Is the New World Translation accurate?

The Man Who Trusted the Bible That Was Placed in His Hand

He loved the Word of God from his youth, and when he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses he was given the «New World Translation» and told it was the most accurate of all translations, the one freest from the corruptions of the clergy. He read it for years in full trust, for he knew no Greek or Hebrew — how was he to judge? He trusted the Bible that had been placed in his hand. But one day he sat comparing certain verses in his translation with other translations, and he noticed that particular verses — precisely those that speak of the deity of Christ — differed in his copy in a consistent way, as though one hand had altered them all in a single direction. Then one evening he read God's plain warning against changing His Word: "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times... Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar" (Proverbs 30:5-6). And he asked himself: what if the Bible placed in my hand has been added to and taken from, to fit a teaching decided in advance?

The Bible's answer to the question of the «New World Translation» is a single sentence, and once it is grasped it frees anyone who trusted a Bible edited to fit a doctrine: no. The «New World Translation» is not a faithful, neutral translation, but one altered at its decisive points to agree with the organization's prior teaching, especially in denying the deity of Christ. And the proof does not lie in a special knowledge of the languages that the ordinary reader lacks; it lies in the translation contradicting itself, and in the fact that its alterations all run toward a single goal. The Word of God is kept pure as silver refined, and whoever adds to it or takes from it falls under its plain warning.

What Jehovah's Witnesses Say About Their Translation

Let the position be stated fairly. Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the «New World Translation» is the most accurate and purest translation, cleansed of corruptions that the clergy introduced into the traditional versions to support the Trinity. They hold that their renderings of verses such as John 1:1 («the Word was a god») correct an ancient error rather than create a new one. And they say that every translation is at heart an interpretation, so it is no surprise that theirs should differ from others, since each translator chooses according to his own understanding.

And we acknowledge that the reader who received this translation and trusted it did not intend any betrayal of the Word of God; he loved it and trusted those who gave it to him — a heart we respect and do not blame. We also grant that there is half a truth in the saying «every translation is interpretation,» for a faithful translation does at times require a choice among possible meanings. But there is an essential difference between an honest choice among meanings the text can bear, and a systematic editing whose changes all move in one direction to serve a predetermined doctrine. The problem is not that the translation interpreted, but that it altered the text itself wherever necessary to deny the deity of Christ — and this we will show from the translation's own witness against itself.

The Translation Condemns Itself by Its Inconsistency

The strongest proof, and one that needs no knowledge of the languages, is that the translation contradicts itself. Their rule at John 1:1, where they inserted the indefinite article and rendered it «the Word was a god» (that is, a lesser god), they claim is a grammatical rule requiring the indefinite in that construction. Yet they do not apply that same rule to identical constructions in the very same chapter and the very same Gospel, where they render the same construction «God,» with the definite sense, not «a god.» Were it truly a grammatical rule, they would apply it everywhere; instead they applied it only where it serves to deny the deity of Christ, and abandoned it where it does not. This selectivity itself reveals that the motive is not grammar, but a doctrine decided in advance.

This is a proof within the reach of every reader, though he knows not a letter of Greek: it is enough to see that one and the same rule was applied in one verse and ignored in another just like it, the only difference being that one touches the deity of Christ and the other does not. When all the exceptions run in one direction, it is no longer coincidence nor honest judgment, but a method. And the Bible warns against such tampering: "For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God" (2 Corinthians 2:17).

Inserting the Name «Jehovah» Cuts the Apostle's Chain

Among the clearest alterations is the insertion of the name «Jehovah» into the New Testament hundreds of times, where it does not stand in the text, in order to separate the Father from the Son. But this insertion sometimes cuts the chain of reasoning the apostle deliberately built. The prophet Joel said, "whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered" (Joel 2:32), and the apostle Paul quoted this very verse and applied it to the Lord Jesus Christ: "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13), after speaking in the two preceding verses of faith in the Lord Jesus. So the apostle Paul builds a deliberate chain: the «LORD» in Joel is Jehovah, and the calling on His name for salvation is applied to the Lord Jesus Christ — which makes Jesus to be Jehovah.

