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Ankerberg and Weldon Online Criticisms of the NWT
Taken from:
Fall Bible School--2003
From the Ankerberg Theological Research Institute
The New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses
By Dr. John Ankerberg and Dr. John Weldon
[My Responses are in purple - RDB]
1. Matthew 25:46 ("Punishment" is translated "cutting off" to support their theology of annihilation of the wicked (or conditional immortality).)
These first 4 "mistranslations" are a restatement of Mantey's Criticism of the NWT. See 'Kolasis' in the original 'NWT' study.
2. John 8:58 ("I Am" is translated as "I have been" in order to circumvent Christ's deity.) - See "I AM" study.
3. Hebrews 9:27 (This verse has the insertion of "for all time" to justify their belief in conditional immortality.) - See "Hebrews 9:27 - 'Once for all time' " in the original 'NWT' study.
4. Luke 23:43 (This verse inserts a comma after "today," to support their belief in soul sleep.) - See "Luke 23:43 - Punctuation" in 'NWT' study.
5. Matthew 27:50/Luke 23:46 (The term "spirit" is translated as "breath" and/or "spirit" in order to support conditional immortality.) This is a repetition of Dr. Walter Martin's false, unscholarly diatribes] - See "Pneuma - 'Spirit,' 'Wind,' 'Breath' " in the 'NWT' study.
6. Acts 20:28 (The phrase "with his own blood" is translated as "the blood of his own (Son)," to circumvent Christ's deity.) - See Acts 20:28 study: (http://jwsandscripture.yuku.com/topic/64.)
Here is a brief overview:
Trinitarians, for obvious reasons, prefer this translation of Acts 20:28 - "... to shepherd ["feed" in some translations] the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." - NASB. This certainly seems to be excellent evidence for a "Jesus is God" doctrine.
But there are 2 major uncertainties about the proper translation of Acts 20:28. Either one of those uncertainties completely nullifies any trinitarian "evidence" proposed for this scripture!
First, even some trinitarian Bibles translate this verse, "the church of the Lord." - NEB; REB; ASV; Moffatt. Since Jesus was often referred to as "the Lord," this rendering negates any "Jesus is God" understanding for Acts 20:28.
Yes, even the popular trinitarian The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, p. 838, Vol. 2, Zondervan Publ., 1986, uses this translation for Acts 20:28 also: "to feed the church of the Lord"!
And the respected, scholarly trinitarian work, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, p. 480, United Bible Societies, 1971, explains about this first uncertainty concerning the translation of Acts 20:28. Although, for obvious reasons, preferring the rendering "the church of God" at this verse, this trinitarian work admits that there is "considerable degree of doubt" about this "preferred" rendering. They admit that "The external evidence is singularly balanced between 'church of God' and 'church of the Lord.'"
Second, even some trinitarian Bibles render this verse, "to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son." - RSV, 1971 ed.; NRSV; NJB; (also see TEV and GNB).
The New Testament Greek words tou idiou follow "with the blood" in this scripture. This could be translated as "with the blood of his own." A singular noun may be understood to follow "his own." This would be referring to God's "closest relation," his only-begotten Son.
7. Hebrews 1:8 ("Thy throne O God" is translated "God is your throne" in order to circumvent Christ's deity.) See 'Heb' study. Here's another brief overview:
Oxford professor and famous trinitarian Bible translator, Dr. James Moffatt, has been described as "probably the greatest biblical scholar of our day." His respected Bible translation renders Heb. 1:8 as:
"God is thy throne for ever and ever."
University of Cambridge professor and noted New Testament language scholar, Dr. C. F. D. Moule writes that Heb. 1:8 may be "construed so as to mean Thy throne is God" - p. 32, An Idiom Book of New Testament Greek, Cambridge University Press, 1990 printing.
An American Translation (Smith-Goodspeed), renders it: "God is your throne...."
And The Bible in Living English (Byington) reads: "God is your throne...."
Famed trinitarian (Southern Baptist) New Testament Greek scholar Dr. A. T. Robertson acknowledges that either "Thy throne, O God" or "God is thy throne" may be proper renderings: "Either makes good sense." - p. 339.
The American Standard Version (ASV), the Revised Standard Version (RSV), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), and The New English Bible (NEB) have provided alternate readings to the traditional trinitarian rendering of the KJV at Hebrews 1:8. These alternate readings (found in footnotes) agree with Dr. Moffatt's, Dr. Barclay's, Smith-Goodspeed's, Byington's, and the New World Translation's renderings of this scripture ("God is your throne").
Even Young's Concise Bible Commentary (written by the famous trinitarian author of Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible) admits: "[Heb. 1:8] may be justly rendered 'God is thy throne ...' in either case it is applicable to the mediatorial throne only."
A. Translations of Heb. 1:8 by trinitarians:
"God is your throne" - AT (Dr. Goodspeed)
"God is thy throne" - Mo (Dr. Moffatt)
"God is your throne" - Byington
"God is your throne" - Dr. Barclay
"God is thy throne" - Dr. Westcott
"God is thy throne" - A.T. Robertson (Alternate translation)
"God is thy throne" - Dr. Young (Alt.)
"God is thy throne" - RSV (Alt.)
"God is your throne" - NRSV (Alt.)
"God is thy throne" - NEB (Alt.)
"Thy throne is God" - ASV (Alt.)
B. Translations of Ps. 45:6 (quoted at Heb. 1:8) by trinitarians:
"Your Divine throne" - RSV
"Your throne is like God's throne" - NEB
"God is your throne" - Byington
"The kingdom that God has given you" - GNB
"God has enthroned you" - REB
"Your throne is from God" - NJB
"Your throne is a throne of God" - NRSV (Alt.)
"Thy throne is the throne of God" - ASV (Alt.)
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There is much more in the HEB study which shows that either "God is your throne" or "Your throne is God" is the correct rendering of this trinitarian "proof." But this is enough to show the ignorance (or dishonesty) of those who claim that the NWT has deliberately and terribly mistranslated this verse!
8. Colossians 1:15-20 (This verse inserts the word "other" in parenthesis in order to deny the eternal existence of Christ.)
See "'Other' at Col. 1:16" in the 'NWT' study (another Walter Martin criticism)
9. Colossians 2:9 (In this verse "deity" is translated as "divine quality" in order to circumvent Christ's deity.)
Col. 2:9 - "For in him [Jesus] the whole fulness [Gr. pleroma] of deity [theotes] dwells[1] bodily" - RSV.
The word theotes appears only this once in the entire New Testament [NT] (and never in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament [OT]). It has been rendered in various trinitarian translations as follows: "Godhead" - KJV, ASV, NEB, REB, MLB; "deity" - RSV, NASB, NRSV, NIV, NAB, CBW, Mo, By; "divinity" - JB, NJB. It should be remembered also that "Godhead" as found in the older English Bibles (such as KJV) had a different meaning than it has come to have in modern English. "In older English ['Godhead'] was a synonym for divinity"[2] - p. 221, Vol. 2, A Dictionary of the Bible, Hastings, 1988 printing; and p. 362, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Liddell and Scott, Oxford University Press, 1994 printing.
