What's with my Mom and the NWT?

by Ingenuous 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Leolaia
    Leolaia
    The NWT is condescendingly presented as "in plain English and easy to understand."

    I have never found this to be the case. I find the phrasing often awkward and usually hindering the sense of the text. For instance, Romans is a tightly argued case for Pauline soteriology (justification by faith in Christ versus justification by observance of the Law), and I honestly never understood where Paul was going in his argument when I read it in the NWT. It just seemed to be a rambling discussion of various things that didn't seem to have anything to do with each other. It wasn't until I read the same book in the Jerusalem Bible that it all made crystal clear sense.

    Just compare the wording in the following passages:

    "For the minding of the flesh means death, but the minding of the spirit means life and peace; because the minding of the flesh means enmity with God, for it is not under subjection to the law of God, nor, in fact, can it be. So those who are in harmony with the flesh cannot please God. However, YOU are in harmony, not with the flesh, if God's spirit truly dwells in YOU. But if anyone does not have Christ's spirit, this one does not belong to him" (Romans 8:6-9; NWT).
    "It is death to limit oneself to what is unspiritual; life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual. That is because to limit oneself to what is unspiritual is to be at enmity with God; such a limitation never could and never does submit to God's law. People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God. Your interests, however, are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to him" (Romans 8:6-9; JB).

    Many, many other examples can be easily produced.

  • Ingenuous
    Ingenuous

    Thanks for everyone's input. I'm going to make a note of this thread in the hopes that my Mom may one day be ready to take head of the ideas in it.

    Thinking over what you all have written, I wonder if Witnesses have the impression that other Bible translations are just shy of apostate literature - if not already well over that line. It doesn't occur to them that the NWT has at least as much bias as any other Bible translation - it certainly didn't occur to me. I assumed I could trust every "jot and tittle" from the F&DS because their motives were so pure.

    Yeah, I know, I know...

  • Cygnus
    Cygnus

    As usual, great thoughts presented here. I especially enjoyed Leolaia's as it hit home for me. My dad has a six-version side by side Bible that he loves, and recommends. He never thought twice about it and no JW would dare tell him he can't use it.

    AA, the WTS used to publish the Living Bible if memory serves.... and the ol' memory's getting bad.

    My answer would be: if the Society would revise their 1984 study Bible and update it and let me have one, then I wouldn't need to buy this one. Why won't God's organization let me have a study Bible? That is what we're supposed to be and do right? be students of the BIBLE?

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