you for what you have done.
24 “But others of you in Thyatira have not followed her teaching. You have not learned the things they call ‘Satan’s deep secrets.’ This is what I say to you: I will not put any other burden on you. 25 Only hold on to the truth you have until I come.
26 “I will give power over the nations to all those who win the victory and continue until the end to do what I want. 27 They will rule the nations with an iron rod. They will break them to pieces like clay pots.[j] 28 They will have the same power I received from my Father, and I will give them the morning star. 29 Everyone who hears this should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

​

 

[The Learner]

Jesus’ Letter to the Church in Sardis​

3 “Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis:
“Here is a message from the one who has the seven spirits and the seven stars.
“I know what you do. People say that you are alive, but really you are dead. 2 Wake up! Make yourselves stronger before what little strength you have left is completely gone. I find that what you do is not good enough for my God. 3 So don’t forget what you have received and heard. Obey it. Change your hearts and lives! You must wake up, or I will come to you and surprise you like a thief. You will not know when I will come.
4 “But you have a few people in your group there in Sardis who have kept themselves clean. They will walk with me. They will wear white clothes, because they are worthy. 5 Everyone who wins the victory will be dressed in white clothes like them. I will not remove their names from the book of life. I will say that they belong to me before my Father and before his angels. 6 Everyone who hears this should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church in Philadelphia​

7 “Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:
“Here is a message from the one who is holy and true, the one who holds the key of David. When he opens something, it cannot be closed. And when he closes something, it cannot be opened.
8 “I know what you do. I have put before you an open door that no one can close. I know you are weak, but you have followed my teaching. You were not afraid to speak my name. 9 Listen! There is a group[k] that belongs to Satan. They say they are Jews, but they are liars. They are not true Jews. I will make them come before you and bow at your feet. They will know that you are the people I have loved. 10 You followed my command to endure patiently. So I will keep you from the time of trouble that will come to the world—a time that will test everyone living on earth.
11 “I am coming soon. Hold on to the faith you have, so that no one can take away your crown. 12 Those who win the victory will be pillars in the temple of my God. I will make that happen for them. They will never again have to leave God’s temple. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God. That city is the new Jerusalem.[l] It is coming down out of heaven from my God. I will also write my new name on them. 13 Everyone who hears this should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church in Laodicea​

14 “Write this to the angel of the church in Laodicea:
“Here is a message from the Amen,[m] the faithful and true witness, the ruler of all that God has made.
15 “I know what you do. You are not hot or cold. I wish that you were hot or cold! 16 But you are only warm—not hot, not cold. So I am ready to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say you are rich. You think you have become wealthy and don’t need anything. But you don’t know that you are really miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I advise you to buy gold from me—gold made pure in fire. Then you will be rich. I tell you this: Buy clothes that are white. Then you will be able to cover your shameful nakedness. I also tell you to buy medicine to put on your eyes. Then you will be able to see.
19 “I correct and punish the people I love. So show that nothing is more important to you than living right. Change your hearts and lives. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you. And you will eat with me.
21 “I will let everyone who wins the victory sit with me on my throne. It was the same with me. I won the victory and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Everyone who hears this should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Footnotes​

1. Revelation 1:1 revelation An opening up (making known) of truth that was hidden.
2. Revelation 1:7 pierced When Jesus was killed, he was stabbed with a spear in the side. See Jn. 19:34.
3. Revelation 1:8 Alpha … Omega The first and last letters in the Greek alphabet, meaning the beginning and the end.
4. Revelation 1:9 Patmos A small island in the Aegean Sea, near the coast of modern Turkey.
5. Revelation 2:6 Nicolaitans A religious group that followed wrong ideas. Also in verse 15.
6. Revelation 2:9 group Literally, “synagogue.”
7. Revelation 2:10 reward Literally, “wreath,” a ring of leaves or branches that was placed on the head of the winners of athletic contests to honor them. It was a symbol of victory and reward.
8. Revelation 2:13 faithful witness A person who speaks God’s message truthfully, even in times of danger.
9. Revelation 2:20 prophet Jezebel was a false prophet. She claimed to speak for God, but she didn’t really speak God’s truth.
10. Revelation 2:27 These verses are almost the same as Ps. 2:8-9.
11. Revelation 3:9 group Literally, “synagogue.”
12. Revelation 3:12 new Jerusalem The spiritual city where God’s people live with him.
13. Revelation 3:14 Amen Used here, as a name for Jesus, it means to agree strongly that something is true.

 

[The Learner]

The Father is never called the image of God or the exact representation of God. The easiest way to say someone is God is to just come right out and say it, which is something Paul avoiding saying about Jesus on many occasions.

In the beginning, did God create or did the image of God create? Do we pray and worship to an image of God or do we pray to and worship God?

So what, that is a silly skinky thinking on your part.

 

[The Learner]

Neither Jesus nor I created all things. That's the point I am making

One was not supposed to get the wrong idea that a human being like Jesus created all things. I am sure Paul did not intend for any person to think that.

