Colossians 2:9 New World Translation
The following ocurred in The Watchtower August 1st, 1962, pages 479, 480.
Question from Reader: "Why does the New
World Translation at Colossians 2:9 state that in Jesus "all
the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily," where as
other translations state that in Jesus dwells the fullness of
Deity or the Godhead?"
At Colossians 2:9 the word in the Greek that
the New World Translation renders "divine quality" is
theótes, and this is the only use of the word in the Christian
Greek Scriptures. The same is true of a similar Greek word, theiótes,
which appears only at Romans 1:20, and which the New World
Translation there renders "Godship," as follows: "For
his invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world's
creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made,
even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable."The
way these two words have been rendered in the New World
Translation has given rise to the charge that the New World Bible
Translation Committee let their religious beliefs influence them.
That charge is true, but they did not do so wrongly, or unduly.
The meaning that is to be given to these two Greek words depends
upon what the entire Bible has to say about Jehovah God and Jesus
Christ.
How so? In that there is basis for translating these words either
as "Deity," "Divinity" or "Godhead"
and so attributing personality to them, or as "Divine
Nature," "divine quality," "Godship,"
and having them merely denote qualities. Thus those who believe
in the trinity will attach personality to these words, whereas
those who do not will render them as qualities in view of the way
God and Christ are described in the Scriptures and so as to
harmonize the words with the rest of God's Word. This emphasizes
the fact that one simply cannot properly and accurately translate
the Bible unless one clearly understands its teachings.
That the New World Bible Translation Committee were perfectly
right in rendering these words the way they did is apparent from
what Greek authorities have to say about them. Thus Parkhurst's A
Greek and English Lexicon (1845) defines theiótes as "Godhead"
(page 261) and theótes as "Deity, godhead, divine nature"
(page 264). Note the definition "divine nature" as well
as "Godhead."
Liddell and Scott's A Greek-English Lexicon, in its new ninth
edition, completed in 1940 and reprinted in 1948, Volume I,
defines the two terms in the light of ancient usages apart from
the Scriptures. Theiótes it defines as "divine nature,
divinity" (page 788). Theótes it defines in exactly the
same way, as "divinity, divine nature," and then cites
as an example Colossians 2:9. In this connection it shows that
the similar Greek expression, dia theóteta, means "for
religious reasons" (page 792).
Thus the New World Translation is fully justified in rendering
Colossians 2:9 to show that Christ has in him all the fullness,
not of God himself, the Deity, the Godhead, but of the divine
quality dwelling bodily, and this in behalf of the spiritual body
of Christ, so that this body of Christ's followers is possessed
of a fullness by means of him: "It is in [Christ] that all
the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily. And so you [Christians]
are possessed of a fullness by means of him, who is the head of
all government and authority."-Col. 2:9, 10.
It is also of interest to note that both Weymouth and An American
Translation render the passage, "the fullness of God's
nature."
To get an objective view of the matter, in exploring questions
such as these it is best to use the nonsectarian and nonreligious
Hebrew-English and Greek-English dictionaries, instead of those
that have been produced by some religious denomination."
The following is an excerpt from the two volume encyclopedia Insight on the Scriptures (©WTB&TS):
"Then, at Colossians 2:9 the apostle Paul
says that in Christ "all the fullness of the divine quality
[form of the·o´tes] dwells bodily." Here, again, some
translations read "Godhead" or "deity," which
Trinitarians interpret to mean that God personally dwells in
Christ. (KJ, NE, RS, NAB) However, Liddell and Scott's Greek-English
Lexicon defines the·o´tes in basically the same way it does
thei·o´tes, as meaning "divinity, divine nature." (P.
792) The Syriac Peshitta and the Latin Vulgate render this word
as "divinity." Thus, here too, there is a solid basis
for rendering thei·o´tes as referring to quality, not
personality.
A consideration of the context of Colossians 2:9 clearly shows
that having "divinity," or "divine nature,"
does not make Christ the same as God the Almighty. In the
preceding chapter, Paul says: "God saw good for all fullness
to dwell in him." (Col 1:19) Thus, all fullness dwells in
Christ because it "pleased the Father" (KJ, Dy),
because it was "by God's own choice." (NE) So the
fullness of "divinity" that dwells in Christ is his as
a result of a decision made by the Father. Further showing that
having such "fullness" does not make Christ the same
person as Almighty God is the fact that Paul later speaks of
Christ as being "seated at the right hand of God."-Col
3:1.
Considering the immediate context of Colossians 2:9, it is noted
that in verse 8, Christians are warned against being misled by
those who advocate philosophy and human tradition. They are also
told that "carefully concealed in [Christ] are all the
treasures of wisdom and of knowledge," and they are urged to
"go on walking in union with him, rooted and being built up
in him and being stabilized in the faith." (Col 2:3, 6, 7)
In addition, verses 13 to 15 explain that they are made alive
through faith, being released from the Law covenant. Paul's
argument, therefore, is that Christians do not need the Law (which
was removed by means of Christ) or human philosophy and tradition.
They have all they need, a precious "fullness," in
Christ.-Col 2:10-12."- vol. 1, page 629.