Bridge of Reason

  On their website, the Watch Tower define their New World Translation Bible as: ‘ A translation of the Holy Scriptures made directly from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into modern-day English by a committee of anointed witnesses of Jehovah. These expressed themselves regarding their work as follows: “The translators of this work, who fear and love the Divine Author of the Holy Scriptures, feel toward Him a special responsibility to transmit his thoughts and declarations as accurately as possible. They also feel a responsibility toward the searching readers who depend upon a translation of the inspired Word of the Most High God for their everlasting salvation.” This translation was originally released in sections, from 1950 to 1960. Editions in other languages have been based on the English translation.’ ( Reasoning From the Scriptures, p.276 ) T heir stated aim (italicised) is laudable, however we judge things not by intentions but by results. We can’t build a reputation on what ...

If you want to know what this series is about see my first post here . We have seen in an earlier post that ‘Dr’ Brian Simmons doesn’t have the background in Bible translation he claims to have had. Far from being involved in translation work with New Tribes he worked as a church planter. He presents himself as the ‘lead translator’ in the Passion Translation enterprise. However, his own account of how this work proceeds demonstrates he is the only ‘translator.’ Furthermore, the process doesn’t m erit the description ‘translation work.’ What is Brian Simmons a doctor of exactly? On her very helpful fact sheet, Holly Pivec explains: ‘ He earned his doctorate with the Wagner Leadership Institute (now called Wagner University ) with a specialization on prayer. [Take note that the Wagner Leadership Institute is not a standard, accredited seminary or Bible College that offers academic courses on the Bible and theology. Rather it was founded to serve   the New Apostolic Reformation...

I am going to stick my neck out here and assume I am not by any means the only one to recognise a distinct lack of beauty and poetry in the New World Translation. I would go further and suggest utilitarianism is the guiding light of its ‘translators.’ In short, they abuse the language and the label 'translator.' Are they so incapable of appreciating the higher arts that clunky and mechanical seems to them to be art? Blessed are the Meek I am thumbing through their Examining the Scriptures Daily, 2020 edition, and verses jump out at me as I think, ‘My Bible doesn’t say that!’ Here is an example from January 17: ‘ Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.’ Mt.5:5 ESV ‘ Happy are the mild-tempered, for they shall inherit the earth.’ Mt.5:5 NWT ‘ Meek’ here is the Greek praus (prah-oos) and is variously translated ‘ meek, gentle, kind, forgiving, mild, benevolent, humane, humble, considerate.’ It identifies the positive moral quality of dealing with p...

If you want to know what this series is about go to my first post here . I have been reflecting further on the claims made for The Passion Translation (TPT). “The Passion Translation is an excellent translation you can use as your primary text to seriously study God’s Word ... the text has been interpreted from the original language, carrying its original meaning and giving you an accurate, reliable expression of God’s original message” You can find this claim here  in the FAQs section under the question, 'Is the TPT considered a good translation for serious study?' You can find links to helpful and authoritative reviews in my first post in this series. Stop and consider this for a moment. In an interview with Sid Roth , Brian Simmons tells how Jesus appeared to him, telling him he should write a new translation of the Bible. This is from about the 15:17 mark point in the interview. Not only that, Jesus would reveal to him secrets of the Hebrew language and...

On their website, JW.ORG, the Watchtower Society asks, ' Is The New World Translation Accurate?' It is a good question. The Bible speaks to our deepest concerns, explains our purpose in the world, and introduces us to the God who made us. Every movement that seeks to identify itself with Christ claims to get its teaching and authority from the Bible. It is vital, then, that every such claim is tested. What is the Watchtower apologetic for their translation? A good working knowledge of the Bible and how it has come down to us equips us to test and challenge Watchtower claims. They acknowledge, 'some people have commented on or questioned the accuracy of the New World Translation because in places it differs from other translations of the Bible,' then 'explain' why: Reliability. The New World Translation is based on up-to-date scholarly research and the most reliable ancient manuscripts. In contrast, the King James Version of 1611 was based on manuscripts that ...