Is the New World Translation faithful to the original text?

Translation or Distortion?

In 1950 the Watch Tower Society published its own Bible — the New World Translation (NWT). The problem is not that they produced a translation; the problem is that the NWT adds words not found in the Greek and Hebrew originals, removes words doctrinally inconvenient to Watch Tower teaching, and mistranslates key texts in ways that serve pre-existing organisational theology. Greek scholars across the academic spectrum — including non-Christian scholars with no theological stake in the outcome — have documented serious errors and deliberate distortions in the NWT at every theologically critical point.

John 1:1 — The Largest Distortion

Every major Bible translation in every major language renders John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The NWT alone renders it: "...and the Word was a god" — inserting the indefinite article "a" without any Greek manuscript support. The Greek construction at John 1:1c (anarthrous predicate nominative preceding its subject) does not indicate indefiniteness; it emphasises the nature or quality of the subject. Colwell's Rule, a well-established principle of Greek grammar, demonstrates that a definite predicate nominative preceding its verb regularly lacks the article — meaning the absence of the definite article here does not make the noun indefinite. Every Greek scholar who has examined this text — including those writing before the Watch Tower translation existed — translates "the Word was God."

Colossians 1:15-17 — Adding "Other" Four Times

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him." (Colossians 1:16). The NWT inserts the word "other" four times — making it "all other things" — without any Greek manuscript support whatsoever. The word "other" (ἄλλος or ἕτερος) does not appear in this passage in any Greek manuscript. This deliberate insertion changes Christ from the Creator of all things to a creature who created everything else. It is one of the most blatant examples of theological manipulation masquerading as translation in the history of Bible publishing.

Acts 20:28 — Removing "Blood of God"

The Greek text of Acts 20:28 reads: "feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood" — literally, "the blood of God" (τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου). The NWT changes this to "the blood of his own Son" — an interpretive paraphrase rather than a translation. The purpose is clear: to avoid the statement that God's own blood was shed in the crucifixion, which would affirm the deity of Christ. Textual scholars confirm that the original Greek reads "the blood of God" — a direct statement of the incarnate deity of Jesus Christ.

Luke 23:43 — Moving the Comma

"Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43). Greek manuscripts contain no punctuation — the placement of any comma is a translator's decision. Every major translation places the pause after "thee" — making "today" modify "shalt thou be with me in paradise." The NWT alone places the pause after "today" — making it read "I am telling you today, You will be with me in Paradise" — removing the implication of immediate conscious presence with Christ after death. This placement has no manuscript support and contradicts the natural Greek reading.

John 8:58 — Changing the Tense

"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." (John 8:58). The Greek reads ἐγώ εἰμί — present tense, "I am" — deliberately echoing the divine name in Exodus 3:14. The NWT renders it "I have been in existence" — changing the present tense to a past perfect to avoid the divine name implication. The Jewish audience's immediate response (picking up stones to stone Jesus for blasphemy) confirms they heard exactly what the plain Greek says: a claim to divine existence. The NWT's tense change requires the audience to have misunderstood what was said — which is historically implausible.

Hebrews 1:8 — "Your Throne, O God"

"But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever." (Hebrews 1:8). Even the NWT translates this correctly in most editions — rendering the Father's address to the Son as "God." When the Father Himself addresses the Son as "God" in the vocative case, no amount of organisational reinterpretation can undo it. This is Scripture's own most direct statement of the Son's divinity, spoken by the Father — and it remains in the NWT despite all the other changes made to protect Watch Tower theology.

Revelation 3:14 — "Beginning" or "Source"?

The NWT renders Revelation 3:14's ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως as "the beginning of the creation by God" — implying Christ was the first created being. But ἀρχή (archē) in Greek carries the meaning of "source," "origin," or "ruler" as commonly as "beginning." The same word is used in John 1:1 "in the beginning" — where even the NWT renders it "in the beginning" without the implication that the Word was created at that beginning. Reading ἀρχή as "the firstborn of creation" contradicts Colossians 1:15-17 (where Christ creates everything) and the broader context of Revelation where Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last.

