Someone asked me to look at a video on youtube about "The NWT and the Occult" where it centers on Johannes Greber's New Testament and his supposed use of the Spirit World to help him translate his Bible, and the fact that the WTS used his translation as support for their rendering of John 1:1.
There are so many things to unpack here that I don't know where to start. In the video much is made of the 1950 edition of the NWT and that it used Greber. It is repeated over and over in that video that the NWT and Greber at John 1:1 are "word for word." This is not true. The 1950 NWT at John 1:1 starts off "Originally the Word was..." unlike Greber's NT. Also, the 1936 Greber NT was in German. The English translation was not made by him, but by a professional translator, corrected by a committee of American Clergymen and thoroughly revised by a teacher. The German and English versions at John 1:1 do not even agree with each other.
What we have in English is a "meaning for meaning" translation of Greber's original, not a word-for-word translation. A translation BTW, that went thru many hands to come to us in English.
You can notice some of the changes even with John 1:1. Greber's German reads:
"Im Anfang war das Wort, und das Wort war bei Gott; und ein 'Gott' war das Wort."
Translated to English, this should read,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and a 'God' was the Word."
However, the English-translated Greber actually reads:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; and the Word was a god."
Take note of the capitalization and the changed word order of clause C.
German Greber "and a 'God' was the Word."
English Greber "and the Word was a god."
His word order represents that of Luther's,
"und Gott war das Wort." [and God was the Word]
which the later Elberfelder changed to
"und das Wort war Gott." [and the Word was God]
This is the same order the German and English NWT uses.
There are also many Scriptures where Greber disagrees with the NWT and agrees more with mainstream Bibles, such as in the use of the word "cross" for stauros, the placement of the comma at Luke 23:43, the translation of John 8:58 and Greber does not use the Divine Name Jehovah in the NT. In a survey of 64 scriptures taken from the book of John, the Greber NT agrees with the KJV 24 more times than it does with the NWT.
Others have also made mention of Johannes Greber in their books (see Metzger's "The Text of the New Testament", Bible Museum and Biblical Research Foundation and Duthie's How to Choose Your Bible Wisely).
Others have claimed that they used the spirit world in the past in translating scripture. In 1823 Joseph Smith claimed that the "Angel" Moroni appeared to him and led him to some plates. Smith translated the plates into English through supernatural means and called the record the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon contains entire excerpts that are identical with the King James Version Bible. Are we now to conclude that the King James Version is a demonic Bible? In fact, Joseph Smith has made his own "Inspired" version of the Bible, which, except for a few place [like the beginning of Genesis, the Johannine prologue, Ex 33:20, 1John 4:12 and Genesis 50:24], this "direct revelation" is otherwise identical to the King James Version. Sure, we might argue that this is a claim by Mr. Smith only, but that argument can go both ways. What Joseph Smith received by supernatural means, Johannes Greber received from the Codex Bezae. [The Codex Bezae was first presented to the library at Cambridge University in 1581 by Theodore Beza, who is no stranger to textual critics and Calvinists. The Codex probably dates from somewhere around the 4th century, making it very old. The inner page of Johannes Greber's NT states, "A New Translation and Explanation based on the Oldest Manuscripts [the codex Bezae]." Others have also made translations from this Codex, namely William Whiston (1745) and J.M. Wilson (1923).]
Also, The New Testament Revised and Translated by A. S. Worrell (American Baptist Publication Society 1904) stated also that he was under the guidance of the Spirit, and his translation of John 1:1 does not resemble the NWT's at all (feel free to compare with your King James Bible).
It is a tactic of disputes among Christians to claim some association with darker forces.
"The first two, B.F. Westcott and F.J.A. Hort (Westcott & Hort introduced a Greek text in the 19th century based on older mss. Ed) discuss their club, the Ghostly Guild, in their biographies. They were actually the fathers of the New Age channeling movement; their Ghostly Guild evolved into the infamous Society for Psychical Research."
"The third translator to confess involvement was J.B. Phillips, author of the Phillips Translation. His autobiography details his necromancy and communication with the dead."
