The World’s Most Dangerous Book!!

Would you place your trust in a surgeon who was about to perform major surgery on you, if he refused to give you his name and credentials or denied you permission to speak with his colleagues concerning his skills as a surgeon? Or would you place your faith in an attorney, who was defending you against false accusations of felony charges, if he likewise refused access to the same vital information?

We can see how significant it is that we rely on the names and credentials of those who serve us in the important aspects of our life. As in the case of the lawyer, it is essential to know these things, for without this knowledge, we would have no assurance that he would truly and honestly represent you. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance to know the men, the credentials and the qualifications of those to whom we entrust our spiritual lives!

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society has failed both its followers and the public at this most crucial point, as they refuse to give the names and credentials of the translating committee of its Bible, The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (see pg. 258 of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose). This is more important than the Watchtower will admit since the New World Bible Translation Committee has deceived many in their translation of the Bible in the following ways:

1. They have invented non-existent rules of Greek grammar and then proceeded to follow these rules only when necessary to support the Watchtower's peculiar theology. A clear example of this is John 1:1, where the Translation Committee has rendered the Greek "and the Word was a god."

We cite the appendix of another Watchtower publication, The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, (1969 ed., pg. 1158), for its commentary concerning John 1:1: "The reason for their rendering the Greek word 'divine,' and not 'God,' is that it is the Greek noun theos' without the definite article, hence an anarthous theos'." Thus the Translation Committee concludes that since the Greek word for God appears without the definite article (i.e. the God) it can properly be translated as "a god." However, may we call the Translation Committee's attention to John 1, verses 6, 12 and 13. As in John 1:1, here the Greek noun theos also appears without the definite article, yet the translating committee has translated each verse as (Jehovah) God. In all, over 280 instances can be cited in the New Testament where theos appears without the definite article and the Watchtower Bible renders the vast majority of these verses as God, employing its "rule" only when needed to fit its theology.

Another example of non-existent rules followed only when needed to support Watchtower theology is found in the aforementioned Kingdom Interlinear Translation (pg. 18). Here we are taught how to restore the Divine name (Jehovah) into the New Testament. We are instructed that we can render the Greek words kyrios (Lord) and theos (God) into the Divine name by determining if the Christian (New Testament) writers have quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). If so, we are permitted to render kyrios (Lord) and theos (God) as Jehovah. However, once again the Watchtower "rule" is conveniently avoided by the Translation Committee as they translated Philippians 2:11. Here the Apostle Paul reaches into the Old Testament book of Isaiah (45:23) and applies it to Jesus Christ. Hence, when one follows the Watchtower's "rule," Philippians 2:11 should properly be translated as: "every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Jehovah [Kyrios] to the glory of God the Father." While the Translation Committee will allow Paul's use of Isaiah to follow their invented rule in Romans 14:11, their theology prohibits such a rendering in the Philippians passage.

2. The Translation Committee have added words to Scripture which change the meaning of the texts to agree with their theology. Notice the Watchtower Bible's rendering of Colossians 1:16 and 17 where the word "other" has been added four times to the text, completely changing its meaning. When Paul wrote those passages that the Son created all things, it is obvious that the Son was not himself created. The Watchtower, however, believes that

the Son is also a created being and has, therefore, added "other" - not found in the Greek Biblical text at all - to make it appear that the Son is also a created creature. As previously mentioned, the Translation Committee has added the word "a" to John 1:1 to make the Son a secondary god rather than 'God Himself. Take note also of the, same deceitfulness displayed in Philippians 2:9 where the word "other" is again added, when it is not found or even suggested in the original Greek. To the Jehovah's Witnesses the name Jehovah is the name which is above every name, therefore, the name of Jesus must be relegated to the name which is above "every other name" (emphasis added).

3. The men who comprised the Translation Committee had no adequate schooling or background to function as critical Bible translators. The self-appointed "scholars" who made up the Translation Committee were Frederick W. Franz, Nathan H. Knorr, Albert D. Schroeder, Milton Henschel and George D. Gangas. It is of utmost importance to note that none of the Committee members hold degrees in the Biblical languages and, aside from Franz, none of the Committee members even knew biblical Greek or Hebrew. Further Franz's biblical language abilities are open to serious question.

 In the Scottish Court Sessions in November 1954, (just four years after the release of the Watchtower's New Testament and during the translation of the Watchtower's Old Testament), the following exchange of questions and answers between the attorney and Franz took place:

Q. Have you' also made yourself familiar with Hebrew?

A. Yes...

Q. So that you have a substantial linguistic apparatus at your command?

A. Yes, for use in my biblical work.

Q. I think you are able to read and follow the Bible in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Spanish, Portuguese, German and French?

A. Yes. (Pursuer's Proof, pg. 7)

The following day, Franz's claims were put to the test:

Q. You, yourself, read and speak Hebrew, do you?

A. I do not speak Hebrew.

Q. You do not?

A. No.

Q. Can you, yourself, translate that into Hebrew?

A. Which?

Q. That fourth verse of the second chapter of Genesis.

A. You mean here?

Q. Yes.

A. No. I wouldn't attempt to do that. (Pursuer's Proof, pp. 102-103)

What Franz failed to do was a simple exercise which an average first or second year Hebrew student in any seminary would have no difficulty.

It is also interesting to note that no Greek scholar with any credentials will endorse the New World Translation. Bill Cetnar, in 1954 (while still a Jehovah's Witness working at the Watchtower Headquarters in Brooklyn), was assigned to interview a well known - Bible translator, Dr. Edgar J. Goodspeed, asking him for his evaluation and recommendation of the New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Dr. Goodspeed replied, "No, I'm afraid that I could not do that. The grammar is regrettable..." (see further, We Left Jehovah's Witnesses by Edmond C. Gruss, pp. 75-76).

We agree with Dr. Goodspeed and go a step further and state that the theology brought forth in this translation is a fatal distortion of biblical truth. We ask you not to put your trust - in such a bias translation of Holy Scripture or in the Society that has deceived many in the writing of it; we ask that your faith and trust be placed in the Lord Jesus Christ who said that He alone is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6) and that unless you believe He is the Eternal God (Greek: "ego eimi" "I AM"), you will die in your sins (John 8:24). It is because of the danger of the perversion of the New World Translation that the warning of "the world's most dangerous book" has been applied. Our concern is for you to come to know the True Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour.

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