Translations like the neb, reb, and moffatt are helpful in capturing the sense in john 1. The new world translation published by the jehovahs witnessess organization the watchtower translates john 1. This is an authorized web site of jehovahs witnesses. However, in 1950, the watchtower bible and tract society published its own translation of the bible, the new world translation of the greek scriptures. Is the nwt the mark of the beast 666 their standard hardbound black bible nwt which i think was published in 1981, it has 1,666 pages. The new world translation a remarkably good translation. The 1984 revision of the new world translation benefited from updating in harmony with the biblia hebraica stuttgartensia of 1977. As a basis for translating the hebrew scriptures, the text of rudolf kittels biblia hebraica, editions of 19511955, was used. While new world translation defenders might succeed in showing that john 1.
Should gods name jehovah appear in the new testament. Many critics criticize the new world translation bible. Is the new world translation a valid version of the bible. David bentley harts new testament 2017 reads at john 1. New world translation of the holy scriptureswith references. The new world translation is incorrect in its translation of this verse for several reasons. Someone asked me to look at a video on youtube about the nwt and the occult where it centers on johannes grebers new testament and his supposed use of the spirit world to help him translate his bible, and the fact that the wts used his translation as support for their rendering of john 1. The new word translation of the holy scriptures is the selfpublished version of the bible that is translated, published and used by members of the watchtower organization. Perhaps the most wellknown difference between the jehovahs witnesses doctrinally slanted new world translation of the bible and reliable, scholarly translations such as the nasb, esv, kjv, etc.
Getting over the hurdles of the new world translation. Responsible for the good news bible the committee worked under him. The new world translators translated the first usage as god and the second as god. But the english translation reads i have made you a god or as god or like god unto moses. Based on the jehovahs witness new world translation, revised 1984 edition. But they dont have any problem in adding a god or as god or like god in exodua 7. A footnote which is added to the first word, originally, reads, literally, in at a beginning. This evidencean early translation of the new testamentcomes from the same century as the earliest greek witness to the new. Four examples of where the new world translation gets it wrong. Many of them are world renowned greek scholars whose works the jehovahs witnesses themselves have quoted in their publications, notably robertson, harner, and mantey, in defense of their a god translation of john 1.
Many jehovahs witnesses are publicizing new manuscript evidence they claim supports their preferred rendition of john 1. If you leave off the article in a phrase like john 1. The new world translation of the holy scriptures nwt is a translation of the bible published by the watch tower bible and tract society. John bare witness of him, and cried, this is he of whom i spake, he who commeth after me is preferred before me. Erasmus was right, yet as late as 1897 pope leo xiii upheld the corrupted latin text of the. The contributors to the new american standard bible 1, the new international version2 and the new king james version 3 are well known and publicized. Interestingly, in the textual line followed by the new world translation, john 1. Sep 17, 2012 a maryland pastor discusses how jehovahs witnesses new world translation uses faulty translation policy to blur christs divinity in the third part of john 1.
Apr 30, 20 below is a list of 101 english translations of the new testament verse of the bible identified as john 1. New world translation of the holy scriptureswith references 1984 the kingdom interlinear translation of the greek scriptures. Dear steve, the new world translation used by jehovah witnesses comes from. Bobby talks about the new world translation and the inconsistency of jehovahs witnesses interpretation of john 1.
Are there other sites and pages that defend the new world translation. They also go by the designation jehovahs witnesses. The earliest greek manuscripts do not have any punctuation in verses 3 and 4. The jehovahs witness version in the new world translation says, in the beginning was the word, and the. The wording and therefore meaning of the 42 renditions in white deserve extra attention since they are at odds with the other 165. The new world translation mistranslates this, and let all of gods angels do obeisance to him. Westcott is the greek scholar who with hort edited the greek text of the new testament used by the jehovahs witnesses. The new world translation of the holy scriptures is published by jehovahs witnesses. The jehovahs witnesses new world translation and john 1. That question has to be considered when bible translators handle the first verse of the gospel of john. That word begotten of god before all worlds, 2 and which was ever with the father, 14 is made man. Nor can they explain the fact that that the nwt does not translate the same greek phrases elsewhere in the gospel of john.
The punctuation used in the new world translation is according to the scholarly editions of the greek text published by westcott and hort, the united bible societies, and nestle and aland. New world translation of the holy scriptures wikipedia. Wright and tim ricchuiti reason that the indefinite article in the coptic translation, of john 1. The new testament portion was released in 1950, as the new world translation of the christian greek scriptures, with the complete bible released in 1961. Below is a list of 101 english translations of the new testament verse of the bible identified as john 1. A few months back i responded to a question concerning the nwt and decided to post my answer. For the past half century christian apologists have had to deal indepth with issues of manuscript evidence and the translation of scripture in response to the publication of the new world translation nwt by the watchtower bible and tract society i. The new world translation has been deliberately and systematically altered in the new testament to deny the deity of jesus because jehovahs witnesses think jehovah created the premortal jesus as a spirit creature michael the archangel.
New world translation of the holy scriptures study edition according to john 1. Based on the jehovahs witness new world translation, revised 1984 edition whole bible verses deleted in the new world translation the following whole verses have been removed in the jehovahs witness biblewhether in the text or. So, when it comes to translating and interpreting bible verses that show the deity of jesus, the watchtower bible and tract society will go to great lengths to. John 1 new world translation of the holy scriptures the word became flesh.
