Elizabeth Maracin former JW
Dear Brian
Below is the letter with the appropriate references quoted. Also, I've attached a list of the false dates set by the Watchtower as a reference for you. Many can be verified. I am not aware of any prior to the late 1800's though. Here is where they were found. It consists of 108 pages. This is the MacGregor Ministries list. I had created one very similar to it but their's is more comprehensive than mine could have ever been and that's why I'm providing it here for you now.
As for the Scriptures I've quoted they came from my Zondervan Archaeological Study Bible, NIV. I copied and pasted them from the Bible CD that accompanies the book.
The letter below was altered just slightly, but it's still effective. I hope you'll fell free to use it now. I am continuing to do some research and will let you know how it turns out.
Love in Christ,
Liz
-------Original Message------- Letter Elizabeth wrote to her friend who is still a Jehovah's Witness
My dear friend,
I'm glad you emailed me. I've been thinking of you daily too. This letter is incredibly long and I think you should print it out. There are some things further into the letter you might want to talk about with your husband (and fellow JW), offer thoughts to me on, or just take away from the pc so it’s easier to read/discuss with your husband (and fellow JW) and you'll probably make notes as you go along so you can make a reply to me. I'm not sure. You might not.
I understand how you feel but for me this is the way I have to go. I don't want you to be puzzled, I want you to understand that I can not have material that has these images in them and believe me or not but I'm most definitely not the only person who's found this in there or the Governing Body would not have issued a letter to be read to all the congregations regarding this matter. Truly I'm thankful that God opened my eyes and I was able to see it and move on with studying the Bible and continuing to grow closer to God and developing my relationship and trust in Him.
I would disagree that smoking or anything else cause someone to see these things because when I was smoking I did not see it, when I stopped, that's when I found them. I hadn't smoked when I found these. It most definitely was not caused by smoking, drinking, committing a gross sin against God.....nothing like that. I was absolutely clean physically, mentally, emotionally, morally and I think spiritually when I found those. So I don't think it was anything other than God opening my eyes. I really do believe that. I believe it was shown to me while I was in a state of 'purity' for a reason and that reason was to get out.
I am not saying that God tried me with something evil or that I'm trying God with something evil; I'm saying God saved me. There is a reason those images are in there. I unbound the Isaiah book and after scanning them onto the pc I was able to find pictures, signs, demonic symbols, etc in there also. As a matter of fact there are images in every book that I had. I can't explain why they are in there any more than you can understand that they're really even in there, but they are and I can't have that association. You told me yourself that we can't have association with the demons, Satan, or anything demonic. That means I can't continue with the study and that I can't come back to the Kingdom Hall because we use those materials for the meetings. After finding the great number of images and so forth I had to stop looking at the material all together because I am positive I was being demonically oppressed and influenced by continuing to look at the material.
Honestly the images are only a part of my withdrawal from the 'organization'. I've been doing a lot of Biblical research because I was so concerned about all this. I have found a number of passages that have been comforting. I feel like my eyes really were opened. I looked up John 8:32 and it says "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." There's another passage in Isaiah 42:7 that says, "to open eyes that are blind,"
I did some additional research because I was concerned about some of the predictions or prophecies that were made early on in the ‘organization’, like why there are about 100 pages that I've been able to put together that have various false prophecies made by the ‘organization’, now 1 or 2 or even 3 I might could have possibly excused but definitely not 100 pages worth of these predictions/prophecies that didn't come true or were changed because of new 'enlightenment' by the ‘organization’ and then I found in Deut. 18:20-22: “But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death." You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That Prophet has spoken presumptuously." (FOR A COMPREHENSIVE LIST, MORE COMPLETE THAT THE ONE I HAD PUT TOGETHER PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK: http://www.macgregorministries.org/jehovahs_witnesses/false_prophecies.html)
That got my attention so I decided to look up some more info about False Apostles. I found in 2 Cor. 11:3 – 5: “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.”
2 Cor. 11:26 – ‘….and in danger from false brothers.’
Galations 1:6-9 – “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!”
There’s also The Man of Lawlessness in 2 Thess. 2:1-12 – “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
False Teachers and Their Destruction
2Pe 2:1-22 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—a beast without speech—who spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”
Matthew, Chapter 7:
"Be on the watch for the false prophets that come to you in sheep's covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they?...A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit...Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those (men)." (NWT)
I’m concerned about the Instructions given to Timothy based on what I’ve learned about the failed prophecies of the WT.
1Ti 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 1Ti 4:2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (There are demons in the material from the WT)
I know you are wondering why I’m going on about false prophets. There have been a great number of failed or false prophecies or teachings sent out by the WT over the years. You and I both know that they have changed the date and understanding of the return of Christ in his Kingdom glory a number of times over the years. In the April 1, 1972 WT article it says: 'They Shall Know that a Prophet Was Among Them.' This “prophet” was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses. They are still proclaiming a warning, and have been joined and assisted in their commissioned work by hundreds of thousands of persons who have listened to their message with belief.” In the above quote the Society identifies itself as Jehovah’s prophet, that's obviously the case anyway as the name is Jehovah's Witnesses! As such they are responsible for the accuracy or inaccuracies of the word that is spoken in Jehovah’s name! (The mentioned article is in the April 1, 1972 Watchtower magazine, I did an internet search and found this copy online http://jamaat.net/comp/jw/whoguides.html) *Also, there is another WT article that can be viewed at http://jamaat.net/comp/jw/whoguidesb.html, it is enlightening not to mention there are a large number of articles located at http://www.blueletterbible.org/study/cults/exposejw/chap2.html. I have some originals but appreciate that they are provided on this site along with articles I did not have)
If you understand the statements above you’ll see that the WT is a false prophet according to their own literature and I won’t read it, believe it or study it any longer. There are a great number of inconsistencies and I’m just not going to blindly follow the ‘organization’ without researching their history and past and failed predictions any longer. I can’t. I will not follow blindly. God gave us intelligence and the opportunity and ability to ‘test’ out the ‘prophets’ and their ‘prophecies’ to determine if they came from God or not and I say that according to my own personal investigation the WT has proven false.