Theotes simply does not literally mean "godhead," and the use of "godhead" by the KJV translators was not intended as some would understand it today.[3] Actually, the heavenly Father, alone, is the closest thing to a literal "Godhead" to be found anywhere in the inspired Scriptures - see 1 Cor. 11:3.
Col. 2:9 is also rendered by trinitarian scholars with these translations of theotes: "The full content of divine nature" - TEV and GNB (also see Barclay); "God's whole being" - Beck (NT); "God's nature" - AT; "Yet it is in [Christ] that God gives a full and complete expression of himself (within the physical limits that he set himself in Christ)." - Phillips; "In him resides all the fulfillment of the divine" - Lattimore.
The NWT renders it: "all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily."
* * * * *
The trinitarian argument that Col. 2:9 proves that Jesus is God overlooks the common understanding of "fulness of ..." and "filled with ..." by those who used those common phrases in New Testament times. For example, the person who became "filled with Holy Spirit" (Eph. 5:18) was greatly influenced by that spirit, but he certainly did not become the Holy Spirit.
And having "the fulness" of someone or something could similarly mean being greatly influenced by that person or thing. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology says:
"Just as a person can be full of pain, joy, love, and virtue, he can also be said to be filled with God ..., i.e. possessed and inspired by God." - Vol. 1, p. 734[4]
Surely we wouldn't expect anyone who is "filled with" God or who receives the "fulness of" God to actually be God! Nor would we expect anyone who has the "fulness of" Christ to actually be Christ! In fact it clearly shows that he is NOT the person with whom he is "filled"!
So, when we read Eph. 1:22,23 - "the church, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all" - we do not think that all real Christians are actually Christ. The New Oxford Annotated Bible (1977) tells us in a footnote for this scripture:
"the Church, as the fulness of Christ, is the complement of his mystic [figurative] person; he is the head, the Church is his body."
Popular trinitarian NT Greek scholar, W. E. Vine, explains:
"Fill, Fill Up": "... (a) of the members of the Church, the Body of Christ, as filled by Him", Eph. 1:23 ('all things in all the members'); ... in 3:19, of their being filled ... 'with' all the fulness of God; of their being 'made full' in Him, Col. 2:10." - p. 426, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.
Yes, at Eph. 3:19 we actually see Paul expressing the thought "that you [Ephesian Christians] may be filled with all the fulness of God" - RSV. And at Eph. 4:13 we find - "until we all attain ... to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" - RSV.
Even the trinitarian reference work, the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, commenting about the word "fullness" at Col. 2:9 ("In his [Jesus'] body lives the fullness of divinity" - JB), tells us:
"this fullness which is described in Col. 1:15-18 is entirely related to Christ's cross (v. 20), death (v. 22), and resurrection (v. 18). For this reason believers also have this fullness in him (2:10)." - Vol. 1, p. 740, Zondervan, 1986. - See AT, CBW, NAB (especially 1991 ed.).
"Outside the NT the word occurs in Ignatius in a sense which is clearly influenced by the NT, and apparently in the meaning of the Divine fulness, as going forth and blessing and residing ["dwelling"] in the Church [the congregation]" - p. 1, Vol. 4, A Dictionary of the Bible, James Hastings, ed., Hendrickson Publ., 1988.
For exactly the same reasons that we don't allow such figurative language to persuade us that all true Christians actually are (or may become) God or Christ, we should not let it persuade us that Christ is actually God!
The Bible tells us how essential to eternal life it is to know God and Jesus (John 17:3 and 2 Thess. 1:8, 9). Therefore, if one "knows" Jesus as God and "knows" God as three (or two) persons and such "knowledge" turns out to be false, then he is certainly not on the road to eternal life!
And as we saw above, if Christians can be "filled with" God and receive the "fulness of" God, we know by this very wording that they are not God! And we know that those Christians who had the "fulness of" Christ could not actually be Christ! The very wording itself shows that someone else is "filling" (or influencing) the person who is being "filled" (influenced). In fact it clearly shows that he CANNOT be the person (or thing) with whom he is "filled"!
Therefore, those Christians who are "filled with" or have the "fulness" of God are not God! Those Christians who are "filled with" or have the "fulness" of Christ are not Christ! Those men and women who are "filled with" or have the "fulness" of the Holy Spirit are not the Holy Spirit!! And even if we interpret Col. 2:9 as meaning that Christ has the fullness of "Godhood" in him, it still cannot mean Christ is God!!
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NOTES for Col. 2:9 above
1. What about things and persons "dwelling" in us? Does this mean we are those things or persons? Of course not! Compare "dwell" at Ro. 7:20 (sin 'dwells' in people); 8:9,11 (holy spirit 'dwells' in us); 1 Cor. 3:16 (holy spirit "dwelling" in Christians); Eph. 3:17 (Christ "dwells" in our hearts); 2 Tim. 1:5 (faith "dwelt" in her); 2 Pet. 3:13 (righteousness "dwells"). Actually, the word "dwell" shows we cannot be those things or persons who "dwell" in us!
It is similar to the term "image of ...." If someone is the image of something or someone else, then he cannot be that person or thing. For example, men being the image of God (Gen. 1:26; 1 Cor. 11:7; 2 Cor. 3:18) proves, in itself, that none of them actually is God! No one and no thing actually are their own images! Therefore, when scripture tells us that the resurrected, heaven-dwelling Jesus Christ is "the image of God," it is certain that he is not God! - 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15. [Also "reflection" or "refulgence" in Heb. 1:3, RSV, NRSV, NJB, AT, MLB, GNB, CBW, NAB ('70), NAB ('91).]
2. "Divinity" is a word with various meanings and levels of meanings: "divinity ... 1. a being divine 2. a god 3. theology - the Divinity: God." - Webster's New World Dictionary, 1973.
3. "Godhead" has various meanings in modern English besides that of "the nature of God esp. when regarded as triune". In Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary (Unabridged) the #1 definition is "1 the quality or state of being divine" - 1962 ed. And the derivation of the word 'godhead' shows that it originally meant 'godhood' not 'godhead': "fr[om] god + -hed, -hede - hood (akin to ME -hod, -had - hood)" - Webster's 3rd New Int.
"divine" ... 1a: of or relating to God: proceeding from God ... b: of or relating to a god: having the nature of a god .... 2a: devoted or addressed to God: religious, holy, sacred .... 3a: Supremely good or admirable ... b: having a sublime or inspired character" - Webst. 3rd New Int.
