• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Is the New World Translation Accurate?

Somerville

DP Veteran
Joined
Apr 29, 2012
Messages
17,873
Reaction score
8,364
Location
On an island. Not that one!
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Socialist

Is the New World Translation Accurate?​

Some people believe the NWT to be an accurate translation of the original Hebrew and Greek language, others have a different opinion.






​
 
Most people who believe in the trinity have a major problem with the NWT, which is why it's ranked as the 3rd worst translation...I'm ok with that...I know the truth...

The New World Translation

The NWT was originally published in the early 1950s by the Tract Society and Watch Tower Bible.

And guess what? The organization behind this project is the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

But what’s wrong with Jehovah’s Witnesses, you might say?

Well, they deny one of the central tenets of the Christian faith -the Holy Trinity i.e. the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit as one God.

However – if that’s not enough to put you off, there are plenty more nails in the coffin of the New World Translation.

Here are the main issues of this dubious translation:

  • Any notion or mention of the Holy Trinity that’s originally found in The Bible is carefully reworded and twisted
  • The person and deity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is misrepresented
  • 4 of the 5 men behind this “translation” had no knowledge of Greek or Hebrew, while the 5th one couldn’t pass a simple Hebrew test
Plenty of red flags already if you ask me (as if there weren’t enough already).

But there’s more.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have gone to great lengths to ensure that the NWT matches their doctrine by distorting the real meaning of certain profound verses from the Living Word of God.

Some great examples are Acts 20:28 and Colossians 1:17.

In the Acts example, we see that the NWT authors bent the part that says “which He hath purchased with His own blood” (as found in the KJV and NASB), while going for the more anti-Holy Trinity-friendly “which He purchased with the blood of His own Son”.

And in Colossians 1:17, the JW representatives try to falsely portray Jesus as a created being and not the Creator of all things.

The false New World Translation reminds me of 2 Peter 3:16:
https://faithfoundedonfact.com/worst-translations-of-the-bible/
 




Other translations of the passage for comparison: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Genesis 1:2
​
 
Here are some positive reviews, of course, as with anything, there are negatives, too...again regarding the false doctrines of the trinity, hellfire, and the immortal soul...

In 1981, biblical scholar Benjamin Kedar-Kopfstein stated that the Old Testament work is largely based upon the formal structure of biblical Hebrew.[91] In 1989, Kedar-Kopfstein said, "In my linguistic research in connection with the Hebrew Bible and translations, I often refer to the English edition of what is known as the 'New World Translation.' In so doing, I find my feeling repeatedly confirmed that this work reflects an honest endeavor to achieve an understanding of the text that is as accurate as possible. Giving evidence of a broad command of the original language, it renders the original words into a second language understandably without deviating unnecessarily from the specific structure of the Hebrew. ... Every statement of language allows for a certain latitude in interpreting or translating. So the linguistic solution in any given case may be open to debate. But I have never discovered in the 'New World Translation' any biased intent to read something into the text that it does not contain."[92] In 1993 Kedar-Kopfstein said that the NWT is one of his occasionally quoted reference works.[93]

In 2004, historian Jason BeDuhn examined New Testament passages that he believed "bias is most likely to interfere with translation"[112] from nine of "the Bibles most widely in use in the English-speaking world".[113][114] For each passage, he compared the Greek text with the renderings of each English translation, and looked for biased attempts to change the meaning. BeDuhn states that the New World Translation was "not bias free",[112] adding that whilst the general public and various biblical scholars might assume that the differences in the New World Translation are the result of religious bias, he considered it to be "the most accurate of the translations compared",[115] and a "remarkably good translation".[112] He also states that "most of the differences are due to the greater accuracy of the NW as a literal, conservative translation".[112] Despite his positive review, BeDuhn said the introduction of the name "Jehovah" into the New Testament 237 times was "not accurate translation by the most basic principle of accuracy",[116] and that it "violate accuracy in favor of denominationally preferred expressions for God".[117][114] In his rebuttal, Thomas Howe strongly criticizes BeDuhn's positive review of the New World Translation, stating that BeDuhn's main goal is to deny the deity of Christ.[118]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Translation_of_the_Holy_Scriptures
 
Then , of course
 
Elora said:
Most people who believe in the trinity have a major problem with the NWT, which is why it's ranked as the 3rd worst translation...I'm ok with that...I know the truth...
Click to expand...

@Somerville



Actually, it's because JW has major problems with the Trinity, that's why the NWT has been corrupted to suit its own man-made doctrine.

Let's take a look at translations of ACTS 20:



Acts 20 (NASB)
27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you [u]overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.



Acts 20 (KJV)

28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.



Both KJV and NASB versions say it was God who shed His blood for us.
However.............................JW cannot allow God to shed His own blood for us, because, that would prove the deity of Christ.




Acts 20 (NWT)
28 Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own Son.

 
Last edited:
@Elora
@Somerville


Here's another one: John 8:58

John 8 (NASB)
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”


John 8 (KJV)
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.




With "I am," Jesus refers back to Exodus 3.


Exodus 3
13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
15 God furthermore said to Moses, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’
This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me.




Of course, JW denies Jesus as being eternal, and denies His deity!
Therefore, they'd changed this line.




John 8 (NWT)
58 Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to you, before Abraham came into existence, I have been.”
 
@Elora
@Somerville

Here's another one: Romans 10: 9-13



Romans 10 (NASB)
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;
13 for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”



Romans 10 (KJV)
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.



Romans 10 (NWT)
9 For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation.
11 For the scripture says: “No one who rests his faith on him will be disappointed.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. There is the same Lord over all, who is rich toward* all those calling on him.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.”



Hahaha - OH, the SWEET IRONY!
By changing it to, "the name of Jehovah," JW had actually declared Jesus to be God!
Hahahahaha




But.....why did they have to do that?
There's got to be a reason why they'd changed that.



Ahhh......there it is.
Scroll down near the bottom.



Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind.
He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members. This spiritual nation is like a little flock of Jehovah’s sheeplike ones.—Romans 9:6; Revelation 7:4.


 
Last edited:
tosca1 said:
.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Click to expand...
5/1/2022---LM to "Lord"---I'm "calling upon your name."-----Voila! LM "shall be saved!" -----
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…