S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is an organization directed by the leaders of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The Watchtower Society was founded in 1886 and is currently located in Brooklyn, New Yo...

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July 01 2013 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Albert DeBenedictis Retired computer programmer

I agree with S. Michael Houdmann stated regarding the Jehovah Witnesses’ The New World Translation of the Bible. I have done extensive research and compared the NWT with their own Greek Interlinear Translation, based on the Westcott-Hort manuscript.

Below are some examples of what I found:

John 3:14-18
14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone believing [Strong’s Greek #4100 pisteuo – believe, have faith in] in him [the Son of man] may have everlasting [Strong’s Greek #166 aiónios- eternal, unending] life [Strong’s Greek #2222 zoen – life, physical and spiritual]. 16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten [Strong’s Greek #3439 – monogene – only, only-begotten, unique] [See * note below] Son, so that everyone exercising faith [Strong’s Greek #4100 pisteuo - believe, have faith in] [See ** note below] in him [the only-begotten son, Jesus] might not be destroyed [Strong’s Greek #622 apollumi] but have everlasting [Strong’s Greek #166 aiónios- eternal, unending] life [Strong’s Greek #2222 zoen – life]. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world for him to judge the world, but for the world to be saved through him. 18 Whoever exercises faith [Strong’s Greek #4100 pisteuo – believe, have faith in] in him is not to be judged. Whoever does not exercise faith [Strong’s Greek #4100 pisteuo – believe, have faith in] has been judged already, because he has not exercised faith [Strong’s Greek #4100 pisteuo - believe, have faith in] in the name of the only-begotten [Strong’s Greek #3439 monogenous – only, only-begotten, unique] [see * note below] Son of God.
(John 3:14-18 New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures 2013 Revision)

* See section “What is the Definition of “Only-Begotten”?” for discussion of the term “only-begotten.”
** Why did the New World Translation Committee translate the Greek word “pisteuo” (or its equivalent) as “believing” in John 3:14 but translated the Greek word “pisteuo” (or its equivalent) as “exercise faith” in John 3:16 and in the 2013 Revision they translated the Greek word “pisteuo” (or its equivalent) as “exercise faith” in John 3:18 (3 places)?

Romans 10:9-10
9 For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus [Strong’s Greek #2424 Iesous] is Lord [Strong’s Greek #2962 kurios], and exercise faith [Strong’s Greek #4100 – pisteuo - believe, have faith in] in your heart that God [Strong’s Greek #2316 theos] raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one exercises faith [Strong’s Greek #4100 pisteuo – believe, have faith in] for righteousness [Strong’s Greek #1343 – dikaiosynen – justice, justness, righteousness], but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation [Strong’s Greek #4991 soterian – deliverance, salvation].
(Romans 10:9-10 New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures 2013 Revision)

Notice in the passage above, the NWT translated the Greek word pisteuo as “exercise faith” rather than “faith” or “believe.” To exercise faith means to perform some type of act, such as doing good works, however, the Greek word refers to what one holds to be true, what one believes or what one puts their faith in.

I could give many other examples, however, I am running out of space here.

Also, compare the following passages, John 1:1-4, John 14:10, John 10:34-38, Romans 8:1-2, 1 Corinthians 1:1-3, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 1:3-7, Ephesians 2:6-10, Philippians 2:5-11, Philippians 3:8-9, Colossians 1:13-20, etc. In the NWT with the Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures and you will see that the translators of the NWT deliberately mistranslated to conform to the JW views.

The vast majority of mistranslations I found are related to theological views, such as whether Jesus is God or how one obtains eternal life.

August 10 2023 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report