So when the translation inserts the name «Jehovah» into Romans 10:13 in place of «Lord,» it cuts the chain the apostle Paul built: it makes the verse read «whosoever calls on the name of Jehovah,» severing it from the Lord Jesus of whom the apostle Paul was speaking in the context, and hiding the fact that Peter and the apostle Paul were proclaiming Jesus as the Lord on whose name men call to be saved. The insertion does not preserve the text; it obscures the inspired reasoning of the apostle. And the reader needs no Greek to see this — only to read the context and ask: why was the chain cut precisely here?

Inserting the Word «Other» in Colossians

A third clear example: in Colossians 1:16-17, where the Bible declares that Christ is the Creator of all things, the translation inserted the word «other» four times, making it read «by him all other things were created,» although the word «other» is not in the original text. The purpose of this addition is plain: were the verse to stand as «by him all things were created,» Christ would be the Creator of everything, and therefore uncreated; but by inserting «other,» Christ Himself becomes a creature who created the rest of the other things. A single inserted word turns the meaning from the deity of Christ into His being a creature.

This too is a proof within every reader's reach: the inserted word is usually placed in brackets in editions that admit it is not in the text, yet the meaning is built upon it as though it were original. And the Bible plainly warns against adding to its words: "Add thou not unto his words" (Proverbs 30:6), and from the earliest warnings in the law: "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it" (Deuteronomy 4:2). So the insertion of «other» is an addition to the Word, made to serve a doctrine decided in advance.

«Every Translation Is Interpretation» — A Half-Truth That Does Not Justify Changing the Text

Here is the objection the trained Witness raises: «Every translation is an interpretation, so why do you blame ours alone?» There is half a truth in this: yes, every translation requires a choice, and faithful translations may differ in the wording of a verse or the choice of a word. But the decisive difference is direction. Faithful translations differ in scattered ways and in various directions, because they are honest judgments. The alterations of the «New World Translation» in the doctrinal verses, however, all run in one direction: the denial of the deity of Christ. And when all the changes move in a single direction that serves a predetermined doctrine, it is no longer faithful interpretation, but the bending of the text.

The test that exposes the difference is simple: does the change follow the text wherever it leads, or does it lead the text where the doctrine wishes? And the Bible declares that the Word of God is kept, and needs no one to «correct» it to fit his doctrine: "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times" (Psalm 12:6), and it promises to preserve them: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). So whoever adds or takes away does not correct the Word of God, but falls under the warning: "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues" (Revelation 22:18).

The Word of God Alone

The Word of God in Scripture is the sole and sufficient standard for testing every teaching. The Bereans "searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11) -- they did not accept teaching because an organization issued it but because it was found in Scripture. This standard protects the believer from every distortion. Complete salvation is freely available through faith alone in Jesus Christ -- it requires no institutional membership, no organization approval, no additional requirements. "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37). Come to the Lord Jesus Christ directly and freely now. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever and ever. Amen.

Scripture Is Complete and Sufficient

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17). What was inspired is present in the written Scripture. Every addition or alteration to the text is warned against in Revelation 22:18-19. The sincere person who reads the Bible with open eyes finds in it everything needed for salvation and life -- without institutional mediation. The complete and eternal salvation that Jesus Christ purchased is available now to every person who believes, through faith alone, without any additional requirement. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Amen. Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen.

The Nature of Jesus Christ in Scripture

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." (John 1:1, 14). "The Word was God" -- not "a god" or "a divine being" but God. Philippians 2:6 describes Jesus as "being in the form of God" -- the same form, the same nature. Colossians 2:9: "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" -- all the fullness, not part of it. Thomas declared to the risen Jesus: "My Lord and my God." (John 20:28). And Jesus accepted this worship rather than correcting it. This is the Jesus Christ of Scripture -- the eternal God who became flesh for human redemption. Come to Him directly. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Amen.