There is one other thing that troubles me terribly. I have been concerned with the deity of the Christ and with God’s divine name. So I bought a Hebrew – English Old Testament translation. It always struck me as odd that in Exodus 3:14 there were so many comments in the footnotes about what it could say or how to render it. In the NWT it says “I SHALL PROVE TO BE WHAT I SHALL PROVE TO BE.” And the footnote says ‘The reference here is not to God’s self-existence but to what he has in mind to become toward others.’ That’s not really the case if you read the direct, word for word translation from Hebrew to English. It says, “God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” The reason that becomes important and why the translation here really matters and must be accurate pertains to the deity of the Christ.
Jn 8:54-59 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.
Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” “You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I AM!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Now why would they have tried to stone Jesus if they had not thought that he’d committed blasphemy by making reference as he did to himself as the great I AM. They knew that was the name given to Moses to give to the Israelites.
The same reference is made in Mark 14:60 – 64: ‘Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?”
Mk 14:61-64 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” q
“I AM,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
Then again there is a reference in John 20:28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Also, I think the deity of the Christ is hidden by the difference in the translation of 1 Timothy 1:13-17. If you would look that up in the NWT and then compare it to the Greek – English translation it says: “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
1Ti 1:14-17 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The NWT uses ‘in connection with Christ Jesus’ not ‘along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.’
The NWT uses ‘Christ Jesus might demonstrate all his long-suffering for a sample of those who are going to rest their faith on him for everlasting life’ not ‘Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.’
The NWT uses ‘Now to the Kind of eternity, incorruptible, invisible, [the] only God’ not ‘Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God.’
Those brackets are inappropriately inserted there in the NWT to make Jesus ‘a god’ not ‘The God.’
In my mind these are NOT the same translations. They mean something slightly different and discourages readers from recognizing the deity of the Christ which is important to our salvation.
If there is no such thing as the Trinity and if Jesus was not God in the flesh why does Acts 20:28 say: “Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
Heb 1:8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
Or 1 Timothy 3:16: “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
Here is another thought that perplexes me. IF Christ returned as believed in 1914 why is there a Memorial celebration at all? 1 Corinthians 11:26 clearly says “ For as often as YOU eat this loaf and drink this cup, YOU keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.” Christ came to earth first as a man. That’s coming number one. Then he had an invisible second coming in 1914 and if we interpret 1 Cor. 11:26 to show that Christ ‘arrives’ at Armageddon (which was another WT teaching) that would make the Third coming and that’s clearly one more than the Bible states. (Even though this was my thought there is mention and further info about this under the heading A Truly Non-Prophet Organization, located http://www.blueletterbible.org/study/cults/exposejw/chap3.html)
I decided to research people involved in the translations personally. I found that the Society used a translation by a SPIRIT MEDIUM, Johannes Greber, to support their rendering of John 1:1 with full knowledge that his sources were DEMONIC. Greber was exposed in the Feb. 15/56 WT. However in 1961 there was released a translation based on his occult one, then it was denied that they knew what they were doing on page 31 of the Apr. 1, 1983 WT. (This information was available to me via the 1983 WT magazine, but this and other info can be found at http://www.bible.ca/Jw-Dont-Know.htm, other info regarding the Feb. 15, 1956 WT can be found at http://www.premier1.net/~raines/wtgreber.html, upon further research there is also a piece on Greber located here http://www.premier1.net/~raines/greber.html)
None of the New World Translation "translating committee" knew much Biblical Greek or Hebrew. They were not scholars at all. And this is the reason why the identities of the translators were kept from the average Witness but with just a little research their identities can be discovered. Searches regarding William Cetnar provide information.)
The information as to the identity of the translation committee was made known by former Jehovah's Witness William Cetnar. Cetnar supplied this information and it’s credible because he worked at the International Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses during the time the translation was being prepared. (His testimony can be located at William Cetnar
(This was the one that translated his testimony into English. A list of the translators is found in his testimony.)
In addition, former member of the WT's Governing Body, Raymond V. Franz, in his book, Crisis of Conscience, lists the translators' names as Franz, Knorr, Schroeder and Gangas. His list omits Henschel. Franz further acknowledges his uncle Frederick Franz as the "principal translator of the Society's New World Translation"
Fred Franz, who for many years headed the Society, perjured himself under oath in Scotland in a court trial, by saying he could read Hebrew, and then he failed a simple Hebrew test. (An interesting article is located here http://www.watchman.org/jw/jwcourt.htm)
While there is no evidence that the NWT Translation Committee possessed knowledge of the original languages, there is evidence that Frederick Franz lacked such knowledge. Under cross-examination in a court case in Scotland in 1954, Franz refused to translate Genesis 2:4 from English into Hebrew:
Cross: "You, yourself, read and speak Hebrew, do you?"
Franz: "I do not speak Hebrew."
Cross: "You do not?"
Franz: "No."
Cross: "Can you, yourself, translate that into Hebrew?"
Franz: "Which?"
Cross: "That fourth verse of the Second Chapter of Genesis?"
Franz: "You mean here?"
Cross: "Yes."
Franz: "No. I won't attempt to do that."
This trial transcript has been appealed to by a number of Christian writers to demonstrate Franz's lack of skill in Hebrew. For example, Ron Rhodes writes that Franz failed "a simple Hebrew test". In Appendix B of his Jehovah's Witnesses Defended, Greg Stafford undertakes a defense F.W. Franz and his knowledge of Biblical Hebrew. Mr. Stafford first notes that even if Franz knew no Hebrew, this says nothing of his skills in Greek. This is true, of course, but in the same court case, Franz claimed that he did know Hebrew as well as Greek. If his claims about Hebrew have no merit, how can we credit his claims about Greek?
Mr. Stafford next notes that Franz did not say he could not perform the “Hebrew test,” but that he would not “attempt” to do so. Mr. Stafford finds this point significant in light of comments he quotes from Hebrew scholar William LaSor:
All learning is in context. The context, however, is not artificial, composed perchance by one who does not use the language naturally, but rather it is the actual language of those who used it as their mother-tongue. For this reason, I refuse to ask the students to compose sentences in Hebrew. To do so is to impress errors on the student's mind. And, frankly, most of us who teach Biblical Hebrew do not have sufficient fluency in the language to speak or write in it.