As Paul pointed out in Colossians 1:15, Jesus isn't the invisible God and Jesus was created. Going forward in this passage, the "all things" refers to the framework for the church in heaven and earth, but not literally all things. Jesus being the creator is demonstrably false using Scripture. The Father, also known as YHWH, is the sole creator. Genesis 2:4-7, Isaiah 44:24, Acts 4:24-27, Acts 17:24,25, etc.

Colossians 1:15 proves Jesus isn't the invisible God and then verses 18-20 prove that the context is about the creation of the church and that the "all things" Jesus accomplished in heaven and earth happened after he was born, when he died, by his blood on the cross.

Colossians 1
20and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

side note: Ephesians 2:11-18 is a parallel to Colossians 1:15-20.

Colossians 1:16 in the Bible states that Jesus Christ created all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, through him and for him

Adding "other" is stupid stinkly thinking on the so-called translators of the nwt.

• Four out of the five men on the committee had no Hebrew or Greek training at all. They had only a high school education. Franz studied Greek for two years at the University of Cincinnati, but dropped out after his sophomore year. When asked in a Scotland courtroom if he could translate Genesis 2:4 into Hebrew, Franz replied that he could not. The truth is that Franz was unable to translate Hebrew or Greek.
• What we are left with is a very inexperienced translating committee that twisted Scripture to make it fit the Society's doctrine.

 

[The Learner]

In short, wherever possible, the NWT translates texts that call Jesus God in such a way as to keep the text from making that identification!

Genesis 1:2	"Spirit of God" changed to "God's active force."	The revision modifies the original noun with a more impersonal form as the JWs reject the orthodox Christian belief in the personality of the Holy Spirit.
Exodus 3:14	"I am" changed to "I shall prove to be."	The revision clouds the connection between God's self proclaimed title and Jesus' proclamation of being the same in John 8:58, as the JW rejects the deity of Jesus.
Numbers 1:52	"Under his own standard" changed to "by his [three-tribe] division."	The Hebrew word degal translated as "standard" literally means flag or banner. Since the JWs regard saluting a flag as an act of idolatry, the text has been altered according to their doctrinal bias. (Same revision found in Num. 2:2, 3, 10, 18, 25; 10: 14, 18, 22, 25.)
Isaiah 43:10	"Nor will there be one after me" changed to "after me there continued to be none."	The original future tense of the verb indicates that there will never be another being sharing in God's divinity. The altered tense suggests credibility to the JW doctrine of Jesus' becoming a "mighty god" while still being less than Jehovah in nature. (See the John 1: I discussion below for another expression of this JW distortion.)
Ecclesiastes 12:7	"The spirit returns" changed to "the spirit itself returns."	The passage indicates the return of a human spirit to God after death. Since the JWs believe in an unconscious state after death, "itself' has been inserted to suggest a more impersonal reference to spirit.

 

[The Learner]

Matthew 2:11	"Bowed down and worshipped him" changed to "did obeisance to it"	The JWs evade recognizing Jesus as worthy of worship as a divine being by altering the form of honor that he receives from men and angels. The Greek word proskuneo literally means "worship." The use of "obeisance" is a NWT adaptation. (Same revision found in Matt. 8:2; 9:18, 14:33; 15:25; 28:9, 17; Mark 5:6; 15:19; Luke 24:52; John 9:38; Heb. 1:6.)
Matthew 5:19	"Least in the kingdom of heaven" changed to "least in relation to the kingdom of the heaven."	The passage indicates that a disobedient believer who sins can still find forgiveness and eternal life. The JWs believe heaven is reserved for only 144,000 specially designated servants of God. The revision suggests more separation between these groups through a status hierarchy.
Matthew 25:46	"Eternal punishment" changed to "everlasting cutting-off."	The Greek word kolasis translated "punishment" indicates continuous torment, but the NWT revision suggests "termination," as the JWs promote the doctrine of annihilationism regarding condemned souls.
Mark 1:4	"Baptism of repentance" changed to "baptism [in symbol] of repentance. "	Nothing in the original Greek text justifies the insertion of "in symbol." The revision undermines the significance of John the Baptist's ministry, the Jewish meaning of baptism and the Christian sacrament of baptism in contrast to the more regimented JW baptism requirements.
Luke 12:8	"Acknowledges me" changed to "confesses union with me."	The addition of "union" suggest something more than what the original Greek actually states and adds further credibility to the NWT distortion presented in John 6:56 below.
Luke 23:43	'Today you will be with me" changed to "I tell you today, You will be with me."	Jesus assured the thief on the cross that their spirits would soon enter the spiritual/heavenly realm together. As the JWs reject the belief in the conscious survival of the human spirit after death, their revision suggests that "today" deals with the time of the statement rather than the relocation of their spirits.
John 1:1	"Word was God" changed to "Word was a god."	The JWs reject the orthodox Christian belief in the deity of Jesus. The revision asserts that Jesus was someone other than God Himself.
John 1:12	"Believe" changed to "exercise faith."	The orthodox Christian doctrine of spiritual justification and rebirth before God by belief in Jesus is in conflict with the JW doctrine of salvation by works (i.e., obedience to their organization). The revision attempts to describe salvation as a continuous process rather than a radical encounter and transition (Same revision found in John 3:16, 18; 6:29; Rom. 4:3, 10:4, 9, 10.)
John 6:56	"Remains in me" changed to "remains in union with me."	The mystical union between the individual human spirit and the Spirit of Jesus is obscured by restructuring "in" with a compound form. The substitution implies more separation between a Christian and Jesus. (Same revision found in John 14:20; Rom. 8:1, 2, 10; 12:5; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 1:13*; 2:10, 13, 15, 21, 22; 3:6; Col. 1:14*, 16*, 27; 2:6, 10*, 11, 12*; 3:3; 1 Thes. 4:16; 5:18; 1 John 3:24; 4:4; 5:20. Verses with an asterisk (*) indicate where the revision uses "by means of" or "in relationship to" rather than "in union with.")
John 8:58	"I am" changed to "I have been."	Same intent as described in Exodus 3:14 above.
John 14:14	"IF YOU ask [me] anything in my name, I will do it." "me" is omitted to deny the fact we pray to Jesus.	John 14:14 should also be mentioned. In the NWT this reads; "IF YOU ask anything in my name, I will do it." The Greek text in the KIT, however, has ME after ask, so that it should be translated; "If you ask ME anything in my name, I will do it." It is true that some later Greek manuscripts omitted this word, but most of the earlier ones include it, and most modern editions of the Greek NT include it. At the very least, the NWT ought to have mentioned this in a note!
John 14:17	"Beholds him or knows him" changed to "beholds it or knows it."	The revision ignores the context of the pronoun with the Comforter role in the preceding verse to deny the personality of the Holy Spirit.
John 17:5	"Glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you" changed to "glorify me alongside yourself with the glory that I had alongside you."	The original text reflects the shared deity of God the Father and Jesus before the creation of the world, but the revision suggests different natures as implied by different states of glory.
John 17:21	"Are in me" changed to "are in union with me."	The original statement by Jesus indicates his shared deity with the Father. The revision undermines this by suggesting a greater separation between them.
Acts 10:36	"Lord of all" changed to "Lord of all [others]."	The revision suggests that even though Jesus is highly honored, he is still one among many of God's created beings. (Similar revisions found in Rom. 8:32; Phil. 2:9; Col. 1: 16-17.)
Acts 20:28	They change "God purchased the church with His own blood" to God purchased the church with the blood of His son"	Wrath and indignation will come to every Jw from the Governing Body, who even suggests God purchased the church with His own blood... the blood of Jesus... who is God!

