The Translators of our English Bible, able men as they undoubtedly were, translated with a prejudice in favour of the Doctrine of the Trinity; and this led them to commit various grave blunders which, from being accepted as the true Word of God, have contributed to prevent free inquiry, and have also been used as arguments to prove the Truth of the doctrine in question, as if their mistranslations were indeed the Word of God itself. Fortunate it is for mankind that the original of the Inspired Word, in so far as the New Testament is concerned, is written in the Greek language—a language as concise, and in many points quite as definite, as our own. Even in this fact, trifling as to many it may seem, have we a very strong proof of the wisdom of God. Had the Scriptures of the New Testament been in Latin, the language of the then dominant nation, or in Hebrew, many of its expressions and meanings would have been obscure in the extreme. But by so arranging matters that the New Testament was written in Greek, every expression, every word used, has a meaning and a force for which we may be very thankful, and which serves to throw a flood of light on all discussions such as the present. To this Greek version of the Scriptures, then, which is the only true Word of God, in so far as the New Testament is concerned, we must resort in all our difficulties, and not to any translations, which, from their very nature, must always bear more or less the impress of the mind and prejudices of the Translator.
The first passage, then, which may be adduced as a serious mistranslation affecting the Doctrine of the Trinity, is the first verse of the first chapter of the Gospel by John. Our translation gives the passage thus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; the same was in the beginning with God.” This translation makes “the Word” to be but another name for “God,” the translators having made up their minds as to the Doctrine of the Trinity. But the original Greek makes no such statement, but defines the parties spoken of in the most distinct manner. The original Greek says, EN ARCH HN O LOGOS KAI O LOGOS HN PROS TON QEON KAI QEOS HN O LOGOS OUTOS HN EN ARCH PROS TON QEON. And this when literally translated reads thus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with The God, and a God was the Word; he was in the beginning with The God.” The word which I have translated “a God” usually means simply “divine,” or “holy,” so that it would read more properly, “and divine was the Word”—or, “holy was the Word.” This of course gives the passage a very different meaning from that put on it by our translators, whose version is quite untenable, for it will be observed that whenever God is spoken of he is strictly defined as “The God,” which epithet or title contrasts remarkably with that alone applied to the Word, which is only “a God,” or more correctly, “divine,” or “holy.” It is thus apparent that this passage, so much rested on by Trinitarians as proof of the correctness of their views, is only made to favour such views by being altered from the truth to suit their own ends.
The next mistranslated passage which it is necessary to notice is one which the Trinitarians also quote as fully corroborative of their views, but which, had they referred to the original Greek, which is alone the true Word of God, they would have found gave no countenance whatever to their dogma. The English translation of Romans ix. 5 is, “Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” The original Greek, however, makes no such statement, for it says, WN OI PATERES KAI EX WN O CRISTOS TO KATA SARKA O WN EPI PANTWN QEOS EULOGHTOS EIS TOUS AIWNAS AMHN. Which, literally translated, says, “Of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ according to the flesh; the living Supreme God be blessed for ever. Amen.” In fact, Paul in this passage blesses the living Supreme God for Christ having come in the flesh. Now any one with even a slight knowledge of Greek, if not blinded by prejudice, might at once perceive that the passage is quite incapable of being translated as it occurs in our English Bibles. The very circumstance of the definite article hO being before the word WN would have led any one to perceive that the translators' version was untenable, first because the word is not WN, the genitive plural of the relative pronoun, which if it were, it must be translated “of whom,” which would make the passage bear that the only true God proceeded from Christ; but the word is the nominative singular of the present participle of the verb EIMI, I am, or I exist; and as it has the definite article before it, it must be translated “the existing” or “the living” God. Then again, the word EULOGHTOS is not the active, but the passive voice of the verb, and therefore must be translated by the sign of the passive voice—viz., “be blessed.” The words therefore cannot be translated “the blessed God,” but must be translated “may The God be blessed.” But the fact is, that the translators of our English Bible have thrice at least translated this word correctly, and in every such instance they properly translate it “be blessed.” Thus in 2 Corinthians i. 3 it is translated “Blessed be God;” in Ephesians i. 3, and again in 1 Peter i. 3, it is translated “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The whole passage, therefore, as it stands in our English Bible, is incorrect, and teaches quite a different doctrine from what the true Word of God does; the only correct translation being that given above: or if the words be arranged as in Ephesians and in Peter, they would read, “Of whom are the Fathers, and from whom is Christ according to the flesh; Blessed be the Living Supreme God for ever. Amen.”
But our Translators had the Doctrine of the Trinity so thoroughly interwoven with their sentiments, that whenever they had an opportunity to soften a passage which strongly taught an opposite doctrine, they appear to have done so. Thus, in Romans v. 6, the original Greek says, “that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” which the translators modify into “glorify God, even the Father.” But they ventured on a greater change in 2 Corinthians i. 3. The original Greek says, “Blessed be The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” which the translators modify into “Blessed be God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In the same manner they alter Ephesians v. 20. The original Greek says, “giving thanks always for all things unto The God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” and this the translators make to lose all its point by altering it into “giving thanks for all things unto God, and the Father.”
