[I use only official JW bibles. I will indicate if my source is otherwise.]
QUESTION ONE: Why does the JW 2013 New World Translation purposefully mistranslate John 1:1 when the hermeneutical evidences against it are overwhelming?
“In beginning was the Word, and the Word was toward the God, and god was the Word” (Kingdom Greek Interlinear).
The phrase, ‘the Word,’ is rightly capitalized because it is a proper noun in the nominative masculine singular case. The nominative case is the subject.
Thus, the subject of this verse is ‘the Word.’
Now please note ‘the God’ —- a proper noun in the accusative masculine singular case —- is given an upper case ‘G.’ The accusative case is the object of the verb ‘was.’ The Greek form of the noun ‘God’ denotes this fact: ‘Theon’
In addition, ‘the’ is a definite article denoting a specific noun, in this instance ‘God.’
However, the phrase ‘god was the Word’ — ‘god’ being in the Greek a similar proper noun – (though it is in the nominative masculine singular case — meaning it is ‘the subject of the sentence,’ as is ‘the Word’) — ‘god’ has a different Greek form: ‘Theos.’
Please fact check any Koine Greek lexicon. Both Greek nouns for ‘God/god’ are exactly the same. They simply reflect either the accusative or nominative case.
Thus, it is misleading to translate John 1:1 (2013 NW Translation) as:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”
Koine Greek does not use indefinite articles. ‘a’ is an indefinite article. Please fact check.
Compare the Greek translation at the top of this post with the English translation of the 2013 NW edition. There is no indefinite article ‘a’ in the original Koine Greek. Yet the translators of the 2013 NW edition added the indefinite article ‘a.’
Thus, the NW translators would have us believe there were two ‘Gods.’ The greater God (Capital ‘G’) and the lesser god (lower case ‘g’).
But there are numerous Scriptures which refute this error, including Deut. 6:4.
“Before me no God was formed, And after me there has been none” (Isaiah 43:10).
“There is no God but me” (Isaiah 44:6).
“There is no other God but me” (Isaiah 45:21).
B. F. Westcott does not agree with the JW translation of John 1:1
The JW New World Translation of the New Testament is based on Hort & Westcott’s Greek text, a compilation of the best manuscripts. This text has world wide recognition as being accurate and trustworthy. However, B.f. Westcott, who has published a commentary on John, [found online here], opposes the JW translation of John 1:1, while agreeing with all evangelicals in their Bible translations.
In his commentary on The Gospel According to St. John, Westcott declares his belief in the Triune Godhead, which includes the Deity of Jesus Christ. I quote from page 2 where he speaks of three clauses: (1) In the beginning was the Word; (2) and the Word was with God; (3) and the Word was God:
“The three clauses contain all that it is possible for man to realise as to the essential nature of the Word in relation to time, and mode of being, and character: He was (1) in the beginning: He was (2) with God: He was (3) God.”
Please note Westcott did not believe the Word was ‘a god’ of lesser Deity than the God of the second clause. Thus, the 2013 NW Translation of John 1:1 [and the Word was a god] was in no way attributable to Westcott’s orthodox translation and faith.
Moreover, Westcott says on page 3, “No idea of inferiority of nature is suggested by the form of expression, [and the Word was God] which simply affirms the true deity of the Word.” He continues, “[I]t will be noticed that “the Word” is placed in personal relation to ‘God’ (the Theos) spoken of absolutely in the second clause; while in the third clause ‘the Word’ is declared to be ‘God,’ and so included in the unity of the Godhead. Thus we are led to conceive that the divine nature is essentially in the Son, and at the same time that the Son can be regarded, according to that which is His peculiar characteristic, in relation to God as God.”
Conclusion: Jesus Christ is the Word. The Word is God. Therefore, Jesus Christ is God, not a god. The doctrine of the divine equality of the Father and Son are taught here, foreshadowing the doctrine of the Triune Godhead.
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