Will the Bible ever have new books added to it?

  When I answer questions on my website, I tend to present the relevant passages from Scripture, give my interpretation, and allow for the reader to come to his own conclusion. However, due to the seriousness of this topic, I would like to give the answer to this question before I get into more detail about what the Bible says.

There will never be new books of the Bible, there will never be another version of the Gospel, and there will never be revelation that contradicts what the Bible has already said. Again, the Bible we have received is the final version, there will be no additions, nor any revisions.

I have felt the need to answer this question, since I see so many people being deceived by the teachings of Joseph Smith, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, or even men like Brian Simmons (creator of the Passion Translation). I will go into more detail about the three examples I have mentioned, but I want to explain why we know that the Bible is complete.

In Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia, he excoriates the Galatians for their willingness to be led astray by the teachings of those who wished to impose the Mosaic Law upon Christians. The group of people trying to impose the Mosaic Law on Christians were known as “Judaizers” , and they had been seeing some success in convincing the churches in Galatia to live according to the law of the Old Testament, despite Christ having died and been resurrected, thereby fulfilling the Old Testament law, and liberating the Christians from the laws that the Jewish people were required to adhere to.

Paul makes a very strong case for why Christians are not bound by the Old Testament law. Paul also explains the way that, by requiring adherence to the Mosaic Law, people were rejecting the salvation that was given to them by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The book of Galatians is a fascinating look into the inner workings of the early Christian church, but I would like to cover this book in a separate essay (or series of essays).

With the context of the book of Galatians in mind, let us go to verses 8 and 9 of the first chapter:

But even if we or an angel of heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

I think that the verses in question make it very clear that the Gospel has already been given to us, and that there will never be a new version. Why, then, do people believe that certain individuals have received a new gospel? The biggest cause of people believing that there is some new form of the Gospel is (in my opinion) a lack of understanding of the Bible. The reason why I write all these essays about seemingly obscure topics is that I want everybody to know the truth of salvation through Christ, and to educate others, so that they will not be deceived by the men and women who distort the Word of God. Paul makes things very clear when he tells us that we have already received the Gospel, and that anybody who claims to have a new gospel is to be accursed by God. The phrase “accursed by God” is another way of saying the term “anathema”.

Now that we have gone over the relevant Scripture, let us take a look at the three aforementioned examples of false teachings.

1. Joseph Smith

I own a copy of the Book of Mormon, and I have done quite a bit of research about the topic. The cover of the book has, written in capital letters: “ANOTHER TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST”. This is not an old copy of the Book of Mormon, it is a recent printing of the book, and it includes the logo of the modern version of the Mormon Church, known as “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”. For the sake of brevity, I will refer henceforth to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as “LDS”. The LDS believe that Joseph Smith Jr. had been visited by an angel named Moroni, who had revealed the location of golden plates to Joseph. These golden plates, according to Joseph Smith, were written in “reformed Egyptian”, and were used as the basis for the Book of Mormon. It is worth mentioning that there is no historical evidence to suggest that there ever was such a language as “reformed Egyptian”, but that is the language that was used on the golden plates, so make of that what you will. I would love to get into more of the teaching of the LDS, but, as with many other topics I have mentioned, I want to discuss Mormonism in more depth, in a separate essay. Let us compare Joseph Smith’s claims to what we read from Galatians 1:

• Galatians tells us that the gospel we have received is the only gospel.

• Joseph Smith Jr. claimed to have received another gospel, from an angel.

• Galatians also tells us that, even if an “angel of heaven” were to present us with a gospel that is contrary to one we have already received, “let him be accursed”.

In short, the teachings of Joseph Smith are contrary to what the Bible tells us, so we know that Mormonism is a false doctrine.

