Jevhovah's Witnesses was the Watchtower correct in saying there are errors in the Bible?

Question

The Watchtower, April 15, 1928

"Sometimes a member of a class will refuse to engage in the canvassing for the books because there are some mistakes in the books, and says his conscience will not permit him to put books in which there are mistakes into the hands of the people. Of course this is another method that the enemy adopts to confuse the minds and furnish an excuse for not being faithful to the Lord. As every one knows, there are mistakes in the Bible and there has never been a book written yet that is perfect that has been written by any human hand."

Or has new light prevailed

Thanks

Answer 1

Johovah's eye witnesses cant comment im afraid. The cult is closed today.

Answer 2

Assuming you haven't made a typo, then this is Serious Stuff! Of course, you realise that at some point after 1928 the then Bible Students (who are now Jehovah's Witnesses) moved to the side of believing the Bible IS the perfect word of God, with no mistakes in the autographs (the original manuscripts). The fact that their own New World Translation of the Bible has been reprinted with myriad changes since the 1950s is only proof (to them) that they have refined their (or should that be Westcott & Hort's) translation to tweak it a bit better. Yes, 'tweaking'.... a most charitable word.

Unfortunately, Watchtower Society literature and the Governing Body have assumed a place of equal (if not superior) authority to the Bible, which renders their claim that the Bible is 100% the pure Word of God a contradiction in terms. That was the problem in 1928 and is the problem today (if only JWs could see it.) "The Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible. For this reason the Bible cannot be properly understood without Jehovah's visible organization in mind.'

So, for any JW to question the Governing Body's literature as inaccurate would be to incur the same criticisms as given in your quote above. Which means they might as well not have bothered to move to the camp that says the Bible is the perfect, complete Word of God.

Answer 3

CALL THE GUINESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS -- I have to conditionally agree with the JWs on this one (I know, I'm just as shocked as you are). There ARE errors in the Bible, but not because God made the errors -- it's because of scribal errors (i.e. scribes incorrectly copied certain passages.) Here are a few examples:

1) Compare 2 Kings 8:26 with 2 Chron. 22:1. Each pertains to the same king, but lists different ages for the beginning of his reign. 2 Chron 22:1 contains the scribal error, because the king was 22 when he began his reign.

2) Compare 2 Chron. 36:9 with 2 Kings 24:8; in this case, 2 Kings 24:8 is correct and 2 Chron. 36:9 contains the scribal error.

There are more to be found, the majority of which are in 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles. Most Bibles, by tradition, leave these scribal errors uncorrected. So the JWs have a valid point: no one could give out an unredacted Bible if they drew such a legalistic position.

Answer 4

No. It's so funny how people who are opposed to JW's like to visit anti-witness websites and harp on old news from the early days of the organization instead of observing what they are doing now.

Does most of mankind still believe the earth is flat? Does anyone today believe that the earth is resting on the backs of giant elephants? Does anyone still believe that the universe revolves around the earth? How many people today feel that germs don't exist just because they are too small to see with the naked eye? So why do opposers of JW's like to dig up old things about us?

The questioner asks about something that was written in a Watchtower 1928. If I'm not mistaken, this is 2007. Do you think that with the research that JW's are constantly engaged that a number our points of view would be the same today was they were 79 years ago?

FYI, JW's USED TO believe that limited participation in armed warfare was acceptable until it was determined that ANY involvement in in war was wrong. So now, they refuse any type of military service. JW's USED TO celebrate holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween until research revealed that such observances wer rooted in false religion. So such holidays were scrapped. Interesting, with all the available information on pagan holidays, MOST major religions still celebrate them, KNOWING they are pagan.

The same thing goes for pagan doctrines like the trinity. Although most major religions teach the trinity, some of their own research sources readily admit that it is a false teaching. For instance:

The Illustrated Bible Dictionary records: "The word Trinity is not found in the Bible. . . It did not find a place formally in the theology of the church till the 4th century."

The New Catholic Encyclopedia admits that the Trinity "is not. . . directly and immediately the word of God."

The Encyclopedia of Religion And Ethics records: At first the Christian Faith was not Trinitarian. . . It was not so in the apostolic and sub-apostolic ages, as reflected in the New Testament and other early Christian writings."

L. L. Paine, professor of Ecclesiastical History acknowledged: "The Old Testament is strictly monotheistic. God is a single personal being. The idea that a trinity is to be found there . . . is utterly without foundation."

The Encyclopedia of Religion admits: "Theologians today are in agreement that the Hebrew Bible does not contain a doctrine of the Trinity."

The New Catholic Encyclopedia also admits: "The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is not taught in the Old Testament."

The Encyclopedia of Religion says: "Theologians agree that the New Testament also does not contain an explicit doctrine of the Trinity."

The New Encyclopedia Britannica reports: "Neither the word Trinity nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament."

