True Religion vs. False Religion and James 1:27

by Ultimate Reality 15 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Ultimate Reality

  Something that opened my eyes as I was re-examining "the truth" was the verse at James 1:27. In the New World Translation the greek word in this verse, threskeia, is translated worship, which is fine except that it hides a more important meaning. This same word can be, and most often is translated religion.

  For Witnesses, the matter of being the "one true religion" is all important. You are taught that it is vital for survival to identify the true religion and attach yourself to it. But this concept of there being an organized institution that has been selected by God is, under the Christian system, fundamentally flawed. For we need not look externally, but internally.

  We see from James' statement below (from a variety of translations) that true religion is not institutional, it's personal. For the activities James mentions come from our own heart-felt desire to do good for others and to live according to bible principles -- scripturally, that is the "true religion".

  I have, with some success, been able to share this point with others to help them see beyond the concepts that so many of us have been indoctrinated with; perhaps it will help someone you know.

  JAMES 1:27...

  International Standard Version (©2008)
  A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

  New American Standard Bible (©1995)
  Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

  GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
  Pure, unstained religion, according to God our Father, is to take care of orphans and widows when they suffer and to remain uncorrupted by this world.

  King James Bible
  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

  American King James Version
  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

  American Standard Version
  Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

  Bible in Basic English
  The religion which is holy and free from evil in the eyes of our God and Father is this: to take care of children who have no fathers and of widows who are in trouble, and to keep oneself untouched by the world.

  Douay-Rheims Bible
  Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one's self unspotted from this world.

  Darby Bible Translation
  Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

  English Revised Version
  Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

  Webster's Bible Translation
  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

  Weymouth New Testament
  The religious service which is pure and stainless in the sight of our God and Father is to visit fatherless children and widowed women in their time of trouble, and to keep one's own self unspotted from the world.

  World English Bible
  Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

  Young's Literal Translation
  religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation -- unspotted to keep himself from the world.
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  yknot

  Nice catch.....

  For better comparison here is the NWT rendering:

  (James1:27) 27 The form of worship* that is clean(m) and undefiled(n) from the standpoint of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans) and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself without spot from the world.

  * "Form of worship." Gr., thre·skei´a; Lat., re·li´gi·o, "religion."

  (m) (Isaiah 1:16)16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the badness of YOUR dealings from in front of my eyes; cease to do bad.

  (n) (1 Timothy1:5)5 Really the objective of this mandate is love out of a clean heart and out of a good conscience and out of faith without hypocrisy.

  ** Or, "bereaved ones."
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  yesidid

  Your thinking makes a lot sense.

  Even the NWT 1984 Reference Bible has a footnote next to "worship":

  Form of worship." Gr., thre·skei´a; Lat., re·li´gi·o, "religion

  .
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  cameo-d

  Good post.
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  independent_tre

  nice find. Its shameful how the WT selects certain words and translates them differently for a self serving purpose. I'm glad you brought that out.
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  quietlyleaving

  I'm not seeing it ultimate reality. Maybe I've had my JW spectacles off for too long.

  James does seem to be suggesting a body of worshippers who look after orphans and widows as opposed to a body of worshippers who don't. In the next chapter he says

  from the message bible

  James 2

  The Royal Rule of Love

  1-4 My dear friends, don't let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith. If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him, and you say to the man in the suit, "Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!" and either ignore the street person or say, "Better sit here in the back row," haven't you segregated God's children and proved that you are judges who can't be trusted?

  from the NIV

  James 2

  Favoritism Forbidden

  1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
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  Ultimate Reality

  Quietly Leaving:

  I think the confusion here comes from the concept and word church or congregation. To understand these we have to look at this in the First Century context because religions have hijacked these words for their own justification.

  Simply put, the church or congregation are people. In this case, the Christian believers in their various locations.

  Obviously, true followers of Christ, individually and as a community would engage in the acts James mentions. They would also gather together and pool resources where needed, this would be normal of any people who have something important in common.

  My point is that true religion and true Christianity are really exercised personally, by our own actions. It is not a hierarchical religious institution or organization with 9 men determining religious law, claiming that have been chosen by God to lead us (or anything similar).
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  JeffT

  I think two things are important here. One is the "The Church" as the totality of all believers. I'm a member of an independent evangelical church; but I can regard myself, a Baptist, a Lutheran, a Methodist etc as all members of "The Church." Where we spend Sunday morning isn't part of the criteria.

  Secondly I think JW's spend too much time focused on the last part of that verse. They make a huge deal out of not voting etc, but ignore the widwows and orhpans part.
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  Perry

  I think true religion is more concerned about where a person will spend eternity rather than where they spend Sunday morning.

  And, ye will not come to me that ye might have life - John 5:40
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  BluesBrother

  A quick check on line agrees that all the translations found, use the word religion here. What do we understand the words to mean?

  I would say that your religion is understood as the Church to which you belong; Catholic, Baptist, Methodist etc.. Your worship is the personal thing that you have with God. Individuals in those Churches will vary considerably in the depth of their worship.

  In the first century, there was only the one Christian religion, it was a given that you belonged to the one group. So what was James talking about? I think not the Church group that one may attend, but your individual worship of God, as evidenced by your actions

  So perhaps the NWT is nearer the thought than others, even if they are technically correct.?