"And YOU, fathers, do not be irritating YOUR children, but go on bringing them up in the discipline and mental-regulating of Jehovah"
NWT
Opponents to Jehovah's Witnesses say that they use Mind Control techniques in "recruiting" and keeping "recruits" especially in light of the above text that uses the words " mental-regulating". It is asserted this rendition is not correct, and it gives JWs the go ahead to manipulate their children. Is this the way JWs see this text? Is it a reasonable way to translate that passage?Please note what Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says about this word.
Noun: - "nouthesia (nouqetew, 3559), lit., "a putting in mind" (nous, "mind", tithemi, "to put"), is used in 1 Cor.10:11, of the purpose of the Scriptures; in Eph. 6:4, of which is administered by the Lord; "
Verb:- "noutheteo……. It is used (a) of instruction, (b)of warning"
Notice the different ways other translations put this passage:-
"bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord " (KJV)
"bring them up with Christian discipline and instruction" (TEV)
"bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord himself approves" (LB)
"bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (NIV)
"bring them up with Christian teaching in Christian discipline" (PME)
"in bringing them up correct them and guide them as the Lord does" (JB)
"bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (RSV)
"give them the instruction and the correction, which belong to a Christian upbringing" (NEV)
As we can see, this passage is translated differently by some of the most popular translations in English. We (JWs) find no objection in any of these renderings.
So are JWs encouraged to go into "mind control" so that an organisation can tell them what to do when teaching their children? Please notice the following quotes.
*** g74 2/8 8 How Can You Help Your Children? ***
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament comments on the verb form of the Greek word for mental-regulating:
"[It] describes an effect on the will and disposition, and it presupposes an opposition which has to be overcome. It seeks to correct the mind, to put right what is wrong, to improve the spiritual attitude. . . . It does not mean ‘to punish,’ but through the word . . . to cause the appeal to the moral consciousness to gain a hold over men and bring them to repentance and shame, so that punishment is superfluous."
On his own, (our children) he may never do it. The Bible indicates that a young child does not know "how to reject the bad and choose the good."—Isa. 7:16.
How Can a Child Be Taught This?
The heart must be reached. He must develop his own inner motivation to "reject the bad and choose the good." If not, he may simply put on a superficial shrewdness about staying out of trouble. So in addition to "discipline," parents must ‘bring up’ their children in the "mental-regulating of Jehovah."—Eph. 6:4.
This requires putting information into the child’s mind that will touch his heart. It should motivate him in a right way and warn him of future dangers. The Bible term "mental-regulating" includes "whatever is needed to cause the monition to be taken home, to be laid to heart."
"Mental-regulating of Jehovah" means regulating our thinking to conform to Jehovah’s will. Parents, then, must instill in the minds of their little ones Jehovah’s thinking on matters. And they must also imitate God’s example of providing compassionate discipline, or corrective training. (Psalm 103:10, 11; Proverbs 3:11, 12)
This mental regulating is the instilling in our children Bible Principles and a love and desire to please our creator, not a mind control to an organisation.
Most of the material in the following essay is adapted from the "Trinity Exposed " Web site. I have added my own research as well as pre empting questions that might arise by Trinitarians.
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