Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses is a nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist Christian denomination, stemming from the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. Russell co-founded Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society in 1881 to organize and print the movement’s publications. A leadership dispute after Russell’s death resulted in several groups breaking away, with Joseph Franklin Rutherford retaining control of the Watch Tower Society and its properties. Rutherford made significant organizational and doctrinal changes, including adoption of the name Jehovah’s witnesses in 1931 to distinguish the group from other Bible Student groups and symbolize a break with the legacy of Russell’s traditions. In 2024, Jehovah’s Witnesses reported a peak membership of approximately 9 million worldwide.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are known for their evangelism, distributing literature such as The Watchtower and Awake!, and for refusing military service and blood transfusions. They consider the use of God’s name vital for proper worship. They reject Trinitarianism, inherent immortality of the soul, and hellfire, which they consider unscriptural doctrines. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the destruction of the present world system at Armageddon is imminent, and the establishment of God’s kingdom over earth is the only solution to all of humanity’s problems. They do not observe Christmas, Easter, birthdays, or other holidays and customs they consider to have pagan origins incompatible with Christianity. They prefer to use their own Bible translation, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Jehovah’s Witnesses consider human society morally corrupt and under the influence of Satan, and most limit their social interaction with non-Witnesses. The denomination is directed by a group known as the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which establishes all doctrines. Congregational disciplinary actions include formal expulsion and shunning, for what they consider serious offenses. Members who formally leave are considered to be disassociated and are also shunned. Some members who leave voluntarily successfully “fade” without being shunned. Former members may experience significant mental distress as a result of being shunned, and some seek reinstatement to maintain contact with their friends and family.
The group’s position on conscientious objection to military service and refusal to salute state symbols—for example, national anthems and flags—has brought it into conflict with several governments. Jehovah’s Witnesses have been persecuted, with their activities banned or restricted in some countries. Persistent legal challenges by Jehovah’s Witnesses have influenced legislation related to civil rights in several countries. The organization has been criticized regarding biblical translation, doctrines, and alleged coercion of its members. The Watch Tower Society has made various unfulfilled predictions about major biblical events, such as Jesus’ Second Coming, the advent of God’s kingdom, and Armageddon. Their policies for handling cases of child sexual abuse have been the subject of various formal inquiries.
Criticisms of the New World Translation (NWT), used by Jehovah’s Witnesses, primarily focus on alleged biases toward the theological beliefs of the Watchtower Society. Critics claim certain verses are mistranslated to conform to their doctrines, particularly regarding the nature of Jesus and the Trinity. Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain their translation is a modern, accurate rendering of the original languages.
Examples of alleged mistranslations
Colossians 1:15–17
- Controversial NWT rendering: “Because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and on the earth… All other things have been created through him and for him. Also he is before all other things and by means of him all other things were made to exist” (emphasis added).
- The criticism: The word “other” appears four times, though it is not in the original Greek text. Critics argue this addition misrepresents Jesus as one of many created beings, rather than the uncreated Creator, aligning with the Jehovah’s Witness belief that Jesus is a created archangel.
- The Jehovah’s Witness defense: They state the insertion is needed to convey the intended meaning, arguing Jesus was the first of God’s creations, and all other things were then created through him.
John 1:1
- Controversial NWT rendering: “and the Word was a god”.
- The criticism: Most other translations render this as “and the Word was God,” supporting the divinity of Jesus and the doctrine of the Trinity. Critics argue the NWT’s translation misinterprets Greek grammar to demote Jesus to a lesser, secondary “god”.
- The Jehovah’s Witness defense: They argue the Greek grammar, specifically the absence of the definite article (“the”), supports the rendering “a god,” to show that while the Word (Jesus) had a divine nature, he was not the one true God. However, many Greek scholars disagree with this interpretation.
John 8:58
- Controversial NWT rendering: “Before Abraham came into existence, I have been”.
- The criticism: This is often translated as “Before Abraham was, I am” (e.g., NASB, KJV). Critics contend the NWT’s rendering downplays the connection to God’s name, “I Am” (Exodus 3:14), and Jesus’s claim to divinity. The verse is commonly seen as Jesus’s claim to eternal pre-existence.
- The Jehovah’s Witness defense: The NWT offers a grammatical defense for the translation, arguing that “I have been” is a more accurate translation of the Greek tense. However, critics argue this is a “muddled attempt” to hide the deity of Christ.
Other notable translation issues
- Insertion of “Jehovah”: The NWT adds “Jehovah” many times in the New Testament, where the original Greek manuscripts use the word Kyrios (“Lord”). Critics argue this is a theological insertion to emphasize God’s personal name and is not supported by the original texts.
- Biased vocabulary choices: The NWT’s use of specific vocabulary often reflects Jehovah’s Witness beliefs. For example:
- “Obeisance” instead of “worship”: In passages where people worship Jesus (e.g., Matthew 14:33), the NWT renders the Greek word proskuneo as “did obeisance,” a term for showing reverence to a superior rather than divine worship.
- “Active force” instead of “Spirit”: In certain verses, the NWT translates the Holy Spirit as “God’s active force” to align with their teaching that the Holy Spirit is not a person but an impersonal force.
Scholarly opinion
The scholarly consensus outside of the Jehovah’s Witnesses tradition is that the NWT is not a reliable translation due to its theological biases. While some academics have noted certain accurate and up-to-date elements of its rendering, many—including Greek scholars like Bruce Metzger and Julius Mantey—have criticized its handling of key Christological passages. Critics also highlight the anonymous nature of the translation committee as a reason for skepticism, questioning the translators’ qualifications in original biblical languages. [
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/comments/gzzm2z/new_world_translation_academic_views/
[3] https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/new-world-translation-accurate/
[4] wikipedia/en/New_World_Translation
[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/184axib/what_are_some_errors_in_the_translation_of_the/
[8] https://www.travisagnew.org/2014/05/29/studying-the-new-world-translation-of-the-jehovahs-witnesses/
[9] https://truthfortheworld.org/problems-with-the-new-world-translation
[11] https://www.catholic.com/qa/what-can-you-tell-me-about-the-new-world-translation
[12] https://www.equip.org/articles/getting-over-the-hurdles-of-the-new-world-translation/
[13] https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/comments/vvpxdj/nwt_jw_bible_accuracy/
[14] https://www.bible.ca/Jw-NWT.htm
[16] https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/new-world-translation-accurate/