This page shows how the Watchtower has change the meaning of John 17:3 in the New World Translation to mislead their readers.

The John 17:3 clarification is given with a special thanks to our JW caller, "The Q Man," Scott Nelson Qui...   Dear Scott, We will continue to pray for you that the love of Christ would replace the bitterness in your heart and that you would accept what the scriptures tell you about who Jehovah really is.  (Matt. 5:44-48)

By the way, if you are reading this page and you really don't know who Jehovah is, all that you read here or anywhere else, doesn't really matter.

ONLY

(AKJV) John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

If the Watchtower's claim that this statement "the only true God" means that Jesus is not God, then the statement in Jude 4 that says Jesus is our "only Lord" would mean that the Father is not Lord.  Is that possible?  No, a thousand times no.  What's wrong then?  The Watchtower's twist is what is wrong.  This verse is not contrasting Jesus to the Father, but the Father to all those who call themselves gods, which are false.

(NWT) Jude 4 "My reason is that certain men have slipped in who have long ago been appointed by the Scriptures to this judgment, ungodly men, turning the undeserved kindness of our God into an excuse for loose conduct and proving false to our only Owner and Lord, Jesus Christ."

Eph 4:4-6 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

One Body= not two as the WT teaches (the little flock and the other sheep)

One Hope= not two as the WT teaches (the earthly hope and the heavenly hope)

One Lord= not two as the WT teaches (God the Father and the WT organization)

One God= not three as the WT teaches (the WT claims that Christians believe in three gods)

Christians believe in ONE GOD who is Triune. 

What other twists did Watchtower (WT) Leaders make to John 17:3?

(NWT) "John 17:3 This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ."

KNOW

WT leaders changed the word "know" to "taking in knowledge."  What's the difference?  The word "know" here means to know personally like a boy who was raised by his father would know him:  There would be an intimate relationship between them that was established by knowing each other personally.  Why did WT leaders change the word "know" to "taking in knowledge"?  Possibly the main reason was to shift the authority of giving life eternal from God to the WT organization.  Why is this important?  Maybe the best answer would come from WT leaders themselves.  Here is a quote that truly shows how the WT leaders shift the authority of receiving life eternal (eternal life, everlasting life) from God to the WT organization.

Quotation is taken from: (You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, pg. 255; subject:  Choose Eternal Life In Paradise On Earth).

"You must be part of Jehovah’s organization, doing God’s will, in order to receive his blessing of everlasting life."

This makes the WT organization the channel of eternal life instead of a personal relationship with the Father through His Son Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God.  They shifted the authority to have eternal life from God to the WT organization.

Another piece of evidence that "taking in knowledge" is a mistranslation can be seen in their publication, (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, 1969 ed, pg. 510).  Here it states,  "...they may be knowing you," which also implies a personal relationship.

The simple conclusion is that one can take in knowledge of a person all one's life and never personally know that person.  A boy who was raised by his father knows him very personally and likewise a person who is born of the Spirit into the family of God knows Him very personally.  Those who have never experienced this truth will never see the Kingdom of God regardless of who they are or the extent of their "good works." 

(NWT) John 3:3 "In answer Jesus said to him: Most truly I say to you, Unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

TRUE

Watchtower apologists lead one to think that the word "true" has some kind of "hidden, deep" meaning (in the Greek) that is not known to the average reader of scripture.  To see that this is just a smokescreen, anyone can go to other passages in John where the same word is used and get the idea that a comparison comes into mind.  For example: Jesus is said to be the true Light in John 1:9 as opposed to those who come as a false light.  Then in John 4:23 it speaks of true worshipers as opposed to false worshipers.  It doesn't take a deeper knowledge of the Greek to see this.  The real understanding comes from the context itself.

LIFE ETERNAL

John17:1-3 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

John 17:3 is a clarification of the previous verse and defines the term "eternal life."  The grammatical construction of John 17:3 provides the substance for and the basis of any interpretation that truly comes from the context without inserting any kind of WT bias that puts a spin on the verse.  The grammar shows everyone that eternal life is knowing the Father and Jesus Christ personally.