 

[The Learner]

Romans 2:29	"By the Spirit" changed to "by spirit."	Although the definite article 'the" does not literally appear in the Greek, it is implied by the form that (pneuma) appears in. The revision, however, translates pneuma in a more abstract form to evade the reality of the Holy Spirit. (Same revision found in Rom. 15:19; Eph. 2:22; 3:5; Titus 3:5; James 2:26; 2 Peter 1:21.)
Rom 8:1	"Therefore those in union with Christ Jesus have no condemnation," Which omits the word NOW.	The NWT omits key words when to include them may contradict JW doctrine. The most glaring example is Rom 8:1 "Therefore those in union with Christ Jesus have no condemnation," Which omits the word NOW. This omission is evidently motivated by the fact that the JW's do not believe anyone can claim NOW to be free of condemnation.
Romans 8:23a	"Have the firstfruits of the Spirit" changed to "have the firstfruits, namely the spirit."	This represents another form of disguising the separate personality of the Holy Spirit as in Rom. 2:29 above. The original text refers to the derivatives of the Spirit, but the revision identifies the spirit as a derivative.
Romans 8:23b	"The redemption of our bodies" changed to "the release from our bodies by ransom."	This revision avoids the suggestion that there is continuity of either body or soul after death. Their teaching that the soul ceases to exist at the death of the body precludes the ownership of, or relationship to, a body that must be redeemed.
Romans 8:28	"All things" changed to "all his works."	The revision undermines the sovereignty of God by suggesting that He controls only the things He is directly involved in doing. This implies that God does not work ALL things together for the good of those that love God, but only those things which he himself does, over which he has control.
Romans 8:29	"Those God foreknew" changed to "those whom he gave his first recognition."	The revision obscures the nature of God's knowledge and power as a first recognition may or may not be foreknowledge.
Romans 9:5	"Christ, who is God over all, forever praised!" changed to "Christ, [sprang] according to the flesh: God who is over all, [be] blessed forever."	The direction proclamation that Christ is God is obscured by the altered text.
Romans 10:13	"Lord" changed to "Jehovah."	This revision obscures the fact that the Lord referred to in verse 13 is the same Lord called Jesus in verse 9. Since the JWs reject the deity of Jesus, the revision is made accordingly. The Greek word, kurios, translated "Lord" has been revised to "Jehovah" over 200 times in the NWT. The JWs insist that this is the only valid title for God, even though Greek-speaking Jews used "Lord" and "God" in place of "Yahweh" (the source of "Jehovah") throughout their Septuagint translation of the Old Testament. Furthermore, the Bible contains dozens of names for God other than Lord, Yahweh, or Jehovah.
Romans 13:1	"Authorities that exist have been established by God" changed to "authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God."	Since the JW regard saluting a flag, military service and similar forms of submission to government as idolatry, they have added words to the text to weaken the proclaimed authority of government.
1 Corinthians 6:19	"Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit" changed to "the body of YOU people is [the] temple of the holy spirit."	To avoid recognition of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the individual believer, the revision modifies "body" to a more collective form in harmony with the opposing JW doctrine.
1 Corinthians 10:4	"The Rock was Christ" changed to "that rock-mass meant the Christ."	The passage depicts the preincarnate Jesus exhibiting his divine nature by being present many centuries earlier. This revision tries to conceal his eternal nature with a more figurative interpretation of "the Rock."
1 Corinthians 12:11	"As he determines" changed to "as it wills."	The NWT finds many ways to disguise the personality of the Holy Spirit. In this case the third person pronoun exercising individual conscience and will is replaced with an impersonal pronoun.
1 Corinthians 14:14-16	"Spirit" changed to "[gift of the] spirit."	Like several other Biblical passages, this one indicates the distinctive presence of the human spirit as distinguished from the mind and body. The JWs evade these distinctions and try to disguise them with related revisions. The phrase GIFT OF THE is added in brackets five times, changing "SPIRIT" to "[GIFT OF THE] SPIRIT." The NWT elsewhere frequently paraphrases the simple word SPIRIT, especially when referring to the immaterial aspect of human nature, to avoid the implication that such a spirit has a reality distinct from the body. For instance, Heb 12:19 "the Father of spirits" (or the spirits) becomes "the Father of OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE." In Gal. 6:18 "your spirit" is paraphrased "THE SPIRIT YOU SHOW." Similar rewording's are introduced in passages where the simple translation of "spirit" or "Spirit" might imply that God's Spirit is a person, contrary to the JW's doctrine that the Holy Spirit is God's "active force." So, Jude's description of certain men as "not having the Spirit" (or more literally, not having spirit") is rendered "NOT HAVING SPIRITUALITY" (Jude 19).
1 Corinthians 15:2	"By this gospel you are saved" changed to "through which YOU are also being saved."	Similar to the Acts 16:30 revision above, this one again obscures the completeness of salvation by grace. The JW's salvation exists as an extended process ("being saved") with the outcome being uncertain until final judgment before Jehovah.