The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology confirms: "The New Testament does not contain the developed doctrine of the Trinity."

So just because we USED TO believe in a certain thing, are you going to hold that over our heads forever? I suggest that opposers look at their own teachings before they point an accusing finger at Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Bible does contain copiests' errors. One is found at Matt. 27:49. However, some things have been deliberately altered. Two such scriptures are found at 1 John 5:7 and 1 Tim. 3:16. Such alterations were made to make it appear as if the Bible supported the trinity. Fortunately, those changes have been exposed and removed from modern Bibles.

Answer 5

I would like to address LineDancer's comment about why non JW continue to bring up the past acts or beliefs of the watchtower and tract society ...
We ( speaking for other and I hope I do not offend ) have seen to many individuals throw there life away to a promise of a "new system" and we hope and pray that those who have been indoctrinated in the JW will see some glaring inconsistencies and take heed of some of their own doctrines "Beware false profits whose prophecies will be shown false"

The Watchtower and tract society has continued to contradict itself over the last 100 years and when challenged JW all recite the " when we discover something is wrong we change it" which itself is admirable however that precludes the ability to claim "what we say is the Truth"

It is the overwhelming evidence to the contrary of their teachings and the control they hold on their followers that we causes us to fear not for your souls ( because I do believe that you are being deceived thus you will be welcomed into heaven ) but for your mortal lives, and for those of your children that we grieve.

Answer 6

The Bible certainly does *NOT* have any contradictions (emphasis on caps). God has preserved his theme or purpose to mankind. Assuming you've quote correctly.

This article seems to be speaking regarding translation's. Since you've only picked one certain passage of the magazine without exposing the whole topic, it safe to conclude you've brought this question in a unfair manner.

But i appreciate you've listed the source so i will go head and see if i could ask for a copy of that Watchtower.

Take Care Everyone.

Answer 7

Its interesting that when a question is posted that is, shall we say difficult for some witnesses to deal with they resort to attacking the person asking the question. One would assume that you struck a sore spot with the witness.

I don't see why achtung "cut and paste" hess.. questions your motive. Frequently his posts appear to make a clear separation between the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower. Especially when the WT says something he finds difficult.

By the way, they did extend the meaning of generation to120 years.

Answer 8

As Suzanne, above, mentioned, there are scribal errors, yes. Some passages were incorrectly copied as she brought to our attention. Others were deliberately changed. What do I mean by that?

The Sopherim [scribes] had the greatest love and respect for God. But sometimes they thought certain passages showed disrespect for God, for his name or for his person. They made eighteen emendations and acknowledged them so that when the Masoretes (who took over their job) came upon them, they noted them in the margins (thus we got the Masora).

One of these emendations is found at Habakkuk 1:12. The NIV reads this way: "O Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die." The original Hebrew reads "my Holy One YOU do not die." But the scribes thought it was grossly disrespectful even to suggest that God could die. So they emended it to read "we." Most modern translations read "we" as well. The New World Translation reads as it did in the original Hebrew.

So yes, there are errors. The errors are readily found, however, by careful study and review of the 13,000 or so extant Bible manuscripts. It is as Sir Frederick Kenyon said in his seven volumes on The Chester Beatty Biblical Papyri: "The first and most important conclusion derived from the examination of them [the papyri] is the satisfactory one that they confirm the essential soundness of the existing texts. There are no important omissions or additions of passages, and no variations which affect vital facts or doctrines . . ."

I hope this proved helpful to you.

Hannah J Paul

Answer 9

There has been mistakes in early copies of the Bible.. Those were discovered some 30 years ago, when they found out copyist made changes in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

Answer 10

Take a cd or dvd of debate b/w dr. william campbell(a christian missionary) and dr. zakir naik(an islamic scholar) and u'll see how much errors bible has got?there r so many errors in the bible which r contradicting with established scientific facts,can we say that it is a word of God or is it that bible which was revealed unto the Jesus,i mean how can God make mistakes?Also bible has got versions.No different versions were revealed unto the Jesus..if we see Quran(holy book of muslims) it doesnt goes against a single established scientific fact and has got no versions and is in its pure form in which it was revealed.....Just think!!!
Quran is perfect and has got no versions...every Quran in the world is exactly the same as is the other...if u dont believe,do a survey.....

Answer 11

This questioner supposes a remarkably dishonest interpretation of that quote.

Quite clearly, the quote intends to present the mindset of a naysayer, and the next few thoughts are the stream of thought of that naysayer.


Nevertheless, Jehovah's Witnesses have never pretended that every bible in current use is entirely free of error. In fact, it seems likely that there ARE inconsequential errors that do not affect the plain message of "good news" and do not interfere with an accurate understanding of God's will and purposes.

So, the premise of the question is dishonest, but the answer is still "Yes."

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/t13/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_04.htm