Hello sir. Would you agree that since you're not a Greek scholar it would be good to check what a renowned Greek scholar has to say on the matter? For example: Scholar Jason David BeDuhn states that the absence of the definite article makes the two occurrences of “God” “as different as ‘a god’ is from ‘God’ in English.” He adds: “In John 1:1, the Word is not the one-and-only God, but is a god, or divine being.”-Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament, pages 115, 122, and 123. And would you say that these translators also changed the bible: John 1:1 From Additional Translations “In the beginning the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was divine.”-The Bible-An American Translation, 1935, by J.M.P. Smith and E. J. Goodspeed. “The Logos existed in the very beginning, the Logos was with God, the Logos was divine.”-The Bible-Containing the Old and New Testaments, 1950, by James Moffatt. “The Word was in the beginning, and the word was with God, and the word was a god.”-The New Testament in an Improved Version, 1808, edited by Thomas Belsham, based on a New Testament translation by William Newcome. “In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. So the Word was divine.”-The Authentic New Testament, 1958, by Hugh J. Schonfield. Let me know if you appreciated the help.
Hi there. Are you a Jehovah Witness? What are your thoughts on the point I was trying to make in the video that "Without him nothing was made that has been made"? Did Jesus make himself? Yes, I do believe we should look at what Greek scholars should have to say on the matter. In this video I was simply pointing out that you don't need to be a Greek scholar to understand the Bible. The are of course other reasons to believe that "the Word was God" is the correct rendering of John 1:1. As the examples you stated read, the Word "was" in the beginning or "the Logos existed in the very beginning." These verses along with the ESV which I used in this video show that the Word already "was" and not that the Word was created at some point in time. The Word was in the beginning already. If the NWT was consistent in translating the Greek word for God (theos) as a god, then they would have to translate other verses as "a god" as well. For example, Matthew 5:9 would read "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of a god." The Watchtower claims that the phrase "ho theos" ("the God") is not used of Jesus but is used of Jehovah. But this is not true as Jesus is said to be ho theos in John 20:28, Matthew 1:23, and Hebrews 1:8. Another reason "a god" is not a correct way to translate John 1:1 is that Jehovah said that He alone is God and that there are no other gods (Isaiah 44:6, 8, 45:5, 14, 21, and many other places). What do you think I mean when I say Jesus is God? Do you believe I mean Jesus is the Father? Unfortunately this has been my experience when talking to Jehovah Witnesses. This is not what I believe nor what the Bible teaches. The Word was with God and the Word was God. Jesus is not the same person as the Father but He is just as much God as the Father. Thanks for your comment.
Hello sir. Would you agree that since you're not a Greek scholar it would be good to check what a renowned Greek scholar has to say on the matter?
For example:
Scholar Jason David BeDuhn states that the absence of the definite article makes the two occurrences of “God” “as different as ‘a god’ is from ‘God’ in English.” He adds: “In John 1:1, the Word is not the one-and-only God, but is a god, or divine being.”-Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament, pages 115, 122, and 123.
And would you say that these translators also changed the bible:
John 1:1 From Additional Translations
“In the beginning the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was divine.”-The Bible-An American Translation, 1935, by J.M.P. Smith and E. J. Goodspeed.
“The Logos existed in the very beginning, the Logos was with God, the Logos was divine.”-The Bible-Containing the Old and New Testaments, 1950, by James Moffatt.
“The Word was in the beginning, and the word was with God, and the word was a god.”-The New Testament in an Improved Version, 1808, edited by Thomas Belsham, based on a New Testament translation by William Newcome.
“In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. So the Word was divine.”-The Authentic New Testament, 1958, by Hugh J. Schonfield.
Let me know if you appreciated the help.
Hi there. Are you a Jehovah Witness? What are your thoughts on the point I was trying to make in the video that "Without him nothing was made that has been made"? Did Jesus make himself?
Yes, I do believe we should look at what Greek scholars should have to say on the matter. In this video I was simply pointing out that you don't need to be a Greek scholar to understand the Bible. The are of course other reasons to believe that "the Word was God" is the correct rendering of John 1:1. As the examples you stated read, the Word "was" in the beginning or "the Logos existed in the very beginning." These verses along with the ESV which I used in this video show that the Word already "was" and not that the Word was created at some point in time. The Word was in the beginning already.
If the NWT was consistent in translating the Greek word for God (theos) as a god, then they would have to translate other verses as "a god" as well. For example, Matthew 5:9 would read "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of a god."
The Watchtower claims that the phrase "ho theos" ("the God") is not used of Jesus but is used of Jehovah. But this is not true as Jesus is said to be ho theos in John 20:28, Matthew 1:23, and Hebrews 1:8.
Another reason "a god" is not a correct way to translate John 1:1 is that Jehovah said that He alone is God and that there are no other gods (Isaiah 44:6, 8, 45:5, 14, 21, and many other places).
What do you think I mean when I say Jesus is God? Do you believe I mean Jesus is the Father? Unfortunately this has been my experience when talking to Jehovah Witnesses. This is not what I believe nor what the Bible teaches. The Word was with God and the Word was God. Jesus is not the same person as the Father but He is just as much God as the Father.
Thanks for your comment.