Reasoning with Jehovah's Witnesses |
Appendix B: The New World Translation |
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Appendix B: The New World TranslationJehovah's Witnesses believe that: a. The New World Translation is the most accurate Bible translation produced to date, and exists free from sectarian bias.1
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Q1. Does the New World Translation give accurate translations of Bible verses which normally indicate the deity of Christ? Zech 12:10-"And I [Jehovah] will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of favor and entreaties, and they will certainly look to the One [Heb. Me] whom they pierced through, and they will certainly wail over Him as in the wailing over an only [son]; and there will be a bitter lamentation over him as when there is bitter lamentation over the firstborn [son]." Matt 2:2,8,11,14:33, John 9:38, Heb 1:6, etc.-But when he again brings his First-born into the inhabited earth, he says: "And let all God's angels do obeisance [Gr. worship-see NWT, Heb 1:6 footnote] to him." John 1:1-In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god [Gr. God was the Word]. John 8:58-Jesus said to them: "Most truly I say to you, Before Abraham came into existence, I have been [Gr. I am-cp. Ex 3:14, LXX]." John 10:33-The Jews answered him: "We are stoning you, not for a fine work, but for blasphemy, even because you, although being a man, make yourself a god [Gr. God]." Phil 2:6-who, although he was existing in God's form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God [Gr. who in [the] form of God subsisting not robbery deemed [it] the to be equal with God] Col 2:8-9-Christ; because it is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality [Gr. Deity or Godhead] dwells bodily.
Q2. Does the New World Translation give accurate translations of Bible verses which explain the requirements for salvation? John 17:3-"This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you [Gr. that they may know you], the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ." Rom 10:9-10-For if you publicly declare [Gr. confess] that word in your own mouth, that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration [Gr. one confesses] for salvation. Heb 13:15-Through him let us always offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which make public declaration to his name [Gr. confessing to the name of him].
Q3. Does the New World Translation give accurate translations of Bible verses pertaining to the Christian's personal relationship with Jesus Christ? 1 Cor 1:9-God is faithful, by whom you were called into a sharing [Gr. fellowship] with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 2 Cor 11:3-But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent seduced Eve by its cunning, your minds might be corrupted away from the sincerity and the chastity that are due the Christ [Gr. the simplicity and the purity in Christ]. 2 Cor 13:5-Or do you not recognize that Jesus Christ is in union with you [Gr. Jesus Christ is in you]? 1 John 1:3-Furthermore, this sharing [Gr. fellowship] of ours is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Q4. Are there other verses in which the New World Translation disagrees with the original Greek and with the standard independent translations of the Bible? Matt 5:18-for truly I say to you that sooner would [Gr. until] heaven and earth pass away than for one smallest letter or one particle of a letter to pass away from the Law by any means and not all things take place. Matt 27:52-53-And the memorial tombs were opened and many bodies of the holy ones that had fallen asleep were raised up, (and persons, coming out from among the memorial tombs after his being raised up, entered into the holy city,) and they became visible to many people. [Gr. and the tombs were opened and many bodies of the having fallen asleep saints were raised; and coming forth out of the tombs after the rising of him entered into the holy city and appeared to many.] Acts 5:3-But Peter said: "Ananias, why has Satan emboldened you to play false [Gr. lie] to the holy spirit and to hold back secretly some of the price of the field?" 2 Cor 11:8-Other congregations I robbed by accepting provisions [Gr. taking wages] in order to minister to you... Eph 4:24, Col 3:10-clothe yourselves with the new personality [Gr. having put on the new man] Heb 12:23-spiritual lives of righteous ones [Gr. spirits of just men] who have been made perfect
Q5. The name Jehovah occurs 237 times in the New World Translation of the Greek Scriptures. Does the tetragrammaton appear in any of the extant Greek manuscripts? "Why, then, do all extant copies of the 'New Testament' lack the Tetragrammaton?" (WT 5/1/78, p. 10)
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Summary: a. The New World Translation has been sorely mistranslated in accord with the preconceived convictions of the New World Translation Committee.
Endnotes: 1. Reasoning from the Scriptures, p. 277 |
