Paul Sides, Rav Sha’ul, Translation Of John 1

This Rav Sha’ul Exposed study is about Paul Sides’ Bible translation of the 1st chapter of the book of John.

Before we start, you need to understand what Rav Sha’ul is proclaiming with the false concept of the Yahushaic Covenant. Obviously, this is just a summary:

Paul Sides teaches that Yahusha was 100% man, because his biological father was Joseph. He teaches that Yahusha sinned and need to be baptized by John for remission of sins. He teaches that just like Elohim made covenants with men like Abraham and Moses, Yahuah made a covenant with Yahusha.  He teaches that after Messiah became perfected and lived a sinless life as a priest, and died to Himself on the cross, that He was then made divine.

You can see Biblical proof that Paul Sides claims about Messiah are false in this study: Paul Sides Is A False Teacher

So given Paul Sides teachings, we need to look at how he changes the intent and context of Scripture, to remove Messiah from His rightly place; as the Father’s first-born creation, thus He is deity, as the co-Creator, and as the spotless Lamb of Elohim.

For each verse of his version I will provide the matching verse from the ISR 98, which is a literal word for word translation, and I will provide comments when needed. The main point is to help you see how many words he has added to the Greek text..

The ISR 98 matches the names of the Father and Son that Paul Sides is using, that of Yahuah the Father, and Yahusha the Son.

The proper translation, and real meaning of John Chapter 1:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the plan of Yahuah, and the plan was with Yahuah (and defined His purpose in creation), and the plan was Yahuah’s.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim.

John 1:14 clearly says that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, pointing to Yahusha Messiah.  John 1:1 says that the Word was in the beginning, which is telling us that Yahusha existed in the beginning.

By inserting the word ‘plan’, Paul Sides make it seem like the plan existed in the beginning, but not Yahusha. This not only adds to Scripture, but it changes the meaning.

John 1:2 The same plan was in the beginning with Yahuah.

He was in the beginning with Elohim.

Once again the text clearly is telling us that Yahusha was in the beginning with Elohim.  There is no word ‘plan’ in the Greek manuscripts, it was added by Rav Sha’ul, which is a direct violation, as Scripture tells us to not add to the Word of Elohim.

John 1:3 All things were done according to the plan of Yahuah, and without the plan of Yahuah nothing was done, that was done.

All came to be through Him, and without Him not even one came to be that came to be

The ‘Him’ is Yahusha, who was there during creation.  Rav Sha’ul removed Messiah from the verse, another clear violation.

John 1:4 In this plan was (predestined) life (through a human Messiah’s sacrifice), and that life was the light (revelation) to mankind.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Once again Rav Sha’ul removed the reference to Messiah as ‘Him’, and he inserted the word ‘plan’.  Who is the light of the world?  Yahusha!

John 1:5 Now that light (revealed plan to send a human Messiah has been fulfilled in Yahusha) shines in the darkness, but the darkness does not take hold of it.

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Yahusha was sent from the Father to shine as the light of the world, to reveal the light of scripture and the Gospel to men.

John 1:6 There was a man sent from Yahuah whose name was John (John “came from Yahuah” too, doesn’t make him Yahuah).

There was a man sent from Elohim, whose name was Yoḥanan.

His argument is nonsensical.  Saying that John was not Yahuah, does not prove that Yahusha was not deity.

John 1:7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light (that Yahusha was The Passover Lamb of Yahuah), so that through him all might believe (that Yahusha was the fulfillment of that plan to send a human Messiah).

This one came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all might believe through him.

Once again he promotes to concept that Yahusha the man was the fulfillment of the plan, instead of saying what Scripture is clearly proclaiming, that Yahusha is deity who was sent from the Father, to act as Him exact representation.

John 1:8 He himself was not the light (the Messiah, many believed John the Baptist was the Messiah); he came only as a witness to the light (Yahusha).

He was not that Light, but that he might bear witness of that Light.

Notice how he removed the capital letter of light, to remove that Messiah, the Light of the world, is deity.

