SAFEGUARD AGAINST ERROR

23. (a) Persons with what version of the Christian Greek Scriptures can especially appreciate the above points? (b) How have the translators of such version tried to imitate “the congregator,” and trusting in what helper?

²³ Many other cases could be here treated to show how The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures brings out the precise meaning in its word-for-word translation under the Greek text. Bible students who have the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, besides English, will particularly be able to appreciate these points. They will appreciate how the New World Translation has endeavored to put God’s Word as contained in the original Greek into these languages with the “correct words of truth” in each language. No claim of divine inspiration is made for these translations in modern-day language. The translators had to do what even the inspired Bible writer, “the congregator,” King Solomon, had to do, and that is, search to “find the delightful words and the writing of correct words of truth.” (Eccl. 12:10) Nevertheless, in all this searching they have trusted in the guidance, not inspiration, of God’s holy spirit. Solomon indeed wrote his books in the Bible with “delightful words.” The translators tried to imitate him.

24. Why does The Kingdom Interlinear Translation serve as a safeguard against error today, especially against clergymen claiming to know Greek?

²⁴ Because of digging down into the literal meaning of the original Bible language The Kingdom Interlinear Translation can serve as a safeguard against error in these days when many religious leaders are teaching twisted things, even twisting the written Word of God. Religious clergymen of Christendom come along and try to overawe sincere Bible students by claiming to know the original Bible language and therefore knowing what it actually says. But by going to The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, a student can go to the original Bible text and consult the interlinear literal translation of that language. Thus he can check as to whether what such domineering clergymen may say is true or not. In this way the student can be helped to put up a defense argument and safeguard himself against being misled from the Bible truth.

25. How will readers of Watch Tower publications in other languages indirectly get the benefit of this new Bible-study aid?

²⁵ Although readers in English will get the most benefit from The Kingdom Interlinear Translation in a direct way, yet this new Bible help will be used by the owners, the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, in preparing its magazines, books, booklets, and other publications. Thus those not reading English will indirectly get the benefit thereof in those languages in which the Society’s literature is published. So all lovers of God’s written Word can thank him for this new Bible-study aid.

The Resurrection

● The thought of a resurrection of the dead was particularly difficult for the ancient worldly-wise Greeks to accept. Thus when the apostle Paul spoke to the Athenian philosophers on Mars’ Hill they listened attentively until he mentioned the resurrection. (Acts 17:31-34) In the Octavius of Minucius Felix of the early third century C.E., there is an interesting defense of the resurrection in chapter 34: “But who is so foolish or so brutish as to dare deny that man, as he could first of all be formed by God, so can again be reformed; that he is nothing after death, and that he was nothing before he began to exist; and as from nothing it was possible for him to be born, so from nothing it may be possible for him to be restored?”—The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4, p. 194.