The WT Whiffs!

I was recently browsing through the WT of June 1, 1988 when a section heading (p. 15) caught my attention: “Accurate Knowledge of God and His Son Leads to Life.” The first three (3) verses quoted by the WT, to lead to accurate knowledge, are John 17:3, Revelation 4:11 and Colossians 1:15-16. (Colossians 1:16 will be delt with Revelation 4:11) WT quotes are in BLUE.

The WT warns that “without accurate knowledge we may become ensnared by false teachings pro­moted by God’s opposer, Satan the Devil, who is “a liar and the father of the lie . . . We do not want to be like those who are always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.”"—2 Timothy 3:1, 7.”

I will look at each of the three verses the WT promotes as accurate knowledge of God and His son.

Steee-Rike 1.  John 17:3 reads in the WT’s New World Translation, “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”

Now John 17:3 in the NASB, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

The point of contention—should the verse say “taking in knowledge” or “may know.” What is the difference? Why did the WT state “taking in knowledge”? The WT wants its devotees to BUY the latest WT publication. Thus they tell JW’s that they must be constantly “taking in knowledge” about Jehovah and Jesus. And the only place to get “the truth” is from the WTBTS and its publications.

However, JW’s who are constantly reading JW publications are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 3:7). The facts that keep filling Witnesses’ heads never make up for the lack of actually knowing Jesus, the living Truth.

Why did the NASB state "may know." Think of a young person that looks up to a famous singer. They have read the stars biography, know all the facts about their life, their accomplishments, gold records, etc. However, they will not “know” the star like the star's parents know the star. The parents are in a close relationship with the star—the kind of relationship a fan can never have no matter how many facts they know about the star. The JW is the fan, a true Christian is like the parents.

Taking in statistics about someone (the WT's "taking in knowledge"), where that person was born, their accomplishments, etc is not the same as "knowing" (the NASB translation) that person in a personal, intimate way.

Which is correct? This link will take you to "Blue Letter Bible" and show that the Greek word we are looking at is Strong's Number G1097 and matches the Greek γινώσκω (ginōskō), which occurs 246 times in 208 verses in the Greek concordance of the KJV. The 246 occurrences are then listed and I invite you to read these. I believe you will then agree with the NASB translators that John 17:3 should read: “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Strike 2 "The WT Wiffs Again!" is here.