New World Translation

Correct or corrupt

Vineyard Christian Apologetics and Research Ministries

VCARMS , Post Box No: 2, Ooty-643006, India.
vcarms@gmail.com. +919047071170
Bible clearly says,

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish
from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you.
Deu 4:2 (American Standard version)

and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his
part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.
Rev 22:19 (American Standard version)

But New World Translation is against this scripture. For example John 1:1 In [the] beginning the
Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. (WTS)

This is the only modern translation done in this form, The emphasis should not be only on the “god”
but also on the “a”. The WTS states that their translation of John1:1 is correct regardless of the fact that in
the original koine Greek the word “God” is without the article “a”. What we need to understand that in the
Greek , when the definite article is used, it often stresses the individual, and, when it is present, it refers to
the nature of the subject.

The below original Greek scriptures and other translations doesn’t have “a”

John 1:1
Byzantine Greek New Testament
θεον και θεος ην ο εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον λογος
Nestle Novum Greek New Testament
᾿Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος.

Westcott-Hort text from 1881

εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος

1894 Scrivener Textus receptus

εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος
Koine Greek New Testament (Original biblical Greek)

(NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
( NASB) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(ASV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(BBE) From the first he was the Word, and the Word was in relation with God and was God.

(Bishops) In the begynnyng was the worde, & the worde was with God: and that worde was God.

(CEV) In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God.

(Darby) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(DRB) In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God: and the Word was God.

(EMTV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(ESV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(Geneva) In the beginning was that Word, and that Word was with God, and that Word was God.

(GNB) In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(GW) In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(ISV) In the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(KJV-1611) In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(KJVA) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(KJVR) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(LITV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(MKJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(Murdock) In the beginning, was the Word; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.

(RV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(TAM) ÝFJ«ô õ£˜ˆ¬î Þ¼‰î¶, ܉î õ£˜ˆ¬î «îõQìˆFL¼‰î¶, ܉î õ£˜ˆ¬î

«îõù£J¼‰î¶.

(Vulgate) in principio erat Verbum et Verbum erat apud Deum et Deus erat Verbum
(Webster) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(WNT) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(YLT) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;

First, it’s important to look at the issue of translation in the greater context, and the background of the
translation of the NWT. The Bible manuscripts exist in three main languages. Most of the Old Testament
was written in Hebrew, though portions of Daniel are in Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Koine
Greek – the Greek language widely spoken 2000 years ago. This differs from Classical Greek and Modern
Greek. Even before the birth of Christ (by two or three hundred years), the Old Testament was translated
into Koine Greek. This translation became known as the Septuagint, and is represented by the Roman
numerals LXX (seventy). These Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic manuscripts were copied and distributed
widely, with the copying and distribution accelerating in later centuries as new forms of script developed
which made copying a faster process. At various times, the manuscripts were compiled into full biblical
texts. It is from these manuscripts and compilations that the Bibles we read today were translated (for more
information on this process. Because of this, it stands to reason that advanced training and knowledge in
one or more of these languages would be a prerequisite for those who wished to perform translation work
on a Bible translation committee. However, this logic and reason was seemingly unimportant to the
Watchtower Society and their translation committee for the NWT.

The Watchtower Society first published the New World Translation of the New Testament in 1950. Their
complete Bible was published first in 1961, with subsequent revisions published in 1970 and 1984. The
Watchtower was always quite secretive about the composition of their translation committee, claiming that
credit should be given to God and the truth, rather than the translators. In the October 22, 1989 issue of
Awake!, the Watchtower Society’s magazine publication, the society recited the words of their founder
Charles T. Russell, “It is the truth rather than its servant that should be honored…” However, former
members of the Society revealed the identities of the translation committee members as Frederick W.
Franz, Nathan H. Knorr, George D. Gangas, Albert D. Schroeder, Milton G. Henschel, and Karl Klein.

A review of their qualifications is disturbing:

Translator Qualifications

Franz, Frederick Probably the only person to actually translate. Franz

was a liberal arts student at the University of
Cincinnati:
21 semester hours of classical Greek, some
Latin.
Partially completed a two-hour survey course
in Biblical Greek in junior year.
Self-taught in Spanish, biblical Hebrew and
 Aramaic

Gangas, George No training in biblical languages. Gangas was a

Turkish national who knew Modern Greek. Translated
Watchtower publications into Modern Greek.
Henschel, Milton No training in biblical languages.

Klein, Karl No training in biblical languages.

Knorr, Nathan No training in biblical languages.

Schroeder, Albert No training in biblical languages. Schroeder majored

in mechanical engineering for three years before
dropping out.

We don’t want to seem derogatory to Mr. Franz, but his primary training was in Classical Greek, not
biblical Greek. He dropped out of a survey course on that topic. He was self-taught in biblical Hebrew and
Aramaic, which is commendable, but does it qualify him as a Bible translator? Mr. Franz seemed to lack the
fluidity he claimed. In a court of law in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1954, Mr. Franz failed a simple test on his
Hebrew language skills. On cross-examination, Franz was asked to translate a particular verse from
Genesis into Hebrew. He was unable to do so. The person most capable among his peers to translate the
Bible failed a simple test. This calls into question the use of the word “translation” in the New World
Translation. As we will see, this “translation” is more likely a paraphrase that was heavily edited to
introduce Watchtower bias.

Our faith is supported by the God-breathed Scriptures. We must be on guard against translations that
attack our faith through corruption of God’s Word.

VCARMS , Post Box No: 2, Ooty-643006, India. vcarms@gmail.com.+919047071170