But our translators, not satisfied with mistranslating passages in order to carry out their ideas of a Trinity, took the liberty of adding to the Word of God words which are not in the original, which additions cause the meaning of the passage to be quite different from what it is in the inspired writings. These altered passages are now, of course, like those commented on, the strongholds of the Trinitarian doctrine. Let us therefore look at their true meaning as it exists written in the original Greek.
In Timothy's first epistle, iii. 16, our English Bible says, “without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, etc.” The word here translated “godliness” simply means “piety,” a word which means “the discharge of a duty to God,” and has, therefore, reference in this passage to Christ alone. But our translators have altered the meaning of the whole passage by inserting the word “God”—a word not in the original Greek at all, where is only found the word OS, meaning this or he; and the translators have done more than merely insert the word, they have inserted it in such a way as to induce the belief that the word “God’ was in the original Greek by printing it in Roman type, departing from their usual plan of printing the inserted words in Italics. No one would therefore be led to suspect that they were reading other than the inspired word, when all the time they were trusting to a human alteration of the word of truth which gave to it an entirely false meaning. The passage, therefore, in the original, is clearly referrible to Christ alone, and not to God; and the only correct translation is, “Great is the mystery of piety. He was manifested in the flesh, etc.;” and the “he” is, of course, he who showed this piety, or discharge of duty to God—viz., Jesus;—a conclusion thoroughly borne out by the First Epistle of John, where we are told it was “the Son of God was manifested.”
The same causes led the translators to show in other passages their desire to prove the existence of a Trinity, or at least to confuse the Father and Son as if they were convertible titles of one God. For instance, in 1 John iii. 6 we have almost an exact reproduction of the alteration in Timothy. Our translation says: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.” But the Greek, which is the only true Word of God, says no such thing; for it only says, “Hereby perceive we the love, because he laid down his life for us,” clearly referring to Christ, and not to God.
Our translators, however, having adopted the Trinitarian Doctrine as true, found it necessary to get some word to be translated “Godhead,” as that was a term which the Trinitarians found it needful to apply. Two different Greek words are therefore translated “godhead” in the only three passages in which they occur in the New Testament.
The first passage occurs in Paul's celebrated defence before the Areiopagus at Athens, Acts xvii. 29, translated: “we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto Gold.” The Greek word here used is TO QEION, which is an indefinite noun, not meaning the Godhead, but only “the Divinity”—and, as used by Paul, refers to that Divinity of whom he was speaking at the time, “The Unknown God.”
The next passage where our translators use the word Godhead is in Romans i. 20, “Even his eternal power and Godhead.” Here the Greek word is QEIOTHS, which simply means “divine nature” or “divinity,” and not godhead at all.
The third and last passage where this word is used by our translators is in Colossians ii. 9. “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” Here the Greek word is QEOTHTOS, the genitive of the word used in Romans; and of course the passage ought to have been translated, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the divine nature bodily.”
But our translators, from missing out in innumerable passages the definite article before the word “God,” and by translating it by the indefinite word “God” instead of by the definite one “The God,” have contrived to render obscure hundreds of passages which would otherwise have been clear as day; and which, had they been properly translated, would have prevented much of that confusion which exists in our English Bible from not pointedly distinguishing The One only Supreme God, who is always entitled in the original Greek, “The God.” Thus Jesus in all his discourses to the Jews relative to God, when he uses that title, invariably styles him “The God,” i.e., the only one God whom the Jew was to worship. He also pointedly styles himself the son of “The God.” “I am the Son of The God.” “I proceeded forth and came from The God.” “The God so loved the world.” “The only begotten son of The God,” etc., etc. In fact, this specification and definition of Him who alone had the title of “The God,” runs through all the discourses of Jesus; and no doubt is for a moment left on the mind as to whether that God included any other, for Jesus most expressly declared the Unity of the Sovereign Ruler of whom he spoke. “Ye believe in The God, believe also in me.” “The God is a Spirit.” “This is eternal life, that they may know Thee The Only True God.”
The apostles in their writings all individualize, or particularize The true God in the same manner, though no one knows anything or sees anything of this in our translation. Thus Paul says to Timothy, “I charge thee before The God, and the Lord Jesus Christ;” and again, “I give thee charge in the sight of The God who quickeneth all things;” “For The God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ;” “Looking unto Jesus . . . who is set down at the right hand of the throne of The God;” and lastly, “Then shall the Son himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that The God may be all in all.” Innumerable passages might be quoted to the same effect from Paul's writings. All the other writers in the New Testament are equally specific, though the translators, either designedly or through ignorance, leave out the definite article, which gives the point to the sentence, in almost every case. Thus James says, “Pure religion and undefiled before The God and Father is this;” “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of The God;” “Fear The God;” “For after this manner, in the old time, the holy women also, who trusted in The God, adorned themselves.” John says, “For this purpose the Son of The God was manifested;” “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of The God, The God dwelleth in him, and he in The God;” “We know that the Son of The God is come;” “This is The True God, and eternal life.”
These few passages may suffice to prove how very much our translation has lost by leaving out the definite article, which clearly defines “The God” as a Being distinct from any other in heaven or earth.
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