The explanation below is part of a letter I sent to my
sister. If you can get your hands on a New World Translation
Bible (try ebay) you can mark these scriptures and use them if you
ever have the opportunity to talk to a Jehovah's Witness about the
Deity of Christ.
Page 1547 NWT: "[ ] Brackets enclose
words inserted to complete the sense in the English
text."("Inserted" means to add)
Read the following scriptures in the New World
Translation (NWT) and compare to the NIV:
Deuteronomy 4:2 - "You must not add to the word
that I am commanding you, neither must you take away from it, so as
to keep the commandments of Jehovah your God that I am commanding
you."
Proverbs 30:6 - "Add nothing to his words, that
he may not reprove you, and that you may not have to be proved a
liar."
Revelation 22:18 - "I am bearing witness to
everyone that hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:
If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him
the plagues that are written in this scroll."
Galatians 1:8, 9 - "However, even if we or an
angel out of heaven were to declare to YOU as good news something
beyond what we declared to YOU as good news, let him be accursed.
As we have said above, I also now say again, Whoever it is that is
declaring to YOU as good news something beyond what YOU
accepted, let him be accursed.
When [bracketed] words are added to complete the sense in the
English text, it should not change the meaning of the scripture,
because that would be in direct violation of these scriptures
above.
Read the following scriptures and read them with and
then without the bracketed words:
John 8: 24 and 28 - To understand this change,
we first need to go back to Exodus 3:14. When Moses asks for
God's name, God answers Moses and tells him, "I am who I am. This
is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I am has sent me to
you." (meaning eternal one/to be). NWT Bible has changed this
to, "I SHALL PROVE TO BE WHAT I SHALL PROVE TO BE". But, in
John when the same words are used, they translate it here to "I am
[he]…" in both of these verses. Adding[he] changes the
meaning of the scripture.
Now continuing reading verse 58 & 59.
It says Jesus has been, "I have been" and then they
begin to hurl stones at him. He was also stoned by the Jews
for claiming to be God. NWT changes to "a god". If he was
just claiming to be "a god", they would not stone him for that, as
many people back in that time period worshipped other gods and
claimed to be a god and were not stoned for that. (Compare 1 Cor.
8:5)
John 14:9 - The word[also]is added and changes
the meaning.
Acts 20:28 - The word[Son]is added and changes
the meaning.
Philippians 2:9 - The word[other]is added and
changes the meaning.
Colossians 1:16, 17 - the word[other]is added 4
times and changes the meaning.
Then read these scriptures:
Isaiah 9:6 - Jesus is called Mighty
God, Eternal Father.
Isaiah 45:22 - says there is only one
God.
1 Cor. 8:5, 6 - says there is only one
God…out of whom all things are, and we for him; and
there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom
all things are, and we through him. (Note [other] is not
used here like in Colossians 1:16, 17)
Matthew 1:23 - says Jesus is to be called
"Immanual, which means, when translated, 'With Us is
God'"
John 1:1-3 - NWT says Jesus was "a god" and
that "all things came into existence through him, and
apart from him not even one thing came into existence." (Note
[other] is not used here like in Colossians 1:16, 17)
John 2:19, 20 - Jesus says he will raise
himself from the dead. Something only God can do.
John 10:30 - Jesus says he and the Father are
one.
John 10:14 - Jesus says if you ask for anything
is his name, "I will do it".
John 20:28, 29 - Thomas calls Jesus,
God. Jesus never corrected him, nor rebuked
him.
Colossians 2:9 - says in Christ all the
fullness of the deity lives in bodily form.
Revelation 1:6, 7 - says Jesus is to receive
all the glory...He is coming out of the clouds, and
every eye will see him (compare Acts 1:9-11). Then verse 8 says "I
am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord (NWT changes to Jehovah
God), the One who is and who was and who is
coming…" So who is coming? Substituting the Lord
with Jehovah God really confuses the scripture and changes the
meaning. The Lord is changed 247 times in the NWT according
to the only scholar who will endorse the NWT bible, Jason
BeDuhn.
Revelation 22:12, 13 - Jesus says he is
coming quickly and he is the Alpha and the Omega.
Many scriptures say to worship Jesus, be persecuted for Jesus
sake, be witnesses of Jesus, be delivered up to tribulation in
Jesus name.
Matthew 4:10 -Then Jesus said to him: "Go away,
Satan! For it is written, 'It is the Lord (NWT changes it to
Jehovah your God) you must worship, and it is to him alone you must
render sacred service."
Matthew 5:11 - says we will be persecuted for
Jesus sake.
Matthew 10:18 and 22 - says for Jesus sake and
Jesus name.
Matthew 24:9 - says you will be delivered up to
tribulation on account of Jesus name.
Luke 21:12 - persecuted in Jesus name sake.
Acts 1:8 - Jesus says you will be witnesses of
me.
Romans 10:1-13 - all the verses leading up to
13 speak of Christ, not Jehovah. Then in verse 13, "the Lord" is
changed in the NWT is changes to "Jehovah", thus making all the
scriptures before it unharmonious with verse 13.
Philippians 2:9, 10 - Every knee should bend
(i.e. worship). Note how it reads without the bracketed word
[other].
1Timothy 1:8 - witness about Jesus.
Hebrews 1:6 - in the 1953 NWT bible, which I
have here, it says to "let all God's angels worship him". Or
as later versions say "do obeisance to him". Means the same
thing - to worship.
Revelation 1:6 - says glory to Jesus.
Revelation 2:3 - for Jesus name sake.
Revelation 22:9 says to worship
God. So, if there is only one God
and Jesus is call a "God" in Isaiah, it seems a little
confusing given all this evidence that Jesus is not God, but
Michael the Arch Angel as the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society
has claimed for so many years. Angels would not worship or
pay obeisance to another angel - only God.
(Heb. 1:6)
PLEASE Re-read John 8:24 and read it without
the bracketed [he], using the correct translation on the original
text there, it would read, "For if you do not believe that
I AM, you will die in your sins."
God will come as Jesus
Malachi 3:1, NWT, says:
"Look! I am sending my messenger, and he must clear up a
way before me. And suddenly there will come to His temple the
[true] Lord, whom you people are seeking, and the messenger of the
covenant in whom you are delighting. Look! He will
certainly come, Jehovah of armies has said."
Jehovah God says he is sending a messenger to clear up a way
before him. This clearly indicates that God is the one
coming.
Thomas recognizes Jesus is God
John 20:26-29, NWT, tells us how Thomas acknowledging
that Jesus is God.
"In answer Thomas said to him:
'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him: 'Because you have
seen me have you believed? Happy are those who do not see and
yet believe.'"
In addition to the cross proof, this also proves Jesus is God,
(See Deity of Christ page) something
Jehovah's Witnesses deny. If Jesus was not God, would Jesus
not have reprimanded Thomas? Jesus had no problem
reprimanding and correcting people when they were wrong. No,
Jesus did not correct Thomas, because he is God.
The Opposite of Love is Fear
Having been raised in a fear-based culture, I now know that
being coerced to practice a religion out of fear, is not
loving. 1 John 4:18 (NWT), "There is no fear in love, but
perfect love throws fear outside, because fear exercises a
restraint. Indeed, he that is under fear has not been made
perfect in love."