Source (mostly): Josey Anthony Facebook

Titus 2:13 & 2 Peter 1:1. Two of the Clearest Proofs of Christ’s Deity

The book (Reasoning from the Scriptures p. 64) correctly observes that “It is true that some translations of the Bible adhere more closely to what is in the original languages than others do. Modern paraphrase Bible have taken liberties that at times alter the original meaning. Some translators have allowed personal beliefs to color their renderings. But these weaknesses can be identified by comparison of a variety of translations.”

Let's see how they translated these two verses to fit their prior beliefs.

📖 Titus 2:13: “…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Titus 2:13 (NWT_2013) while we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The NWT adds the word “of our” before Savior Jesus Christ to make the verse refer to two individuals: the Father and the Savior, Jesus Christ.

The word “appearing” is in the singular. The NWT uses the word “manifestation”, but this word is also singular. If Peter was referring to two persons being manifested, or appearing, then the word would have to be in the plural. It would have to read something like this: “we are waiting for the blessed hope, the manifestations of the Father and of our Savior, Jesus Christ” — two individuals. But where does Scripture teach that we are to wait for the appearing of the Father? There are 9 passages that state that the Father is invisible and that he has never been seen nor can he be seen nor will he. Thus, claiming that this verse speaks of the Father and Jesus Christ is simply not supported by the grammar and contradicts the rest of scripture.

📖 2 Peter 1:1: “…to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.”

2 Peter 1:1 (NWT_2013) …to those who have acquired a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and the Savior Jesus Christ

The NWT adds the word “the” before Savior Jesus Christ to make the verse refer to two individuals: the Father and the Savior, Jesus Christ.

These verses are two of the clearest affirmations of the deity of Christ. The key issue is the Granville Sharp Rule (1798): when two singular, personal, non-proper nouns are joined by “and” (καί) and only the first has the article, both refer to the same person.

Anticipated Pushback

Jehovah’s Witnesses love to run to the New World Translation, which separates “God” and “Savior.” But remember — the NWT was produced by five men, mostly high school graduates.

Frederick Franz, their supposed “language expert,” claimed to know Greek and Hebrew, but under oath in the 1954 Walsh trial he failed a simple Hebrew translation test.

And here’s the irony: the Watchtower has no recognized Greek scholars of their own, yet they try to lecture real scholars — men like Daniel Wallace, whose Greek grammar is the gold standard worldwide. It’s like someone who’s never fixed a car trying to lecture a mechanic on how an engine works.

Bruce Metzger, one of the most respected textual critics of the 20th century, minced no words about the NWT: “The New World Translation is a frightful mistranslation. It is grammatically inept, exegetically perverse, and theologically biased. It is the worst English translation I have ever read.”

And again, regarding John 1:1, he noted: “…a rendering which is neither grammatically defensible nor consistent with the usage of the Greek throughout the New Testament.”

Because they can’t produce their own scholarship, they prop up their case with oddball translations:

Mainstream Translations

While the Watchtower digs up obscure or outdated versions, the mainstream modern translations — created by large, multi-denominational committees of respected scholars — all render these verses as referring to one person: Jesus Christ.

Translations of Titus 2:13 include:

Translations of 2 Peter 1:1 include:

This shows the consensus of real scholarship: both Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 apply “God and Savior” to one person — Jesus Christ. Using the criteria given to us by the WTBTS itself, their own NTW is the outlier translation and thus reveals that they have let “personal beliefs color their renderings.”

Modern Scholarship

Dr. Daniel Wallace, one of the foremost Greek scholars of our day, is clear: “There is no good reason to reject Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 as explicit affirmations of the deity of Christ.”

He also cites Christopher Wordsworth’s exhaustive study of Greek Christian literature covering 1,000 years. Not once did the church fathers interpret these verses as referring to two persons. Always one: Christ alone.

Scholarly Critiques of the NWT

The NWT has been universally condemned by respected scholars:

Internal Evidence in 2 Peter

Peter uses the same Greek structure three more times in this letter:

All clearly refer to Christ alone. Why would 2 Peter 1:1 be the lone exception? The context proves otherwise.

Conclusion

The Watchtower, with no Greek scholars of its own, props up its arguments with Webster, Weymouth, Moffatt, the Diaglott, the WEB, and even the King James when it’s convenient. But when you peel back the smoke and mirrors, the facts are clear:

👉 THE TESTIMONY OF HISTORY, LANGUAGE, AND CONTEXT ALL CONVERGE ON THE SAME TRUTH: JESUS CHRIST IS THE GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR — THE ONE TO WHOM EVERY KNEE WILL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE CONFESS.