 

[The Learner]

Galatians 6:18	"Your spirit" changed to "the spirit YOU [show]."	Similar to the I Cor. 14 revision above, this one attempts to obscure the reality of the individual human spirit by presenting it more as an attitude of action than an entity.
Philippians 1:23	"To depart and be with Christ" changed to "the releasing and the being with Christ."	Paul's eagerness indicates that the believer's spirit goes immediately into Christ's presence at death. The revision suggests that death and being with Christ are two separate steps in an extended process, as the JWs believe in soul sleep (i.e., the unconscious state of the human spirit awaiting the resurrection). In Phil 1:23-24 several words are added without brackets that, along with some other changes, completely alter the structure and thereby also the meaning of the text. The passage reads in the NWT (with added words in brackets so you can see here) "I am under pressure from [THESE] two things; [BUT WHAT] I do desire is the releasing and the being with Christ, for this, [TO BE SURE], is far better." There are other errors as well, but the additions indicate here clearly change the meaning so as to avoid the test's implication that Paul would be with Christ after death. Some of the additions in brackets in the NWT so clearly change the meaning it is a wonder that more JW's don't question them? In 1Cor 14:12-16 the phrase GIFT OF THE is added in brackets five times, changing "spirit" to "[GIFT OF THE] spirit." The result is that Paul's contrast between his own personal "spirit" and his "mind" is removed. To assure that this contrast is missed, the word "MY" is also added in brackets before "MIND" twice in verse 15 but not before SPIRIT. Thus the simple contrast between "the spirit" and "the mind" (or "my spirit" and "my mind" NASB) is changed to "the [GIFT OF THE] spirit" and [MY] mind."
Phil 2:6	"Although Jesus existed in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself" (He grasped equality and let it go to become a man) has been changed to "although Jesus was existing in God's form, he gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God."	NWT teaches that Jesus was never equal with God nor did he ever grasp at it. Notice the word seizure, which implies grabbing that which is not yours to grab ie equality. If Jesus was created by God, why would He be considered humble for not thinking of himself as equal to God. That is not humility, but reality! However since Jesus was equal to God, it would require great humility to give up his status as God and become a man through Mary.
Col 1:16-20	the word "[other]" has been added 5 times where it is not in the Greek	Awful embarrassing for Jw's to read this verse with the [other] removed. Why it would mean Jesus was not a creature but God. By adding "other" to "all other things" Jw's attempt to avoid the obvious original intent of the Greek that Jesus is above all created things implying Jesus is not a creature! The addition of the word OTHER is usually justified by an appeal to such texts as Luke 11:41-42 and Luke 13:2,4, where the word OTHER is also added after the word ALL. However, in these passages (and in others were the same practice is rightly followed) the addition of the word OTHER doesn't change the meaning, but simply makes it read smoother. In Col 1:16-20, however, whether one adds "OTHER" makes a great deal of difference to the meaning! What is so often noticed is that the NWT does this same thing in several other passages as well (Acts 10:36; Rom 8:32; Phil 2:9). In Rom 8:32, the word OTHER is not even placed in brackets, contrary to the work's stated practice. In all of these text, the intent seems to be to undermine the implication of the text that Jesus Christ is God.
Colossians 1:19	"His fullness" changed to "fullness."	The definite Greek article (to), translated "his," indicates that Jesus shares the Father's divine nature as also shown in Col. 2:9. The revisions evade the truth by concealing the similarity of the two passages. Also notable is Col 1:19 "because [God] saw good for all fullness to dwell in him." Here the little word THE is omitted before FULLNESS. This is significant, because NWT renders "ALL FULLNESS" is ambiguous, whereas "ALL THE FULLNESS" clearly refers to the fullness of God's own being (compare Col 2:9).
Col 2:6-12		Again, in Col 2:6-12 "IN HIM" and "IN WHOM" (en auto, en ho) becomes "IN UNION WITH HIM" (v.6) "IN HIM" (V.V. 7,9) "BY MEANS OF HIM" (V. 10) and "BY RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM" (V.V..11,12). These variations serve only JW doctrine! They have no other purpose, they undermine the unity of the passage, which is that Christian life consists solely of a supernatural relationship with God through faith in Christ. There are many other passages where IN is paraphrased to avoid the otherwise clear meaning of the text. For example, In Matt. 5:19 IN becomes "IN RELATION TO" so as to avoid the passages teaching that some who disobey the law's commandments and teach others to do so will nevertheless be accepted "in the kingdom of heaven" (which JW's believe will be restricted to the 144,000 special chosen and sanctified believers).
Colossians 2:9	"The fullness of deity" changed to "the fullness of the divine quality."	The Greek theotes, translated "deity," literally means divine essence or divinity. As the JWs reject the divine nature of Jesus, a revision is inserted to suggest that Jesus is limited to only divine-like characteristics.