The Anonymous Committee

The Watch Tower Society has refused to identify the members of the NWT translation committee — even after their deaths. This is unprecedented in the history of major Bible translations. Every other significant translation — the King James Version (1611), the American Standard Version, the Van Dyck Arabic translation (1865) — was produced by named scholars whose qualifications can be examined. The deliberate anonymity of the NWT committee prevents independent evaluation of the translators' Greek and Hebrew competence. When an organisation producing a Bible translation refuses to name its translators, it is hiding something significant about the translation's scholarly credibility.

Independent Scholar Testimony

The NWT has been evaluated by scholars outside the Watch Tower organisation, and the assessments are consistently negative on its key theological texts. Dr. Bruce Metzger of Princeton University Theological Seminary described the NWT's rendering of John 1:1 as "a frightful mistranslation." Professor Julius Mantey, co-author of the standard Greek grammar textbook A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, wrote that the NWT's rendering of John 1:1 "is a shocking mistranslation." Dr. William Barclay stated: "The deliberate distortion of truth by this translation is neither more nor less than a new method of distortion." These assessments come from scholars with no personal stake in defending any particular church or denomination — they reflect the unanimous verdict of independent Greek scholarship.

The Van Dyck Arabic Translation — A Faithful Standard

The Van Dyck Arabic translation of 1865 provides a useful point of comparison. Produced by Eli Smith and Cornelius Van Dyck with a team of Arabic scholars using rigorous philological methodology, it renders John 1:1 faithfully: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" — without the distortion of "a god." It renders Colossians 1:15-17 without inserting "other." It renders Acts 20:28 with the Greek's "God." The Van Dyck translation followed the text; the NWT follows the theology of its unnamed committee.

A Direct Challenge

If you are a Jehovah's Witness, take any Bible other than the NWT — the King James Version, the New American Standard, the English Standard Version, any Arabic translation other than the NWT-based one — and read John 1:1, Colossians 1:15-17, Acts 20:28, Titus 2:13, Romans 9:5, and 2 Peter 1:1. Then compare these texts with the NWT renderings. Ask yourself: at every point where these texts might affirm the full deity of Christ, does the NWT consistently differ from every other major translation? And is there any explanation for that consistent pattern of difference other than prior theological commitment determining the translation? The evidence answers these questions clearly.

Closing — The Bible God Breathed Is Available to You

The Scripture that God breathed out — available in faithful translations in every major language — declares the full deity of Jesus Christ, the bodily resurrection, the personal nature of the Holy Spirit, and the salvation that is freely given by grace through personal faith. None of this requires a special organisational translation to read correctly. Open any faithful translation. Read it honestly. And when you meet the Lord Jesus Christ as Scripture reveals Him — God manifest in the flesh, the one Saviour and Lord — come to Him in personal faith. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31).

John 19:17 — Cross or "Torture Stake"?

The NWT consistently renders σταυρός (stauros) as "torture stake" rather than "cross" — implying Jesus was nailed to a single upright pole with His arms above His head. Archaeological evidence from the first century, however, confirms that Roman crucifixion employed a cross-shaped implement. More significantly, the NWT's own rendering of John 20:25 quotes Thomas referring to "the print of the nails" (plural) in His hands — nails in both hands is only consistent with arms outstretched on a crossbeam, not with hands together above the head on a single stake. The NWT's torture stake rendering contradicts its own rendering of John 20:25.

Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 — "Our Great God and Saviour"

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13). The NWT separates "the great God" from "our Saviour Jesus Christ" by inserting a break. But Granville Sharp's Rule of Greek grammar — well-established in biblical scholarship since the early nineteenth century — demonstrates that when two nouns of the same category are joined by "and" (καί) with the definite article on the first but not the second, they refer to the same person. "The great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" refers to one person: Jesus Christ is "the great God and our Saviour." The NWT's translation obscures this by inserting punctuation that creates the impression of two separate referents.