The Complete Atonement

"By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14). "Once" -- not repeated. "Perfected for ever" -- no incompleteness requiring supplementation. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross paid for the sins of every believer once and for all time. When Jesus said "It is finished" (John 19:30), the atonement was complete. No ongoing ritual, no organizational programme, no progressive works are needed to complete what God has already declared complete. The person who receives this finished work by personal faith receives full, certain, and eternal salvation immediately. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ now. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ, for ever and ever and ever. Amen.

Galatians 1:8 -- Every Teaching Tested by Scripture

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8). This apostolic warning covers every source -- even a heavenly messenger. Any teaching that contradicts the biblical gospel -- salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone -- falls under this warning regardless of its institutional source. The written Word of God is the faithful measure of every religious claim. The sincere person who comes to Scripture alone with honest questions will find the true gospel and the true Christ who saves completely and freely. Amen. Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen.

The Direct Invitation -- No Organizational Mediator

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28). "Unto me" -- directly to Jesus, not to an organization or institutional gateway. "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37). Every sincere person who reads the Bible honestly is invited to come directly to Jesus Christ for complete, free, and eternal salvation. No organizational membership is required. No institutional approval is needed. The door is open to every person who believes. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ now. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 43:10 -- No God Before or After

"Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." (Isaiah 43:10). The God of Scripture has no competitors, no predecessors, and no successors. This declares the absolute uniqueness of God in a way that cannot accommodate a secondary divine being or a created angelic figure elevated to near-deity. The Jesus Christ of Scripture is not a created being who attained a high divine status -- He is the eternal God who took human flesh. "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians 2:9). All the fullness -- not part of it. Come to the true Christ of Scripture. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Amen. Glory to God for ever. Amen.

Closing — Return to the Pure, Preserved Word

If you trusted a Bible placed in your hand without knowing it had been altered at its decisive points, the Lord is calling you to His pure, preserved Word. You do not need to know Greek to see the truth; you need only compare and ask: why do all the changes run in one direction? Why was the rule applied here and ignored there? Why was a word inserted that is not in the text? For the true Word of God proclaims the deity of Christ without bending. And this Christ, whom the translation tried to diminish, is the God who died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Return to the Word as God preserved it, not as it has been altered. Read it for yourself, compare, ask, and trust that the Holy Ghost will guide you in the pure Word. And receive the Christ it proclaims — God and Saviour — not the Christ who was reduced to fit a doctrine decided in advance.

A Special Prayer

If you have come to see that the Bible you trusted was altered to fit a doctrine that denies the deity of Christ, and that the true Word of God is kept pure, you may come to God now, resting on His truthful Word. What saves you is not the words of a prayer, but faith that the Lord Jesus Christ — the true God — died for you and rose again. So pray from your heart to the living God who hears:

"O great and holy and loving God, the one true God: I long trusted a Bible placed in my hand, and I see now that it was altered to diminish Thy Son. I confess that I am a sinner, and that I need a Saviour. I believe Thy pure, preserved Word, which proclaims that the Lord Jesus Christ is the true God, and that He died on the cross for my sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. I trust in Him alone as my God and my Saviour. Forgive me, receive me, grant me eternal life, and guide me by Thy Spirit in Thy truthful Word. I pray in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen."

After You Have Prayed

If you prayed this prayer from a sincere and believing heart, then you have returned to the pure, preserved Word of God, you have believed in Christ as He is truly proclaimed, and you have become a child of God forever. Here are steps to steady you:

First — read the Word of God every day. Know that the King James Version (KJV) is the truest and purest copy of the Word of God in all the world, His true and pure Word, and you will find it on this website (alinjil.com); and in Arabic, read the trustworthy Van Dyck translation. Begin with the Gospel of John, not in haste, but with meditation and prayer, for God speaks to you through His Word.