 

[The Learner]

I Timothy 4:1	"The Spirit" changed to "the inspired utterance."	This revision attempts to obscure the reality and activity of the Holy Spirit by representing it as a message instead of an entity. (Similar revisions found in 1 John 4:1, 3, 6 with "expression" being utilized in place of "utterance.") A straightforward "the SPIRIT says" would too obviously imply the personality of the "Spirit".
Titus 2:13	"Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" changed to "the great God and of [the] Savior of us, Christ Jesus."	Similar to the Rom. 9:5 revision shown above, a distinct proclamation of Jesus as God is obscured by the altered text. (Similar rewording also found in 2 Peter 1:1.)
Hebrews 1:6	"But when He again brings his First-born into the inhabited earth, he says: 'And let all God's angels worship him' ." (New World Translation, 1950, 1961, 1970 editions,	The NWT revised 1971 edition was changed to read, "do obeisance to" rather than "worship". This change remains to this day, even though the original word chosen by the 4 NWT translators, was accurate to the Greek. However the Watchtower society was losing so may new converts because of the word "worship" (only God gets worshipped) that they did the typically dishonorable thing and chose the obscure unknown word "obeisance" to complete the deception of new converts.
Hebrews 1:8	"Your throne, 0 God" changed to "God is your throne."	The revision avoids addressing the Son, Jesus, as God to validate the JWs' rejection of his divine nature.
Hebrews 9:14	"The eternal Spirit" changed to "an everlasting spirit."	Similar to the Rom. 2:29 revision above, the switching of the article before the adjective represents the work of the Holy Spirit in a more indirect/ impersonal manner.
Hebrews 12:9	"Father of our spirits" changed to "Father of our spiritual life."	Similar to the I Cor. 14 revision shown above, this one tries to obscure the distinctive reality of human spirits by replacing them with a more abstract noun.
Hebrews 12:23	"The spirits of righteous men" changed to "the spiritual lives of righteous ones."	This revision represents the same noun-switching as described in Heb. 12:9 above.
Hebrews 12:28	"We are receiving a kingdom" changed to "we are to receive a kingdom."	An orthodox Christian understanding of the Kingdom recognizes it as primarily established through Jesus' victorious death, then further through post-resurrection displays of his power, and perpetually through the addition of new believers into God's family. The JWs teach that Jesus' Kingdom did not begin until his invisible return in 1914. The form of the Greek word for "receiving" (paralambano) implies a current condition, but the revision suggests a future event according to the JW doctrine.
1 Peter 1:11	"Spirit of Christ in them was pointing" changed to "the spirit in them was indicating concerning Christ."	Another example of the supernatural presence of Jesus in the life of a Christian is obscured again by this revision as the JW doctrinal view presents him as more limited.
I Peter 3:18-19	"By the Spirit, through whom" changed to "in the spirit. In this [state]."	Similar to several examples presented above, in this passage the presence and personality of the Holy Spirit is obscured with a more abstract representation of the Holy Spirit to accommodate the JW doctrine.
1 John 4:1-6	"Spirit" changed to "inspired expression"	Even clearer is 1 John 4:1-6. John has just stated that we know our union with God is secure "owing to the spirit which he gave us" (3:24). The next sentence in the NWT reads; "Beloved ones, believe not every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God" (4:1). One would never suspect from this rendering that "INSPIRED EXPRESSION" translates the same Greek word (pneuma) as "SPIRIT" in 3:24 (see 4:2,3,6). John's whole point is that although the Spirit's presence assures us of God's love, we are not to believe every "spirit" that claims to be from God but test each one by the teachings it prophets espouses. "Because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (4:1). The NWT obscures this point to avoid the implication that God's Spirit is a person rather than a force (just as the demonic spirits are personal entities and not impersonal forces, as the JW accept). The same doctrinal bias can be seen in 1 Tim 4:1, where the NWT reads; However, the inspired utterance says...." A straightforward "the SPIRIT says" would too obviously imply the personality of the "Spirit".
Jude 19	"Have the Spirit" changed to "having spirituality."	Similar to Gal. 6:18 above, this revision attempts to obscure the separate presence of the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 3:14	"Ruler of God's creation" changed to "beginning of the creation by God."	The altered prepositions distract from the sovereignty of Jesus indicated in the passage and suggests that the real power of creation was accomplished through the Father, as the JWs believe that Jesus is a created being.

