I can’t believe how excited I am to receive this Bible today!
We likely have 50+ Bibles in the house (and around a thousand to give to people).
But this one is for me. The reason it’s so amazing & special? Because, unlike all the rest, it is *not* accurate! Yep you read that right!
No matter what translation of the Bible you have and no matter what year, it is likely 99.9% the same as nearly every other Bible out there. Our English language has changed, but the meaning of the Bible over thousands of years, 45,000+ manuscripts and untold versions and copies is virtually identical in every point.
BUT NOT THIS ONE!
This one was written by the Watchtower in 1961. The Watchtower is the organisation that produces all the material that the Jehovah’s Witnesses use: the tracts, the booklets, the Bible studies and the actual ‘Bible’ that the JW’s use. (The New World Translation or NWT).
The problem is, our amazing and devout JW friends are not aware that the Watchtower have changed the text – they believe what they read and are told. But the Watchtower have (mis)interpreted many verses, to deliberately present false doctrine to unsuspecting people.
Essentially, the ‘translators’, had a particular theology they wanted to convey, so made the text say what they wanted. This led to multitudes of people be taught false doctrine and worse: missing the focal point of the Bible…Jesus. Sure they talk about and use Jesus (as do 90% of all religions), but they miss *who* He actually is. And this is the key aspect of Eternal Life – who Jesus is! (Warning – anyone who uses the Bible to support their own preconceived idea will also present fallacy, whether reformed, Catholic, Pentecostal, Mormon, JW, Muslim or other!).
When trying to reveal the Truth to your friendly Jehovah’s Witness as key verses have been changed. And they are taught to never believe anything other than what the Watchtower says, so they won’t even listen to the real Bible. When their ‘Bible’ says ‘Jesus is a God’, they believe it even though Jesus is *so much* more and described as such in every translation except theirs…
But this 1961 version makes it *much* easier. This was produced by the Watchtower, so they are allowed to listen to it! It is easy to to show how they have changed the text to suit. 1You can still show the JW that Jesus is divine with their newer NWT translations, it is just a bit harder…if you would like information on this drop us a line.
I hope to use this ‘Bible’ to show well intentioned-but-deceived JW’s just how amazing the real Jesus is. I can’t wait!
To JW’s Jesus is the archangel Michael – the first created being. 2the Watchtower Society speaks of “Jesus Christ, whom we understand from the Scriptures to be Michael the archangel” (The Watchtower, February 15,
1979, p. 31 however the Bible says He was not created but is the Creator. (Col 1, John 1, Hebrews 1)
The Watchtower try to teach that Jesus only rose from the dead ‘in spirit’, yet the Bible declares He rose bodily, ate food and allowed people to physically touch Him. He also prophesied that His *body* would be rebuilt in 3 days…
The Watchtower try to present that people *respected* Jesus, however the truth as shown clearly in scripture, is that people *worshipped* Him. From the shepherds to the wise men to the people healed to His disciples to…. YOU Jesus receives and deserves worship. He is the Son of Man and the Son of God – in very essence God, Yahweh / Jehovah, and accepts and deserves worship. He is not merely an angel.
Our prayer is that you will come to know Him for who He actually is, not who people have told you He is.
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.Colossians 1:15-20 (NLT)
In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.John 1:1-4 (NLT)
This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.
For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus:
“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”
God also said,
“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son.”
And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said,
“Let all of God’s angels worship him.”
Regarding the angels, he says,
“He sends his angels like the winds,
his servants like flames of fire.”
But to the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
You rule with a scepter of justice.
You love justice and hate evil.
Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you,
pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.”
He also says to the Son,
“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth
and made the heavens with your hands.
They will perish, but you remain forever.
They will wear out like old clothing.
You will fold them up like a cloak
and discard them like old clothing.
But you are always the same;
you will live forever.”
And God never said to any of the angels,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”
Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.
A Warning against Drifting Away
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from itHebrews 1:4 – 2:1 (NLT)
Lord, please reveal who You are to us – despite our false thinking and teachings. May we honour and worship You as the King, Creator and Saviour. Blessed be Your name!
Footnotes:
- 1You can still show the JW that Jesus is divine with their newer NWT translations, it is just a bit harder…if you would like information on this drop us a line.
- 2the Watchtower Society speaks of “Jesus Christ, whom we understand from the Scriptures to be Michael the archangel” (The Watchtower, February 15,
1979, p. 31