John 1:9 The true light (Yahusha) that gives light (reveals The WAY) to everyone was coming into the world (as a man).

He was the true Light, which enlightens every man, coming into the world.

He add ‘as a man’, which is not in the manuscripts, once again adding to the Word of Elohim, which is forbidden. And again he removed the capital L in Light, to remove Messiah’s deity.

John 1:10 He (Yahusha) was in the world (in the flesh), and though the world was reconciled to Yahuah through him, the world did not recognize him.

He was in the world, and the world came to be through Him, and the world did not know Him.

The passage is clearly proclaiming the Yahusha was active in creation, that the world came to be through Him, yet Rav Sha’ul changed the meaning of the text to remove that declaration.

John 1:11 Yahusha came to that which was his own (the Jews), but his own did not receive him.

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

Rav Sha’ul removed the capital H in the word His, to remove Messiah’s deity.

John 1:12 Yet to all who did receive him (enter into The Yahushaic Covenant), to those who believed in (the covenant that bears) his name (The Yahushaic Covenant), he gave the right to become children of Yahuah—

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of Elohim, to those believing in His Name,

Once again he changed the Him to him, to remove Messiah’s deity.  And he inserts his heretical Yahushaic Covenant theology, which says that Messiah was 100% human and sinful, and became a god.

John 1:13 children (including Yahuasha) born not of natural descent (human birth is NOT when you become the son of Yahuah), nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but begotten of Yahuah (through resurrection! We all are born by the Ruach just like Yahusha, and that birth as His son is resurrected birth NOT human birth).

who were born, not of blood nor of the desire of flesh nor of the desire of man, but of Elohim.

He makes Messiah appear as just another man.

John 1:14 The predestined plan of Yahuah (to send a human Messiah) became flesh (was born human and fulfilled in Yahusha) and made his dwelling among us (was fully human in every way Hebrews 2:17). We have seen Yahuah’s glory (fulfilled in Yahusha), the glory of the one and only (begotten) Son (until the first resurrection), who came from the (predestined mind or plan of the) Father, full of grace (covered the death decrees for our sin) and truth (properly teach The Torah as Moses prophesied of him).

And the Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us, and we saw His esteem, esteem as of an only brought-forth of a father, complete in favour and truth.

Once again he inserts the word ‘plan’ which is not in the manuscripts, to imply that Messiah was just a thought in the Father’s mind, not deity who became flesh, which is what the text declares.  He removed the capital ‘W’ to remove Messiah’s deity as the Word of Elohim.  The text is declaring that Messiah is the Word, and John 1:1 declared that He existed in the beginning.

John 1:15 (John the Baptist testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me (in the Plan of Yahuah and given pre-eminence among the sons of Yahuah Colossians 1:17)’”)

Yoḥanan bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has become before me, because He was before me.’ ”

Messiah was born six months after John; so John is clearly declaring the Messiah existed before him. Rav Sha’ul is clearly teaching a false 100% human messiah.

John 1:16 Out of his fullness (of obedience to The Law) we have all received grace (his blood covers the death decrees in the Law) in place of grace already given.

And out of His completeness we all did receive, and favour upon favour,

Rav Sha’ul is implying that Messiah had to become perfect out of obedience to the law, just like all men.  But the text declares that because Messiah was sinless, we have redemption.

John 1:17 For The Law (with active decrees or The Law of Sin and Death) was given through Moses; grace (the decrees covered by the blood of the lamb) and truth (The Law of the Spirit that leads to life) came through Yahusha the Messiah.

for the Torah was given through Mosheh – the favour and the truth came through יהושע Messiah.

John 1:18 No one has ever seen God (including Yahusha) but (however) the one and only Son (has come as the light to reveal Yahuah to mankind), who is himself the (the perfect human) image of Yahuah (Colossians 1:15 – “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”) and is in closest relationship (covenant of adoption: Father/Son, the two shall become one family through covenant John 17:19-21) with the Father, has made Yahuah’s plan (to procreate a family Ephesians 1:1-15) known to us.