Second — compare and test, and ask of every verse that touches the deity of Christ: is the text as it was preserved, or altered in one direction?

Third — pray to God directly every day in words from your own heart, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fourth — seek a church that honours the preserved Word of God and believes in the deity of Christ, join the fellowship of believers, and be baptized in obedience to the Lord.

Fifth — bear witness to others with gentleness and love that the Word of God is kept pure, especially to those who trusted an altered Bible, as you were treated with patience.

And keep reading the Word of God in the King James Version, the truest and purest Word of God in the world, and in the Van Dyck in Arabic — both found on this website — that you may grow in the knowledge of the One who saved you by His truthful Word.

A Personal Word to You, Dear Reader

Thank you for taking the time to read this message about the faithfulness of the preserved Word of God, and the salvation He offers through the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have received Christ as your own personal God and Saviour, you have returned to the pure Word, and you have become a child of God forever. "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth" (Psalm 12:6).

We encourage you to begin reading the Gospel of John for yourself, to continue in the Word of God in the King James Version — the truest and purest Word of God in the world — and in the Van Dyck in Arabic, both found on this website (alinjil.com), and to share this good news with everyone who trusted an altered Bible. May God richly bless you as you return to His pure, preserved Word and come to know His Son, who is the true God.

The Holy Scriptures address this question with the full authority of the one who inspired them — the living God who knows the human heart and understands every objection before it is raised. What He has said on this subject is not the product of human opinion or denominational tradition; it is the preserved and authoritative Word of God, which He has declared will never pass away. The reader who examines this testimony honestly and without a predetermined commitment to reject it will find it both intellectually satisfying and personally transforming.

The cumulative weight of the biblical evidence on this question is not easily dismissed. It draws on multiple independent witnesses across centuries — the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels, and the Epistles all speak consistently to the same truth, each from its own vantage point and in its own manner, together forming a body of testimony whose coherence is itself one of the strongest arguments for its divine origin. The reader who reads these texts carefully will find not a collection of disconnected religious opinions but a unified revelation with a single coherent message.

The practical question that every reader must eventually face is not merely an academic one — it is personal and urgent. The truth about this subject has direct implications for how one lives, how one understands suffering and purpose, and how one faces the certainty of death. The Holy Scriptures do not present these truths as abstract theology detached from daily life; they present them as the most practical knowledge a human being can possess, because they concern the most important realities of human existence and the eternal destiny of every soul.

No honest engagement with this question can avoid its personal dimensions. God calls every person who reads these words not merely to intellectual acknowledgment but to personal response — specifically, to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as the one through whom all of the truths discussed in this article find their ultimate resolution. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is not peripheral to any of the questions the Christian faith addresses — it is central to every one of them. And the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is the historical event that validates every claim the Christian faith makes.

The invitation that the Holy Scriptures extend through this article is not to religious performance or institutional affiliation but to personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He who addressed every question honestly during His earthly ministry addresses them still through the Word He has preserved. And He who promised to give rest to all who come to Him keeps that promise to every generation. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). This is the personal invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ to you.

Those who have wrestled seriously with the questions raised in this article and have come to genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as a result testify consistently to two things: first, that the intellectual journey to faith was more honest and more rigorous than the comfortable alternatives they had previously entertained; and second, that the personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that followed transformed not only their understanding of these questions but their entire orientation toward life, death, and meaning. This is not the testimony of credulous people who have abandoned critical thinking — it is the testimony of people who followed the evidence to its honest conclusion.

The great gift that the Holy Scriptures offer to every reader who engages honestly with their content is not a set of easy answers to hard questions but a framework within which the deepest questions of human experience find their most complete and most satisfying resolution. The framework is God Himself — His character, His purposes, His acts in history, and above all the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every question addressed in this article, when examined within that framework, is seen not as a challenge to faith but as an invitation to a deeper understanding of the God who created the mind that asks the questions.

