.
HO THEÓS
Q: Why does the Watchtower Society translate the Word in John 1:1 as a
god in lower case instead of God in upper case?
A: The Watchtower Society's translation is based upon an imaginary
grammatical technicality.
The common Greek word for "god" is theós. When it's modified by the little
Greek definite article ho the Society translates theós in upper case, viz: in
the Society's theological thinking; ho theós pertains to the one true God,
while theós by itself is somewhat flexible, for example John 1:18 and John
20:17 where theós is translated in upper case though it isn't modified by ho.
However, according to Dr. Archibald T. Robertson's Grammar Of The Greek
New Testament, page 767: in regards to nouns in the predicate; the article
is not essential to speech. In other words: when theόs is in the predicate,
ho can be either used, or not used, without making any real difference.
So then; a translator's decision whether to capitalize either of the two theόs
in John1:1 or not to capitalize them, is entirely arbitrary rather than dictated
by a strict rule of Greek grammar.
The Society prefers "a god" because lower case is agreeable with their
opinion of Christ's celestial status.
_
HO THEÓS
Q: Why does the Watchtower Society translate the Word in John 1:1 as a
god in lower case instead of God in upper case?
A: The Watchtower Society's translation is based upon an imaginary
grammatical technicality.
The common Greek word for "god" is theós. When it's modified by the little
Greek definite article ho the Society translates theós in upper case, viz: in
the Society's theological thinking; ho theós pertains to the one true God,
while theós by itself is somewhat flexible, for example John 1:18 and John
20:17 where theós is translated in upper case though it isn't modified by ho.
However, according to Dr. Archibald T. Robertson's Grammar Of The Greek
New Testament, page 767: in regards to nouns in the predicate; the article
is not essential to speech. In other words: when theόs is in the predicate,
ho can be either used, or not used, without making any real difference.
So then; a translator's decision whether to capitalize either of the two theόs
in John1:1 or not to capitalize them, is entirely arbitrary rather than dictated
by a strict rule of Greek grammar.
The Society prefers "a god" because lower case is agreeable with their
opinion of Christ's celestial status.
_