"The last and most recent revelation of "giving heed to seducing spirits," concerns Dr. Virginia Mollenkott of the NIV. Her book, Sensous Spirituality, tells tales of her spirit guide and contact with her dead mother...The doctrines of devils which follow her includes admitted involvement with divination through use of Tarot cards and the I Ching." 'Which Bible is God's Word' by Gail Riplinger, p.81
Even older versions are not safe if you consider the accusations hurled at Origen: "Origen's six column Old Testament, the Hexapla, parallels O.T. versions by Theodotian, Symmachus, and Aquilla, all three Gnostic occultists." Ibid, p.79
But wait, there is more: "But is it only the pride of man that prompted this rewriting, or is some malignant supernatural power guiding the hands of these people as they take away from and add to the Word of God? Below are some of the results of this satanic assault on the Bible."
This is from a pastor on jesus-is-lord.com, and he includes the NASB in this attack. Not even the New King James Version is without suspicion:
"There's nothing "new" about the NKJV logo. It is a "666" symbol of the pagan trinity which was used in the ancient Egyptian mysteries. It was also used by satanist Aleister Crowley around the turn of this century. The symbol can be seen on the New King James Bible, on certain rock albums (like Led Zeppelin's), or you can see it on the cover of such New Age books as The Aquarian Conspiracy. (See Riplinger's tract on the NKJV.)"
Also, the "a god" translation has support that goes back 300 years, long before Greber"
In a beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the God, and a god was the Word.
(Interlineary Word for Word English Translation-Emphatic Diaglott)
Harwood, 1768, "and was himself a divine person"
Thompson, 1829, "the Logos was a god
Reijnier Rooleeuw, 1694, "and the Word was a god"
Hermann Heinfetter, 1863, [A]s a god the Command was"
Abner Kneeland, 1822, "The Word was a God"
Robert Young, 1885, (Concise Commentary) "[A]nd a God (i.e. a Divine Being) was the Word"
Belsham N.T. 1809 “the Word was a god”
1928: “and the Word was a divine being.” La Bible du Centenaire, L’Evangile selon Jean, by Maurice Goguel.
Leicester Ambrose, 1879, "And the logos was a god"
J.N. Jannaris, 1901, [A]nd was a god"
George William Horner, 1911, [A]nd (a) God was the word"
Stage, 1907, The Word/word was itself a divine Being/being.
Holzmann, 1926, "a God/god was the Thought/thought"
Rittenlmeyer, 1938, "selbst ein Gott war das Wort" [itself a God/god was the Word/word]
John Crellius, Latin form of German, 1631, "The Word of Speech was a God"
Robert Harvey, D.D., 1931 "and the Logos was divine (a divine being)"
There are so many things to unpack here that I don't know where to start. In the video much is made of the 1950 edition of the NWT and that it used Greber. It is repeated over and over in that video that the NWT and Greber at John 1:1 are "word for word." This is not true. The 1950 NWT at John 1:1 starts off "Originally the Word was..." unlike Greber's NT. Also, the 1936 Greber NT was in German. The English translation was not made by him, but by a professional translator, corrected by a committee of American Clergymen and thoroughly revised by a teacher. The German and English versions at John 1:1 do not even agree with each other.
What we have in English is a "meaning for meaning" translation of Greber's original, not a word-for-word translation. A translation BTW, that went thru many hands to come to us in English.
You can notice some of the changes even with John 1:1. Greber's German reads:
"Im Anfang war das Wort, und das Wort war bei Gott; und ein 'Gott' war das Wort."
Translated to English, this should read,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and a 'God' was the Word."
However, the English-translated Greber actually reads:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; and the Word was a god."
Take note of the capitalization and the changed word order of clause C.
German Greber "and a 'God' was the Word."
English Greber "and the Word was a god."
His word order represents that of Luther's,
"und Gott war das Wort." [and God was the Word]
which the later Elberfelder changed to
"und das Wort war Gott." [and the Word was God]
This is the same order the German and English NWT uses.
There are also many Scriptures where Greber disagrees with the NWT and agrees more with mainstream Bibles, such as in the use of the word "cross" for stauros, the placement of the comma at Luke 23:43, the translation of John 8:58 and Greber does not use the Divine Name Jehovah in the NT. In a survey of 64 scriptures taken from the book of John, the Greber NT agrees with the KJV 24 more times than it does with the NWT.
Others have also made mention of Johannes Greber in their books (see Metzger's "The Text of the New Testament", Bible Museum and Biblical Research Foundation and Duthie's How to Choose Your Bible Wisely).
