Holy Spirit in new NWT

by hamsterbait 5 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  hamsterbait

  In Johns Gospel Jesus refers to the "Helper" "the Spirit of Truth" saying "when HE arrives He will etc"

  The WT justified their use of HE in this instance, because in greek the word is masculine gender.

  (Aside from the ludricrousness of this argument - english does have neuter pronouns)

  Have they changed HE to IT inthese passages?

  I say their argument is ludicrous because a good translation uses the TARGET language correctly.

  For instance in french "chaise" (chair) is feminine, but you would not translate into english "SHE is a comfortable chair".

  In German "Madchen" (little girl) is neuter, but the english would not be "IT is a pretty girl".

  In english we refer to boats and ships as "she", but if you translated a french novel about the sea into english you would not have the captain saying "HEs a good boat" (french "bateau is masculine") it is just not a good translation.

  If greek has a neuter gender, why would Jesus use a masculine instead of neuter for an impersonal force?
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  snare&racket

  this is what they do...... 8 window cleaners translate an ancient text... like it or lump it, there is no mechanism for feedback other than "wonderful!"
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  RunAsFastAsYouCan

  WT blows chow.
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  eyeuse2badub

  Holy Spirit has to be male, otherwise the WTBTS would have to give real recognition to women!

  Just saying!

  eyeuse2badub
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  Wonderment

  hamsterbait: "If greek has a neuter gender, why would Jesus use a masculine instead of neuter for an impersonal force?"

  Simply because he was personifying the spirit as a person, a common teaching method in Scripture.

  Many things in Scripture are analogies -- made to appear as if it were a person. Using analogies and figures of speech as a teaching mode was often used to get the message across to human listeners to facilitate divine concepts in the human mind. How do we know that that is the case here in John chapters 14-16?

  Jesus himself provided the clue in one of the bible chapters where the spirit is spoken of as if it were a person, as "a Helper".

  " I've been using figures of speech with you . The time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in such analogies . Instead, I will tell you plainly about the Father." (John 16:7-14; 25, Common English Bible)
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  hamsterbait

  Can anybody paste up the relevant verses from this Wonderful NOO provision from the Gibbering Buddies?