 

[The Learner]

ADDING WORDS

In Colossians 1:16-20 the word "other" is added four times in the NWT to make it appear that Christ is part of creation. Paul is thus made to say that "all [other] things" were created in and for Christ, as if Christ were one of the created things. It is, of course, legitimate for translators to add the word "other" where this does not change the meaning but simply makes for smoother English (e.g., Luke 11:41-42; 13:2,4). In Colossians 1:16-20, however, adding "other" substantially changes the meaning.

What is not so often recognized is that the NWT does this same thing in several other passages as well (Acts 10:36; Romans 8:32; Phil. 2:9). In Romans 8:32 ("....will he not also with him [Jesus] kindly give us all other things?"), the word "other" is not even placed in brackets, contrary to the work's stated practice.[5] In each case, the intent is apparently to undermine the implication of the text that Jesus Christ is God.

There are several other texts where the NWT adds words without brackets which change the texts' meaning. Some of these have real doctrinal significance. In Romans 8:28 "all things" is changed to "all his works." This implies that God does not work "all things" together for good to those who love God, but only those things which He Himself does, over which He therefore has control. This allows for their belief that God does not have control over all things.

In Philippians 1:23-24 (NWT) several words are added without brackets that, along with some other changes, completely alter the structure and thereby the meaning of the text. The passage reads in the NWT (with the added words italicized), "I am under pressure from these two things; but what I do desire is the releasing and the being with Christ, for this, to be sure, is far better." There are other errors as well, but the additions indicated here clearly change the meaning. JWs translate it this way in order to avoid the text's implication that at death Paul would be with Christ. Such an implication would contradict their belief that death involves the annihilation of the soul.

Some of the additions in brackets with the NWT so clearly change the meaning that it is a wonder that more JWs do not question them. In 1 Corinthians 14:12-16 the expression "gift of the" is added in brackets five times, changing "spirit" to "[gift of the] spirit." The result is that Paul's contrast between his own personal "spirit" and his "mind" is removed, which again serves the JW doctrine that the spirit is not a distinct entity which survives death. To assure that this contrast is missed, the word "my" is also added in brackets before "mind" twice in verse 15. Thus the simple contrast between "the spirit" and "the mind" is changed to "the [gift of the] spirit" and "[my] mind."

OMITTING WORDS​

 

[The Learner]

OMITTING WORDS

The NWT also omits key words on occasion, when retaining them in the text would seem to contradict JW doctrine. The most glaring example is Romans 8:1, "Therefore those in union with Christ Jesus have no condemnation," which omits the word "now." This omission is evidently motivated by the fact that JWs do not believe anyone can claim to be free of condemnation now.

Also notable is the NWT rendering of Colossians 1:19, "because [God] saw good for all fullness to dwell in him." Here the little word "the" is omitted before "fullness." This is significant, because in the NWT rendering "all fullness" is ambiguous, whereas "all the fullness" clearly refers to the "fullness" of God's own being (cf. Col. 2:9).

John 14:14 should also be mentioned. In the NWT this reads, "If YOU ask anything in my name, I will do it." The Greek text in the KIT, however, has "me" after "ask." It therefore should be translated, "If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." It is true that some later Greek manuscripts omitted this word, but most of the earlier ones included it, and most modern editions of the Greek New Testament (including those used by the JWs in producing the NWT) include it. At the very least, the NWT ought to have mentioned this reading in a note.

CHANGING WORDS

The NWT is further guilty of mistranslating or paraphrasing words in a way which not only does a disservice to the text but betrays its prevailing doctrinal bias as well. It does this with words as small as prepositions.

Of course, it is possible to make too much of prepositions. Words like "in," "of," "into," and "with" really do not in and of themselves have doctrinal significance. Only as these words are attached to other words do they take on significance. It is also important to recognize that a preposition can have different meanings in different contexts. Yet -- though this is true -- prepositions do have recognizable functions and meanings and cannot be translated in whatever manner one chooses.

