John 1:1

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ShannonS

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I have been meeting weekly with Jehovah’s Witnesses and we have been butting heads on John 1:1. In the New World Translation, it states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was a god.” Notice the addition of the article “a” and the lower-case “g” in god. I have read in Jason Evert’s book “Answering Jehovah’s Witnesses” that the word “a” was added, under the direction of a spiritist no less. The JW’s, of course, do not admit to this. In addition, I have read that, in the third line, “God” is not necessarily an indefinite noun, therefore not necessarily needing a definite article to make it gramatically correct.
I do not know how to defend the Catholic teaching on this verse that the Word and God are one in the same. Can you help?
 
Thats a common one.
I suggest you go to catholicxjw.com the guy who runs it was an ex-jw and has some good stuff to say.
 
It can be difficult to discuss scripture with them because ther bible translation is so mangled. I once read something about that same verse. With their version saying “was a god” instead of “was God” then thay would have to admit that there is more than one God, because that is what it would imply when you say"and the Word was a God". Am I explaing that in a way that makes any sense? I often have trouble forming my thoughts into the right words. Good luck.
 
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ShannonS:
I have been meeting weekly with Jehovah’s Witnesses and we have been butting heads on John 1:1.
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Why? You some sort of masochist? 🙂
You won’t change these guys. Look. JW’s (seriously) also believe that the the throne of God can be located in the Plaeides star system. You think these guys are interested in Christianity? They are a Pagan Cult.

OK, rant over 😉

If you were to read the Greek you would actually find this:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was towards God, and the Word was God. This Word was in the beginning towards God.

Where beginning = ARCHE in Greek which also has the meaning of a ruling principle;
Word = LOGOS in Greek a spoken word expressing a thought or idea but it also means the reason behind things which sets the pattern;
So in the beginning of time (actually, before time) God spoke a word which expressed love and thereby created the Universe. But also, prior to the creation there is a pattern of love which expresses itself in everything that comes to be.
The Word was towards God = PROS, a moving toward, looking toward, addressing itself toward.
The word which God spoke had a reality and a being of its own. Though it flowed out of the source which was/is God it had life in itself. God spoke the Word and the Word spoke to God.

We have to stagger and stop at this point; this is just awesome!
The name of God is I AM . In the beginning when time began , I AM already was.

**I AM ** does not live in total splendid isolation because the very being and glory of God is love. **I AM ** is the to and fro of love. I AM is the love leaping from the Father to the Son, and from the Son to the Father and which we call the HOLY SPIRIT.

This presupposes a Trinitarian idea of God but as the JW’s cannot accept this idea (they believe Christ was NOT Divine but was/is a Spirit Being, created by God and inferior to God.

So, afraid you can’t win this one with really entrenched JW’s.
 
When they came to my house I honestly searched for the truth through what they believe. I was open to everything they said and I asked them so many questions. Their entire theology fell apart under scrutiny. Be kind and ask questions. Chances are they can’t answer your sincere questions.
 
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