CHANGING GOD’S WORD

TO FIT DOCRINES

 

I recently was studying the topic of the priesthood and discovered some rather interesting information. A version of the Bible, the Douay-Rheims version, used by the Roman Catholic church actually mistranslates several Greek words to the word “priest”. The Greek word for “priest” is “ἱερεύς” or “hiereus”. We find that term used when addressing the Jewish priests. For example, in Matthew 8:4, Jesus tells a man he had just healed to go show himself to the priest (hiereus). Also, in Acts 6:7 we see priests “ἱερεύς” or “hiereus” obeying the faith.

 

Now notice some other Greek words and their accurate translation:

 

The word “priest” comes from the Greek word “ἱερεύς”  

The word “elder” comes from the Greek word “πρεσβύτερος” or

 

The word “bishop” comes from the Greek word “ἐπισκοπή” or “episkopē”.

Further, Thayer’s Lexicon says this about the terms “elder”, “bishop”, or “presbyter”.  G4245   (thayer)  “Πρεσβύτερος”   “presbuteros” 2b) “among the Christians, those who presided over the assemblies (or churches) The NT uses the term bishop, elders, and presbyters interchangeably” Notice here that the word “priest” is not interchangeable with these other words.

 

Titus 1:5  For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders (presbuteros) (πρεσβύτερος) in every city, as I had appointed thee.

 

 

Now notice how the word is mistranslated in the Catholic’s Douay-Rheims version.

 

Titus 1:5  For this cause I left thee in Crete: that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and shouldest ordain priests” [But the Greek word is) not “hiereus” it is “presbuteros”] in every city, as I also appointed thee:

 

It is not just this passage. It is mistranslated in others. Consider:

 

1Timothy 4:14  Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood. [But the Greek word is) not “hiereus” it is “presbuterion” or “presbytery”.]

 

1Timothy 5:17  Let the priests [“presbuteros” not “hiereus”] that rule well be esteemed worthy of double honour: especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.

 

1Timothy 5:19  Against a priest [“presbuteros” not “hiereus”] receive not an accusation, but under two or three witnesses.

 

1Timothy 1:5  For this cause I left thee in Crete: that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and shouldest ordain priests [“presbuteros” not “hiereus”] in every city, as I also appointed thee:

 

It is obvious that to confirm their doctrine of the priesthood, as they have created it, they have mistranslated many passages of scripture. The Bible does not support a Roman Catholic form of the priesthood, for the Bible teaches that all Christians are priests. 

 

Consider what Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:1-5

 

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

 

Notice Peter is speaking to all Christians. He continues this thought in verse 9.

 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

 

There is one other religious group that feels free to mistranslate God’s word. The Jehovah’s Witness denomination reads Colossians 1:15-16 in this fashion: “He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; because by means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible….”

 

They inserted the word “other” into the text to justify their belief that Jesus was a created being, and obviously could not have created himself. The effect, in that this version is their official version of the Bible, is that when their members read this mistranslated text they automatically accept that false doctrine.

 

Now, consider how they mistranslate John 14:10 to harmonize their belief that there is only one God, and Jesus is not God.

 

“Do you not believe that I am in union with the Father and the Father is in union with me? The things I say to you I do not speak of my own originality, but the Father who remains in union with me is doing his works.” New World Translation

 

Now compare it with the reading of the English Standard Version:

 

 

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” English Standard Version

 

Isn’t it interesting that the word for “union” does not appear in the Greek New Testament?

 

English Standard Version: Hebrews 1:6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God's angels worship him.”

 

The New World Translation reads: “But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: ‘And let all of God’s angels do obeisance to him.’”

 

In this verse, they translate the Greek word for worship, proskuneo, as “obeisance.” 

 

Obeisance is a word that means to honor, show respect, even bow down before someone. Since Jesus, to them, is created, then he cannot be worshiped.

 

As you can see, there are religions that feel free to mistranslate the New Testament to correspond with their doctrine. While most versions of the Bible are honestly translated, it is always safe for us to refer to more than one version to be sure that the translation we are reading is accurate.