In violation of this, the NWT translates the simple preposition "in" (Greek, en) with unnecessary variations which often obscure or alter the meaning of the passage. This is illustrated in 1 John 5:20 where the NWT reads in part, "And we are in union with the true one, by means of his Son Jesus Christ." Reading this translation, one would never suspect that in union with and by means of translate the same simple Greek preposition. There is no sound reason for this variation. "And we are in union with the true one, in union with his Son Jesus Christ," would have brought out John's point that union with Christ is union with God.

Again, in Colossians 2:6-12 the preposition "in" is translated by the NWT using unnecessary variations. The Greek phrase en auto ("in him") is translated "in union with him" (v. 6b), "in him" (vv. 7a,9), and "by means of him" (v. 10). En ho ("in whom") is translated "by relationship with him" (vv. 11a,12a). These variations of "in" serve no useful purpose, undermine the unity of the passage, and obscure the point of the author which is that the Christian life consists of a supernatural relationship with Christ through faith.

There are many other passages where "in" is paraphrased in the NWT to avoid the otherwise clear meaning of the text. For example, in Matthew 5:19 "in" is translated "in relation to." This is done to avoid the passage's teaching that some who disobey the Law's commandments and teach others to do so will nevertheless be accepted "in the kingdom of heaven." (JWs believe the Kingdom will be restricted to 144,000 specially chosen and sanctified believers).

Another kind of mistranslation involves the word "believe." One of the most offensive teachings of evangelical Christianity to the JWs (and to many others as well) is that God reckons the sinner righteous on the basis of simple faith, or believing, in Christ. Of course, where "faith" or "belief" is reduced to mental assent to a doctrine, this is rightly rejected. But biblical justification is based on faith in Christ not faith in a doctrine. Nonetheless, even when this teaching is properly defined it is offensive to the JWs, as is evidenced by their attempt to obscure this truth in the NWT.

Most notable in this regard is the NWT rendering of the Greek word for "believe" (pisteuo) as "exercise faith" instead of "believe." As others have noted, to "exercise faith" implies more than to believe; it implies doing works on the basis of one's belief. The NWT almost always renders pisteuo as "exercise faith" when it concerns God's free pardon and justification of those who believe in Christ (e.g., John 1:12; 3:16-18 [but note v. 15]; Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:22).

It was noted earlier that in 1 Corinthians 14:12-16 the phrase "gift of the" is added in brackets five times, changing "spirit" to "[gift of the] spirit." The NWT elsewhere frequently paraphrases the simple word "spirit" -- especially when referring to the immaterial aspect of human nature -- in order to avoid the implication that such a spirit has a reality distinct from the body. For instance, in Hebrews 12:9 "the Father of spirits" becomes "the Father of our spiritual life." In Galatians 6:18 "your spirit" is paraphrased "the spirit YOU show."​

 

[The Learner]

Similar rewordings are introduced in passages where the simple translation "spirit" or "Spirit" might imply that God's Spirit is a person, contrary to their doctrine that "holy spirit" is God's "active force." So, Jude's description of certain men as "not having the Spirit" is rendered "not having spirituality" (Jude 19).

Even clearer is 1 John 4:1-6. John has just stated that we know our union with God is secure "owing to the spirit which he gave us" (3:24). The next sentence (4:1) in the NWT reads, "Beloved ones, believe not every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God..." (4:1a; emphases added). One would never suspect from this rendering that "inspired expression" translates the same Greek word (pneuma) as was translated "spirit" in 3:24 (see also 4:2,3,6). John's whole point is that although the Spirit's presence in us gives us assurance of God's love, we are not to believe every "spirit" that claims to be from God, but test them by the teachings which their prophets espouse, "because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (4:1b). The NWT obscures this point of God's Word in order to avoid its implication that His "Spirit" is a person rather than a force (just as the demonic "spirits" are personal entities and not impersonal forces, as JWs recognize).

The same doctrinal bias is seen in 1 Timothy 4:1 where the NWT reads, "However, the inspired utterance says...." A straightforward "the spirit says" would too obviously imply the personality of the "spirit."

Finally, the way in which the NWT most systematically distorts the teaching of Scripture is in its handling of the names and titles used for God. Two points must be made here.

First and most obvious is the appearance of "Jehovah" over 200 times in the NWT New Testament where the Greek text has kurios ("Lord"). Other writers have exposed the scholarly errors involved;[6] I will not repeat their work here. Instead I wish to point out two ways in which this distorts the teaching of the New Testament.

The New Testament follows the practice of the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament used by most Greek-speaking Jews in the first century) in substituting the word "Lord" (and occasionally "God") for the divine name "Yahweh" (or "Jehovah"). By so doing, the New Testament makes it clear that the use of "Jehovah" is not necessary for Christians, contrary to the JWs' claim.

Moreover, the substitution of "Jehovah" for "Lord" often obscures the meaning of passages relating to Jesus Christ. A good example is Romans 10:9-13, where Christ is called "Lord" (kurios) three times, concluding with verse 13, a quote from the Septuagint where the "Lord" is Jehovah. The NWT, by rendering kurios in verse 13 as "Jehovah" but as "Lord" in verses 9 and 12, has obscured the fact that in this passage Jesus is being identified as Jehovah by the use of the title "Lord."