Mr. Stafford concludes:
Now, considering Franz' earlier testimony, that he had made himself familiar with Hebrew, and that he could read and follow the Bible in Hebrew, and his admission that he could not speak Hebrew, we can certainly understand Franz' refusal to translate Genesis 2:4 from English into Hebrew (not Hebrew into English). For, as LaSor points out, even most teachers of Biblical Hebrew "do not have sufficient fluency in the language to speak or write in it." Thus, Rhodes ’ assessment of Franz' testimony is superficial, inaccurate, and misleading.
I take little issue with LaSor’s statement. However, Mr. Stafford draws out of it far more than is warranted. Franz was not asked to carry on a conversation or to write a paper in Hebrew. He was asked to translate a single sentence from a known Hebraic original from English into Hebrew. LaSor was not claiming that most Hebrew scholars are incapable of translating a single sentence from English into Hebrew. He was claiming that most Hebrew scholars are not fluent enough to speak or write in the language. There is a huge difference between these two exercises.
I asked Alan Millard, Rankin Professor Emeritus of Hebrew & Ancient Semitic Languages at the University of Liverpool and member of the NIV Translation Committee to comment on Franz’s refusal to render from English into Hebrew in light of LaSor’s comments. Here is his reply:
I see no great problem in rendering Genesis 2:4 from English into Hebrew, but, of course, we have the Hebrew text of Genesis. There is a difference between translating into a language and freely composing in it, which, I assume, is what LaSor meant.
Thus a noted Hebrew scholar and translator confirms that there is no good reason for Franz to have refused to perform an English-to-Hebrew translation. There is nothing inherently difficult in translating a Bible verse from English to Hebrew and LaSor cannot legitimately be used as testimony to the contrary.
Mr. Stafford asserts that Genesis 2:4 is “actually somewhat complicated,” but Millard notes:
I suspect that the uncertainty over this passage arises from the common modern view that there is a break between the first part of the verse and the second, a break that is made in many modern translations. Some, on the other hand, do not see the necessity for supposing such a break exists and the first part of the verse introduces the rest of the chapter. The translation back into Hebrew would depend to some extent on the English version being used.
Thus, while there may be some disagreement among scholars about grammatical fine points in this verse, this nuance would not preclude translation from English into Hebrew. The English version would merely determine “to some extent” the translation back into Hebrew.
Conclusion
There is no evidence that the NWT Translation Committee possessed the training or skills necessary to produce an English Bible from the original languages. Frederick Franz’s refusal under oath to render Genesis 2:4 from English into Hebrew is suspicious, given that there is no reason a Hebrew scholar qualified to sit on a modern English Bible translation committee would be unable to do so. Ron Rhodes and other writers who have used the Franz cross-examination as evidence that Franz lacked proficiency in Hebrew have done so legitimately. It is Mr. Stafford’s appeal to William LaSor that proves to be – in Mr. Stafford’s own words – “superficial, inaccurate, and misleading.”
There have been a number of changes in the teaching and some can dismiss it but I can’t. The list is too long! (Even though I have portions of the info revealed below the complete list was found http://www.bible.ca/Jw-Dont-Know.htm)
The organization once taught that the worship of Jesus was ok.
The organization once taught that Jesus was crucified on a cross not a stake. There are pictures of Jesus hanging on crosses in older publications.
The organization once taught that celebrating Christmas and civil holidays was ok.
The organization once taught that serving in the Military was ok.
"Aid to Bible Understanding" book admits on pages 884 & 885 that the spelling of "Jehovah" originated with a Catholic monk named Raymundus Martini in the 13th Century.
WT organization prophesied that all churches would be destroyed in 1918.
WT organization prophesied that world-wide anarchy would come in 1920.
Armageddon and Christ's second coming were foretold to happen in 1874, 1914, 1925 and 1975 (Remember the warning God gave about a ‘False Prophet’.)
When Christ failed to show up physically in 1914 as predicted, the Society claimed in later years that He had come invisibly--and all Jehovah's Witnesses believe this today.
The date 1874 was taught for Christ's invisible presence by the Society right up till 1929. (See "Prophecy", page 65).
Top executives of the Society have admitted under oath that they forced their members to accept false prophecies or face disfellowshipping. That’s awful and I can’t imagine that others don’t realize this especially when these things can be proven with court documents. Maybe they don’t realize they are still in circulation.
An early WT publication called Zion's WT said that a new view of truth can never contradict a former truth. "New light" never extinguishes older "light" but merely adds to it. (Zion's WT, February 1881, page 3. http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbnon/htdb0621.htm) They have not held to that. There have been changes which contradicted their former truth!
You know you always liked that I was faithful to my studies and that I worked very hard to have accurate knowledge. Most people do NOT study like I do nor do they research what’s been declared in WT history and WT literature. I however am an ‘untrusting’ type who doesn’t ever want to violate God’s Word and I have made it a habit to investigate and compare what I’ve been taught but it’s gotten to the point of ludicrous and I can’t keep my mouth shut out of respect or deference or based on the hope that we’ll be forgiven eventually and come to true enlightenment by blindly following this ‘organization’.
Franz, Frederick Probably the only person to actually translate. Franz was a liberal arts student at the University of Cincinnati:
• 21 semester hours of classical Greek, some Latin.
• Partially completed a two-hour survey course in Biblical Greek in junior year.
• Self-taught in Spanish, biblical Hebrew and Aramaic
Gangas, George No training in biblical languages. Gangas was a Turkish national who knew Modern Greek. Translated WT publications into Modern Greek.
Henschel, Milton No training in biblical languages.
Klein, Karl No training in biblical languages.
Knorr, Nathan No training in biblical languages.
Schroeder, Albert No training in biblical languages. Schroeder majored in mechanical engineering for three years before dropping out.
