This web site is not an official one of the religion
known as Jehovah's Witnesses. To visit these click on these links:
Watchtower or Jehovah's
Witnesses Public Affairs Office , where
one will be able to acquaint themselves with the Bible based
beliefs and up to date information that relates to the world-wide
congregation of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
The following official sites will also be of great interest to
Jehovah's Witnesses and non-Jehovah's Witnesses alike:
Jehovah's Witnesses in the
Republic of Georgia
Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany
Jehovah's Witnesses in France
News releases, history, daily
summaries of Moscow civil case
BY WAY OF EXPLANATION:
Welcome. This web site has the intention of defending the Bible translation known as The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. A translation of the Bible that has been produced and distributed by the Jehovah's Witnesses since 1950, it being a scholarly and over-all literal translation of the Bible. This site is both owned and managed by those who are Jehovah's Witnesses themselves.
As the official literature of the Watchtower Bible &Tract Society has stated there is no need for individual Witnesses to have web sites that discuss the "beliefs and practices" of Jehovah's Witnesses. We would like to state that this web site does not discuss any unique "beliefs and practices" of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Criticisms of the New World Translation seem to abound on the World Wide Web as well as in religious bookstores. Indeed, the next paragraph informs us that the Bible translation of Martin Luther was also much condemned in his day. There exists one web site that lists scores of what it calls examples of "mistranslations" by the New World Translation. But note that Luther's Bible was treated similarly, "1400 heretical errors and lies" was what one writer exclaimed! (see 'Die Bibel in Deutschland'(The Bible in Germany), by Johannes Schildenberger and others, published by Katholisches Bibelwerk, GmbH, Stuttgart, 1965, p.260).
A recent issue of The Watchtower of October 15th, 1999, pp.28-31, has an article 'A Milestone For Lovers of God's Word'. The article begins: "In 1998 a significant milestone was reached for all lovers of God's Word. During that year, the 100 millionth copy of the "New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures" came of the press. It had thus become one of the most widely distributed Bibles in this century!" It goes on to say: "This feat is particularly remarkable considering that upon it's release, this translation was subjected to severe criticism. Yet, it has not only survived but thrived..." The above remarks ties nicely in with an older article in The Watchtower of March 1st, 1991 entitled 'The "New World Translation" Scholarly and Honest.' We can read therein on page 26, "Full of falsifications!" Back in the 16th century, that is what opposers said about Martin Luther's translation of the Bible. They believe they could prove that Luther's Bible contained "1,400 heretical errors and lies." Today, Luther's Bible is viewed as a landmark translation. The book Translating the Bible even calls it "a work of genius." On page 30 the article goes on to say, "Luther's Bible was criticised because it was produced by a man who exposed the shortcomings of the traditional religion of his day. His translation opened the way for ordinary people to see the truth of much of what he said. Similarly, the New World Translation is criticized because it is published by Jehovah's Witnesses, who outspokenly declare that many of Christendom's doctrines are not found in the Bible. The New World Translation, indeed any Bible, makes this evident." We recommend both articles.
While any translation of the Bible can and will have it's own 'faults', and this includes the New World Translation, (as one Bible translator said in his preface to his translation: "It has been truly said that any translation of a masterpiece must be a failure..." Edgar Goodspeed in his preface to the NT part of The Bible-An American Translation) most criticisms brought against it are usually unwarranted and unfairly biased.
This web site does not purport to
have been created by scholars of either Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek,
the original languages in which the Bible was written. But by
those who have taken an ardent interest in this area of
controversy. Much has been written against the New World
Translation that most people who have not researched the
matter themselves, and usually those who are not instructed in
the original languages, believe that the New World
Translation is not a "good", "trustworthy",
"reliable" translation and that it is been produced
solely to promote and support the beliefs and practices of the
Jehovah's Witnesses. They believe that this is so because they
have been told so again and again. But this is NOT the case.
Why has the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
been the object of so much contrary 'talk'? Is it because the
criticisms levelled against it are true? Or, has the NWT been, at
times, misrepresented by the majority of scholars and
laymen in this field because of the differences in each others 'theology'?
It is our belief that it has been, in the majority of cases, for
the latter reason.
Getting the truth about Jehovah
and his Son is of paramount importance. (John 4:24) All who have
an interest in this would no doubt agree. But such differences in
theological opinions have certainly promoted a questionable
predilection against the New World Translation.
Most criticisms of the New World Translation come from
those who believe that the Bible teaches that Jehovah is a
Trinity. That Jehovah, the God of the Bible, is three Persons in
One God. Although not directly apposite to a discussion
of the New World Translation it would be beneficial to
include on a site such as this a look into the doctrine of the
Trinity. If the Trinity doctrine is not supported by an
examination of the Holy Scriptures we are immediately met with
the legitimate deliberation that those who have criticised the New
World Translation from the perspective that that doctrine is
indeed from Scripture then the result will be to attenuate those
same criticisms which usually revolve around the biblical texts
that use terms such as " QEOS" (G/god) and "PROSKUNEO ('worship')"
etc., toward the Son.
Criticisms of the New World Translation should not be surprising. In Jesus' day, he and his followers were the object of criticism, ridicule and abuse. This was more often than not from religious leaders and men. Those who were 'looked up to' and respected as being learned men.(Jn.7:45-49) Likewise today Jehovah's Witnesses are sometimes the object of criticism, ridicule and abuse. Not least their New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. This does not mean that any scholar or interested person should not be able to take issue with the renderings as found in the New World Translation or any other translation. This clearly should not be the case. But it behoves those that do so to do so in a manner that is an effort to seek out the truth and in a way that is scholarly, honest and fair. Unfortunately this has hardly been the case in the past with regard to the New World Translation. One such writer, David Dewey, in his book "Which Bible? A Guide to English Translations" (Inter-Varsity Press, 2004)dismisses the New World Translation solely on Trinitarian grounds and suggests that it should not be on anyone's "Christmas list"! We strongly disagree. We would suggest not only putting it on a 'Christmas list' but not waiting for such a time to acquire this translation for your self or as a gift to your friends!
While it is true that the NWT is the one primarily used by the Witnesses, they have done and still do use any version of the Bible to teach others the truth of Jehovah God, his Son and his purpose toward mankind.
The 1960 edition |
|