Is the New World Translation of the Bible Credible?

Scissorhands

Jehovah's Witnesses claim that the NEW WORLD TRANSLATION (NWT) is the "work of competent scholars." Conversely, they contend that other Bible translations are corrupted by religious traditions that are rooted in paganism. In reality, the NWT is the work of a Bible Translation Committee with no working knowledge of biblical languages. Their bias is so blatant that Dr. Bruce Metzger, professor of New Testament at Princeton, not only characterized the NWT as a "frightful mistranslation" but as "erroneous," "pernicious," and "reprehensible." First, the NWT mistranslates the Greek Scriptures in order to expunge the deity of Jesus Christ. Against all credible scholarship, Jesus is downgraded from God to "a" god in John 1 and demoted from the Creator of all things to a mere creature who created all OTHER things in Colossians 1. According to the translation committee of the Watchtower Society, Jesus was created by God as the archangel Michael, during his earthly sojourn was merely human, and after his crucifixion was recreated an immaterial spirit creature. Furthermore, the Translation Committee has sought to conform the NWT to their religious traditions by replacing the CROSS of Christ with a TORTURE STAKE. Matthew 10:38, for example, has been altered to read, "And whoever does not accept his TORTURE STAKE and follow after me is not worthy of me." In Watchtower lore, the cross is a pagan symbol adopted by an apostate Christianity when Satan took control of the early church. Jehovah's Witnesses view wearing a cross as a blatant act of idolatry. Conversely, Christians wear crosses as a reminder of what was at once the most brutal and beautiful act in redemptive history. Finally, the Watchtower Society claims that the Christian Scriptures have "been tampered with" in order to eliminate the name of Jehovah from the text. In reality, it is the Translation Committee of the NWT that can rightly be accused of tampering. In well over two hundred cases the name Jehovah has been gratuitously inserted into the New Testament text. In passages such as Romans 10:13 this is done to obscure the unique deity of Christ. In other passages, it is done under the pretext that referring to God as Lord rather than Jehovah is patently pagan. Ironically, in The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, Watchtower translators themselves fall into this "pagan" practice by translating the Greek word kurios as Lord even in cases where it specifically refers to the Father. For these and a host of other reasons, Greek scholars across the board denounce the NWT. Dr. Julius Mantey, author of A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, called the NWT a "shocking mistranslation," and Dr. William Barclay characterized the translators themselves as "intellectually dishonest." For further study, see David A. Reed, Answering Jehovah's Witnesses: Subject by Subject (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996). Revelation 22:18-19 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.

AudeSapere

Hi again (I posted on your other thread).

I think you've answered my question. This must be your first day here. I don't think you've looked at many other posts yet.

Anyway, Welcome!

-Aude Sapere (meaning: Dare to Know; Dare to Have Wisdom/Understanding)

blondie

Hi, again, I agree with Aude, I don't think you read many of the posts here. We aren't JWs, but mostly ex-JWs.

Blondie

Nathan Natas

Dickweed, you are a moron.

luna2

Hahahahahaha! Sorry to laugh, Ed, but really, you need to slow down and check out the lay of the land, as it were.

cyberguy

Scissorhands,

I too don’t believe the NWT is a very good translation either! However, the cross verses stake dissension isn’t an issue with me, because Jesus probably died on a cross-like structure, but the Greek text is inconclusive in this matter as far as I understand. So making an issue out of this is utter nonsense!

As regards the divine name, I agree with you in that it was inserted in the text, and there is no proof from any extent texts available now! You are correct in your argument.

Finally, what are you hoping to achieve in lambasting the NWT? It is an awful translation I agree, but why not present other translations that might help people understand what the Scriptures really teach? What is your agenda? You seem to be fixated in criticizing the NWT without offering any suggestions as to other translations which might prove more advantageous!