one God or many?

How many changes to God’s word does it take to change “essential” doctrine?

Take for example the following verse:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. (John 1:1 NWT)

This is from the Jehovah Witness’s bible version called the New World Translation (NWT).

The King James Bible says:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 KJB)

As we can see, the simple addition of a single letter not only replaces monotheism with polytheism, it reduces Jesus (the Word) to “a god” among many gods and changes the understanding of all scripture.

Another example of this is in Daniel 3;24-25, notice the phrase “a son of the gods”.

King Nebuchadnezzar then became frightened and quickly rose up and said to his high officials: “Did we not tie up three men and throw them into the fire?” They answered the king: “Yes, O king.”   He said: “Look! I see four men walking about free in the midst of the fire, and they are unharmed, and the fourth one looks like a son of the gods.” (Daniel 3:24-25 NWT)

The King James Bible says:

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.  He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. (Daniel 3:24-25 KJB)

We see how in the King James Bible, it is THE Son of God (singular), meaning that Jesus was in the furnace with the three faithful men.  Again the New World Translation has reduced Jesus one of many gods.

This is the same lie we find from the very beginning when we see Satan lying to Eve saying “ye shall be as gods”.

for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:5 KJB)

The NWT has hidden the warning about Satan’s lie about many “gods” by changing this verse to:

For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad. (Genesis 3:5 NWT)

Notice that the warning against man becoming one of the gods is replaced with “you will be like God”, which was already true and hardly a temptation because they were already “like” God, made in His image and likeness (Gen 1:26-27).  Also, after the resurrection we will be “like Jesus” (1 John 3:2).   This is Satan changing the truth of God into a lie (Romans 1:25).

Most people would agree that the NWT is the corrupted bible of a cult.  However these corruptions of scripture are not limited to the NWT.

New International Version (NIV)
He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

English Standard Version (ESV)
He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
He exclaimed, “Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Amplified Bible (AMP)
He answered, “Look! I see four men untied, walking around in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”