Post by kangaroojack on Jan 7, 2011 12:25:55 GMT -5
TO ALL:
Why does the NWT translate "ego eimi" (I am) in reference to Jesus inconsistently:
John 8: 24, 28, 58; 13:19:
8:24: For if you do not believe that I am [he], YOU will die in YOUR sins.”
8:28: Therefore Jesus said: “When once YOU have lifted up the Son of man, then YOU will know that I am [he],
8:58: Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to YOU, Before Abraham came into existence, I have been.”
13:19: From this moment on I am telling YOU before it occurs, in order that when it does occur YOU may believe that I am [he].
Please note that the NWT translates "ego eimi" correctly in all verses but John 8:58 where they change it to the perfect "I have been."
Hmmmm.... Do you think that the translators were hiding something?
Titus 2:13 & 2 Peter 1:11: JESUS “OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR”:
Roo
Why does the NWT translate "ego eimi" (I am) in reference to Jesus inconsistently:
John 8: 24, 28, 58; 13:19:
8:24: For if you do not believe that I am [he], YOU will die in YOUR sins.”
8:28: Therefore Jesus said: “When once YOU have lifted up the Son of man, then YOU will know that I am [he],
8:58: Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to YOU, Before Abraham came into existence, I have been.”
13:19: From this moment on I am telling YOU before it occurs, in order that when it does occur YOU may believe that I am [he].
Please note that the NWT translates "ego eimi" correctly in all verses but John 8:58 where they change it to the perfect "I have been."
Hmmmm.... Do you think that the translators were hiding something?
In the NWT this verse, Isaiah 43:10, reads, “‘YOU are my witnesses,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘even my servant whom I have chosen, in order that YOU may know and have faith in me, and that YOU may understand that I am the same One. Before me there was no God formed, and after me there continued to be none.’” Jesus uses the very same phrase of Himself in John 13:19, which explains how His revelation of the future would aid the disciples to have true faith in Him; for only God can know the future. It likewise explains why the Jews reacted as they did when Jesus used this phrase in 8:58; for only God has always existed. It also explains why the soldiers who would have no knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures would fall back on the ground when Christ identified Himself as the very I Am; for only God’s own presence could cause this involuntary reaction. In each instance those who heard Jesus recognized that He was God, or that He was claiming to be so.
When we review the entire record of John’s use of this phrase, the NWT’s inconsistency is strikingly evident, as is the utter futility of its attempt to hide this truth. The NWT does not mistranslate ego eimi in these other instances. In John 8:24 the NWT has “I am [he].” In John 13:19 and 18:5–6 the same translation appears. By attempting to hide this truth in just one instance, the translation testifies to its own inconsistency and its true purpose. When we approach the disputed text by first examining verses in which the NWT accurately renders the phrase so as to view the text in a wider context, we can avoid much of the argumentation and defense that Witnesses offer and can present the truth clearly to them.
When we review the entire record of John’s use of this phrase, the NWT’s inconsistency is strikingly evident, as is the utter futility of its attempt to hide this truth. The NWT does not mistranslate ego eimi in these other instances. In John 8:24 the NWT has “I am [he].” In John 13:19 and 18:5–6 the same translation appears. By attempting to hide this truth in just one instance, the translation testifies to its own inconsistency and its true purpose. When we approach the disputed text by first examining verses in which the NWT accurately renders the phrase so as to view the text in a wider context, we can avoid much of the argumentation and defense that Witnesses offer and can present the truth clearly to them.
Titus 2:13 & 2 Peter 1:11: JESUS “OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR”:
Another excellent example of how one can actually use the errant or strained translations of the NWT to the advantage of the truth is found in the Bible’s description of Jesus as our “God and Savior” in Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1. In both instances we have an example of a syntactical7 formula in the Greek language known as Granville Sharp’s Rule, and once again, as soon as grammar enters most conversations, those involved will be looking to move elsewhere very quickly. In addition, Witnesses who are better read can always find a translation here or a scholar there to provide support for the NWT rendering. As with the previous example, however, when we take a wider approach we not only can demonstrate the bias and error of the NWT, but we can give a memorable testimony to the truth as well.
Compare the NASB and the NWT on these passages:
Titus 2:13: “…looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (NASB).
“…while we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of [the] Savior of us, Christ Jesus” (NWT).
2 Peter 1:1: “…by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (NASB).
“…by the righteousness of our God and [the] Savior Jesus Christ” (NWT).
The NWT clearly seeks to put as much distance as possible between the terms “God” and “Savior,” while the NASB equates the two, describing one person, Jesus Christ, as both “God and Savior.” The Watchtower Society, which denies the deity of Christ, obviously cannot describe Him as “God and Savior,” so a wide variety of arguments have been developed to substantiate their translation; again, however, context allows the believer to establish the truth without first obtaining a degree in Greek syntax.