4. Even in modern English idiom we say things like: "He is full of the Devil." But we don't intend by that to say that he literally is the Devil (or even somehow equal to the Devil in the fullest sense). We merely mean that he may, in some degree, show certain 'devil-like' or 'devil-influenced' qualities! (Cf. John 6:70 and Mark 8:33 footnotes in the NIVSB.)
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10. Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1 (Cf., Eph. 5:5, 2 Thess. 1:12; "our great God and Savior" is translated as "the great God and the Savior" in order to deny Christ's deity.)
See 'SHARP' or 'SHARP PRIMER' studies. Sharp's Rule is shown to be grammatically false. Furthermore many trinitarian translators and scholars show that they do not use it. For a very small sample of the SHARP study:
In vol. 5, p. 257 the respected The Expositor's Greek Testament says: "In the present case [Jude 1:4], however, the second noun ('kupiov') belongs to the class of words which may stand without the article .... A similar doubtful case is found in Tit. ii. 13.... Other examples of the same kind are Eph. v. 5 ... 2 Thess. i. 12 ... 1 Tim. v. 21 (cf. 2 Tim. iv. 1) ... 2 Peter i. 1."
For example, examine the following trinitarian Bible's renderings of these "Sharp's Constructions":
2 Thess. 1:12 - KJV; KJIIV; NASB; NAB (1970); MLB; LB; GNB; RSV; NRSV; NIV.
Eph. 5:5 - KJV; KJIIV; RSV; NRSV; LB; MLB; NIV; NEB; REB; GNB; TEV; NAB ('70,'91).
2 Tim. 4:1 - most trinitarian Bibles.
1 Tim. 6:13 - all trinitarian Bibles.
These many respected Bibles, translated by trinitarian New Testament scholars, clearly disregard Sharp's "Rule" at these (and other) places and show two different persons being spoken of: God and Jesus!
11. John 1:1 ("God" as "a god" in order to deny Christ's deity.)
See DEF; QUAL; PRIMER; LOGOS; HARNER; BOWGOD; and/or MARTIN studies.
12. Philippians 1:23 (The word "depart" is translated as "releasing" to support a belief in soul sleep.)
This is another of Martin's foolish claims borrowed by A and W which was thoroughly refuted in "Analuo ('Releasing') - Phil. 1:21-23" in the 'NWT' study.
Again, if Ankerberg and Weldon were actually even beginning NT scholars, they would have known just how ludicrous this 'criticism' by Martin really is. Or, if they actually do have a modicum of knowledge of NT Greek, then they are being incredibly dishonest!
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In addition to the above examples, we [A and W] may note that Professor Gruss observes a number of other errors in translation. In Matthew 24:6,14; 1 Peter 4:7; 2 Corinthians 11:15; Revelation 19:20 and elsewhere words are added that are not in the Greek. And despite the claim to not engage in paraphrasing, the New World Translation repeatedly paraphrases when Scripture refers to believers being "in Christ." All believers everywhere can be in Christ only if Jesus is God. But in the NWT the term "in Christ" (Greek en) is often mistranslated, e.g., as "in union with" (Christ) or something similar. The Witnesses then interpret this to mean a union of purpose rather than an "organic" spiritual union.
NWT - "YOU are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that YOU are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet."
NASB- "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end."
RSV - "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet."
ISV - "You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed. These things must take place, but the end hasn't come yet."
NRSV - "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet."
NKJV - "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."
"These things" or its equivalent is not found in the NT text, but is understood from context by most translators (as seen above).
Matt 24:14
NWT - "And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth [oikoumene] for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come."
NASB - "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."
RSV - "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come."
ISV - "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."
NRSV - And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come."
NKJV - "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."
Oikoumene means, according to Thayer, "1. the inhabited earth" - p.441 (#3625).
And W.E. Vine agrees: "OIKOUMENE, the present participle, Passive Voice, of oikeo, to dwell, inhabit, denotes the inhabited earth." - p. 343, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson, Inc,. 1983.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia says of oikoumene that it is used for "the'habitable earth'." - Volume 2, p.887, Eerdmans, 1984 printing.
The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament defines oikoumene as "Inhabited earth, world, mankind." - Vol. 2, p.503, Eerdmans, 1991.
The Expositor's Greek Testament explains oikounene as "the whole habitable world." - p. 470, Vol. 1.
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament explains oikoumene in Romans 10:18 as: "The inhabited earth as in Luke 2:1." - p. 390, Vol. 4.
An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell and Scott defines oikoumene as "the inhabited world." - p. 546, Oxford University Press, 1994 printing.
So, the so-called 'added word' here ('inhabited') is actually not added at all but an inherent part of the NT Greek word used, and the ignorance (or questionable honesty) of those crying "mistranslation!", "dishonest translation!" is loud and clear.
NWT - "But the end of all things has drawn close. Be sound in mind, therefore, and be vigilant with a view to prayers."
NASB - "The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer."
RSV - "The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers."
ISV - "The end of everything is near. So be sensible and clear-headed for the sake of your prayers."
NRSV - "The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers."
NKJV - "But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers."
Panton is the word for "of all," but as the above Bibles show "all things" is understood here.
The literal 'be ye sober unto prayers' is interpreted in various ways by NT scholars and translators. The NKJV, for example, has "be ... watchful in your prayers." NASB has "be ... of sober spirit for the purpose of prayer." These two Bibles alone show that the NWT's: "Be sound in mind, therefore, and be vigilant [watchful] with a view to prayers" is not any less accurate.
NWT - It is therefore nothing great if his ministers also keep transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness. But their end shall be according to their works.
NKJV - Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
NASB - Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
RSV - So it is not strange if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
KJV - Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Rotherham - No great thing, therefore, if, his ministers also, are transfiguring themselves as ministers of righteousness!--whose end, shall be according to their works.
The only addition by the NWT that I see is "keep." Since present tense indicative verbs in NT Greek are frequently iterative, the use of "keep" or "keep on" when translating those verbs indicates that it is understood as iterative (or 'continuous' or 'progressive'). We can see, for example, that the translators of the following Bibles have (correctly) rendered the present tense into English to show its iterative quality:
Holman NT -Matthew 7:7 "Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
ISV NT - Matthew 7:7 "Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened for you.
C. B. Williams - Matthew 7:7 "Keep on asking, and the gift will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and the door will open to you."
See 'iterative present' - Wallace (Matt. 7:7 example); Dana and Mantey ('it is sometimes called the present of repeated action.'); et. al.
and, on-line see:
Iterative Present
The present tense may be used to describe an event that repeatedly happens.
Matt 7:7 Ask ... seek ... knock. - http://www.bcbsr.com/greek/gtense.html
Revelation 19:20 (the only possible 'addition' I see here is the two uses of "wild beast" in the NWT for the NT Greek word therion.)
NWT - "And the wild beast [therion] was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who render worship to its image. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulphur."
Rotherham - "And the wild-beast [therion], was taken, and, with him, the false prophet who wrought the signs before him, whereby he deceived them who received the mark of the wild-beast and them who were doing homage unto his image,--alive, were they two cast into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone."