2. The Jehovah’s Witnesses

Next, let us take a quick look at the teachings of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The teachings of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society are very complicated, they change frequently, and the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses undergo a drastic change whenever the leaders of the group change. The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Watch Tower group is the only legitimate source for sound Biblical doctrine. Therefore, when the Watch Tower tells its members that Jesus is not God, or that Jesus is actually Michael the Archangel, or that there is no such thing as the Holy Spirit, the Jehovah’s Witnesses accept what they are told. After all, if God chose the Watch Tower to be the “faithful and discreet slave” (a claim that they make, based on a misunderstanding of the “Parable of the Faithful Servant”), whatever they claim to be the truth must be the truth, right? As with the LDS, when anybody claims to have a new gospel, a new revelation, or some new interpretation that would contradict the Bible, we can conclude that that person is a deceiver.

3. Brian Simmons

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to mention the lesser known false-teachers. The main example I will use in this section is a man named Brian Simmons. Simmons is known for being the lead translator behind The Passion Translation. I am sure that I will receive some criticism for the position I am taking here, but I am willing to defend my position with Scripture. Believe me, I have many essays about this man planned, as there are many things that he claims that contradict the teaching of Scripture.

The most notable example of Brian Simmons presenting a new version of the Gospel can be found on a podcast appearance that he did a few years ago. On an episode of Sozo Talk Radio, Brian Simmons claimed that he had been taken up into Heaven, that he had been taken to a library, and that he was shown two books. The first book is something that he claims he cannot discuss (I suppose God had him sign an NDA), but the second book is something he is excited to share with others. Brian Simmons claimed that he had seen the text of John 22. You may be asking, “Daniel, doesn’t John end with chapter 21?” Why, yes, yes it does. Simmons claims that, not only does he have a new chapter to add to the Bible, he has a chapter to add onto the most widely-known of the four Gospels. Such a claim sounds like a parody or something, but I am being completely serious. I will include a link to the podcast episode.

Some other notable claims of Brian Simmons include:

• “Everything that was said about Christ can be said about you.”

• While talking about the version of the book of Revelation that would be included in The Passion Translation, Simmons claimed that he had been given the meaning of the book, and that those who think they have read the book of Revelation already “haven’t got it [the book] yet”.

• God has given him the key to understanding the book of Proverbs.

• Jesus visited him and touched his forehead, telling Simmons, “I have increased your capacity to know Me.” This claim was verified by an unknown expert in the field of brain-study or something, who told Simmons that, if Jesus had touched the part of his forehead that Brian claimed He did, then Brian’s knowledge would have been expanded greatly. I am unsure as to what difference it would make where Jesus touched his forehead, considering that Jesus is God, and He could do whatever He wants to.

• This whole sermon is wild.

• That Jesus let Brian Simmons have two books from the heavenly library checked-out at a time. This entire video makes my teeth itch.

• The Song of Solomon is actually about Jesus and the church, despite the verses describing the breasts of the bride, as well as her neck, her eyes, and the way her thighs look. If you read Song of Solomon, in The Passion Translation, on the YouVersion Bible application, you will notice that there is red-lettering in the Old Testament.

• Proverbs 31 is also about Christ and the church.

• The New Testament was actually written in Aramaic, despite all the earliest manuscripts being written in Greek, and the fact that there is no respected scholar of the Bible who will vouch for Simmons’ claim.

I could go on and on about Simmons (believe me, I will), but I think I have said enough. We look at what he says, we examine the Scripture, and we can reject the claims of Simmons’. He is a false-teacher, and his translation is not something I would recommend, nor would I sell if I owned a bookstore. I treat The Passion Translation in the same way I treat the New World Translation, or the Joseph Smith Translation. There are good Bible translations, bad Bible translations, and then there are the intentionally perverted versions of the Bible, such as the version that Simmons has created. I say “created” because that is exactly what he did. I would like to believe that Brian Simmons genuinely loves Christ, but I am not sure that he knows Him. Simmons definitely loves the Christ He portrays in his “translation”. 

If you want to listen to the podcast with Brian Simmons, click here.

A Warning (Against Participating in Ministry to the Jehovah's Witnesses)

[Originally written August 14, 2022. This is an entry from a larger research/writing project to equip Christians with the necessary information to help Jehovah's Witnesses see the light of Christ.]

