The New World Translation (NWT): A Distorted Witness

The New World Translation (NWT): A Distorted Witness

The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) is the official Bible produced by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for the Jehovah’s Witnesses. First published in its New Testament form in 1950, and in complete form by 1961, the NWT has undergone revisions in 1984 and 2013. Unlike reputable translations produced by broad committees of biblical scholars, the NWT was created anonymously by members of the Watchtower organization, most of whom lacked recognized training in biblical languages.

While Jehovah’s Witnesses present the NWT as an accurate rendering of the Hebrew and Greek texts, it is widely recognized in academic circles as a sectarian distortion. Its purpose is not to render the Scriptures faithfully but to reinforce Watchtower theology—particularly its denials of the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and the personhood of the Holy Spirit.

Historical Background

The Watchtower Society, founded in the late 19th century, originally relied on the King James Version and later the American Standard Version. However, both presented serious problems for their theology. Texts that explicitly affirmed Christ’s deity, the eternal nature of the Son, or the Holy Spirit’s personhood conflicted with Watchtower doctrine.

In 1946, the Watchtower formed a translation committee to produce their own Bible. By creating the NWT, the Society could align the text of Scripture with its teachings and control the biblical narrative for Jehovah’s Witness members. The resulting translation is unique to their movement, rejected by virtually all Christian denominations and scholars.

Translation Philosophy (or Lack Thereof)

The NWT claims to use a literal translation philosophy, but in practice it applies this inconsistently. Where the biblical text conflicts with Watchtower doctrine, the translators introduce alterations, expansions, or subtle rephrasings that preserve their theology.

For example:

• Greek terms like proskyneō (“worship”) are translated as “obeisance” when applied to Jesus but “worship” when applied to God.

• The divine name “Jehovah” is inserted into the New Testament nearly 250 times, despite no manuscript evidence for such usage.

The result is a text shaped not by fidelity to manuscripts but by doctrinal necessity.

Doctrinal Bias and Distortions

John 1:1

• NWT: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”

• Legitimate translation: “… and the Word was God.”

• The insertion of “a” God denies the eternal deity of Christ. No recognized Greek grammarian supports this rendering.

Colossians 1:16–17

• NWT inserts “[other]” four times: “by means of him all [other] things were created.”

• The word “other” is not in the Greek; it was added to make Christ a created being rather than the Creator.

Hebrews 1:6

• NWT: “Let all of God’s angels do obeisance to him.”

• The Greek proskyneō means “worship,” but the NWT avoids this to deny Christ’s right to divine worship.

Titus 2:13

• NWT: “… the glorious manifestation of the great God and of our Savior, Christ Jesus.”

• The proper translation is “… our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” The grammar clearly identifies Jesus as God, which the NWT suppresses.

These changes are not textual variants; they are doctrinal alterations.

Reception and Influence

The NWT has been distributed in the hundreds of millions worldwide, making it one of the most widely circulated Bible versions in history. Yet it has no standing in the scholarly world. Christian theologians, textual critics, and even secular linguists have criticized it for its distortions.

The translation is effective, however, in isolating Jehovah’s Witness members, since it subtly rewrites Scripture in line with Watchtower theology, preventing readers from encountering the true Christ as presented in the Bible.

Conclusion

The New World Translation is not a trustworthy Bible. It is a doctrinally driven work created to serve the theological agenda of the Watchtower Society. Its manipulations of key texts reveal its purpose: to obscure the deity of Christ, the Trinity, and the personhood of the Spirit.

For Christians, the NWT stands not as a valid translation but as a sectarian distortion, a warning of what happens when theology drives translation rather than allowing Scripture to speak for itself.