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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Gender of article, pronouns for use with holy spirit discussions

(From the RDB Files)

When attempting to explain the gender of words in the NT Greek (especially concerning the holy spirit) which are sometimes mistranslated (even in respected interlinears), try the following in conjunction with any interlinear NT Greek.


The following Greek Grammar by Gresham shows the gender of the definite article (‘the’ - pp. 24, 34), the gender of numerals (pp. 165); the gender of personal pronouns (‘he,’ ‘she,’ ‘it’ - p. 47), of reflexive pronouns (‘himself,’ ‘herself,’ ‘itself’ - p. 154), of relative pronouns (‘who,’ ‘which’ - p. 173). Or go to pp. 235-237 for a review of all the above.

The print is quite small, so right click to find ‘zoom in’ key (I still need to use a magnifying glass also.). Scroll down to find slider to move page to left or right.


http://www.esnips.com/doc/bae42d3f-86b5-4902-9f26-acb5ba788533/NT-Greek-Grammar-by-J-Gresham-Machen

For a larger print examination of the definite article and pronouns:

http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~ancgreek/paradigmsU/paradigms_U.html  (click on 'go to pronoun paradigms')

Another look at relative pronouns (p. 111):

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/davis/page110.html

And of the personal pronouns:

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/davis/page66.html


And of the relative pronoun:

http://www.donpotter.net/PDF/Roberts%27%20Grammar%20Lesson%2032.pdf


As for the explanation of the N., D., G., A., and V. (Nominative case, Dative case, Genitive case, Accusative case, and Vocative case) which are usually at the left hand side of the charts examined above, see p. 25:

http://www.esnips.com/doc/bae42d3f-86b5-4902-9f26-acb5ba788533/NT-Greek-Grammar-by-J-Gresham-Machen


Or see p. 5:

http://www.donpotter.net/PDF/Robert%27s%20Grammar%20Lesson%202.pdf


Or pp. 29-30 (#27):

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/davis/page28.html

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Jehovah's Witnesses / Trinity


Why Don't Jehovah's Witnesses Believe in the Trinity?

Nowhere in the Bible is it mentioned that Jesus ever claimed to be God. Rather, he specifically called the "Father...the only true God." (John 17:1-3; Also see John 20:17; 2 Corinthians 1:3 and 1 Corinthians 8:6)

Nowhere in the Bible does it conclusively say that Jesus is God. Instead, the Bible repeatedly refers to Jesus as the "son of God". Because the Bible describes Jesus as the second oldest and second most important person in the universe, the Bible calls Jesus:

the "only-begotten Son" of God. (John 1:14; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9)

"the first-born of all creation". (Colossians 1:15)

"the beginning of God's creation". (Revelation 3:14)

The Bible shows that Jesus is subordinate to God: "The head of the Christ is God." (1 Corinthians 11:3) Jesus himself said: "The Father is greater than I." (John 14:28)

Concerning the supposed third person of the Trinity, nowhere in the Bible is the Holy Spirit called "God, the Holy Spirit." Instead, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is not a person, but rather is God's active force. Even many trinitarian scholars will admit this.

Not only does Biblical and historical evidence clearly not support the Trinity, but Historian Will Durant said that

"Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it. . . . From Egypt came the ideas of a divine trinity."

And Arthur Weigall stated that

"Nowhere in the New Testament does the word `trinity' appear. The idea was only adopted by the Church three hundred years after the death of our Lord; and the origin of the conception is entirely pagan." - The Paganism in our Christianity, pp. 197, 198.

Some look to a few selected Bible texts as "proof" of the Trinity. However, not even so much as one of these "proof texts" says that the Father, Jesus, and the holy spirit are one in some mysterious Godhead and, very often, the true meaning of such a text is clarified by the context of surrounding verses.

Click on any of the following links to view:

Responses to those who falsely claim that Jehovah's Witnesses quoted out of context in the brochure "Should you believe in the Trinity?" (Examining the Trinity)

Are Jehovah's Witnesses not Christians because they do not believe in the Trinity? (Search For Bible Truths)

Are Jehovah's Witnesses the first to reason that Jesus is Michael the Archangel? (Search For Bible Truths)

Do Jehovah's Witnesses Deny Biblical Monotheism? (Jehovah's Witnesses United)

Jehovah's Witnesses, not a form of Arianism
(Pastor Russell)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010