The second way the NWT has systematically abused the divine names or titles is in its handling of texts in which Jesus is called God. There are nine texts where Jesus is definitely called God (Isa. 9:6; John 1:1,18; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 1:8; 2 Pet. 1:1; 1 John 5:20; possibly also Acts 20:28).[7] Of these, four are translated so that Jesus is not called God at all (Rom. 9:5; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 1:8; 2 Pet. 1:1). Two are rendered so that he is "a god" or "god" (John 1:1,18). The remaining three texts (Isa. 9:6; John 20:28; 1 John 5:20) are interpreted so that either Jesus is not called God at all or he is called God only in some lesser sense. In short, wherever possible, the NWT has translated texts which in their natural reading plainly call Jesus God in such a way that they no longer make that identification.

Only a small sampling of doctrinally-motivated mistranslations in the NWT have been documented here. We have seen words added, words omitted, and words and phrases paraphrased improperly with a view toward transmuting the Bible into JW doctrine. We have seen that these mistranslations conveniently support the distinctive JW understanding of the name "Jehovah" and their denials of Christ's deity, the personhood of the Holy Spirit, the separableness of the human spirit from the body, spiritual life after the death of the body for Christians, God's absolute sovereign control over the world, the unity of God's people, and justification by faith. Were we to extend the study, we would see that every distinctive of the JWs has strategically been insinuated into the text of the NWT in a way that to the non-JW clearly shows doctrinal bias.​

 

[The Learner]

One possible criticism of this survey would be that it does not consider the arguments JWs would advance in defense of their controversial renderings in the NWT. In reply I must point out that to address such arguments would necessarily mean limiting the examples of mistranslation to just a few. But, it is my experience and doubtless that of many others that no JW will admit that there might be so much as one doctrinally-slanted verse in the NWT. To defend such a position, however, they must now satisfactorily explain all of the examples given here. In any case, the more in-depth treatment a specific text is given (including evaluation of arguments in its favor), the more evidence piles up that the JW renderings are wrong and biased.

In Part Three of this series, a specific passage of the Bible will be examined in-depth as a case in point. I shall argue that the methods and presuppositions of biblical interpretation used by the JWs are seriously flawed and lead them into error.

NOTES

1 The New World Translation of the "Christian Greek Scriptures" was first published in 1950, with the complete Bible appearing in 1961. All citations from the NWT are from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures: With References (Brooklyn: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1984), hereafter cited as NWT (1984).
2 "Watchtower Authority and the Bible," CHRISTIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL 11 (Fall 1988):19-21.
3 "By Way of Explanation," in The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, rev. ed. (Brooklyn: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1985), 5.
4 Ibid.
5 NWT (1984), 7.
6 See Robert H. Countess, The Jehovah's Witnesses' New Testament: A Critical Analysis of the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Co., 1982), 19-40, and especially Doug Mason, JEHOVAH in the Jehovah's Witnesses' New World Translation (n.p.: Doug Mason, 1987; available from Bethel Ministries, CP-258, Manhattan Beach, CA 92667).
7 On John 1:1 and 20:28, see my Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus Christ, and the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989). On Romans 9:5, see Bruce M. Metzger, "The Punctuation of Rom. 9:5," in Christ and Spirit in the New Testament: In Honour of Charles Francis Digby Moule, ed. Barnabas Lindars and Stephen S. Smalley (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1973), 95-112.

​

 

[The Learner]

JESUS IS JEHOVAH

JWs deny that Jesus is Jehovah, maintaining instead that He is a created angel. Although the NT does not say in just so many words, "Jesus is Jehovah," in more than one place it does say that "Jesus is Lord," which is the clearest way the NT could affirm that Jesus is Jehovah (Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3; Phil. 2:11). Elsewhere the NT calls Jesus "Lord" in contexts where it is quoting or paraphrasing OT texts which in the Hebrew used the divine name (e.g., Heb. 1:10-12; 1 Pet. 2:3; 3:14-15). Moreover, when the apostle Paul uses the expression "one Lord" (e.g., 1 Cor. 8:6), it is clear from the context that he always has Jesus in mind, even though "one Lord" in the OT means "one Jehovah" (Deut. 6:4).[19]

The JWs have attempted to turn this evidence on its head by arguing that the substitution of "Lord" for the divine name in the NT resulted in "confusion" between the Lord Jehovah and the Lord Jesus. They have recently found an ally in this claim in Bible scholar George Howard, who also supports their claim that the original Septuagint used the divine name.[20]

The evidence from the NT, however, contradicts the JWs' (and Howard's) theory. As already noted, the claim that the NT originally used the divine name contradicts the manuscript evidence and the teaching of the NT. Moreover, it can be shown that if "Jehovah" is substituted for "Lord" in the NT selectively in order to avoid Jesus being called Jehovah, the passages where this is done become incoherent. This is especially clear in Romans 10:9-13 where Paul's argument depends on the "Lord" of verse 13 (who must be Jehovah, since it is a quotation from Joel 2:32) being the same as the "Lord" (Jesus) of verse 9.​