Others have claimed that they used the spirit world in the past in translating scripture. In 1823 Joseph Smith claimed that the "Angel" Moroni appeared to him and led him to some plates. Smith translated the plates into English through supernatural means and called the record the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon contains entire excerpts that are identical with the King James Version Bible. Are we now to conclude that the King James Version is a demonic Bible? In fact, Joseph Smith has made his own "Inspired" version of the Bible, which, except for a few place [like the beginning of Genesis, the Johannine prologue, Ex 33:20, 1John 4:12 and Genesis 50:24], this "direct revelation" is otherwise identical to the King James Version. Sure, we might argue that this is a claim by Mr. Smith only, but that argument can go both ways. What Joseph Smith received by supernatural means, Johannes Greber received from the Codex Bezae. [The Codex Bezae was first presented to the library at Cambridge University in 1581 by Theodore Beza, who is no stranger to textual critics and Calvinists. The Codex probably dates from somewhere around the 4th century, making it very old. The inner page of Johannes Greber's NT states, "A New Translation and Explanation based on the Oldest Manuscripts [the codex Bezae]." Others have also made translations from this Codex, namely William Whiston (1745) and J.M. Wilson (1923).]
Also, The New Testament Revised and Translated by A. S. Worrell (American Baptist Publication Society 1904) stated also that he was under the guidance of the Spirit, and his translation of John 1:1 does not resemble the NWT's at all (feel free to compare with your King James Bible).
It is a tactic of disputes among Christians to claim some association with darker forces.
"The first two, B.F. Westcott and F.J.A. Hort (Westcott & Hort introduced a Greek text in the 19th century based on older mss. Ed) discuss their club, the Ghostly Guild, in their biographies. They were actually the fathers of the New Age channeling movement; their Ghostly Guild evolved into the infamous Society for Psychical Research."
"The third translator to confess involvement was J.B. Phillips, author of the Phillips Translation. His autobiography details his necromancy and communication with the dead."
"The last and most recent revelation of "giving heed to seducing spirits," concerns Dr. Virginia Mollenkott of the NIV. Her book, Sensous Spirituality, tells tales of her spirit guide and contact with her dead mother...The doctrines of devils which follow her includes admitted involvement with divination through use of Tarot cards and the I Ching." 'Which Bible is God's Word' by Gail Riplinger, p.81
Even older versions are not safe if you consider the accusations hurled at Origen: "Origen's six column Old Testament, the Hexapla, parallels O.T. versions by Theodotian, Symmachus, and Aquilla, all three Gnostic occultists." Ibid, p.79
But wait, there is more: "But is it only the pride of man that prompted this rewriting, or is some malignant supernatural power guiding the hands of these people as they take away from and add to the Word of God? Below are some of the results of this satanic assault on the Bible."
This is from a pastor on jesus-is-lord.com, and he includes the NASB in this attack. Not even the New King James Version is without suspicion:
"There's nothing "new" about the NKJV logo. It is a "666" symbol of the pagan trinity which was used in the ancient Egyptian mysteries. It was also used by satanist Aleister Crowley around the turn of this century. The symbol can be seen on the New King James Bible, on certain rock albums (like Led Zeppelin's), or you can see it on the cover of such New Age books as The Aquarian Conspiracy. (See Riplinger's tract on the NKJV.)"
Also, the "a god" translation has support that goes back 300 years, long before Greber"
In a beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the God, and a god was the Word.
(Interlineary Word for Word English Translation-Emphatic Diaglott)
Harwood, 1768, "and was himself a divine person"
Thompson, 1829, "the Logos was a god
Reijnier Rooleeuw, 1694, "and the Word was a god"
Hermann Heinfetter, 1863, [A]s a god the Command was"
Abner Kneeland, 1822, "The Word was a God"
Robert Young, 1885, (Concise Commentary) "[A]nd a God (i.e. a Divine Being) was the Word"
Belsham N.T. 1809 “the Word was a god”
1928: “and the Word was a divine being.” La Bible du Centenaire, L’Evangile selon Jean, by Maurice Goguel.
Leicester Ambrose, 1879, "And the logos was a god"
J.N. Jannaris, 1901, [A]nd was a god"
George William Horner, 1911, [A]nd (a) God was the word"
Stage, 1907, The Word/word was itself a divine Being/being.
Holzmann, 1926, "a God/god was the Thought/thought"
Rittenlmeyer, 1938, "selbst ein Gott war das Wort" [itself a God/god was the Word/word]
John Crellius, Latin form of German, 1631, "The Word of Speech was a God"
Robert Harvey, D.D., 1931 "and the Logos was divine (a divine being)"
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