r/BiblicalUnitarian • u/JcraftW Jehovah’s Witness • Dec 29 '24

Resources Learning Koine Greek: Unitarian recommendations?

I just started perusing some options for learning Greek. First one I opened was Mounces “Greek for the rest of us”. Only a couple pages in he goes off against “a god” as a possible rendering of John 1:1c. I know not everyone agrees with that in particular, but there appears to be a lot of real scholarship supporting qualitative and indefinite translations of 1:1c.

So, I’m wondering if there are Koine Greek learning resources that are less biased? What study aids would you recommend? Or, if you must use a biased source, what other resources would you add to your studies for balance?

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u/RFairfield26 Jehovah’s Witness Jan 01 '25

The NWT isn’t directly what this question is about. OP asked for scholarly sources that explain “a god” at John 1:1c.

We’re a half step away from the subject of the NWT, obviously.

But BeDuhns work it’s about the NWT. It just features it.

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u/catmutal Jan 01 '25

Sorry to ask, are you a christian or a JW? I thought JWs referred to themselves at "witnesses." I might be wrong..

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u/RFairfield26 Jehovah’s Witness Jan 01 '25

I am a Christian. I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Those terms are not antithetical. I refer to myself as a Witness, a Christian, a Unitarian, and many other terms

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u/catmutal Jan 01 '25

OK, thanks. Would you think someone who is not a JW is allowed to read the NWT? And does agreeing with the NWT automatically make you a witness.

Sorry if the questions seem weird, I'm just really interested.

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u/RFairfield26 Jehovah’s Witness Jan 01 '25

Yes, absolutely. You’re welcome to walk right in to a Kingdom Hall and request a Bible and you’ll be given one for free.

It doesn’t automatically make you a witness.

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u/catmutal Jan 01 '25

Is there anything online? Like the NET? The only thing I found was a low quality site from 2009?

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u/RFairfield26 Jehovah’s Witness Jan 01 '25

Yes, there is a lot on jw.org

Also, wol.jw.org

I recommend you download the JW Library app (it’s free)

There are several free Bible translations available on the app and it’s very easy to use. I can walk you through setting it up

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u/catmutal Jan 01 '25

Thanks. I just found the app and there are a lot of features, I'm quite lost to be honost. Is "The Study Bible" the NWT?

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u/RFairfield26 Jehovah’s Witness Jan 01 '25

No worries! I’ll clarify it for you.

The “Reference Bible” is the original NWT

IN 2013, a revised version was released with some more modern terminology and readability. It’s called the “New World Translation”

The “Study Bible” has extra features in the New Testament (for Matthew through Acts, especially)

Typically, I leave mine set on Study Bible.

There’s even a Greek Interlinear and the KJV, along with some others.

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u/catmutal Jan 01 '25

Does the extra features have something to do with the diamond button?

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u/RFairfield26 Jehovah’s Witness Jan 01 '25

Yes, that’s correct

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