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Johannes Greber

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Title page of Greber's New Testament

Johannes Greber (May 2, 1874–March 31, 1944) born in Wenigerath, Germany, was a Catholic priest

In Germany, he was ordained in 1900 and served a church in the poor area of Hunsrueck. Many in the area suffered from tuberculosis, even ‘’organizing nurses to treat large numbers of tuberculosis’’.[1] During WW1, he also helped thousands of children escape the war by fleeing into Holland.

In 1923, he attended a séance and his life was changed. He renounced his vows and left the Catholic church. He emigrated to the USA in 1929 and began a nondenominational church, with prayer and healing sessions in Teaneck, NJ. He later worked on a translation of the New Testament, publishing ‘’The New Testament, A New Translation and Explanation Based on the Oldest Manuscripts’’ (1935). He claimed using the oldest sources available including the Greek codex D. Where a meaning was not clear, according to his prologue, he received supernatural guidance as he translated, after much time in prayer, with his wife acting as a medium, and with visions of the actual words given to him on occasion. “In the rare instances in which a text pronounced correct by the divine spirits can be found in none of the manuscripts available today, I have the text as given by the spirits.”[1]

Greber's belief in spirit communication with holy spirits of God, which he portrayed as a common occurrence throughout the Old and New Testament, clearly affected his translation. For example, 1 Corinthians 12:28 is translated as “...mediums who speak in various foreign languages’’.”[2]

Publications

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  • Communication with the Spirit World of God, Its Laws and Purpose (1932)
  • A Plan for the Solution of the Problem of the German Refugees (1939)
  • New Testament, A New Translation Based on the Oldest Manuscripts (1935)

References

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  1. ^ a b p. 97. William Paul. 2003. English Language Bible Translators. Jefferson, NC & London: McFarland and Co.
  2. ^ p. 98. William Paul. 2003. English Language Bible Translators. Jefferson, NC & London: McFarland and Co.
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