The context of the passage in Titus 2 indicates that only one person is in view: Christians are looking for the appearing, the coming, of Jesus Christ. The sentence continues into verse 14 with only one person, Christ, in view. He “gave Himself” to “purify for Himself” a people. This language is reminiscent of the redemptive work of Jehovah with reference to Israel (e.g., Ps. 130:7–8; Ezek. 37:23; Exod. 19:5), but here it is speaking of the work of Jesus Christ in particular. There is simply no reason to insert a gratuitous and unnatural reference to the Father into the middle of this passage unless your real reasons have nothing to do with the context or language but everything to do with your theology, as is the case with the NWT.
Being only part of the opening lines of an epistle (or “letter”), 2 Peter 1:1 does not have the kind of contextual support we find surrounding Titus 2:13. The epistle of 2 Peter as a whole, however, provides a powerful example of the inconsistency of the NWT and its blatant theological bias. Compare a transliteration of the Greek text of the last phrase in verse 1 (“…our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”) with the text only 10 verses later:
tou theou hemon kai soteros Iesou Christou (v. 1)
tou kuriou hemon kai soteros Iesou Christou (v. 11)
These phrases are grammatically and syntactically identical, with only one variation: the Greek term theou (the genitive singular form of the word “God”) in verse 1 over against the term kuriou (the genitive singular form of the word “Lord”) in verse 11.
The NWT gives itself away by translating the phrase in verse 11 correctly: “…our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” In fact, we likewise find identical grammatical constructions in 2 Peter 2:20 and 3:18 that the NWT translates correctly. The only reason for the NWT’s rendering in 2 Peter 1:1 is clear: their theology demands it and precludes the correct rendering. By starting with 2 Peter 1:11, then examining 2:20 and 3:18, and moving back to 1:1, we can demonstrate the theological bias of the translation, hopefully laying the foundation for further discussion of the specifics of the passage.
www.equip.org/article....slation
Compare the NASB and the NWT on these passages:
Titus 2:13: “…looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (NASB).
“…while we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of [the] Savior of us, Christ Jesus” (NWT).
2 Peter 1:1: “…by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (NASB).
“…by the righteousness of our God and [the] Savior Jesus Christ” (NWT).
The NWT clearly seeks to put as much distance as possible between the terms “God” and “Savior,” while the NASB equates the two, describing one person, Jesus Christ, as both “God and Savior.” The Watchtower Society, which denies the deity of Christ, obviously cannot describe Him as “God and Savior,” so a wide variety of arguments have been developed to substantiate their translation; again, however, context allows the believer to establish the truth without first obtaining a degree in Greek syntax.
The context of the passage in Titus 2 indicates that only one person is in view: Christians are looking for the appearing, the coming, of Jesus Christ. The sentence continues into verse 14 with only one person, Christ, in view. He “gave Himself” to “purify for Himself” a people. This language is reminiscent of the redemptive work of Jehovah with reference to Israel (e.g., Ps. 130:7–8; Ezek. 37:23; Exod. 19:5), but here it is speaking of the work of Jesus Christ in particular. There is simply no reason to insert a gratuitous and unnatural reference to the Father into the middle of this passage unless your real reasons have nothing to do with the context or language but everything to do with your theology, as is the case with the NWT.
Being only part of the opening lines of an epistle (or “letter”), 2 Peter 1:1 does not have the kind of contextual support we find surrounding Titus 2:13. The epistle of 2 Peter as a whole, however, provides a powerful example of the inconsistency of the NWT and its blatant theological bias. Compare a transliteration of the Greek text of the last phrase in verse 1 (“…our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”) with the text only 10 verses later:
tou theou hemon kai soteros Iesou Christou (v. 1)
tou kuriou hemon kai soteros Iesou Christou (v. 11)
These phrases are grammatically and syntactically identical, with only one variation: the Greek term theou (the genitive singular form of the word “God”) in verse 1 over against the term kuriou (the genitive singular form of the word “Lord”) in verse 11.
The NWT gives itself away by translating the phrase in verse 11 correctly: “…our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” In fact, we likewise find identical grammatical constructions in 2 Peter 2:20 and 3:18 that the NWT translates correctly. The only reason for the NWT’s rendering in 2 Peter 1:1 is clear: their theology demands it and precludes the correct rendering. By starting with 2 Peter 1:11, then examining 2:20 and 3:18, and moving back to 1:1, we can demonstrate the theological bias of the translation, hopefully laying the foundation for further discussion of the specifics of the passage.
www.equip.org/article....slation
Roo