Weymouth - "who had done the miracles in his presence with which he had led astray those who had received the mark of the Wild Beast, and those who worshipped his statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the Lake of fire that was all ablaze with sulphur."
Lamsa - "And the wild beast was taken and with him the false prophet who wrought miracles before him with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the wild beast, and those who worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."
For more on this subject see "wild beast [therion]" vs. RSV's "beast" in the original NWT study.
"In Philippians 3:11 the Greek exanastasis (resurrection) is erroneously translated 'earlier resurrection.' "
Rotherham - Philippians 3:11 "If by any means I may advance to the earlier resurrection, which is from among the dead:"
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"In this connexion [the first resurrection] Paul once uses the expression exanastasis (Phil. 3:11) .... It is debated whether the compound word [exanastasis] simply means anastasis, as is normally the case, or whether Paul is alluding to the earlier transformation and the church's being lifted up to be with Christ (1 Thess. 4:17; Rev. 20:4{and :5})." - The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, vol.3, pp. 277, 278, Zondervan Publ., 1986.
"Besides the general resurrection as it is depicted in Rev. 20:11-15, Matt. 25:31-46, ... the NT also speaks of a preceding 'first' resurrection of the righteous.... (p. 277)
This is the only place this word is used in the NT (or the OT Septuagint). It literally means "out of resurrection," but various commentators have concurred that it is used here in a sense similar to that of the NWT. The NWT uses 'earlier resurrection' to indicate that it is the first resurrection (that of anointed Christians - see Rev. 20:4-6). And, of course, there is also to be a second resurrection of others.
Young's Concise Critical Bible Commentary
(for Phil. 3:11):
"a spiritual resurrection is here meant ... as the apostle could not possibly doubt whether he should partake in the general [second] up-rising." - Baker Book House, 1977.
The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible (for Phil. 3:11):
".... not the general resurrection of the just and unjust, which he believed; for he knew that everyone must, and will attain to this ... even Pharaoh, Judas, and the worst of men; but the special and particular resurrection of the righteous, the better resurrection, which will be first"
The Jameison-Faussett-Brown Commentary (for Phil.3:11):
"attain unto the resurrection of the dead --The oldest manuscripts read, "the resurrection from (out of) the dead," namely, the first resurrection; that of believers at Christ's coming (1 Corinthians 15:23, 1 Thessalonians 4:15, Revelation 20:5,6)."
Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament (for Phil.3:11):
"Apparently Paul is thinking here only of the resurrection of believers out from the dead .... Paul is not denying a [second] general resurrection by this language, but emphasizing that of believers."
It is clear from other scriptures that those in Christ will rise first (the first resurrection - the earlier one) and that others will be in the second resurrection. It is also clear that Paul is referring to the first ('earlier') resurrection in this scripture. Therefore, this word is intended by Paul to be referring to the first resurrection. What this word literally means is debated by scholars. But it would seem that, although it actually refers to the 'earlier' resurrection, it might be better to have 'earlier' in brackets. Nevertheless, the NWT (and Rotherham's translation) is correct in its intended meaning by Paul.
Ankerberg (and company) simply cannot be considered a Bible scholar or even an honest person! This is such an ignorant, shameful criticism that no more needs to be said about it.
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"And, in John 13:18, 17:12, 19:24 and 19:36 the exact same Greek words
[ina e graphe plerothe - Lit., 'that the scripture might/may- be fulfilled'] are translated four different ways [in the NWT].
....
Our only conclusion is that the WBTS can hardly be concerned with accurately translating the New Testament in light of such examples."
But here they are in the NWT:
"it is in order that the scripture might be fulfilled" - Jn 13:18
"in order that the scripture might be fulfilled." - Jn 17:12
"This was that the scripture might be fulfilled:" - Jn 19:24
"in order for the scripture to be fulfilled:" - Jn 19:36
"it is that the scripture may be fulfilled," - RSV.
"But the Scripture must be fulfilled:" - ISV.
" But it is to fulfill the scripture," - NRSV.
"but that the Scripture may be fulfilled," - NKJV.
"that the scripture might be fulfilled." - RSV.
"so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. - ISV.
"so that the scripture might be fulfilled." - NRSV.
"that the Scripture might be fulfilled." - NKJV.
"This was to fulfil the scripture," - RSV.
"This was to fulfill the Scripture that says," - ISV.
"This was to fulfill what the scripture says," - NRSV.
"that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:" - NKJV.
"that the scripture might be fulfilled," - RSV.
"so that the Scripture might be fulfilled:" - ISV.
"so that the scripture might be fulfilled," - NRSV.
"that the Scripture should be fulfilled," - NKJV.
"Our only conclusion is that the WBTS can hardly be concerned with accurately translating the New Testament in light of such examples."
But an actual examination of these 'mistranslations' shows the "only conclusion is" that there is a complete lack of scholarly knowledge by A and W (and the honesty to seek it).
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The following was found elsewhere online:
All we need do is refer to Word Pictures in the New Testament by noted (and highly trinitarian) NT scholar A. T. Robertson: "32. Shall confess me (homologesei en emoi). An Aramaic idiom, not Hebrew, see also Luke 12:8. So also here, 'him will I also confess' (homologeso kago en autoi). Literally this Aramaic idiom reproduced in the Greek means 'confess in me,' indicating a sense of unity with Christ and of Christ with the man who takes the open stand for him."
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Ralph P. Martin tells us that the phrase 'in [en] Christ Jesus' is regularly used by Paul to mean " 'in union with Christ', which is often tantamount to 'in the fellowship of his people'." - p. 99, Philippians.
And at Col. 1:27 where we see "Christ in you," we find it translated as "Christ among you" in JB, NJB, Mo, NEB (footnote), and ASV (footnote). A similar meaning here is the meaning of "union" for en. It would mean Christ is "in union with you." This also would mean "on the same side," "supported by," etc. This is similar to the translation of Phil. 1:1 where Christians are "in" Christ. It may properly be translated "all God's people in union with Christ Jesus" as in AT, CBW, GNB, TEV.
Other translations of Phil. 1:1 -
(CEV) Philippians 1:1 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To all of God's people who belong to Christ Jesus at Philippi and to all of your church officials and officers.
(GodsWord) Philippians 1:1 "From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To God's people in the city of Philippi and their bishops and deacons- to everyone who is united with Christ Jesus."
(ISV NT) Philippians 1:1 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the holy ones in Philippi who are united with Christ Jesus, with their overseers and deacons.
- RDB
Taken from:
Fall Bible School--2003
From the Ankerberg Theological Research Institute
The New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses
By Dr. John Ankerberg and Dr. John Weldon
[My Responses are in purple - RDB]
1. Matthew 25:46 ("Punishment" is translated "cutting off" to support their theology of annihilation of the wicked (or conditional immortality).)
