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Sunday, January 6, 2013

Was Johannes Greber a "source" for the New World Translation?

This translation was used occasionally **in support** [NOTE: _not_ as a source] of renderings of Matthew 27:52, 53 and John 1:1, as given in the New World Translation and other authoritative Bible versions. But as indicated in a foreword to the **1980 edition** [1] of The New Testament by Johannes Greber, this translator relied on “God’s Spirit World” [as opposed to Bible scholarship] to clarify for him how he should translate difficult passages. It is stated: “His wife, a medium of God’s Spiritworld was often instrumental in conveying the correct answers from God’s Messengers to Pastor Greber.” The Watchtower has deemed it improper to make use of a translation that has such a close rapport with spiritism. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) The scholarship that forms the basis for the rendering of the above-cited texts in the New World Translation is sound and for this reason does not depend at all on Greber’s translation for authority. Nothing is lost, therefore, by ceasing to use his New Testament. [2]
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[1] As opposed to the 1937 edition previously used. (Watchtower 1962 9/15 p. 554 “The Word”—Who Is He? According to John.)

[2] Watchtower 1983 4/1 p. 31 Questions From Readers.

For more responses to this question, see:
"Jehovah's Witnesses, was Johannes Greber a "source" for the New World Translation?" (Y/A)


For links and pages that defend the New World Translation, see:
Index of Links and Pages that Defend the New World Translation