Romans 9:5 — "God Blessed Forever" Applied to Christ

"Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 9:5). The NWT renders this with a punctuation change that separates the doxology "God blessed for ever" from Christ — reading it as a separate blessing to the Father. But most Greek textual scholars affirm that the natural reading of the Greek connects "God blessed for ever" directly to Christ — making this one of Paul's direct affirmations of Christ's deity. The NWT's punctuation choice at this point is another example of theological motivation overriding textual evidence.

The Pattern of Consistent Bias

The most telling evidence of the NWT's theological bias is not any single translation decision but the pattern across the entire New Testament: every text that might affirm the full deity of Christ is consistently rendered in a way that weakens or removes that implication. John 1:1 — weakened. Colossians 1:15-17 — weakened by insertion. Acts 20:28 — changed. Hebrews 1:8 — retained correctly. Titus 2:13 — punctuated to separate. Romans 9:5 — punctuated to separate. John 8:58 — tense changed. Luke 23:43 — comma moved. This consistent unidirectional pattern — always in the direction of Watch Tower theology — cannot be explained by innocent translation differences. It is a systematic theological programme executed through the mechanism of a controlled Bible translation.

What a Faithful Translation Does

A faithful translation transfers the meaning of the original text into the target language as accurately as possible — without adding, removing, or adjusting to fit a pre-existing theological position. The King James Bible (1611) was produced by 47 named scholars working in six committees, with each committee's work checked by the others. The Van Dyck Arabic translation (1865) was produced by named scholars using rigorous philological methods. Every step of these processes was transparent and subject to independent verification. The NWT was produced by an anonymous committee working under the direction of an organisation with a defined theological position — and the result reflects that organisational direction rather than the original text.

The Bible You Hold Contains the Truth

Even within the NWT, the core gospel message survives: Jesus Christ died for sins, was buried, and rose again. The call to believe is preserved. The promise of eternal life to those who believe is there. God's love for the world is declared. The specific distortions target the theological identity of Christ — but the gospel call remains. And the faithful translations that render the full identity of Christ with accuracy are available to anyone who seeks them. Open a faithful translation. Read the texts that the NWT has changed. And come to the Lord Jesus Christ as He truly is — God manifest in the flesh, the only and all-sufficient Saviour — in personal, direct, unmediated faith. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31).

Acts 17:11 — Be a Berean

"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17:11). The Berean standard is: search the Scriptures daily to verify what teachers claim. Apply this standard to the NWT. Every translation decision discussed in this article can be verified by anyone with access to a Greek interlinear Bible or even a basic Greek dictionary. You do not need to be a scholar to see that "all things" in Colossians 1:16 is rendered without "other" in every Greek text. You do not need advanced training to compare the NWT's "a god" with every other translation's "God" at John 1:1. Be a Berean. Search the Scriptures in faithful translations. And follow the truth wherever it leads.

Freedom from Translation Dependency

One of the most significant forms of control an organisation can exercise over its members is control of the text they read as Scripture. When the only "Bible" available to members is a translation produced by that organisation, designed to support that organisation's theology, the member is reading the organisation's theology presented as God's word. The freedom of the gospel — "the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32) — includes freedom to read Scripture in faithful translations that have not been pre-filtered by organisational theological commitments. Come to Christ through the Word as God breathed it — and find the freedom and salvation that only He can give. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). The Word of God — transmitted faithfully through the manuscript tradition and translated honestly — is the most powerful document in human history. It has transformed billions of lives. It reveals God as He is. And it calls every person to Christ in direct personal faith. Trust that Word in its faithful form. Trust Christ as that Word reveals Him. And be saved — now and for ever.

## Let us Pray:

"Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Word who was God from the beginning — God manifest in the flesh. I come to You now, trusting in Your death for my sins, Your burial, and Your resurrection. I receive You as my personal Lord and Saviour — not on the basis of any organisation's translation, but on the basis of Your own eternal Word. Save me, keep me, and bring me to the eternal life that only You can give. Amen."

«Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ, for ever and ever and ever. Amen.»

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