What about that a god translation in the jehovahs witness bible. Originally the word was, and the word was with god, and the word was a god. For in the beginning was the word, even the son, who is made flesh, and sent unto us by the will of the father, john 1. Mantey who is quoted on pages 11581159 of the witnesses own kingdom interlinear translation. There are so many things to unpack here that i dont know where to start. A click on the greek will lead you to the corresponding article in abarim publicationss online biblical greek dictionary john 1.
The time frame covered is approximately 700 years with the oldest translation. In the beginning the word was, and the word was with god, and the word was a god. Their false assumption is that jesus is not god in flesh but michael the. John 1 niv bible in the beginning was the word, and the. It is a research tool for publications in various languages produced by jehovahs witnesses. The versions represent the work of scholars from a wide variety of religious groups. Dec 21, 2015 jehovahs witnesses regard the new world translation of the holy scriptures as an accurate, easytoread translation of the bible. Nida, head of translations department, american bible society.
We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. Jan 02, 2020 while new world translation defenders might succeed in showing that john 1. Answering questions on the new world translation and john 1. Is the new world translation accurate in its translation of. We have taken our research from one of the most recommended bible resources on the internet. However, given the context of hebrews 1 this translation is untenable.
Is the new world translation the only bible to phrase john 1. The new world translation 1950 a corrupt sectarian paraphrase. From a technical standpoint, though, it is preferable to see a qualitative aspect to anarthrous. John 1 nwt new world translation of the holy scriptures. This collection of quotes, found on many christian bulletin boards, primarily addresses the jehovah witnesses mistranslation of john 1. What many dont realize is that four of the five men on the translation committee producing the complete 1961 edition had no hebrew or greek training whatsoever. His complaint that the wt society dishonestly used his book to support their translation is incredible. Again, because the jehovahs witnesses deny god in flesh for the scriptures john 1. New world translation nwt jehovahs witnesses bible jw. Sep 15, 2018 as my readers know, i am fascinated by john 1.
The inconsistency in the new world translation cannot be based on the lack of. This evidencean early translation of the new testamentcomes from the same century as the earliest greek witness to the new testament. This is not a matter of correct translation, but of reading one s preconceived theology into the text, rather than allowing the text to speak for itself. Their own translation of the new testamentthe new world translationreads and the word jesus was a god in john 1.
What greek scholars think of the new world translation. The jehovah witnesses love to knock on your door and promote their new world translation nwt as the best bible available to read and study. Using the new world translation to refute the new world. The new world translation of the holy scriptures nwt is the name of the bible used worldwide by members of the jehovahs witness sect. This is how it is rendered in the nasb, niv, kjv, nkjv, asv, rsv, etc. Nwt, 20 the greek text states, en arch hn o logos kai o logos hn pros ton qeon kai qeos hn o logos na28 the new world translation of john 1. Bad translations of the jehovahs witness bible, the new. The new world translation has added the word a to the verse so that it says. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the. A maryland pastor discusses how jehovahs witnesses new world translation uses faulty translation policy to blur christs divinity in the third part of john 1. The watchtower society claims this work to have been made directly into english from hebrew, aramaic and greek. John 1 greek interlinear, parsed and per word translation. Nor can they explain the fact that that the nwt does not translate the same greek phrases elsewhere in the gospel of john the same way.
Jun 09, 2009 many of them are worldrenowned greek scholars whose works the jehovahs witnesses themselves have quoted in their publications, notably robertson, harner, and mantey, in defense of their a god translation of john 1. Read in study bible nwtsty read in new world translation nwt read in kingdom interlinear int read in king james version bi10 read in american standard version bi22. Apr 26, 2011 and again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all gods angels worship him heb. The trustworthiness of any bible translation depends upon the individual translators who worked on the translation. New world translation of the holy scriptures study edition the first of john 2. Their false assumption is that jesus is not god in flesh but michael the archangel who became a man. The contributors to the new american standard bible 1, the new international version2 and the new king james version 3. In the october 2011 journal of theological studies, brian j.
The correct translation of this verse is in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god. The time frame covered is approximately 700 years with the oldest translation coming from circa 0 a. That the jehovahs witnesses have mistranslated john 1. The new world translation of the holy scriptures oreklac sin mwet loh luhn jeova. Jan 26, 2017 no, it is not accurate in how it translates john 1. All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even oone thing came into existence. Beckthe holy bible in the language of today when erasmus translated his greek new testament, he appealed to the authority of the vatican codex to omit the spurious words from 1 john chapter 5, verses 7 and 8. Many such occurrences for qualitative nouns are identified in the coptic new testament, including 1 john 1. First of all, the bible teaches a strict monotheism. Conversations on the most disputed text in the new testament john 1. The equation underlying the witness rendering breaks down within a few verses.
Most truly i say to you, before abraham came into existence, i have been, new world translation. The nwt or new world translation is a very important piece of evidence to examine when considering the selfexalting unique claims of the watchtower society. Its undoubtedly true that he didnt intend anything in that book to support a nontrinitarian interpretation of john 1. Until 1950, an extra section dealing with a translation of john 1. This is one of the most common verses of contention between the jehovahs witnesses and christians. In their translation, the gospel of john begins in this way. In the new world translation the opening verse of the gospel according to john is mistranslated as follows. The new world translation of the holy scriptures is the bible translation used by the jehovahs witnesses. The most wellknown of all the new world translation perversions is john 1. Apr 07, 2019 1 in the beginning was the word, and the word was with god, and the word was a god. Even a monotheistic christian, who believes there is only one god and no others, would be forced to say in greek the god, as john and paul and the other writers of the new testament normally do.