The  argument  against


The JWs say that they alone have accurate knowledge. The NWT adds the word “accurate” to knowledge in several texts to give the impression that knowledge is something special. Here is a comparison of some of those texts


Romans 1:28 "And just as they did not approve of holding God in accurate knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting" (NWT)


Romans  1:28  "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient"  King James Version (italics original – it shows the word has been added by the translators of the KJV)


Ephesians 1:17 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give YOU a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the accurate knowledge of him;"  (NWT)


Ephesians 1:17 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: " (KJV)


EXPLANATION

It is true that we can have knowledge of someone one but, do we  have accurate knowledge. Just think of all the commercial magazines that print "knowledge" of say a politician, a royal family member, a sports person, an actor. How much of what is printed is accurate about that person? A lot of information that is presented to us in various forms of the media is not accurate at all. The only way to know for a certainty, is,  if we were close friends with the person being spoken of.


The Bible presents us with “accurate" information about God. The problem is, it was written in a language very few people understand. We rely on translators to get it correct.  When translators miss finer points of the original information, that means we do not get the full importance of what was intended.


Bellow is a list of all the places where the NWT uses the wording “accurate knowledge”


Romans 1:28; 3:20 ;10:2
Ephesians 1:17; 4:13
Philippians  1:9
Colossians  1:9 ; 1:10 ; 2:2 ; 3:10
1 Timothy 2:4
2 Timothy 2:25 ; 3:7
Titus 1:1
Philemon 1:6
Hebrews 10:26
2 Peter 1:2 ; 1:3 ; 1:8 2:20


In each case the Greek word is the same “epignosis”.  The above are all the places I could   find where this word appears. So in every case, the NWT uses the expression "accurate knowledge"   If you want to look it up in Strongs Greek Lexicon, the  word number is 1922. Here is the meaning from 3 different Greek Lexicons.


Thayer Greek Lexicon

precise and correct knowledge; used in the N. T. of the knowledge of things ethical and divine:  absolutely,

Liddell and Scots Greek Lexicon

full knowledge

Strongs Greek Lexicon

recognition, i.e. (by impl.) full discernment, acknowledgment

(italics original in all quotes)

The NWT rendering of “accurate knowledge” is correct and gives more insight and depth to the meaning instead of just “knowledge” as in the KJV. It implies the need to not just know about God and Jesus but to know them fully, absolutely.