Thanks Pegg.
I had to look on the verse again after reading your response as the section I quote above got me. Here is the verse again:
5Deaden, therefore, ​YOUR​ body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
I read it about 3 times and still cannot see how this verse centers around fornication (or sex, for that matter). It listed fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, etc. Why would you say that the context of this discussion is around fornication when fornication is just one of the items listed?
Hi BigTJ,
When you read Pauls letter with the surrounding verses, its more clear...and your are right, its not just fornication he's refering to, but he lists it first as a thing to 'deaden'
Colossians 3:1
 If, however, YOU were raised up with the Christ, go on seeking the things above, ...2*Keep YOUR minds fixed on the things above, not on the things upon the earth. ...
5*Deaden, therefore, YOUR body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6*On account of those things the wrath of God is coming.
Each of the things he mentions are 'works of the flesh'. Fornication being the foremost of them. Fornication is a very broad term for many immoral sexual practices.
Bauer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament defines it as
“prostitution, unchastity, fornication, of every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse.”
So, among other things, he is talking about sexual immorality here.
So, just to confirm, you are agreeing that the translators of the NWT did not translate what was in the "original" writings, but translate it in a way to reflect what they think it should be; correct?
Yes precisely.
And this isnt the only verse where the NWT uses a word that is more understandable and in line with the context. The reason is due to the greek word used.....
The Greek verb
e·pi·thy·me′o means
“desire.” But its a positive desire. An example is its use at Matthew 13:17*
For I truly say to YOU, Many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things YOU are beholding and did not see the
However, at Col 5:3, Paul uses a word translated as desire, but that has a slightly different meaning. He uses the greek word
ple·o·ne·xi′a which literally means
“a desire to have more” and is translated into english as 'desire' just as the other greek word is.
So the NWT has used 'appetite' in this verse to express the idea of 'wanting more' then is normal or healthy. Another expression we might use is that someone has an 'insatiable appetite' where they can't get enough of something. That is the 'idea' that this particular greek word expresses. Desire could be used in the verse (and they do put it in the footnote) however, they chose a word that more accurately
reflects the meaning of the original greek word.
Just one more question: why do you think that "Paul was not outlawing proper sexual desire?" Paul's writings clearly suggests that sex is akin to a "second best option" kinda thing so I am not sure that here we can arbitrarily tell what Paul was or was not outlawing - can we?
the Watchtower approach to studying the scriptures has always been to compare multiple scriptures with one another and come to an interpretation which does not contradict any of them.
If we were to interpret Pauls words as meaning that sexual relations is some kind of improper sin, then we are contradicting a whole multitude of scriptures that uphold the sanctity of marriage and sexual relations.
When God created Adam and Eve, he gave them sexual desire, reproductive power and told them to go and multiply. That would require sexual activity.
Gods blessing on marriage is extolled by the blessing childbirth. Children were Gods blessing and the scriptures highlight that fact.
Even Paul advised some to marry and marriage mates not to deprive each other of sex. So we have to really take all the scriptures into account before we attempt to apply a meaning to one particular verse.
If an interpretation creates a conflict with just one scripture, the WT rejected the interpretation. Our view is that the scriptures are RIGHT in every respect. So our interpretation MUST harmonize with the scriptures.