Mr. Franz’s primary training was in Classical Greek, not biblical Greek. He dropped out of a survey course on that topic. He was self-taught in biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, which is commendable, but does NOT qualify him as a Bible translator. In a court of law in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1954, Mr. Franz failed a simple test on his Hebrew language skills. On cross-examination, Franz was asked to translate a particular verse from Genesis into Hebrew. He was unable to do so. The person most capable among his peers to translate the Bible failed a simple test. This calls into question the “translation” of the New World Translation. ( http://WWW.contenderministries.org/jehovahswitnesses/nwt.php)
I understand what you said about ‘investigating’ the claims, predictions, etc. of the WT but honestly, my dear friend, if we are to believe the people that made the translations and that teach the doctrine we have a RESPONSIBILITY to make sure they’re at least educated and responsible in their own right regarding these translations. It determines the validity of their own material, of their background, of their purpose!
We both know that God warned that we were not to ‘add to or take away’ from his Holy Scriptures. Rev 22:18, 19 is very clear: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
Here is another clip from that trial. It can’t be denied either because it’s available for public viewing!
In 1954 in Scotland the Jehovah's Witnesses sued the Ministries of Labour and National Services. This was a test case brought by the Society to set a precedent for future Witnesses.
The complete record of this trial is available to anyone for the price of the microfilm. It is the invaluable testimony given by the leaders of the Society. They make admissions in court that they have not made anywhere else
Those who testified for the Society were Fred Franz, the Vice-President; H.C.Covington, the head legal counsel of the Society at that time; Grant Suiter, the Secretary-Treasurer of the Society; A.R.Hughes, the British Branch Servant; and D. Walsh, the Congregation Servant who brought the suit. Just a few quotations appear in this article, those covering interesting statements. They speak for themselves.
During the trial Fred Franz, Vice-President of the Society, gave the following answers:
Q. Who is responsible for the interpretation in case of doubt, or in general, of scriptural writings for the guidance of Jehovah's Witnesses?
A. We believe that Jehovah God who is author and inspirer of the Bible is he one who makes the interpretations. he is his own interpreter. He does this by the use of his invisible active force, the Holy Spirit acting upon the mind of his witnesses upon this earth, and he causes events to come to pass in the earth which are in fulfillment of his prophetic word and which, therefore, throw light upon the true significance of his word.
Q. That is very helpful, but it does not quite meet the point I was making. What I want you to tell me was whether you can say how the Biblical texts are authoritatively interpreted: who is the interpreter?
A. Jehovah God is the interpreter, but he guides his people upon this earth, and in this case the editorial committee of the Society, they study the Scriptures continually, and they examine and re-examine the evidence as it appears, and under this Divine guidance with the help of the Holy Spirit they arrive at an understanding of the Scripture.
Grant Suiter testified:
Q. Indeed can any person...have an understanding of the Scriptures apart from the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses?
A. No.
Q. Only by the publications can he have a right understanding of the Scriptures?
A. That is right.
Q. Is that not arrogance?
A. No.
Mr. H.C.Covington, the head legal counsel of the Society at that time, gave the following testimony:
Q. Is it not vital to speak the truth on religious matters?
A. It certainly is.
Q. Is there in your view room in a religion for a change of interpretation of Holy Writ from time to time?
A. There is every reason for a change in interpretation as we view it, of the Bible. Our view becomes more clear as we see the prophesy fulfilled by time.
Q. You have promulgated -- forgive the word -- false prophesy?
A. We have -- I do not think we have promulgated false prophesy, there have been statements that were erroneous, that is the way I put it, and mistaken.
Q. Is it a most vital consideration in the present situation of the world to know if the prophesy can be interpreted into terms of fact, when Christ's Second Coming was?
A. That is true, and we have always striven to see that we have the truth before we utter it. We go on the very best information we have but we cannot wait until we get perfect, because if we wait until we get perfect we would never be able to speak.
Q. Let us follow that up just a little. It was promulgated as a matter which must be believed by all members of Jehovah's Witnesses that the Lord's Second Coming took place in 1874?
A. I am not familiar with that. You are speaking on a matter that I know nothing of.
Q. You heard Mr. Franz's evidence?
A. I heard Mr. Franz testify, but I am not familiar with what he said on that, I mean the subject matter of what he was talking about, so I cannot answer any more than you can, having heard what he said.
Q. Leave me out of it?
A. That is the source of my information, what I have heard in court.
Q. You have studied the literature of your movement?
A. Yes, but not all of it. I have not studied the seven volumes of "Studies in the Scriptures," and I have not studied this matter that you are mentioning now of 1874. I am not at all familiar with that.
Q. Assume from me that it was promulgated as authoritative by the Society that Christ's Second Coming was in 1874?
A. Taking that assumption as a fact, it is a hypothetical statement.
Q. That was the publication of false prophesy?
A. That was the publication of a false prophesy, it was a false statement or an erroneous statement in fulfillment of a prophesy that was false or erroneous.
Q. And that had to be believed by the whole of Jehovah's Witnesses?
A. Yes, because you must understand we must have unity, we cannot have disunity with a lot of people going every way, an army is supposed to march in step.
Q. You do not believe in the worldly armies, do you?
A. We believe in the Christian Army of God.
Q. Do you believe in the worldly armies?
A. We have nothing to say about that, we do not preach against them, we merely say that the worldly armies, like the nations of the world today, are a part of Satan's Organization, and we do not take part in them, but we do not say the nations cannot have their armies, we do not preach against warfare, we are merely claiming our exemption from it, that is all.
Q. Back to the point now. A false prophesy was promulgated?
A. I agree that.
Q. It had to be accepted by Jehovah's Witnesses?
A. That is correct.
Q. If a member of Jehovah's Witnesses took the view himself that that prophesy was wrong and said so he would be disfellowshipped?
A. Yes, if he said so and kept persisting in creating trouble, because if the whole organization believes one thing, even though it be erroneous and somebody else starts on his own trying to put his ideas across then there is disunity and trouble, there cannot be harmony, there cannot be marching. When a change comes it should come from the proper source, the head of the organization, the governing body, not from the bottom upwards, because everybody would have ideas, and the organization would disintegrate and go in a thousand different directions. Our purpose is to have unity.
Q. Unity at all costs?
A. Unity at all costs, because we believe and are sure that Jehovah God is using our organization, the governing body of our organization to direct it, even though mistakes are made from time to time.
