Columbo asks Sam, a Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW), about Johannes Greber and John 1:1
Please click on the words of Columbo that are red.
Columbo: I noticed over the last 44 years or so that Johannes Greber has not been quoted in support of an “a god” translation of John 1:1. Sam, why did the Watchtower (WT) stop quoting him?
Sam: A similar question was asked in the section Questions from the Readers of the WT 4/1/83 on Page 31. The WT response is as follows. “But as indicated in a foreword to the 1980 edition of The New Testament by Johannes Greber, this translator relied on ‘God’s Spirit World’ to clarify for him how he should translate difficult passages. It is stated: ‘His wife, a medium of God’s Spirit world 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.”
Columbo: UHM, I am curious. The WT 10/1/55 on Page 603 says, “It comes as no surprise that one Johannes Greber, a former Catholic clergyman, has become a spiritualist and has published the book entitled “Communication with the Spirit World, Its laws and Its Purpose. (1932, Macoy Publishing Company, New York)”
Again, the WT’s publication entitled “What do the Scriptures say about ‘Survival after Death’” on page 88 says: “It comes as no surprise that one Johnannes Greber, a former Catholic clergyman, has become a spiritualist and has published the book entitled ‘Communication with the Spirit World, Its Laws and Its Purposes.’ (1932 Macoy Publishing Company, New York) In its forward he makes the typical misstatement: ‘The Most significant spiritualistic book is the Bible; for its principal contents hinge upon the messages of the beyond to those existing in the present.’”
Also, the WT 2/15/56 on page 111 says, “In the Foreword of his aforementioned book ex-priest Greber says: ‘The most significant spiritualistic book is the Bible.’ Under this impression Greber endeavors to make his New Testament translation read very spiritualistic.”
It seems to me the WT knew that Greber was a spiritist in 1955 and 1956.
Sam: It seems that way. I need to do some research.
Columbo: The Watchtower made use of Greber’s Bible translation in the following Watchtower’s publications: The Word, Who is He, According to John, 1962, Page 5; Aid to Bible Understanding, 1971, Pages 1134,1669; Make Sure of Things, 1965, Page 489; Watchtower 9/15/62, Page 554; WT. 10/15/75, Page 640; WT. 4/15/76, Page 231. So, why did the Watchtower deem it proper to make use of Greber’s Bible between 1962 and 1976?
Sam: You have another question Columbo?
Columbo: Ah, I am sorry. I'm making a pest of myself. Yes, yes I am. I know it’s because I keep asking these questions. But I tell you. I can't help myself. It's a habit.
Sam: I will include that in my research. Do you have anything more to share?
Columbo: Yes. In the WT’s 1985 Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures section 2A, it cites an “a god” translation of John 1:1 by John S. Thompson.
Sam: So!
Columbo: Did you know The American Quarterly Review mentioned that “he had intercourse with the spirit world”? 1
Sam: No. I will ask some elders about Mr. Thompson.
Columbo: Okay. Oh, there is just one more thing. In the 1987 Spanish edition of “Aid to Bible Understanding”, it cites Johannes Greber regarding his “a god” translation. 2
I thought your organization said in 1983 they deemed it improper to use his translation. They used it again four years later.
Sam: I need to go now. Since you have so much information, you should write the Society about these things.
1. The American Quarterly Review, Vol. VIII, 1830, Page 235. He had intercourse with the spirit world.
Columbo: I noticed over the last 44 years or so that Johannes Greber has not been quoted in support of an “a god” translation of John 1:1. Sam, why did the Watchtower (WT) stop quoting him?
Sam: A similar question was asked in the section Questions from the Readers of the WT 4/1/83 on Page 31. The WT response is as follows. “But as indicated in a foreword to the 1980 edition of The New Testament by Johannes Greber, this translator relied on ‘God’s Spirit World’ to clarify for him how he should translate difficult passages. It is stated: ‘His wife, a medium of God’s Spirit world 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.”
Columbo: UHM, I am curious. The WT 10/1/55 on Page 603 says, “It comes as no surprise that one Johannes Greber, a former Catholic clergyman, has become a spiritualist and has published the book entitled “Communication with the Spirit World, Its laws and Its Purpose. (1932, Macoy Publishing Company, New York)”
Again, the WT’s publication entitled “What do the Scriptures say about ‘Survival after Death’” on page 88 says: “It comes as no surprise that one Johnannes Greber, a former Catholic clergyman, has become a spiritualist and has published the book entitled ‘Communication with the Spirit World, Its Laws and Its Purposes.’ (1932 Macoy Publishing Company, New York) In its forward he makes the typical misstatement: ‘The Most significant spiritualistic book is the Bible; for its principal contents hinge upon the messages of the beyond to those existing in the present.’”
Also, the WT 2/15/56 on page 111 says, “In the Foreword of his aforementioned book ex-priest Greber says: ‘The most significant spiritualistic book is the Bible.’ Under this impression Greber endeavors to make his New Testament translation read very spiritualistic.”
It seems to me the WT knew that Greber was a spiritist in 1955 and 1956.
Sam: It seems that way. I need to do some research.
Columbo: The Watchtower made use of Greber’s Bible translation in the following Watchtower’s publications: The Word, Who is He, According to John, 1962, Page 5; Aid to Bible Understanding, 1971, Pages 1134,1669; Make Sure of Things, 1965, Page 489; Watchtower 9/15/62, Page 554; WT. 10/15/75, Page 640; WT. 4/15/76, Page 231. So, why did the Watchtower deem it proper to make use of Greber’s Bible between 1962 and 1976?
Sam: You have another question Columbo?
Columbo: Ah, I am sorry. I'm making a pest of myself. Yes, yes I am. I know it’s because I keep asking these questions. But I tell you. I can't help myself. It's a habit.
Sam: I will include that in my research. Do you have anything more to share?
Columbo: Yes. In the WT’s 1985 Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures section 2A, it cites an “a god” translation of John 1:1 by John S. Thompson.
Sam: So!
Columbo: Did you know The American Quarterly Review mentioned that “he had intercourse with the spirit world”? 1
Sam: No. I will ask some elders about Mr. Thompson.
Columbo: Okay. Oh, there is just one more thing. In the 1987 Spanish edition of “Aid to Bible Understanding”, it cites Johannes Greber regarding his “a god” translation. 2
I thought your organization said in 1983 they deemed it improper to use his translation. They used it again four years later.
Sam: I need to go now. Since you have so much information, you should write the Society about these things.
1. The American Quarterly Review, Vol. VIII, 1830, Page 235. He had intercourse with the spirit world.
2. Ayuda .para entender la Biblia, 1987 page 1258
“Una Traducción hecha por un ex sacerdote católico romano, Joahnnes Greber (ed. 1937), traduce el Segundo ‘dios’ como ‘un dios’.”
“Una Traducción hecha por un ex sacerdote católico romano, Joahnnes Greber (ed. 1937), traduce el Segundo ‘dios’ como ‘un dios’.”
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Box 729
La Habra, CA 90633
Our E-mail address is below should you have questions or comments:
My E-mail
info@HouseOfTruthMinistries.org
Our website
http://www.HouseOfTruthMinistries.org