This article has sought to address its subject honestly and from the foundation of the Holy Scriptures, without evasion and without minimising the genuine difficulty of the questions involved. The reader who finds the biblical answers compelling is invited to pursue them further — in the Holy Scriptures themselves, in prayer addressed directly to God, and in genuine engagement with a community of believers who take both the questions and the answers seriously. The reader who remains uncertain is invited to continue the search with the same honesty with which it began. God honours the sincere seeker: "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

The Holy Scriptures address this question with the full authority of the one who inspired them — the living God who knows the human heart and understands every objection before it is raised. What He has said on this subject is not the product of human opinion or denominational tradition; it is the preserved and authoritative Word of God, which He has declared will never pass away. The reader who examines this testimony honestly and without a predetermined commitment to reject it will find it both intellectually satisfying and personally transforming.

The cumulative weight of the biblical evidence on this question is not easily dismissed. It draws on multiple independent witnesses across centuries — the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels, and the Epistles all speak consistently to the same truth, each from its own vantage point and in its own manner, together forming a body of testimony whose coherence is itself one of the strongest arguments for its divine origin. The reader who reads these texts carefully will find not a collection of disconnected religious opinions but a unified revelation with a single coherent message.

The practical question that every reader must eventually face is not merely an academic one — it is personal and urgent. The truth about this subject has direct implications for how one lives, how one understands suffering and purpose, and how one faces the certainty of death. The Holy Scriptures do not present these truths as abstract theology detached from daily life; they present them as the most practical knowledge a human being can possess, because they concern the most important realities of human existence and the eternal destiny of every soul.

No honest engagement with this question can avoid its personal dimensions. God calls every person who reads these words not merely to intellectual acknowledgment but to personal response — specifically, to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as the one through whom all of the truths discussed in this article find their ultimate resolution. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is not peripheral to any of the questions the Christian faith addresses — it is central to every one of them. And the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is the historical event that validates every claim the Christian faith makes.

The invitation that the Holy Scriptures extend through this article is not to religious performance or institutional affiliation but to personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He who addressed every question honestly during His earthly ministry addresses them still through the Word He has preserved. And He who promised to give rest to all who come to Him keeps that promise to every generation. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). This is the personal invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ to you.

Those who have wrestled seriously with the questions raised in this article and have come to genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as a result testify consistently to two things: first, that the intellectual journey to faith was more honest and more rigorous than the comfortable alternatives they had previously entertained; and second, that the personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that followed transformed not only their understanding of these questions but their entire orientation toward life, death, and meaning. This is not the testimony of credulous people who have abandoned critical thinking — it is the testimony of people who followed the evidence to its honest conclusion.

The great gift that the Holy Scriptures offer to every reader who engages honestly with their content is not a set of easy answers to hard questions but a framework within which the deepest questions of human experience find their most complete and most satisfying resolution. The framework is God Himself — His character, His purposes, His acts in history, and above all the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every question addressed in this article, when examined within that framework, is seen not as a challenge to faith but as an invitation to a deeper understanding of the God who created the mind that asks the questions.

This article has sought to address its subject honestly and from the foundation of the Holy Scriptures, without evasion and without minimising the genuine difficulty of the questions involved. The reader who finds the biblical answers compelling is invited to pursue them further — in the Holy Scriptures themselves, in prayer addressed directly to God, and in genuine engagement with a community of believers who take both the questions and the answers seriously. The reader who remains uncertain is invited to continue the search with the same honesty with which it began. God honours the sincere seeker: "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

The Holy Scriptures address this question with the full authority of the one who inspired them — the living God who knows the human heart and understands every objection before it is raised. What He has said on this subject is not the product of human opinion or denominational tradition; it is the preserved and authoritative Word of God, which He has declared will never pass away. The reader who examines this testimony honestly and without a predetermined commitment to reject it will find it both intellectually satisfying and personally transforming.

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