Q. And unity based upon an enforced acceptance of false prophecy?
A. That is conceded to be true.
Q. And the person who expressed his view, as you say, that it was wrong, and was disfellowshipped, would be in breach of the Covenant, if he was baptized?
A. That is correct.
Q. And as you said yesterday expressly, would be worthy of death?
A. I think - - -
Q. Would you say yes or no?
A. I will answer yes, unhesitatingly.
Q. Do you call that religion?
A. It certainly is.
Q. Do you call it Christianity?
A. I certainly do.
Mr. Fred Franz also gave the following testimony:
Q. Where on that particular point does the adherent to the Society find any enlightenment?
A. In the publication that he reads.
Q. Must he read them all to arrive at the fact that upon this one point Judge Rutherford was in error?
A. It isn't necessary for him to read that Judge Rutherford is in error on that point. What he is interested in is the present truth. The up-to-date truth.
Q. Yesterday's errors cease to be published today, do they?
A. Yes, we correct ourselves.
Q. But not always expressly?
A. We correct ourselves as it becomes due to make a correction, and if anything is under study we make no statement of it until we are certain.
Q. But one may not assume that Judge Rutherford did not publish until he also was certain?
A. He published only when convinced, and he withheld publication until he was convinced he was correct.
Q. So that what is published as the truth today by the Society may have to be admitted to be wrong in a few years?
A. We have to wait and see.
If you are interested in a copy of the complete trial it can be obtained from: The Scottish Record Office, H.M. General Register House, Edinburgh, Scotland. Ask for the Pursuer's Proof of Douglas Walsh vs. The Right Honorable James Latham Clyde, M.P. P.C., as representing the Ministry of Labor and National Service. IT will be very, very enlightening to both you and your husband (and fellow JW), if you choose to get it. If you do not choose to get it then I pray that God will forgive everyone involved in this continued ravaging of his Holy Word.
I am going to quote the Society on why they did not publish the names of the translators. I have some of this information but it is provided at http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm in full as copied below.
*** rs 277 New World Translation ***
Who were the translators?
When presenting as a gift the publishing rights to their translation, the New World Bible Translation Committee requested that its members remain anonymous. The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania has honored their request. The translators were not seeking prominence for themselves but only to honor the Divine Author of the Holy Scriptures.”
That is not true. It is because none of them were qualified to translate Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic! They were not qualified to translate any of the original languages of the Bible! How can they claim it is a “Translation” and the original manuscripts are consulted if there was and is no one at Brooklyn qualified to read these languages! Nathan H. Knorr, Albert D. Schroeder, George Gangas, Milton Henshel and Fred Franz are Heretics and they are responsible for the worst form of Bible deception! Of them only Fred Franz had any schooling above the High School level. Franz had 1 semester of University learning in Greek and that is not enough for him to be considered a scholar. He claimed to be self taught in Hebrew, but while on trial in Scotland for perjury in 1954 he was unable while on the stand under oath to read any of the book of Genesis in Hebrew! How could that be???? http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
The placing of the Divine name in the Hebrew Scriptures is proper and has abundant proof that the Tetragrammaton was indeed a part of the Hebrew scriptures. The Greek on the other hand where the Governing Body’s claim to have restored the Divine name is baseless. There is absolutely no supporting evidence that the writers of the New Testament included the Tetragrammaton in their writings. In fact the evidence shows that the writers of the New Testament did not use the Tetragrammaton! That the Jewish refusal to use the Tetragrammaton was in effect in Jesus day is proven in Josephus writings which the Society quotes on numerous occasions! Josephus was a contemporary of the Apostles and an historian of large proportion. http://WWW.jwfiles.Com/jws-leaving/don.htm
In his works “Jewish Antiquities” he gives the Old Testament history of the Jews and he confirms the practice of not writing the Divine name. This by itself shows that the Apostles who were observant of Jewish tradition would not inflame a community they were trying to proselytize by going against such a deeply devotional practice.
The evidence the Society uses to support the inserting of the Tetragrammaton is versions dating from the 12 and 14 century AD. These evidences were actually using 3rd century Greek originals as the basis for their version, but the 3rd century originals did not have the Tetragrammaton, instead they used either the Greek words Kyrios, or Theos not the Tetragrammaton. Since the Society put out the information to defend their New World Translation, new information has come to light in the form of a fragment of the book of John that dates within 25-50 years of the originals that shows no use of the Tetragrammaton. Actually mountains of evidence has piled up against the Society regarding their translation. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
I have also done a comparison of the New World Translation against the word for word English in the Kingdom Interlinear Translations (both 1969 and 1985 versions). I was shocked to see that the so called “modern version” the WT Society puts out is not only inaccurate, but it IS deliberately written to support doctrine peculiar to the WT Society that is not found in any uncorrupted (non-JW) Bible version. I also found variations in the Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures from the 1969 version and the 1985 version. Both were based on the works of B. F. Wescott and F. J. A. Hort and yet there are noticeable differences in the 2 versions even though they are both based on the same source. The only logical explanation for this is damage control on the part of the WT Society. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
I am sickened at the way the Governing Body has deliberately inserted Jehovah in place of the Greek word Kyrios to change the context of the word of God from referring to Jesus to referring to something other than what the original writers intended. At Acts 2:21 we find an example of this where Peter speaking of Jesus says “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” The NWT however reads “anyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” The word for word English in the Kingdom Interlinear supports Lord not Jehovah, and the Greek word being deliberately mistranslated by the Society is Kyrios.
The Societies excuse for some of these acts of heresy is that the quotes came from the Old Testament. This does not hold light in the fact that Peter was referring to Jesus when he used this quote, and in light of the fact that neither Peter, nor Jesus, nor any of the apostles would have made any Jewish converts had they gone against the deep Jewish tradition of their day and uttered the Divine name in public. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
In Romans 10:13 the Society does the same thing to Jesus. The text is changed in such a way as to change the meaning from Jesus to Jehovah. The 10th chapter of Romans is clearly about Jesus, yet the Society has inserted Jehovah where it was not before and thus changed the context of the whole 10th chapter of Romans.