This entry is not designed to confront the teachings of the JWs, nor to prepare one to minister to them, but to warn those who are interested in joining this ministry effort. For a while, I have been praying and researching the material that I discuss in my entries. I have spent time with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, read their literature, spoken with ex-JWs, and sought wisdom from the Lord and from more mature Christians. The things that I have learned, and the things that I have experienced, have led me to writing this entry. I believe that my job is to educate Christians about the Jehovah’s Witnesses, so that Christians can go out, preach the Gospel, and that many lives can be saved. However, there are some very big risks that one must take in order to participate in this ministry effort, and I feel like I need to explain what those risks are, and how to minimize them.

1. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are good at what they do.

While this is not always the case, in general, Jehovah’s Witnesses have an excellent understanding of their beliefs, and they have an excellent understanding of how to address arguments against said beliefs. The average JW is much less likely to know the way to deal with people who challenge them on their beliefs, but, just as there are expert apologists in Christianity, there are expert apologists in the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Ministering to the Jehovah’s Witnesses is not something that one can do without investing a considerable amount of time into studying. You will not see Jehovah’s Witnesses turning around in droves, following you towards the truth of Christ (there are exceptions, and I hope that there are more in the future). In reality, you will be committing to a long-term, in-depth, study and relationship with Jehovah’s Witnesses. You do not have to (nor should you) renounce your Christian faith, nor do you have to avoid discussing your faith, but you do have to surround yourself with people that do not know Jesus, and are actively trying to draw you away from your faith.

2. Satan uses false religions to harm our faith and lead us away from God.

The Bible makes it very clear how the devil will use false prophets, false religions, and individuals who claim to know Christ, for the purpose of infiltrating into our lives and destroying our faith from the inside. This ministry requires one to venture into the enemy camp and expose himself to the attacks that the devil will inevitably direct towards him. This ministry will cause you to experience an increased volume of attacks on your spirit, along with attacks on others involved with you/this ministry. We have the ability to fight against such attacks, as we are given access to our Father, and God is all-powerful, but unless you know how to identify and address demonic oppression in your life, it is not advised that you participate in this ministry.

3. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are very well organized, and they will keep track of you.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses will be very careful about what they tell you, and what they invite you to. As you grow in your relationship with the JWs, they will pay more attention to you and your life. The JWs are amongst the best in terms of following up with people and keeping track of events and dates. If you enter into this ministry, do not expect to be able to just leave when you feel like it. This ministry is all about leading others to Christ through relationships and fellowship with others.

4. There is the risk of one’s faith being irreparably damaged by the false teachings of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The stories of people who have left the JWs are very different from each other, but one thing is almost always present in an ex-JW’s testimony: the long-lasting trauma and distrust of others, combined with a prolonged period of dealing with the brainwashing that they have been victims of. If you are not strong in your faith, if you do not have the ability to address the teachings that you will be exposed to, and if you lack the ability to remain confident in your faith, you will be putting yourself in the position to potentially lose your faith altogether when you are involved with the JWs. The JWs are a cult, and they could not exist without brainwashing others. By participating in this ministry, you are voluntarily exposing yourself to said brainwashing, in order to rescue people from the path that they are on.

5. By leading JWs away from their current beliefs, you will bear the weight (on your conscience) of the fallout that will inevitably take place in their lives.

The consequences of leaving the JWs are numerous, and the consequences are incredibly severe. People who leave the JWs are viewed as being apostates, and the other JWs are instructed to completely cut ties between themselves and those who have been “disfellowshipped” [refer to the entry on disfellowshipping for more information]. This policy applies to family, as well as friends. By participating in this ministry, you are aiming for people to leave the JW organization and follow Christ. If you are successful in your efforts (which I pray that you are), you will inevitably cause the JW to lose their social connection, their family, and their way of life. That type of loss will destroy a person, and you must be able to assist the individual so that they have the support needed to get back on their feet. There is a sense of guilt that will likely follow a successful conversion to Christianity, but such guilt is worth the promise of everlasting life for the person, through Jesus Christ.

