And a word can be Capitalized and means something different than when it's in
'lower-case' -- Word and word /// god and God.
Capitalizations are helpful, but not essential. In point of fact, they can be downright
misleading. A case in point is Matt 22:41-46, which was addressed in post No
. 768.
Another case in point is John 1:1
FAQ
: Which of the two versions listed below is closest to a precise translation?
1
» John 1:1 . .The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2
» John 1:1 . . The Word was with God, and the Word was a god.
A
: Both are equally closest
The common Greek word for god/God is
theós which is sometimes translated
in upper case when it's modified by the little Greek definite article
ho
In other words: in some people's thinking;
ho theós pertains to the supreme being
whereas
theós is somewhat flexible when it isn't modified by
ho. For example
John 1:18 and John 20:17 where
theós is translated in upper case though it be not
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
theόs in John 1:1 or not to
capitalize, is entirely arbitrary rather than dictated by a strict rule of Greek
grammar. In other words: upper and lower case spellings sometimes represent
interpretations rather than translations.
Some folks prefer that the Word be a lower case
theόs because it's agreeable with
their version of Christ's divinity; whereas others prefer the Word to be an upper
case
theόs for the same reason.
FYI
: When discussing John 1:1 with a well-trained Jehovah's Witness, it is highly
recommended to avoid making an issue of capitalization. That argument is just too
weak. It might be helpful to quote Dr. Robertson, but even that may not be
advisable when talking with an experienced Witness because they'll likely derail
the discussion by challenging your knowledge of the Greek language.
These people undergo hour upon hour of training to refute standard Christian
doctrines, so it's very important to show them the Bible not only in ways they've
already seen, but also in ways they've never imagined.
It is my personal opinion that unless you're a wiz kid with the Bible, it's not a good
idea to attempt to evangelize a well trained Watchtower Society missionary as I can
just about guarantee that a skilled JW is better at evangelizing you than you are
them. If you think that your own gospel message is some sort of silver bullet; you'll
find out right quick that their silver bullets are quite likely bigger than yours.
_
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