Acts 4:12 is another interesting example of the Society changing the context of the Holy Scripture in an effort to support their Apostate doctrines. The New American Standard Version reads “ And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” The key word is “ be” saved. The Society renders it “ get” saved and The Kingdom Interlinear word for word English agrees with 'be' and not 'get'. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
In John 8:58 another terrible crime against God is committed. In all reputable translations the passage is rendered “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.” The word for word English is in total agreement with this translation. Jesus was almost stoned by the Jews for this because by their faith He was committing blasphemy due to the fact by the very statement Jesus was making in saying “I am” was an admission that He was the One that lead the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt by Moses.
Exodus 3:14 reads “ And God said to Moses “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.” Jesus statement to the Jews that “ before Abraham was born, I AM” identifies Jesus as God and this is why the Jews picked up stones to kill Him. Yet the Society goes out of its way to change the context and meaning of this verse to Jesus saying “ before Abraham was born I have been.” This is a disgraceful apostasy and is heresy! http://WWW.jwfiles.Com/jws-leaving/don.htm
In the NWT the Translation of John 1:1 is rendered “a god” and up until the 1980’s the Society used Johannes Greber as a reference to this as a proper translation. The Society stopped using Mr. Greber as a reference in the 1980’s due to the fact that it became public knowledge that Johannes Greber used Spirit mediums (demons) in his John 1:1 translation. The Society claimed no knowledge of this fact, but this is not true because the Society knew as early as the 1950’s that Greber was in league with Demons. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
*** w56 2/15 110-1 Triumphing over Wicked Spirit Forces ***
10 Says Johannes Greber in the introduction of his translation of The New Testament, copyrighted in 1937: “I myself was a Catholic priest, and until I was forty-eight years old had never as much as believed in the possibility of communicating with the world of God’s spirits. The day came, however, when I involuntarily took my first step toward such communication, and experienced things that shook me to the depths of my soul. . . . My experiences are related in a book that has appeared in both German and English and bears the title, Communication with the Spirit-World: Its Laws and Its Purpose.” (Page 15, 2, 3) In keeping with his Roman Catholic extraction Greber’s translation is bound with a gold-leaf cross on its stiff front cover. In the Foreword of his aforementioned book ex-priest Greber says: “The most significant spiritualistic book is the Bible.” Under this impression Greber endeavors to make his New Testament translation read very spiritualistic. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
*** w55 10/1 603 Part 3: What Do the Scriptures Say About "Survival After Death"? ***
33 Is such official Catholic teaching as the above an impenetrable defense against the invasion of spiritism? No! It is an invitation to spiritism, and the conditions in Roman Catholic lands, such as Peru, Costa Rica, Cuba and Haiti, show Roman Catholicism to be no bulwark against this spreading peril. In such lands the Catholic people, even up to 90%, mix spiritism or voodooism right in with Roman Catholicism, practicing both at the same time with no objection or penalty by the priests. It comes as no surprise that Johannes Greber, a former Catholic clergyman, has become a spiritualist and has published the book entitled “Communication with the Spirit World, Its laws and Its Purpose.” (1932, Macoy Publishing Company, New York) In its Foreword he makes the typical misstatement: “The most significant spiritualistic book is the Bible; for its principal contents hinge upon the messages of the beyond to those existing in the present.”
Yet after publishing the above statements the Society quoted Johannes Greber on many occasions as an authority in support of the apostate doctrines. In the Aid to Bible Understanding book published in 1971 the Society quotes Greber in pages 1134 and 1669, on 1669 they use Johannes Greber to support the unscholarly rendition of John 1:1. Also in the Societies books Make Sure of all Things, and The Word-Who is He according to John they use Johannes Greber as an expert on the Rendering of John 1:1. Here are a few other WTS quotes from the WT favorable to Mr. Greber. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
*** w75 10/15 640 Questions from Readers ***
Without wresting the Greek grammar, a translator can render Matthew 27:52, 53 in a way that suggests that a similar exposing of corpses resulted from the earthquake occurring at Jesus’ death. Thus the translation by Johannes Greber (1937) renders these verses: “ Tombs were laid open, and many bodies of those buried there were tossed upright. In this posture they projected from the graves and were seen by many who passed by the place on their way back to the city.”—Compare the New World Translation. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
*** w76 4/15 231 Insight on the News ***
Something similar occurred during an earthquake in the Jerusalem area at Jesus’ death. At that time, dead bodies were customarily placed in vaults or chambers cut from Palestine’s soft limestone rock, often in hillsides. A report in the Bible, as translated by Johannes Greber, says that when Jesus died, “the earth quaked, and the rocks were shattered. Tombs were laid open, and many bodies of those buried there were tossed upright. In this posture they projected from the graves and were seen by many who passed by the place on their way back to the city.” Hence, rather than a resurrection, as some Bible translations imply, there appears to have been merely an exposure of the dead to observers, as in Guatemala.—Matt.” http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
Eventually the Society was called on the carpet for this and tried to distance themselves from Johannes Greber.