6. There is always a risk of feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, or confused, which could lead to one’s faith being harmed.

Jesus speaks about the challenges that will come to those who follow Him. Jesus tells us that we will be hated for following Christ, and the Epistles go into more detail about the suffering that comes to those who seek the Lord. In ministering to others, you will encounter hardships. Again, you will encounter hardships. This is a reality of seeking God, and a reality of openly professing your faith. The Bible tells us about the rewards that will be given to us when we suffer unjustly, and when we suffer for the sake of the Gospel. God will take care of you, He will strengthen you, and He will guide you, but you must know how to seek Him and His guidance. If you are new to your faith, or you have been doubting your faith/salvation, then you should not participate in this ministry.*

* It is a normal thing for people to doubt themselves and their beliefs occasionally. This statement is about those who consistently doubt their faith.

The Truth About God's Divine Name

[Originally written August 11, 2022.]

One of the most notable beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is that God’s true name is “Jehovah”. This entry will explain why they believe that God’s name is Jehovah, followed by my response to each of the arguments made in favor of said belief.

According to the JW website:

“Jehovah is God’s unique name as revealed in the Bible. (Exodus 3:15; Psalm 83:18) It comes from a Hebrew verb that means ‘to become,’ and a number of scholars suggest that the name means ‘He Causes to Become.’ This definition well fits Jehovah’s role as the Creator and Fulfiller of his purpose. (Isaiah 55:10, 11)”

יהוה

“Jehovah” is the way the Jehovah’s Witnesses translate the Hebrew word for God. The specific word is referred to as the Tetragrammaton, composed of four Hebrew letters (written above). These Hebrew letters can be transliterated as “YHWH”. Ancient Hebrew (which the Old Testament was primarily written in) does not have any vowels. Obviously, Hebrew has the sounds for vowels, but those sounds are never expressed in writing. The way that people would work around the lack of vowels in written Hebrew was by giving certain letters additional meanings (similar to how “th” is not pronounced as “tuh-huh”). Most of the time, however, the vowels would be supplied by the reader of the text. For example, an English speaker could read, “rd ppl” and, with some thinking, deduce that the meaning is “red apple”. The issue is that some could read that same phrase and come away with “rud eppli”, “rad ipple", or some other incorrect interpretation. Note that nobody would come away with something such as “rxd dpplz”, as English speakers are well aware that such a phrase could not be pronounced, as there is no way (in English, at least) to pronounce those letters, written in that order. Remember that last example, as it will be used again in a bit.

So, with the vowels in ancient Hebrew being inferred by the one reading the text, the word “YHWH” could be interpreted in several ways. The JW website concedes that “the exact pronunciation of the divine name in ancient Hebrew is not known”, yet they assert that the correct pronunciation is “Jehovah”, citing the “long history” of that pronunciation. The origin of the pronunciation that the JW’s use comes from (according to the JW website) the Bible translation that William Tyndale produced in 1530. Tyndale did not make the same mistake that the Jehovah’s Witnesses make, and the JWs specifically mention how Tyndale translated the Tetragrammaton as “Iehouah”, but, as English changed, “the spelling of the divine name was modernized.” The translation of the Tetragrammaton that the JWs use hinges on the revised version of a translation of Psalms by a man named Henry Ainsworth. Ainsworth originally used “Iehovah” when he released his 1612 translation of the book of Psalms, but he modified the translation to “Jehovah” for his 1639 revision of his translation. The JWs also cite the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible as supporting their belief about the correct pronunciation of the “divine name”. The ASV was published in 1901, and it used “Jehovah”, rather than “Iehovah”.

The JW website explains that, after the Old Testament was written, “some Jews adopted the superstitious belief that it was wrong to utter God’s personal name”. This statement is worth mentioning for two reasons:

1. The word “superstitious” is derogatory and condescending. Merriam-Webster defines “superstition” as “a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or change, or a false conception of causation”, or “a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary”. By describing the aforementioned belief as “superstitious”, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are attempting to elevate their understanding of the Bible above the understanding of the Jewish people.

