by JesusDeity 3 Replies latest watchtower bible
I notice that their are differences in the JW version of the bible. I am told that the bible was transcribed directly from the greek text.
My questions are:
1) Who translated the text?
2) What about the texts that were written in armeric, who translated those?
According to Ray Franz, a former member of the WT Governing Body, his uncle, Fred Franz was the main architect of the NWT Bible, a man who described himself as "largely self-taught" Evidently Fred Franz studied an Arts degree course at the University of Kentucky for 2 years [1912-1914] before he quit. During that time he did 2 years of Latin, but had no formal training in any of the Bible languages, Koine Greek, Hebrew, or Chaldee.
For these languages he taught himself, apparently unaware of the old adage, "The person who teachs himself has a fool for an instructor"
From other sources, it appears that at least 6 other men played a peripheral role: Nathan Homer Knorr, Hayden Covington, Milton Henschel, George Gangas, Grant Suiter, and Albert Schroeder, all of whom are now deceased.
The WTS, however has never officially released the name of the Translation Committee
Cheers
With regard to Aramaic: This was the spoken language of Jesus and his disciples, a language closely related to Hebrew. The New Testament manuscripts, however, were written in Greek. There may have been an Aramaic original of Matthew (now lost), and a few Aramaic words were sprinkled here and there. Most scholars regard a later Aramaic version (known as the Peshitta) to be a translation from Greek rather than the "original" Aramaic of Jesus, and there are some (outside the mainstream) who try to make the case for an original Aramaic NT. But, in brief, there is no Aramaic translation work involved in modern translation - either JW or otherwise.
Sometimes, if a saying of Jesus doesn't make sense in Greek, a scholar may attempt to determine what it would have meant in Aramaic - but there is no Aramaic original from which to work.
Now I'm sure someone would like to contradict me.
When I first left the JWs, I went out and bought the New International Version of the bible. I noticed differences also. I got out the Societies own publication (which I still have) called the Greek Interlinear translation of scripture. This book shows you the actual greek translated into english and it proved that the New International Version was correct and the NWT changed almost 200 verses in the NT alone. I felt like someone punched me in the stomache. Remember how we were told at the doors by householders at our bible changed verses and we would give them the stock answer of the WT? Which was that the NWT's only changes were to add Jehovah's name, and that it was easier to understand? LIES!
Keep reading another version because the NWT was only written to back up the Watchtowers false teachings.
