Just realized they changed maybe the most important scripture in the bible.

by Crazyguy 37 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Crazyguy

  I just read the scripture then went and checked in thier older bible and it read the same so i check the Greek interlinear and yes they changed John 3:16 . The verse reads "all who believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life" the Cult version says "exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life".. So not only do they say one must exercise faith meaning having to work for it but also they changed should not perish but having everlasting life to might not be destroyed again making a caveat where one does not exist.

  Just to add to the point verse 18 in both bibles says the one having faith is not judged, totally blowing up thier version of 16 but of course they change 18 to say exercising faith too but it makes little difference, since it says not judged. For all of you that think of the scripture in James where it says faith with out works is useless and the word believing can be construed as the same as faith then consider Ephesians 2:8-9
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  Saename

  I don't see much of a difference when it comes to "perish" vs. "destroyed." But I would agree about "believe" vs. "exercise faith in . . ." Koine Greek uses the word "πιστεύων" which means "to believe in" as in "to have confidence in something" or "to think something to be true." They changed it to "exercising faith in . . ." probably because of the disfellowshipping practice. If someone does not want to be a Jehovah's Witness anymore but still believes in God and Jesus, is s/he to be disfellowshipped and thus destroyed in the upcoming Armageddon? Or would s/he still be saved? Jehovah's Witnesses believe that such one would be destroyed, so I assume this is why they changed it.
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  steve2

  I agree with Saename's response. "Perish vs destroyed - what's the difference, really? Both imply the same thing: Existing no more.

  I do agree that there is nothing in the Koine Greek which supports the NWT translators' rendering of the word "to believe in" as "exercising faith".

  I wonder: Is there even one other translation in existence besides the NWT that renders the word into an active verb?
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  Robo Bobo

  Thanks for this.

  This deviates from all other versions translated by ACTUAL SCHOLARS.

  http://biblehub.com/john/3-16.htm

  Beware the apologists here who will say "I agree with the witnesses on this one." They are not scholars and still unknowingly drinking the koolaid.

  
  
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  Crazyguy

  I think it's also do to the fact that this cult is a works bases religion. One must do something in order to receive a free gift, like that makes any sense, but how else are they going to get free labor.
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  Robo Bobo

  deleted (unnecessary post)
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  Saename

  steve2 - Is there even one other translation in existence besides the NWT that renders the word into an active verb?
  

  Out of the 25 translations I checked besides the NWT, no. I have not seen a single translation that would render the Greek the same as do the Jehovah's Witnesses. Some—very few, though—use "trust in . . ." but this is still an acceptable rendering of the Greek "πιστεύων."

  Robo Bobo - This deviates from all other versions translated by ACTUAL SCHOLARS.

  
  
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  Crazyguy

  I know from experience that the cult leaders will and have said these scriptures only apply to the anointed they getting this free gift of life and all us other none anointed it doesn't apply too but they have really zero scriptures that show a distinction between anointed Christians and none anointed.
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  Saename

  Robo Bobo - Difference between perished and destroyed:

  You perish. Someone doesn't "perish you." You pass away.

  Destroyed means someone kills you.

  Well, yes, but we need to remember that, from the historical perspective, Jesus was an apocalyptic Jewish preacher. He did believe that if you didn't have (not "exercise") faith in God, you'd die. You'd be killed in the upcoming Armageddon. He did believe that—except that he believed the Armageddon would come in his lifetime or shortly after his death. The same goes for Paul. Therefore, in the context of Jesus' being an apocalyptic preacher who believed that God would establish his own kingdom on earth and destroy all other kingdoms, he would probably mean "perish" as in... "God will kill you if you don't believe in him."

  Additionally, keep in mind that gJohn is the least reliable of the gospels in the New Testament.
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  Crazyguy

  Saename, we shouldn't argue over the merits of the gospels and which ones are more reliable because they can all be easily shown to be in error.