2. The refusal to pronounce the name of God was not based on fear (in the modern sense of the word) as much as it was based on a deep respect and admiration for God. There are many different explanations for why the Jews refused to pronounce the name of God, but the most compelling explanation (in my opinion) is that the Jewish people believed that saying the name of God would be in violation of the Third Commandment (“thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”).

The JWs continue by describing how, as “this superstition spread”, the “ancient pronunciation was eventually lost”. I would ask the reader to refer to the previous portion of this entry, which explains how the Jews did not pronounce God’s name, therefore there would be no “ancient pronunciation”. The JW website explains the way the name of God has been transliterated as “Yahweh”, “Iao”, “Iae”, and so on. A notable exception to the list of transliterated forms of the “divine name”: Jehovah.

Before we go into the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ arguments in favor of their understanding of the name of God, I would like to make something very clear: there is no “J” sound in ancient Hebrew.

The pronunciation of the divine name could not be “Jehovah”, just as my example of “rd ppl” could not be pronounced as “rxd dpplz”. This is not a matter of interpretation, it is a matter of right and wrong. There could not be a word with a “J” sound, as there is no such sound in ancient Hebrew. “Jehovah” is an objectively, and verifiably, incorrect translation of the ancient Hebrew word for God.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ arguments:

1. “Translations that use ‘Jehovah’ have added this name.”

This statement is responded to by the Jehovah’s Witnesses describing the “fact” (in bold lettering) that the Tetragrammaton appears “some 7,000 times in the Bible”. The conclusion that the JWs draw from the Tetragrammaton appearing “some 7,000 times” is that “most translations arbitrarily remove God’s name and replace it with a title such as ‘Lord’”.

2. “Almighty God does not need a unique name.”

This is one of the issues that Jehovah’s Witnesses make a big deal out of. The response to this “misconception” is that God inspired the authors of the Bible to “use his name thousands of times”, and that God has instructed us to worship Him by His Name. The verses that the JWs cite are Isaiah 42:8 (“I am the LORD; that is my name” [ESV]), Joel 2:32 (“everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” [ESV]), Malachi 3:16 (“a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name” [ESV]), and Romans 10:13 (“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [ESV]). Every single verse is cited out of context. The connotation is often more important than the denotation, which is why we cannot read a dictionary and find some kind of story. It is the context that gives words their meaning, with the denotation serving as the way of ensuring that there is some kind of order to how we use words. This removal of context is not an isolated incident, it is what the Jehovah’s Witnesses use to support their core beliefs. In order to show how the Jehovah’s Witnesses have misunderstood the meaning of the verses they cite, here is a more detailed explanation of each verse:

Isaiah 42:8:

“I am Jehovah. That is my name; I give my glory to no one else, Nor my praise to graven images.” [NWT]

This verse, if the first half is the only part used, seems to support the claims of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. After all, God says that His Name is Jehovah, right? In nearly every translation (aside from the NWT and the ASV, as well as a few obscure translations), the first half of this verse is translated to something like, “I am the Lord; that is my name”. This verse does not end with “that is my name”, however. It continues, “I give my glory to no one else, nor my praise to graven images”. I have referenced the NWT translation for a reason: it is the version produced by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. In their own translation, when read in context, this verse means something much different than what they claim it means. This verse is basically God saying, “I am God, there is no other god. I should get the glory, not your idols”. God is saying that He is the only God, and that all praise should be to Him. God is not introducing Himself (“Hello, I am Jehovah. What is your name?”), He is declaring that He is the one true God.

