A couple of weeks ago, in our Watch Tower Wednesday, I drew people’s attention to a particularly egregious mishandling of the Scripture. Ephesians 4 is very familiar to this former Mormon, being a foundational text for all restorationist groups; apostles, prophets, etc. It contains a favourite passage among the cults, one that speaks of 'one, Lord, one faith, one baptism,' (v.5) and you know the argument about hopelessly divided 'Christendom' I am sure.
In skimming through the New World Translation I happened on the Watch Tower 'translation' of this text, particularly thinking of vv 7-12. Comparing it with the ESV and other translations I am struck by the complete mutilation of this passage in the online NWT study edition.
Here is awkward wording, serious misinterpretations, and the surely inadvertent association of Jesus with Jehovah with regard to Ephesian 4:8 and Psalm 68:18. And what about the idea Jesus brought gifts ‘in strong men’ from among the host of captives he led in his train as he ascended? (v8)
Undeserved Kindness
7. ‘Now undeserved kindness was given to each one of us according to how the Christ measured out the free gift.’ NWT
‘Undeserved kindness’ translates the Greek χάρις (charis) which conveys the idea in this instance, not of saving grace, but the grace given to serve Christ’s church, to hold an office and exercise the grace gifts. Of course, grace has the meaning of God’s undeserved kindness in salvation, but here it is more an equipping for office. So, why not just say grace?
Gifts [in] Men
8. For it says: ‘When he ascended on high he carried away captives; he gave gifts in men.’ NWT
Every translation you can find on BibleHub gives ‘he gave gifts to men (or people).’ The Watch Tower Interlinear even translates the Greek as ‘to men’ and not [in] as they make it (in brackets) in the NWT in the margin. In their commentary they interpret this as, ‘gifts consisting of men; men as gifts.’ This idea they get from Psalm 68:18, commenting:
‘Paul here refers to Ps 68:18, where David thanked Jehovah for the conquest of Jerusalem. Jehovah figuratively “ascended on high” by conquering the city atop Mount Zion. He also supplied the Israelites with captives from among the conquered—strong men who became useful workers’
Where does it say that? Only in the NWT. Who are these men gifted to God’s community? They are, insists Stephen Lett, the elders, teachers, and evangelisers of Eph. 4:11.
And what should our attitude be towards these leaders? Again Stephen Lett helps us here, drawing our attention to 1 Thess. 5:12,13, which exhorts us to show them, ’extraordinary consideration in love because of their work.’ Now we can see where this self-aggrandising mutilation of the text is going.
In an act of undeserved kindness God gave his people men like Stephen Lett, Anthony Morris, and others, to whom is owed ’extraordinary consideration in love because of their work.’
Who Ascends?
Following this through further it is Jehovah who ascended in the Psalm and Jesus who ascends in Ephesians 4. Is this the parallel they wish to draw? Jehovah receives gifts in Psalm 68:18, ‘even among the rebellious’ (ESV) but the NWT has:
‘You ascended on high; You carried away captives; you took captives in the form of men, yes even stubborn ones, to reside among them, O Jah God.’ NWT
‘You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.’ (ESV)
God didn’t take captives in the form of men, he received gifts from among men, even from his enemies, among whom he reigns supreme and may now dwell. The gifts spoken of here are gifts of tribute from a defeated enemy. When we come to Eph.4, what Christ led captive was not men but captivity itself. Captivity is the thing that held men captive, the devil and his angels. (see Eph.1:19-22)
An Orwellian Religion
The true picture here is of a conqueror taking captives and distributing the spoils of conquests among his people. The gifts of Eph.4:7 are the spiritual gifts that equip the Christian community to lead and follow. (see 1 Cor.12) What purpose do the gifts serve? In Ephesians 4 we learn:
12-1 4 ‘And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…’ ESV
But from the Watch Tower we get:
12-14 ‘And he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelizers, some as shepherds and teachers, with a view to the readjustment of the holy ones, for ministerial work, to build up the body of the Christ, until we all attain to the oneness of the faith and of the accurate knowledge of the Son of God, to being a full-grown man, attaining the measure of stature that belongs to the fullness of the Christ.’ (NWT)
‘...with a view to the readjustment of the holy ones?’ This sounds positively Orwellian. Their commentary runs:
‘Jesus readjusted “the holy ones” for “ministerial work” by bringing their thinking, attitudes, and conduct into proper alignment with God’s thinking and will. This “readjustment” (or, “training”) was done by means of “gifts in men,” or spirit-appointed overseers, whom he gave to the congregation’
Now the trap is sprung as Jehovah’s Witnesses submit to a process of ‘readjustment’ in their thinking. A readjustment made by those to whom they should give, ‘extraordinary consideration in love because of their work.’
What does the text really tell us? Where the NWT has:
‘...with a view to the readjustment of the holy ones, for ministerial work…’
The ESV has:
‘...to equip the saints for the work of ministry…’
The word ‘equip’ is the Greek καταρτισμός (katartismos) carrying the meaning of preparation, training, equipping so the saints may minister to each other. The gifts are spiritual gifts endowed by the Holy Spirit as he (yes he) sees fit (Eph.4:7; 1 Cor. 12:7) They are not men in positions of authority over the congregation.
Typically, the Watch Tower has decided on a particularly ugly word that sounds more like conditioning and mind control than training and equipping. But it gets them to where they wish to go. Here they have exalted their leaders and ‘readjusted’ their congregation’s thinking to fit them for a role of submission.
If your thinking already runs along the line of overseeing and submitting and not the biblical line of exercising gifts in servanthood it sounds right. Especially so if all you have is the NWT and the Watch Tower to guide you. I am reminded of Spurgeon’s observation:
‘Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.’
Reachout Convention, September 16-18 2022
Why not come to the Reachout Convention this year? It is being held in September at the Hayes Conference Centre in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside. Enjoy a full weekend of teaching and fellowship. For more details go here.
Comments