These first 4 "mistranslations" are a restatement of Mantey's Criticism of the NWT. See 'Kolasis' in the original 'NWT' study.
2. John 8:58 ("I Am" is translated as "I have been" in order to circumvent Christ's deity.) - See "I AM" study.
3. Hebrews 9:27 (This verse has the insertion of "for all time" to justify their belief in conditional immortality.) - See "Hebrews 9:27 - 'Once for all time' " in the original 'NWT' study.
4. Luke 23:43 (This verse inserts a comma after "today," to support their belief in soul sleep.) - See "Luke 23:43 - Punctuation" in 'NWT' study.
5. Matthew 27:50/Luke 23:46 (The term "spirit" is translated as "breath" and/or "spirit" in order to support conditional immortality.) This is a repetition of Dr. Walter Martin's false, unscholarly diatribes] - See "Pneuma - 'Spirit,' 'Wind,' 'Breath' " in the 'NWT' study.
6. Acts 20:28 (The phrase "with his own blood" is translated as "the blood of his own (Son)," to circumvent Christ's deity.) - See Acts 20:28 study: (http://jwsandscripture.yuku.com/topic/64.)
Here is a brief overview:
Trinitarians, for obvious reasons, prefer this translation of Acts 20:28 - "... to shepherd ["feed" in some translations] the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." - NASB. This certainly seems to be excellent evidence for a "Jesus is God" doctrine.
But there are 2 major uncertainties about the proper translation of Acts 20:28. Either one of those uncertainties completely nullifies any trinitarian "evidence" proposed for this scripture!
First, even some trinitarian Bibles translate this verse, "the church of the Lord." - NEB; REB; ASV; Moffatt. Since Jesus was often referred to as "the Lord," this rendering negates any "Jesus is God" understanding for Acts 20:28.
Yes, even the popular trinitarian The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, p. 838, Vol. 2, Zondervan Publ., 1986, uses this translation for Acts 20:28 also: "to feed the church of the Lord"!
And the respected, scholarly trinitarian work, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, p. 480, United Bible Societies, 1971, explains about this first uncertainty concerning the translation of Acts 20:28. Although, for obvious reasons, preferring the rendering "the church of God" at this verse, this trinitarian work admits that there is "considerable degree of doubt" about this "preferred" rendering. They admit that "The external evidence is singularly balanced between 'church of God' and 'church of the Lord.'"
Second, even some trinitarian Bibles render this verse, "to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son." - RSV, 1971 ed.; NRSV; NJB; (also see TEV and GNB).
The New Testament Greek words tou idiou follow "with the blood" in this scripture. This could be translated as "with the blood of his own." A singular noun may be understood to follow "his own." This would be referring to God's "closest relation," his only-begotten Son.
7. Hebrews 1:8 ("Thy throne O God" is translated "God is your throne" in order to circumvent Christ's deity.) See 'Heb' study. Here's another brief overview:
Oxford professor and famous trinitarian Bible translator, Dr. James Moffatt, has been described as "probably the greatest biblical scholar of our day." His respected Bible translation renders Heb. 1:8 as:
"God is thy throne for ever and ever."
University of Cambridge professor and noted New Testament language scholar, Dr. C. F. D. Moule writes that Heb. 1:8 may be "construed so as to mean Thy throne is God" - p. 32, An Idiom Book of New Testament Greek, Cambridge University Press, 1990 printing.
An American Translation (Smith-Goodspeed), renders it: "God is your throne...."
And The Bible in Living English (Byington) reads: "God is your throne...."
Famed trinitarian (Southern Baptist) New Testament Greek scholar Dr. A. T. Robertson acknowledges that either "Thy throne, O God" or "God is thy throne" may be proper renderings: "Either makes good sense." - p. 339.
The American Standard Version (ASV), the Revised Standard Version (RSV), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), and The New English Bible (NEB) have provided alternate readings to the traditional trinitarian rendering of the KJV at Hebrews 1:8. These alternate readings (found in footnotes) agree with Dr. Moffatt's, Dr. Barclay's, Smith-Goodspeed's, Byington's, and the New World Translation's renderings of this scripture ("God is your throne").
Even Young's Concise Bible Commentary (written by the famous trinitarian author of Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible) admits: "[Heb. 1:8] may be justly rendered 'God is thy throne ...' in either case it is applicable to the mediatorial throne only."
A. Translations of Heb. 1:8 by trinitarians:
"God is your throne" - AT (Dr. Goodspeed)
"God is thy throne" - Mo (Dr. Moffatt)
"God is your throne" - Byington
"God is your throne" - Dr. Barclay
"God is thy throne" - Dr. Westcott
"God is thy throne" - A.T. Robertson (Alternate translation)
"God is thy throne" - Dr. Young (Alt.)
"God is thy throne" - RSV (Alt.)
"God is your throne" - NRSV (Alt.)
"God is thy throne" - NEB (Alt.)
"Thy throne is God" - ASV (Alt.)
B. Translations of Ps. 45:6 (quoted at Heb. 1:8) by trinitarians:
"Your Divine throne" - RSV
"Your throne is like God's throne" - NEB
"God is your throne" - Byington
"The kingdom that God has given you" - GNB
"God has enthroned you" - REB
"Your throne is from God" - NJB
"Your throne is a throne of God" - NRSV (Alt.)
"Thy throne is the throne of God" - ASV (Alt.)
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There is much more in the HEB study which shows that either "God is your throne" or "Your throne is God" is the correct rendering of this trinitarian "proof." But this is enough to show the ignorance (or dishonesty) of those who claim that the NWT has deliberately and terribly mistranslated this verse!
8. Colossians 1:15-20 (This verse inserts the word "other" in parenthesis in order to deny the eternal existence of Christ.)
See "'Other' at Col. 1:16" in the 'NWT' study (another Walter Martin criticism)
9. Colossians 2:9 (In this verse "deity" is translated as "divine quality" in order to circumvent Christ's deity.)
Col. 2:9 - "For in him [Jesus] the whole fulness [Gr. pleroma] of deity [theotes] dwells[1] bodily" - RSV.
The word theotes appears only this once in the entire New Testament [NT] (and never in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament [OT]). It has been rendered in various trinitarian translations as follows: "Godhead" - KJV, ASV, NEB, REB, MLB; "deity" - RSV, NASB, NRSV, NIV, NAB, CBW, Mo, By; "divinity" - JB, NJB. It should be remembered also that "Godhead" as found in the older English Bibles (such as KJV) had a different meaning than it has come to have in modern English. "In older English ['Godhead'] was a synonym for divinity"[2] - p. 221, Vol. 2, A Dictionary of the Bible, Hastings, 1988 printing; and p. 362, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Liddell and Scott, Oxford University Press, 1994 printing.
