Did the Watchtower Society Know About Johannes Greber?
One possible explanation for the Watchtower Societys use of Johannes Grebers translation is ignorance about Grebers beliefs and sources. It is clear from their own literature, however, that they were aware that he was a spiritist: Communication with the Spirit World: Its Laws and Its Purpose… In keeping with his Roman Catholic extraction Grebers translation is bound with a gold-leaf cross on its stiff front cover. In the Foreword of his aforementioned book ex-priest Greber says: “The most significant spiritualistic book is the Bible.” Under this impression Greber endeavours to make his New Testament translation read very spiritualistic … Grebers translation of these verses [1 John 4:1-3] reads: “My dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, to learn whether they come from God. For many false spirits have emerged from the abyss … and are speaking through human mediums …” Very plainly the spirits in which ex-priest Greber believes helped him in his translati