*** w83 4/1 31 Questions From Readers ***
Why, in recent years, has The WT not made use of the translation by the former Catholic priest, Johannes Greber? This translation was used occasionally in support of renderings of Matthew 27:52, 53 and John 1:1, as given in the New World Translation and other authoritative Bible versions. But as indicated in a foreword to the 1980 edition of The New Testament by Johannes Greber, this translator relied on “God’s Spirit World” to clarify for him how he should translate difficult passages. It is stated: “His wife, a medium of God’s Spiritworld was often instrumental in conveying the correct answers from God’s Messengers to Pastor Greber.” The WT has deemed it improper to make use of a translation that has such a close rapport with spiritism. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) The scholarship that forms the basis for the rendering of the above-cited texts in the New World Translation is sound and for this reason does not depend at all on Greber’s translation for authority. Nothing is lost, therefore, by ceasing to use his New Testament.” http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
The Society is once again dishonest in the above claim by giving the impression that it was not until 1980 that it was aware of Greber’s spirit world claims in helping him translate the Bible, but as you can see I have pulled information from the WT Library on CD that prove the Society was aware long before 1980. In fact they were aware before they released the New World Translation! http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm (I did review the statement made but since I have quite a bit of the material he's mentioned I reviewed my own document. My dear friend, you know that the materials quoted from the WT Library are authentic and you are aware from your own use of the CD in your studies that those quotes are authentic WT Library CD quotes taken directly from the CD)
The Society deliberately lies about the true nature of Jesus in their editing of the Bible and the only purpose must be to make it fit their non-Bible based belief system. Here is a portion of Questions from the Reader’s. It is from July 1, 1986 and contains the question and a foot note. The foot note is of particular interest. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
*** w86 7/1 31 Questions From Readers ***
Questions From Readers
*** w86 7/1 31 Questions From Readers ***
Footnotes]
“The title ho theos [the God, or God], which now designates the Father as a personal reality, is not applied in the N[ew] T[estament] to Jesus Himself; Jesus is the Son of God (of ho theos). . . . John 1:1 should rigorously be translated ‘the word was with the God [=the Father], and the word was a divine being.’”—Dictionary of the Bible (1965), by John L. McKenzie, S.J. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
The Society puts in print that Jesus is never called “Ho Theos” in the NT. This is not true. In John 20:28 Thomas uses the Title “Ho Theos” in reference to Jesus. The verse in question reads “In answer Thomas said to him (Jesus): “My Lord (Kyrios) and my God! (Ho Theos) This can be verified by the Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures both 1969 and 1985 versions as well as the Societies Emphatic Diaglott 1942 edition. This being stated and provable, the above rendering of John 1:1 in the foot note of Questions from the Readers is not in the proper context of the rest of the book of John, especially in light of Thomas’ revelation of Christ’s nature in John 20:28. If Thomas spoke incorrectly Jesus would have corrected or rebuked Thomas just as Jesus had rebuked Peter when Jesus said to Peter “get away from me Satan.” The WT Societies rendering of John 1:1 is an act of heresy. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
How come the WT changed it’s rendering of Hebrews 1:6 which reads in the 1970 version of the Holy Scriptures (green Bible) “But when He again brings His First-born into the inhabited earth He says: “And let all God’s angels worship him.” This passage is saying that “God’s angels will worship Jesus.” But the 1984 edition tones Hebrews 1:6 down by switching the word worship with obeisance in an attempt to water down Jesus role as God. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
The Society has a history of inserting words in the Bible that don’t belong, and that change the context of the passage it has been added to. Philippians 2:9,10 Reads “Therefore God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth;” but the Society inserts the word “other” making the verse read ‘above every other name’ changing the context of the verse.
*** Rbi8 John 17:2-3 ***
3 This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”
The verse should read “ And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God.” http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm There is a big difference between knowing something or someone and taking in knowledge of something or someone!
I hope that since the WT Society words it as ‘taking in knowledge’ that’s it’s NOT because they don’t want us to truly know God. That would be horrible!! They also substitute knowing you (meaning knowing God) with the phrase taking in accurate knowledge. That’s not the same thing.
There is more, I have the Bibles listed and have made a complete review of the information below found on the http://www.contenderministries.org/jehovahswitnesses/nwt.php site and find it to be credible) I did not include everything from the site but a portion of the info below and it's nearly verbatim from that site.
Genesis 1:1-2
NWT: In [the] beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth proved to be formless and waste and there was darkness upon the surface of [the] watery deep; and God's active force was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters.
NIV: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
NASB: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
KJV: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
QUESTION: How can we reject the doctrine of the Trinity and believe in a non-triune God named Jehovah and believe Jesus is “a god” subordinate to Jehovah, and reject the notion that the Holy Spirit is a person of the Trinity? How can I continue to believe that the Holy Spirit is an extension of Jehovah – an “active force” He sends out. The Hebrew words here are ruwach elohim, which are accurately translated as “Spirit of God.” Ruwach can be translated as “wind” also, but when joined in context with God, it is a reference to the Spirit of God (as Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon states, “Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son”).
Zechariah 12:10
NWT: And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of favor and entreaties, and they will certainly look to the One whom they pierced through, and they will certainly wail over Him as in the wailing over an only [son]; and there will be a bitter lamentation over him as when there is bitter lamentation over the firstborn [son].
NIV: And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
NASB: I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
KJV: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
THOUGHT: This passage is one of the most phenomenal Messianic prophecies, because God (Yahweh/Jehovah) is speaking in the first person about Him being the one who will be pierced through. Obviously, Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, and I know that the Jehovah’s Witnesses recognize this as well. The implications are clear that since this was God’s prophecy about what would happen to Him, and Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, then Jesus MUST be God. In fact, in the NWT Zechariah 12:1 indicates these are the “words of Jehovah.” The NWT translators must have missed the inclusion in this verse of the Hebrew ayth, which Strong’s indicates it is a contraction of a word that gives the meaning of “self.”
Mathew 14:33 (among others, there are many more like this)
NWT: Then those in the boat did obeisance to him, saying: “You are really God’s Son.”
NIV: Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
NASB: And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!"
KJV: Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
QUESTION: Throughout the New Testament I have found people who worshiped Jesus. Since worship is an action that should be reserved for God, and during our studies we’ve been taught to deny the deity of Jesus Christ, the NWT had to rectify these verses. The Greek word here is proskuneo. While this word can be translated as doing obeisance (which is defined as giving reverence or homage), the giveaway is the Watchtower’s inconsistency in translating this word. In every instance in the New Testament where proskuneo is given to Jesus Christ, it is translated as doing “obeisance.” Where proskuneo is directed to the Father (“Jehovah” in the NWT), it’s rightly translated as “worship” (as in John 4:20).
John 1:1
NWT: In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.
NIV: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
NASB: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
KJV: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
THOUGHT: Here, every legitimate translation of the Bible reads the same – the Word (logos) was God (theos). The NWT stands alone in its contention that the Word was a god. This is to reinforce the doctrine that Jesus is not Jehovah, but is a subordinate god. The last Greek phrase in its entirety is theos en ho logos, where ho is a definite article (the). The WT says that when theos is preceded by the definite article ho, it implies identity or personality. Since the first use of theos in this verse is preceded by ho, it refers to God. The second use of theos is not preceded by ho, making it an indefinite description or quality. This is simply wrong. It’s an important point to make that theos without the definite article ho is used elsewhere in the New Testament in reference to Jehovah God, and is translated appropriately in the NWT (such as in Luke 20:38). That makes the argument about positioning the “indefinite quality” assertion only in reference to Jesus wrong.
