Acts 1:24 - Kurios

TheListener

Acts 1:24 in the NAS reads "And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen"

The NWT says Jehovah instead of Lord.

The Greek word translated Lord or Jesus (in some translations) or as Jehovah by the WTS is Kurios.

Can someone with the WTS cd at hand tell me which manuscripts they state support this rendering?

I have read the context and quite frankly it makes sense that it was Jesus who they were talking to. It was him they saw ascend into heaven, it was him who chose the original twelve apostles, and it was him who should rightly choose the successor to Judas.

Narkissos

From the list in Appendix 1 D, "J" 7, 8, 10, 22, 23 (which of course are not ancient "manuscripts" but modern translations of the Greek NT into Hebrew).

Kurie (vocative of kurios)is certainly not to be substituted with "Jehovah", but it does not necessarily stand for "Jesus" either. Cf. 4:29f: "And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

Honesty

It is really very easy to understand if you have the right heart condition.

Spectrum

If you consider the following about the first Christians: That the early christians didn't have the concept of the trinity. That all power came from God That Jesus said that he performed miracles with the power of God or his permission That the only text the jews had at the time was the hebrew scripture (OT)from which there God would help or smite. If Then you read the words Narkissos underlined then you can see that Lord is God and that they (christians) would perform the sort of things Jesus had peformed with Gods power but through Christ's name.

Junction-Guy

The New World Translation inconsistently renders the words Kurios and Ho Theos, as Jehovah sometimes and as Lord or Jesus other times, any way that will help bolster their doctrine. The same thing they accuse the King James Bible of, they themselves do.

Narkissos

The use of the words varies with the texts. Paul seems to be pretty consistent in his use of kurios for Jesus (there is no single instance where it is unambiguously applied to the Father afaik), while Luke-Acts freely use the term for both.

TheListener

thank you all for your replies.

Here is what I found (further to Narkissos post)

j7 - 1599 Elias Hutter - Hebrew translation of the greek text

j8 - 1661 William Robertson - revision of Elias Hutter's translation - Hebrew translation of Greek text

j10 - 1800 Dr. Richard Caddick - revision to William Robertson's revision to Elias Hutter's translation - Hebrew translation of Greek text

j22 - 1979 United Bible Societies - Hebrew translation of Greek text

j23 - 1978 J Bauchet - Hebrew translation of Greek text

j7, j8 and j10 are all related and revisions of the first (j7).

j22 and j23 are modern translations

I plan on reviewing the two modern translations to see how and why they chose their specific rendering of the word kurios at Acts 1:24.

Narkissos

TL, I meant "modern" in the usual historical acceptation (from 1492 AD onward)

TheListener

I found a copy of the 1599 Elias Hutter bible at an Oxford University library.

If anyone lives over that way I'd sure like to know what his rationale was for using the tetragrammaton. I'm really hopeful that he provides an explanation in his preface or an appendix.

Here is the information I received from Oxford:

Elias Hutter, 1599

All Souls Library, ASC stacks 2nd; call: 2:SR.71.c.11 v.1

and

St. Johns STJ main library, call: C.3.11 v.1

If anyone who lives in the UK is near Oxford and can look this up that would be great.

Apostate Kate

That the early christians didn't have the concept of the trinity.

I'm not so sure about that. By believing that Jesus was worthy of worship, they were stating that they believed that Jesus was devine, Deity.

John 20:28 And <kai> Thomas <Thomas> answered <apokrinomai> and <kai> said <epo> unto him <autos>, My <mou> Lord <kurios> and <kai> my <mou> God <theos>.

Acts 7:59 And <kai> they stoned <lithoboleo> Stephen <Stephanos>, calling upon <epikaleomai> God, and <kai> saying <lego>, Lord <kurios> Jesus <Iesous>, receive <dechomai> my <mou> spirit <pneuma>.

2 Timothy 1:2 To Timothy <Timotheos>, my dearly beloved <agapetos> son <teknon>: Grace <charis>, mercy <eleos>, and peace <eirene>, from <apo> God <theos> the Father <pater> and <kai> Christ <Christos> Jesus <Iesous> our <hemon> Lord <kurios>.

Matthew 2:2 Saying <lego>, Where <pou> is <esti> he that is born <tikto> King <basileus> of the Jews <Ioudaios>? for <gar> we have seen <eido> his <autos> star <aster> in <en> the east <anatole>, and <kai> are come <erchomai> to worship <proskuneo> him <autos>.

Of course the Bethel boys say that was not actually worship but a type of courtsey. If that were true the same word would not have been used here;

Satan to Jesus; Matthew 4:9 And <kai> saith <lego> unto him <autos>, All <pas> these things <tauta> will I give <didomi> thee <soi>, if <ean> thou wilt fall down <pipto> and worship <proskuneo> me <moi>.

So even though the early Christians did not use the term Trinity to describe the Godhead, they did believe in the Deity of Jesus. To be called the "son" of something in Hebrew was to be called that thing. Jesus was called son of God, and son of man.

Acts 1:24 - Kurios

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