Just below this paragraph is John 1:1 in the Greek. I will focus on the Greek word "Θεὸς" and how the JWs have deviously translated Θεὸς incorrectly to “a god”, thus brewing up the phrase “the Word was a god” which demotes Jesus to just a man.
(John 1:1) ᾿Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος.
First Failure by JWs:
The word Θεός (Theos) translates to God, plain and simple.
Second Failure by JWs:
Theses are the Indefinite Articles in Greek:
Singular Indefinite Articles, all of them translate to “one”
– Masculine: ένας
– Feminine: μία
– Neuter: ένα
Plural Indefinite Articles, all of them translate to “several”
– Masculine: μερικοί
– Feminine: μερικές
– Neuter: μερικά
Now, where does anyone see any of these Greek indefinite articles in John 1:1? Where?!?!
Conclusion: The JW dirt poor understanding of Greek has been exposed. Their attempt to desecrate Jesus and the Trinity will not succeed.
Nowhere-
John 1:1 in Greek (SBLGNT):
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος.
Lexham Bible Translation:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Parsing Each Clause in Greek
Clause 1: Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος
Ἐν ἀρχῇ (en archēi)
Ἐν (preposition) + ἀρχῇ (noun, feminine singular dative) – "in the beginning"
This prepositional phrase (ἐν + dative) indicates the temporal location: "at the beginning of time" or "in the beginning."
ἦν (ēn)
Verb, imperfect indicative active, 3rd person singular – "was"
The imperfect tense indicates a continuous action in past time; here, it conveys that the Word existed continuously in the beginning.
ὁ Λόγος (ho Logos)
ὁ (definite article, nominative masculine singular) + Λόγος (noun, nominative masculine singular) – "the Word"
The use of the definite article identifies "the Word" as a distinct and particular entity, emphasizing pre-existence and identity.
Summary:
The imperfect tense of ἦν and the preposition ἐν ἀρχῇ convey that "the Word" already existed at the beginning, pointing to His eternal nature.
Clause 2: καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν
καὶ (kai)
Coordinating conjunction – "and"
Links the previous clause to the next, building a progression in the description of the Word’s relationship to God.
ὁ Λόγος ἦν (ho Logos ēn)
As before, ἦν is imperfect, showing continuity; ὁ Λόγος is still the subject. Together, they mean "the Word was."
πρὸς τὸν Θεόν (pros ton Theon)
πρὸς (preposition) + τὸν Θεόν (article + noun, accusative masculine singular) – "with God"
πρὸς is generally translated as "with" here, indicating relationship or close association. It can imply "face-to-face" or "toward" in Greek, suggesting both intimacy and distinct personhood.
τὸν Θεόν (the accusative form of Θεός, "God") denotes direction toward God, implying relational distinction yet also unity.
Summary:
This clause emphasizes that "the Word" had an intimate relationship with God while maintaining distinct personhood, which suggests both unity and distinction within the Godhead.
Clause 3: καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος
καὶ (kai)
Again a coordinating conjunction – "and"
This conjunction links the final attribute, declaring something about the nature of "the Word."
Θεὸς (Theos)
Noun, nominative masculine singular – "God"
Placed before the verb for emphasis. Unlike previous mentions, Θεὸς here lacks the definite article, which can imply that the nature or essence of "the Word" is being described, rather than identifying Him as God the Father.
This construction is significant in Greek syntax because the predicate nominative (Θεὸς) comes before the subject (ὁ Λόγος), which indicates qualitative emphasis.
ἦν ὁ Λόγος (ēn ho Logos)
Verb ἦν (imperfect indicative active, 3rd person singular) + subject ὁ Λόγος
With Θεὸς as the predicate nominative, the phrase translates to "the Word was God," underscoring the Word’s divine nature.
This final clause asserts that "the Word" shares in the divine essence. The structure emphasizes that while the Word is distinct from the Father, He is fully God in essence.
Syntactic and Theological Implications
Each clause builds on the other, establishing that:
The Word existed in eternity past (Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος),
The Word had a distinct, intimate relationship with God (ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν),
The Word’s nature is fully divine (καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος).
The absence of an article with Θεὸς (καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος) avoids equating the Word as the Father, which maintains the distinction of persons within the Godhead. Instead, the grammar and syntax suggest that the Word shares the divine nature, emphasizing both distinction and oneness within the nature of God as understood by early Christian theology.
J.
