02/01/2022 – John – Chapter 1 commentary – re: The old Arian heresy – 1 of 2
Arianism heresy does not hold to Jesus Christ, as wholly man and wholly God – the Trinitarian foundational tenet of the Christian church. Modern day examples: Jehovah’s Witness and the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints (Mormons) who deny that Jesus Christ, the son of God, is coequal and coeternal with the Father. Therefore, their respective Bibles had to be “doctored” up accordingly.
Here is Jehovah Witnesses’ version of John 1:1 in their (NWT) – New World Tranlation:
“In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” The New World Translation
https://carm.org/jehovahs-witnesses/john-11-the-word-was-a-god/
And here is the link to the Mormons, John Smith’s translation to John 1:1:
https://carm.org/mormonism/the-joseph-smith-translation-and-john-11/
A funny side-story memory of our dearly departed Step-Mom Gerry from her youth recalled:
She recounted how she dated a Mormon young man her high school years that was trying to convert her in Missouri, home of an original branch of their church. She said she got fairly close until one day, in a trip to a Mormom “museum”, she viewed a case with the glasses that Joseph Smith used to translate the tablets. Both the tablets and the glasses as I recall were provided by the angel. Well, Gerry, reflected that if God wanted Joseph to be able to read those tablets, he didn’t need a pair of glasses to accomplish that. haha And she ended up breaking up with her long-time Mormon boyfriend.
I would like to add personally that I always seemed to have positive experiences from my fellowship with my Mormon friends, future Christans! That included my growing up years, as well as my early professional life where I was the only non-Mormon on a softball team.
And as to Jehovah’s Witnesses as well, I always admired their dedication to evangelizing door-to-door. And if you share these articles with them, tell them: “I’m praying for you”, if you are indeed committed, as they walk away from you.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Love,
Jimmy