Johannes Greber was a German parish priest who allowed himself to be drawn into spiritism. See the article below to find out more.
In his book, Communication with the Spirit World1, we read that Johannes Greber communicated with a demonic spirit who claimed that the New Testament was falsified and that major sound biblical doctrines, such as the divinity of Christ, had been insidiously inserted.
The demon once convinced Greber that the following passages were falsified:
Rom. 9:3,4 ; Titus 2:13 ; Phil. 2:5,6 ; 1 John 5:20 and John 1:1. (pp. 366-369) and pretented to be able to give him the original correct rendering.
Johannes Greber therefore undertook a rewriting with “corrections” of the New Testament with the help of some demonic spirits, acting as “holy spirits”.
Grebes presents his own reworked NT as follows:,
New Testament, newly translated and explained, from the Greek, 1936 Edition.
We will check only these 5 incriminating verses …
The 5 incriminating passages
The Epistle to the Romans 9:3,4
according to LSV (Litteral Standard Version)
for I was wishing, I myself, to be accursed from the Christ—for my brothers, my relatives, according to the flesh, who are Israelites, whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises, …
NT according to Greber
I myself would willingly be banished from my fellowship with Christ in the place of my brothers, men of my own earthly race, who are Israelites. Once they were God’s people; they witnessed the glorious deeds of God; with them He made His covenant; to them He gave the Law, the true form of worship, the promises; 2
Romain 9:3,,4 … Einst waren sie das Gottesvolk …
Johannes Greber, in speaking of Israel, thus inserts a phrase « Once, they were God’s people » which is found neither in the Greek nor in any other translation.
This reminds us of the contemporary controversy of the refusal to recognise God’s faithfulness to his people. Here, the source of God’s Word alteration is clearly demonic.
Titus 2:13
according to LSV
waiting for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, …
NT according to Greber
… time keeping our eyes fixed upon the lofty goal of our hopes and awaiting the hour when the glory of the great God will appear, together with the glory of our redeemer Jesus Christ, … 3
The « together with the glory of« , is not found in the Greek. It thus dissociates the Lord Jesus from his titles of Glory: great God and Saviour. Other lengthly theological commentaries on this verse can easily be found.
Philipians 2:5,6
according to LSV
For let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not something to be seized to be equal to God,
NT according to Greber
… for others than for himself, with an eye not only to his own interest but also to that of his fellow-man. Take the same attitude that Jesus Christ adopted. Although he appeared godlike in his spiritual form, he did not consider it self-deprivation to humble himself before God. 4
As in John 1:1, Greber turns God into « godlike » (with lowercase g) in appearance, to diminish the Lord Jesus.
1John 5:20
according to LSV
but we have known that the Son of God has come, and has given us a mind that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ; this One is the true God and the continuous Life!
NT according to Greber
Furthermore, we know that the Son of God came to earth to bring us true understanding, so that we might know the true God. And we are in communion with the true God, since we are in communion with His Son Jesus Christ. It is he who teaches the truth and grants life in heaven. 5
This verse, calling Jesus the true God is just as problematic for the Jehovah’s Witnesses as for Grenier. Although the New World Translation has not altered this verse, they persist in rejecting the divinity of Christ, even when reading it. Their spiritual blindness is deeply entrenched by the work of this spiritist who influenced their leaders and organization.
John 1:1
according to LSV
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;
NT according to Greber
IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; and the Word was a god. 6
For John, also author of other verses such as 1John 5:20, John 8:24, John 8:58, John 20:28, the divinity of Christ cannot be questioned.
In German spelling, any word (masculine, feminine or neuter, determinate or indeterminate) is obligatorily capitalized. Thus God (Gott) or a god (ein Gott) will always be capitalized.
But this is not the case in French or English. In Greber’s NT in English, we recognise the intention to lower the word to one dgod among others, we read « a god » with lower case.
Conclusion:
Jogannes Greber is a notorious spiritist who falsified the New Testament in an attempt to correct it, the New World Translation was inspired by his New Testament. Jehovah’s Witnesses also claim that the NT as we know it is altered with regard to the absence of the term » Jehovah » in the NT.
Most importantly, this short study shows undeniably that it was these same demonic entities who were attacking the divinity of Christ, who were also attacking the election of Israel.
for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable;
The Bible, Romans 11:29
Notes
Greber’s NT can be found on various7 internet sites.
Beware, the complete publication, is not free, the copyright has been renewed by the Greber foundation.
- Communication with the Spirit World
https://archive.org/details/GreberJohannesCommunicationWithTheSpiritWorld2007409P. - NT Johannes Greber German version
Rom 9:3,4,
Gern wollte ich selbst aus der Gemeinschaft mit Christus ausgestoßen sein, anstatt meiner Brüder, meiner irdischen Stammesgenossen, welche Israeliten sind. Einst waren sie das Gottesvolk; sie schauten die herrlichen Taten Gottes; mit ihnen schloss Gott seinen Bund; ihnen gab er das Gesetz; sie lehrte er die rechte Gottesverehrung; ihnen gab er die Verheißungen; - NT Johannes Greber German version
Tite 2:13
dabei sollen wir das erhabene Ziel unserer Hoffnung im Auge behalten und auf die Stunde warten, wo die Herrlichkeit des großen Gottes erscheint, sowie die Herrlichkeit unseres Erlösers Jesus Christus, - NT Johannes Greber German version
Phil. 2:5,6.
Denn in euch allen soll dieselbe Gesinnung herrschen, die auch in Christus Jesus war. Wiewohl er in seiner geistigen Gestalt wie ein Gott aussah, so hat er es doch nicht als eine Selbstberaubung angesehen, sich vor Gott zu verdemütigen - NT Johannes Greber German version
1Jn 5:20. Wir wissen ferner, dass der Sohn Gottes zur Erde kam, um uns die rechte Erkenntnis zu vermitteln, damit wir den wahren Gott erkennen. Und wir sind in Verbindung mit dem wahren Gott, da wir in Verbindung mit seinem Sohne Jesus Christus stehen. Denn dieser lehrt die Wahrheit und verleiht himmlisches Leben. - NT Johannes Greber German version
Jean 1:1
Im Anfang war das Wort, und das Wort war bei Gott; und ein ‘Gott’ war das Wort. - NT Johannes Greber German version, online
https://www.obohu.cz/bible/index.php?styl=GREB&kap=2&k=Tit
https://bibliaestudos.com/greb/
https://www.bibliaonline.com.br/greb/rm/9