Theotes simply does not literally mean "godhead," and the use of "godhead" by the KJV translators was not intended as some would understand it today.[3] Actually, the heavenly Father, alone, is the closest thing to a literal "Godhead" to be found anywhere in the inspired Scriptures - see 1 Cor. 11:3.
Col. 2:9 is also rendered by trinitarian scholars with these translations of theotes: "The full content of divine nature" - TEV and GNB (also see Barclay); "God's whole being" - Beck (NT); "God's nature" - AT; "Yet it is in [Christ] that God gives a full and complete expression of himself (within the physical limits that he set himself in Christ)." - Phillips; "In him resides all the fulfillment of the divine" - Lattimore.
The NWT renders it: "all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily."
* * * * *
The trinitarian argument that Col. 2:9 proves that Jesus is God overlooks the common understanding of "fulness of ..." and "filled with ..." by those who used those common phrases in New Testament times. For example, the person who became "filled with Holy Spirit" (Eph. 5:18) was greatly influenced by that spirit, but he certainly did not become the Holy Spirit.
And having "the fulness" of someone or something could similarly mean being greatly influenced by that person or thing. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology says:
"Just as a person can be full of pain, joy, love, and virtue, he can also be said to be filled with God ..., i.e. possessed and inspired by God." - Vol. 1, p. 734[4]
Surely we wouldn't expect anyone who is "filled with" God or who receives the "fulness of" God to actually be God! Nor would we expect anyone who has the "fulness of" Christ to actually be Christ! In fact it clearly shows that he is NOT the person with whom he is "filled"!
So, when we read Eph. 1:22,23 - "the church, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all" - we do not think that all real Christians are actually Christ. The New Oxford Annotated Bible (1977) tells us in a footnote for this scripture:
"the Church, as the fulness of Christ, is the complement of his mystic [figurative] person; he is the head, the Church is his body."
Popular trinitarian NT Greek scholar, W. E. Vine, explains:
"Fill, Fill Up": "... (a) of the members of the Church, the Body of Christ, as filled by Him", Eph. 1:23 ('all things in all the members'); ... in 3:19, of their being filled ... 'with' all the fulness of God; of their being 'made full' in Him, Col. 2:10." - p. 426, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.
Yes, at Eph. 3:19 we actually see Paul expressing the thought "that you [Ephesian Christians] may be filled with all the fulness of God" - RSV. And at Eph. 4:13 we find - "until we all attain ... to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" - RSV.
Even the trinitarian reference work, the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, commenting about the word "fullness" at Col. 2:9 ("In his [Jesus'] body lives the fullness of divinity" - JB), tells us:
"this fullness which is described in Col. 1:15-18 is entirely related to Christ's cross (v. 20), death (v. 22), and resurrection (v. 18). For this reason believers also have this fullness in him (2:10)." - Vol. 1, p. 740, Zondervan, 1986. - See AT, CBW, NAB (especially 1991 ed.).
"Outside the NT the word occurs in Ignatius in a sense which is clearly influenced by the NT, and apparently in the meaning of the Divine fulness, as going forth and blessing and residing ["dwelling"] in the Church [the congregation]" - p. 1, Vol. 4, A Dictionary of the Bible, James Hastings, ed., Hendrickson Publ., 1988.
For exactly the same reasons that we don't allow such figurative language to persuade us that all true Christians actually are (or may become) God or Christ, we should not let it persuade us that Christ is actually God!
The Bible tells us how essential to eternal life it is to know God and Jesus (John 17:3 and 2 Thess. 1:8, 9). Therefore, if one "knows" Jesus as God and "knows" God as three (or two) persons and such "knowledge" turns out to be false, then he is certainly not on the road to eternal life!
And as we saw above, if Christians can be "filled with" God and receive the "fulness of" God, we know by this very wording that they are not God! And we know that those Christians who had the "fulness of" Christ could not actually be Christ! The very wording itself shows that someone else is "filling" (or influencing) the person who is being "filled" (influenced). In fact it clearly shows that he CANNOT be the person (or thing) with whom he is "filled"!
Therefore, those Christians who are "filled with" or have the "fulness" of God are not God! Those Christians who are "filled with" or have the "fulness" of Christ are not Christ! Those men and women who are "filled with" or have the "fulness" of the Holy Spirit are not the Holy Spirit!! And even if we interpret Col. 2:9 as meaning that Christ has the fullness of "Godhood" in him, it still cannot mean Christ is God!!
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NOTES for Col. 2:9 above
1. What about things and persons "dwelling" in us? Does this mean we are those things or persons? Of course not! Compare "dwell" at Ro. 7:20 (sin 'dwells' in people); 8:9,11 (holy spirit 'dwells' in us); 1 Cor. 3:16 (holy spirit "dwelling" in Christians); Eph. 3:17 (Christ "dwells" in our hearts); 2 Tim. 1:5 (faith "dwelt" in her); 2 Pet. 3:13 (righteousness "dwells"). Actually, the word "dwell" shows we cannot be those things or persons who "dwell" in us!
It is similar to the term "image of ...." If someone is the image of something or someone else, then he cannot be that person or thing. For example, men being the image of God (Gen. 1:26; 1 Cor. 11:7; 2 Cor. 3:18) proves, in itself, that none of them actually is God! No one and no thing actually are their own images! Therefore, when scripture tells us that the resurrected, heaven-dwelling Jesus Christ is "the image of God," it is certain that he is not God! - 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15. [Also "reflection" or "refulgence" in Heb. 1:3, RSV, NRSV, NJB, AT, MLB, GNB, CBW, NAB ('70), NAB ('91).]
2. "Divinity" is a word with various meanings and levels of meanings: "divinity ... 1. a being divine 2. a god 3. theology - the Divinity: God." - Webster's New World Dictionary, 1973.
3. "Godhead" has various meanings in modern English besides that of "the nature of God esp. when regarded as triune". In Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary (Unabridged) the #1 definition is "1 the quality or state of being divine" - 1962 ed. And the derivation of the word 'godhead' shows that it originally meant 'godhood' not 'godhead': "fr[om] god + -hed, -hede - hood (akin to ME -hod, -had - hood)" - Webster's 3rd New Int.
"divine" ... 1a: of or relating to God: proceeding from God ... b: of or relating to a god: having the nature of a god .... 2a: devoted or addressed to God: religious, holy, sacred .... 3a: Supremely good or admirable ... b: having a sublime or inspired character" - Webst. 3rd New Int.
4. Even in modern English idiom we say things like: "He is full of the Devil." But we don't intend by that to say that he literally is the Devil (or even somehow equal to the Devil in the fullest sense). We merely mean that he may, in some degree, show certain 'devil-like' or 'devil-influenced' qualities! (Cf. John 6:70 and Mark 8:33 footnotes in the NIVSB.)
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10. Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1 (Cf., Eph. 5:5, 2 Thess. 1:12; "our great God and Savior" is translated as "the great God and the Savior" in order to deny Christ's deity.)