Joel 2:32

“And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” [NWT]

It is worth pointing out the grammatical implications of the NWT of this verse. It does not say that anybody who “calls in the name of Jehovah” will be saved, it says that anybody “who calls on the name of Jehovah” will be saved. There is a difference between the name Jehovah, and the name of Jehovah. Therefore, Joel 2:32 is telling us that we must call on the name of Jehovah, not in the name of Jehovah. On and in are two different words. The logical follow-up question would be, “well, what is the name of Jehovah?”

In addition to the aforementioned implication of the text, it is also worth noting how the Jehovah’s Witnesses remove the context of this verse. The point of this verse is not that we should use God’s name, but that if we follow God, He will save us.

Malachi 3:16

“At that time those who fear Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance was written before him for those fearing Jehovah and for those meditating on his name.” [NWT]

First, the context has been removed. At the time of what, exactly? If we follow what this verse describes (at least, inasmuch as the name “Jehovah” is concerned), we will have a book of remembrance, written before “him” (presumably, Jehovah), if we fear Jehovah, and we meditate “on his name”. If we want to take this passage literally, we must think about the name “Jehovah”, and we will receive the aforementioned “book of remembrance”. The context shapes the meaning of this verse, but without the context, the meaning is entirely up to the person providing the context.

Romans 10:13

“For ‘everyone who calls the name of Jehovah will be saved.’”

I could go into the way this verse is yet another example of the context being removed, but I would rather just explain what this verse is doing. The second set of quotation marks is from the text, meaning that Paul (who authored the book of Romans) is quoting something. He is quoting Joel 2:32, which is one the verses that the JWs have already cited. This verse does not count, and by excluding it, I am showing grace. This verse does not help their argument.

3. “Following the tradition of the Jews, God’s name should be removed from the Bible.”

The argument against this “misconception” begins with the Jehovah’s Witnesses describing how “some Jewish scribes refused to pronounce the divine name”, but the scribes did not remove it from the Bible. Why, if the Jewish scribes revered the name of God as much as they did, would they want to remove it? The scribes revered the Name of God, they did not seek to rid the Scripture of It. Thankfully, the JW website continues with “in any case”, meaning, “but that doesn’t matter”. The final component of this argument is the “God does not want us to follow human traditions that deviate from his commandments”, citing Matthew 15:1-3. The verses that the JW cite is from an exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees, where Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for (in the NWT) “overstep[ping] the commandment[s] of God because of your [the Pharisees’] tradition”. There could be an entire discussion about this verse, but the most glaring issue in this argument is that, in their words, “God does not want”, but they cite Matthew, which is about Jesus. If there is any doubt as to the issue in this argument, let me make it clear: in order to use this argument, one must equate God with Jesus, which is a belief that the Jehovah’s Witnesses openly reject.

4. “The divine name should not be used in the Bible because it is not known exactly how to pronounce it in Hebrew.”

This “misconception” is rather strange. The belief that the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been trying to share is that God has a name, and that we should address Him by His Name. However, the response to this “misconception” is that the translation of  God’s Name does not matter. The JW website explains, “far more important than the exact pronunciation chosen is that God’s name be given its rightful place in the Bible”. This argument is a red-herring, as nobody is trying to remove all mentions of God because there is no way to know how to pronounce God’s Name properly. Some translations do use the letters, “YHWH”, while most use the word “LORD”. With the latter example, Jehovah’s Witnesses should have no objection. After all, their website tells us that it does not matter how we translate the name of God, as long as the name of God is used. Whenever God is referred to as “LORD”, we can know that the original text used the Tetragrammaton, which would effectively serve as an alternate translation of the divine name.

Why do the Jehovah’s Witnesses defend this belief so vehemently? There are many ideas as to why this belief is so important to the JWs, but none of them come from the Jehovah’s Witnesses, themselves. I believe that God’s Name is made into a big issue for the same reason that the “torture-stake” is made into a big issue: the Jehovah’s Witnesses have to set themselves apart from Christians and Jews in order to feed the narrative that the JWs are being persecuted, that God’s Name has been intentionally removed from the Bible, and that the only faithful translation of the Bible is the one produced by the Witnesses.

Source: https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/who-is-jehovah/