No one has ever seen Elohim. The only brought-forth Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He did declare.

The pre-existent Son is declared, and was the One who appeared to men.
“And the Father who sent Me, He bore witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.” John 5:37
“Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from Elohim – He has seen the Father.” John 6:46 

Where is the rest of Rav Sha’ul’s mis-translation of John 1?

I’ve included it below with verses that declare the deity of Messiah in bolded text:

John 1:19  Now this was the witness of Yoḥanan when the Yehuḏim sent from Yerushalayim priests and Lĕwites to ask him, “Who are you?”

John 1:20  And he confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”

John 1:21  And they asked him, “What then, are you Ěliyahu?” So he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

John 1:22  Therefore they said to him, “Who are you, so that we give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

John 1:23  He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of יהוה,’ as the prophet Yeshayahu said.”

John is clearly declaring that He was sent to make straight the way of YHUH, and we know that he is referring to Yahusha Messiah, thus he is declaring that He is deity.

John 1:24  And those sent were of the Pharisees,

John 1:25  and they asked him, saying, “Why then do you immerse if you are not the Messiah, nor Ěliyahu, nor the Prophet?”

John 1:26  Yoḥanan answered them, saying, “I immerse in water, but in your midst stands One whom you do not know,

John 1:27  the One coming after me, who has become before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loosen.”

John is clearly declaring the Messiah was existed before him, since Messiah was born in the flesh six months after John.

John 1:28  This took place in Bĕyth Anyah beyond the Yardĕn, where Yoḥanan was immersing.

John 1:29  On the next day Yoḥanan saw יהושע coming toward him, and said, “See, the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:30  “This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has become before me, for He was before me.’

Once again John is declaring the Messiah existed before him, confirming His deity.

John 1:31  “And I did not know Him, but that He might be revealed to Yisra’ĕl, therefore I came immersing in water.”

John 1:32  And Yoḥanan bore witness, saying, “I have seen the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and remain on Him.

John 1:33  “And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to immerse in water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit coming down and remaining on Him, this is He who immerses in the Set-apart Spirit.’

John 1:34  “And I have seen and have witnessed that this is the Son of Elohim.”

John 1:35  Again the following day, Yoḥanan was standing with two of his taught ones,

John 1:36  and looking at יהושע walking, he said, “See the Lamb of Elohim!”

John 1:37  And the two taught ones heard him speaking, and they followed יהושע.

John 1:38  And יהושע turning, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”

John 1:39  He said to them, “Come and see.” They went and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour.

John 1:40  Andri, the brother of Shimʽon Kĕpha, was one of the two who heard from Yoḥanan, and followed Him.

John 1:41  First he found his own brother Shimʽon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means the Anointed).

John 1:42  And he brought him to יהושע. And looking at him, יהושע said, “You are Shimʽon the son of Yonah, you shall be called Kĕpha” (which means A Stone).

John 1:43  On the following day יהושע wished to go to Galil, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”

John 1:44  And Philip was from Bĕyth Tsaiḏa, the city of Andri and Kĕpha.

John 1:45  Philip found Nethanĕ’l and said to him, “We have found Him whom Mosheh wrote of in the Torah, and the prophets: יהושע of Natsareth – the son of Yosĕph.”

John 1:46  And Nethanĕ’l said to him, “Is it possible for any good matter to come out of Natsareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

John 1:47  יהושע saw Nethanĕ’l coming toward Him, and said of him, “See, truly a Yisra’ĕlite, in whom is no deceit!”

John 1:48  Nethanĕ’l said to Him, “From where do You know me?” יהושע answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

John 1:49  Nethanĕ’l answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of Elohim! You are the Sovereign of Yisra’ĕl!”

Nathaniel was declaring the Messiah was already the Sovereign of Israel.

John 1:50  יהושע answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? Greater than that you shall see.”

John 1:51  And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, from now on you shall see the heaven opened, and the messengers of Elohim ascending and descending upon the Son of Aḏam.”

Read Paul Sides Is A False Bible Translator