See 'SHARP' or 'SHARP PRIMER' studies. Sharp's Rule is shown to be grammatically false. Furthermore many trinitarian translators and scholars show that they do not use it. For a very small sample of the SHARP study:
In vol. 5, p. 257 the respected The Expositor's Greek Testament says: "In the present case [Jude 1:4], however, the second noun ('kupiov') belongs to the class of words which may stand without the article .... A similar doubtful case is found in Tit. ii. 13.... Other examples of the same kind are Eph. v. 5 ... 2 Thess. i. 12 ... 1 Tim. v. 21 (cf. 2 Tim. iv. 1) ... 2 Peter i. 1."
For example, examine the following trinitarian Bible's renderings of these "Sharp's Constructions":
2 Thess. 1:12 - KJV; KJIIV; NASB; NAB (1970); MLB; LB; GNB; RSV; NRSV; NIV.
Eph. 5:5 - KJV; KJIIV; RSV; NRSV; LB; MLB; NIV; NEB; REB; GNB; TEV; NAB ('70,'91).
2 Tim. 4:1 - most trinitarian Bibles.
1 Tim. 6:13 - all trinitarian Bibles.
These many respected Bibles, translated by trinitarian New Testament scholars, clearly disregard Sharp's "Rule" at these (and other) places and show two different persons being spoken of: God and Jesus!
11. John 1:1 ("God" as "a god" in order to deny Christ's deity.)
See DEF; QUAL; PRIMER; LOGOS; HARNER; BOWGOD; and/or MARTIN studies.
12. Philippians 1:23 (The word "depart" is translated as "releasing" to support a belief in soul sleep.)
This is another of Martin's foolish claims borrowed by A and W which was thoroughly refuted in "Analuo ('Releasing') - Phil. 1:21-23" in the 'NWT' study.
Again, if Ankerberg and Weldon were actually even beginning NT scholars, they would have known just how ludicrous this 'criticism' by Martin really is. Or, if they actually do have a modicum of knowledge of NT Greek, then they are being incredibly dishonest!
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In addition to the above examples, we [A and W] may note that Professor Gruss observes a number of other errors in translation. In Matthew 24:6,14; 1 Peter 4:7; 2 Corinthians 11:15; Revelation 19:20 and elsewhere words are added that are not in the Greek. And despite the claim to not engage in paraphrasing, the New World Translation repeatedly paraphrases when Scripture refers to believers being "in Christ." All believers everywhere can be in Christ only if Jesus is God. But in the NWT the term "in Christ" (Greek en) is often mistranslated, e.g., as "in union with" (Christ) or something similar. The Witnesses then interpret this to mean a union of purpose rather than an "organic" spiritual union.
Matt. 24:6
NWT - "YOU are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that YOU are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet."
NASB- "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end."
RSV - "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet."
ISV - "You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed. These things must take place, but the end hasn't come yet."
NRSV - "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet."
NKJV - "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."
"These things" or its equivalent is not found in the NT text, but is understood from context by most translators (as seen above).
Matt 24:14
NWT - "And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth [oikoumene] for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come."
NASB - "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."
RSV - "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come."
ISV - "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."
NRSV - And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come."
NKJV - "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."
Oikoumene means, according to Thayer, "1. the inhabited earth" - p.441 (#3625).
And W.E. Vine agrees: "OIKOUMENE, the present participle, Passive Voice, of oikeo, to dwell, inhabit, denotes the inhabited earth." - p. 343, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson, Inc,. 1983.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia says of oikoumene that it is used for "the'habitable earth'." - Volume 2, p.887, Eerdmans, 1984 printing.
The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament defines oikoumene as "Inhabited earth, world, mankind." - Vol. 2, p.503, Eerdmans, 1991.
The Expositor's Greek Testament explains oikounene as "the whole habitable world." - p. 470, Vol. 1.
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament explains oikoumene in Romans 10:18 as: "The inhabited earth as in Luke 2:1." - p. 390, Vol. 4.
An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell and Scott defines oikoumene as "the inhabited world." - p. 546, Oxford University Press, 1994 printing.
So, the so-called 'added word' here ('inhabited') is actually not added at all but an inherent part of the NT Greek word used, and the ignorance (or questionable honesty) of those crying "mistranslation!", "dishonest translation!" is loud and clear.
1 Peter 4:7
NWT - "But the end of all things has drawn close. Be sound in mind, therefore, and be vigilant with a view to prayers."
NASB - "The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer."
RSV - "The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers."
ISV - "The end of everything is near. So be sensible and clear-headed for the sake of your prayers."
NRSV - "The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers."
NKJV - "But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers."
Panton is the word for "of all," but as the above Bibles show "all things" is understood here.
The literal 'be ye sober unto prayers' is interpreted in various ways by NT scholars and translators. The NKJV, for example, has "be ... watchful in your prayers." NASB has "be ... of sober spirit for the purpose of prayer." These two Bibles alone show that the NWT's: "Be sound in mind, therefore, and be vigilant [watchful] with a view to prayers" is not any less accurate.
2 Corinthians 11:15
NWT - It is therefore nothing great if his ministers also keep transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness. But their end shall be according to their works.
NKJV - Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
NASB - Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
RSV - So it is not strange if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
KJV - Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Rotherham - No great thing, therefore, if, his ministers also, are transfiguring themselves as ministers of righteousness!--whose end, shall be according to their works.
The only addition by the NWT that I see is "keep." Since present tense indicative verbs in NT Greek are frequently iterative, the use of "keep" or "keep on" when translating those verbs indicates that it is understood as iterative (or 'continuous' or 'progressive'). We can see, for example, that the translators of the following Bibles have (correctly) rendered the present tense into English to show its iterative quality:
Holman NT -Matthew 7:7 "Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
ISV NT - Matthew 7:7 "Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened for you.
C. B. Williams - Matthew 7:7 "Keep on asking, and the gift will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and the door will open to you."
See 'iterative present' - Wallace (Matt. 7:7 example); Dana and Mantey ('it is sometimes called the present of repeated action.'); et. al.
and, on-line see:
Iterative Present
The present tense may be used to describe an event that repeatedly happens.
Matt 7:7 Ask ... seek ... knock. - http://www.bcbsr.com/greek/gtense.html
Revelation 19:20 (the only possible 'addition' I see here is the two uses of "wild beast" in the NWT for the NT Greek word therion.)
NWT - "And the wild beast [therion] was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who render worship to its image. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulphur."
Rotherham - "And the wild-beast [therion], was taken, and, with him, the false prophet who wrought the signs before him, whereby he deceived them who received the mark of the wild-beast and them who were doing homage unto his image,--alive, were they two cast into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone."
Weymouth - "who had done the miracles in his presence with which he had led astray those who had received the mark of the Wild Beast, and those who worshipped his statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the Lake of fire that was all ablaze with sulphur."