John 8:58
NWT: Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to YOU, Before Abraham came into existence, I have been.”
NIV: “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
NASB: Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."
KJV: Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
THOUGHT: There are deep doctrinal implications in the words of Jesus here. “I am” speaks to his eternality. It is also a name of God that He divulged to Moses. Exodus 3:14 says, God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " The Greek in John 8:58 is ego eimi, where ego means “I” and eimi is a first person singular present indicative, to “exist”. The Septuagint provides ego eimi as the Greek words in Exodus 3:14. The Hebrew word is hayah, which is derived from the same root as Yahweh. The NWT has distanced Jesus’ claims to eternality or deity. Thus, it stands alone in its gross mistranslation of this verse.
Acts 20:28
NWT: Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed YOU overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own [Son].
NIV: Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
NASB: Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
KJV: Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
THOUGHT: These are grammatical games and bracket inclusions that combine to once again pervert Holy Scripture in order to deny the deity of Jesus Christ. Going through my collection of legitimate Bible translations, I find the NWT stands alone in their mistranslation of this verse. The verse speaks of God purchasing the church “with His own blood”. This is obviously a reference to God the Son, Jesus Christ. What a powerful biblical testimony to the deity of Christ. In order to overcome this, a little mistranslation is made to completely change the meaning and deceive followers. Not a single extant Greek manuscript contains the word “son”.
Colossians 1:16, 17
NWT: because by means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All [other] things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all [other] things and by means of him all [other] things were made to exist,
NIV: For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
NASB: For by Him all things were created, {both} in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
KJV: 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: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
THOUGHT: This is one of those passages that speak clearly toward the deity of Jesus Christ and His role as the Creator of all things. It’s also one of those passages where the WT Society is powerless to form an argument from the Greek, so they place brackets. In order to deny the deity of Jesus Christ and to fortify their argument that Jesus was simply the first of God’s creations, the word “other” is inserted. The NWT reads that Jesus, as the first created being, created all “other” things. Since the Greek word for “other” is not found in the Greek manuscripts, the word must be placed in brackets to indicate that they are inserting a word that does not belong! This additional word does not help the flow or clarity of the text, but is instead designed to attack the explicit biblical teaching of Christ’s deity and role as Creator. Greek scholar and theologian Robert Raymond referred to the addition of “other” as “sheer theological perversity…” As an example of the deceptive practices of the WT Society, the 1950 version of the NWT did not bracket the word “other,” making it appear that it was part of the Greek Text. Only since 1961, when pressured to do so by Bible scholars, did they add the brackets.
Titus 2:13
NWT: while we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of [the] Savior of us, Christ Jesus
NIV: while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ
NASB: looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus
KJV: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
THOUGHT: This verse identifies God and Jesus Christ as being one and the same. While an argument can be made that the KJV separates the two much like the NWT (by placing the Greek pronoun hemon, meaning “our,” in an improper location), the wording of the NWT and the additional bracketed definite article go beyond a disputed positioning of the Greek, and presents an inferior and erroneous translation that once again separates Jesus Christ from His deity.
As Christians, our faith is supported by the God-breathed Scriptures. We must be on guard against translations that attack our faith through corruption of God’s Word. I could go on to the point that this would become a book and it nearly has.
My animosity is for the Governing Body who is deliberately misleading millions of people. I believe those who call themselves the ‘faithful and discreet slave’ know that they teach false doctrines (and that they are THE FALSE PROPHET) and therefore will never mend their ways. http://www.jwfiles.com/jws-leaving/don.htm
They keep their followers ignorant of the facts by discouraging research outside their own material BUT they’ve also made an attempt to prevent research within their OWN material under the ruse of creating a library when they asked the followers to ‘turn in’ previous editions of books when new ones came out so discrepancies would not be found. I'm just not sure if it's the Witnesses they want to keep in the dark or if it's really the public so we can't comment as they make their way from door to door. I know it seems odd, but still, they are taking the pictures out of the material provided to the public but leaving it in for the Witnesses beginning January 2008. They don't want this stuff to keep being brought up so to 'kill' the questions and finger pointing they're just going to eliminate it by taking it out altogether in the public's copy of the WT.
If you want to visit me as a friend I welcome that. I know the Governing Body of the Jehovah’s Witnesses would probably discourage any contact with me if they knew about this letter to you. This practice is said by the Leaders in Brooklyn to safeguard the congregation from dangerous views, but it really is to safeguard the Governing Body and the Organization so that loss of membership is kept to a minimum and so their followers will not find out until TOO late that they’ve been misled about the Christ and so much more.
Those members in leadership positions in this ‘organization’ will have to answer for the false prophecies they are actively promoting one day or in front of God Himself. I pray that the body of Elder’s repents and comes to know the true God. I hold no such hope for the Apostates in Brooklyn (the Governing Body), but I do hope and pray for you that you realize that Jesus’ ransom was for all who exercise faith in Jesus and not just 144,000 that the JW's claim will be rulers in heaven with the Christ.
I have no idea if you and your husband (and fellow JW) will take the time to read my thoughts and information I’ve found during my research. I know your husband (and fellow JW) is a great teacher and I’d welcome his thoughts if he wants to jump in but my mind will not be swayed and I do not want to study or receive any more of the WT material or attend meetings.
I worry that you will not want to be friends with me once you get this letter and that grieves me terribly. I am not an apostate, my dear friend, and I only provide this information because I love you so much and just can’t understand why you are able to see so many ‘enlightenments’ coming from the WT but never question if the information came from God to begin with why they would have to keep repeatedly changing it over the years. It’s not added to the ‘enlightenment’ they thought they had in the beginning, it’s CHANGED it over time and it could not have come from God or it would have remained the same throughout time because God never lies and God’s Word never fails!
With great love and sorrow,
Liz
(After writing this letter to my friend I have found several other sites that are informative.
If you have questions or are looking for answers, you can e-mail the author of this page, Elizabeth Maracin, who has since left the Watchtower Organization!
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