Lamsa - "And the wild beast was taken and with him the false prophet who wrought miracles before him with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the wild beast, and those who worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."
For more on this subject see "wild beast [therion]" vs. RSV's "beast" in the original NWT study.
"In Philippians 3:11 the Greek exanastasis (resurrection) is erroneously translated 'earlier resurrection.' "
Rotherham - Philippians 3:11 "If by any means I may advance to the earlier resurrection, which is from among the dead:"
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"In this connexion [the first resurrection] Paul once uses the expression exanastasis (Phil. 3:11) .... It is debated whether the compound word [exanastasis] simply means anastasis, as is normally the case, or whether Paul is alluding to the earlier transformation and the church's being lifted up to be with Christ (1 Thess. 4:17; Rev. 20:4{and :5})." - The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, vol.3, pp. 277, 278, Zondervan Publ., 1986.
"Besides the general resurrection as it is depicted in Rev. 20:11-15, Matt. 25:31-46, ... the NT also speaks of a preceding 'first' resurrection of the righteous.... (p. 277)
This is the only place this word is used in the NT (or the OT Septuagint). It literally means "out of resurrection," but various commentators have concurred that it is used here in a sense similar to that of the NWT. The NWT uses 'earlier resurrection' to indicate that it is the first resurrection (that of anointed Christians - see Rev. 20:4-6). And, of course, there is also to be a second resurrection of others.
Young's Concise Critical Bible Commentary
(for Phil. 3:11):
"a spiritual resurrection is here meant ... as the apostle could not possibly doubt whether he should partake in the general [second] up-rising." - Baker Book House, 1977.
The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible (for Phil. 3:11):
".... not the general resurrection of the just and unjust, which he believed; for he knew that everyone must, and will attain to this ... even Pharaoh, Judas, and the worst of men; but the special and particular resurrection of the righteous, the better resurrection, which will be first"
The Jameison-Faussett-Brown Commentary (for Phil.3:11):
"attain unto the resurrection of the dead --The oldest manuscripts read, "the resurrection from (out of) the dead," namely, the first resurrection; that of believers at Christ's coming (1 Corinthians 15:23, 1 Thessalonians 4:15, Revelation 20:5,6)."
Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament (for Phil.3:11):
"Apparently Paul is thinking here only of the resurrection of believers out from the dead .... Paul is not denying a [second] general resurrection by this language, but emphasizing that of believers."
It is clear from other scriptures that those in Christ will rise first (the first resurrection - the earlier one) and that others will be in the second resurrection. It is also clear that Paul is referring to the first ('earlier') resurrection in this scripture. Therefore, this word is intended by Paul to be referring to the first resurrection. What this word literally means is debated by scholars. But it would seem that, although it actually refers to the 'earlier' resurrection, it might be better to have 'earlier' in brackets. Nevertheless, the NWT (and Rotherham's translation) is correct in its intended meaning by Paul.
Ankerberg (and company) simply cannot be considered a Bible scholar or even an honest person! This is such an ignorant, shameful criticism that no more needs to be said about it.
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"And, in John 13:18, 17:12, 19:24 and 19:36 the exact same Greek words
[ina e graphe plerothe - Lit., 'that the scripture might/may- be fulfilled'] are translated four different ways [in the NWT].
....
Our only conclusion is that the WBTS can hardly be concerned with accurately translating the New Testament in light of such examples."
But here they are in the NWT:
"it is in order that the scripture might be fulfilled" - Jn 13:18
"in order that the scripture might be fulfilled." - Jn 17:12
"This was that the scripture might be fulfilled:" - Jn 19:24
"in order for the scripture to be fulfilled:" - Jn 19:36
Jn 13:18
"but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled," - NASB. "it is that the scripture may be fulfilled," - RSV.
"But the Scripture must be fulfilled:" - ISV.
" But it is to fulfill the scripture," - NRSV.
"but that the Scripture may be fulfilled," - NKJV.
Jn 17:12
"so that the Scripture would be fulfilled." - NASB. "that the scripture might be fulfilled." - RSV.
"so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. - ISV.
"so that the scripture might be fulfilled." - NRSV.
"that the Scripture might be fulfilled." - NKJV.
Jn 19:24
"this was to fulfill the Scripture:" - NASB. "This was to fulfil the scripture," - RSV.
"This was to fulfill the Scripture that says," - ISV.
"This was to fulfill what the scripture says," - NRSV.
"that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:" - NKJV.
Jn 19:36
"to fulfill the Scripture," - NASB. "that the scripture might be fulfilled," - RSV.
"so that the Scripture might be fulfilled:" - ISV.
"so that the scripture might be fulfilled," - NRSV.
"that the Scripture should be fulfilled," - NKJV.
"Our only conclusion is that the WBTS can hardly be concerned with accurately translating the New Testament in light of such examples."
But an actual examination of these 'mistranslations' shows the "only conclusion is" that there is a complete lack of scholarly knowledge by A and W (and the honesty to seek it).
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The following was found elsewhere online:
In NWT's Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus says, "Everyone, then, that confesses union with me before men, I will also confess union with him before my Father," instead of "confesses me before men." This takes the emphasis off of Jesus and puts it on something Jesus represents. Witnesses will insist there is no difference. Ask them what it means to confess Jesus - what is its purpose? It is primarily to acknowledge who He is - not what He stands for - the very issue the Watchtower wishes to cloud!
All we need do is refer to Word Pictures in the New Testament by noted (and highly trinitarian) NT scholar A. T. Robertson: "32. Shall confess me (homologesei en emoi). An Aramaic idiom, not Hebrew, see also Luke 12:8. So also here, 'him will I also confess' (homologeso kago en autoi). Literally this Aramaic idiom reproduced in the Greek means 'confess in me,' indicating a sense of unity with Christ and of Christ with the man who takes the open stand for him."
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Ralph P. Martin tells us that the phrase 'in [en] Christ Jesus' is regularly used by Paul to mean " 'in union with Christ', which is often tantamount to 'in the fellowship of his people'." - p. 99, Philippians.
And at Col. 1:27 where we see "Christ in you," we find it translated as "Christ among you" in JB, NJB, Mo, NEB (footnote), and ASV (footnote). A similar meaning here is the meaning of "union" for en. It would mean Christ is "in union with you." This also would mean "on the same side," "supported by," etc. This is similar to the translation of Phil. 1:1 where Christians are "in" Christ. It may properly be translated "all God's people in union with Christ Jesus" as in AT, CBW, GNB, TEV.
Other translations of Phil. 1:1 -
(CEV) Philippians 1:1 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To all of God's people who belong to Christ Jesus at Philippi and to all of your church officials and officers.
(GodsWord) Philippians 1:1 "From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To God's people in the city of Philippi and their bishops and deacons- to everyone who is united with Christ Jesus."
(ISV NT) Philippians 1:1 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the holy ones in Philippi who are united with Christ Jesus, with their overseers and deacons.
- RDB
