The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society makes the following claims regarding their New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures:
*** rs 276 New World Translation ***
Definition: 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 (editor's note - Nathan Knorr, Fred Franz, Albert Schroeder, George Gangas and Milton Henschel). 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.
The Watchtower's claim to transmit God's thoughts and declarations as accurately as possible is an assertion that demands a verdict from all who are 'earnestly seeking truth'. Consider the following scriptures and comments:
*** Rbi8 Acts 5:3 ***
But Peter said: “An·a·ni'as, why has Satan emboldened you to play false to the holy spirit and to hold back secretly some of the price of the field?
Acts 5:3 (HCSB)
Then Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds from the field?
*** Rbi8 Colossians 3:9 ***
Do not be lying to one another.
Col 3:9 (HCSB)
Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his practices
*** Rbi8 Hebrews 6:18 ***
in order that, through two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lieHeb 6:18 (HCSB)
so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie
*** Rbi8 James 3:14 ***
But if YOU have bitter jealousy and contentiousness in YOUR hearts, do not be bragging and lying against the truth.
James 3:14 (HCSB)
But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and lie in defiance of the truth.
Original Word Origin:
yeu/domai middle voice of an apparently primary verb
Transliterated Word Phonetic Spelling:
Pseudomai psyoo'-dom-ahee
Definition:
to lie, to speak deliberate falsehoods
to deceive one by a lie, to lie to
In every place where the Greek word pseudomai occurs in the New Testament the Jehovah's Witness translators rendered it as "lie" or "lying"except at Acts 5:3 where they rendered it "play false" which considerably alters the meaning of the scripture until one examines verse 4.
How can any JW ignore the fact that, even in his own New World Translation, Acts 5:3-4 demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is God? Ananias and Sapphira were accused (verse 3) of "playing false to the Holy Spirit", while in verse 4 the same sin is defined as "played false, not to men, but to God."
*** Rbi8 Acts 5:3-4 ***
But Peter said: “An·a·ni'as, why has Satan emboldened you to play false to the holy spirit and to hold back secretly some of the price of the field? 4 As long as it remained with you did it not remain yours, and after it was sold did it not continue in your control? Why was it that you purposed such a deed as this in your heart? You have played false, not to men, but to God.
A common denominator of all cults is their propensity to twist scriptures. While most cults twist the Word of God by quoting the Word inaccurately or by reinterpreting the Word by ignoring the immediate context, there are some who simply re-translate the Bible to fit their preconceived doctrines.
The Watchtower denies the Diety of the Holy Spirit, insisting that He is merely an impersonal 'force' acting on Jehovah's behalf. In the light of their teaching, the New World Translation of 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 is very puzzling to say the least:
*** Rbi8 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 ***
Now Jehovah is the Spirit; and where the spirit of Jehovah is, there is freedom. 18 And all of us, while we with unveiled faces reflect like mirrors the glory of Jehovah, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, exactly as done by Jehovah [the] Spirit.
If the Holy Spirit is God's impersonal 'force', why does He speak and refer to Himself as "I" and "me" in Acts 13:2?
*** Rbi8 Acts 13:1-2 ***
2 As they were publicly ministering to Jehovah and fasting, the holy spirit said: “Of all persons set Bar'na·bas and Saul apart for me for the work to which I have called them.”
How could the Holy Spirit be referred to as "he" and "him" in John 16:7-8 and John 16:13-14?
*** Rbi8 John 16:7-8 ***
7 Nevertheless, I am telling YOU the truth, It is for YOUR benefit I am going away. For if I do not go away, the helper will by no means come to YOU; but if I do go my way, I will send him to YOU. 8 And when that one arrives he will give the world convincing evidence concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment
*** Rbi8 John 16:13-14 ***
13 However, when that one arrives, the spirit of the truth, he will guide YOU into all the truth, for he will not speak of his own impulse, but what things he hears he will speak, and he will declare to YOU the things coming. 14 That one will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and will declare it to YOU.
While the WBTS denies the status of personality to the Holy Spirit, they have no twinge of conscience in granting it to Satan:
*** g73 12/8 27 Satan the Devil-Personification or a Person? ***
The earliest direct references to Satan (literally, “the Satan”) in the Bible are found in Job, chapters one and two. These chapters introduce Satan when he is speaking with Jehovah God. (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7) This alone presents difficulties for any who, while professing belief in the Bible, claim that Satan is simply a personification of evil in someone. If “Satan” is only the evil in any person, the evil must have been in Jehovah God with whom Satan was speaking. But the Bible describes God as one “in whom there is no unrighteousness.”—Ps. 92:15.
An experience that Jesus had with the Devil is similar. Matthew 4:1 relates that “Jesus was led by [God’s] spirit up into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.” Was Jesus tempted by evil within himself? Such a view does not harmonize with the Bible’s description of Jesus as “a righteous one” who “committed no sin.” (1 John 2:1; 1 Pet. 2:22) No, the Satan that appeared before Jehovah God and that tempted Jesus Christ was separate from them.
You will note, too, that these accounts relate conversations between the Devil and God, and between the Devil and Jesus Christ. Both Jehovah God and Jesus Christ are persons. Can an unintelligent ‘force’ carry on a conversation with a person? Also, the Bible calls Satan a manslayer, a liar, a father (in a spiritual sense) and a ruler. (John 8:44; 14:30) Only an intelligent person could fit all those descriptions. Therefore, M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopædia states: “All the forms of personal agency are made use of by the sacred writers in setting forth the character and conduct of Satan. . . . Every quality, every action, which can indicate personality, is attributed to him in language which cannot be explained away.”
Scripture tells us the Holy Spirit can:
Hear - John 16:13
Speak - Ezeliel 3:24; Matthew 10:20; Acts 8:29, 10:19, 11:12, 21:11; Hebrews 3:7; 10:15-17; Revelation 2:7, 22:17
Forbid someone to speak - Acts 16:6
Desire - Galatians 5:17
Be outraged - Hebrews 10:29
Search and know - 1 Corinthians 2:10-11
Help - John 14:16 and 16:7
Comfort - Acts 9:31
Give spiritual life - John 6:63
Intercede - Romans 8:26
Have fellowship with other persons - 2 Corinthians 13:14
Remain with Christians - John 14:16-17
Be loved - Romans 15:30
Be tested - Acts 5:9
Feel hurt and be grieved - Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 4:30
Be lied to - Acts 5:3-4
Be blasphemed against - Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10
Teach - Nehemiah 9:20; Luke 12:12; John 14:26, 16:13-15
Bear witness - John 15:26; Romans 8:16
Give testimony to persons - Acts 20:23
Give the world convincing evidence - John 16:8
Decide decrees - Acts 15:28
Reveal future events - Acts 1:16
Inspire prophecy - Hebrews 3:7
Appoint persons - Acts 20:28
Send people - Acts 13:4
When the same tests for personality are applied to the Holy Spirit (i.e. He talks to other persons and Scripture gives Him names), the Holy Spirit emerges as an intelligent person. Scripture uses the name of the Spirit along with that of the Father and the Son in such a way as to prove His proper Deity (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). Scripture's definition of the sin of blasphemy against and its consequences demonstrates the deity of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32).
In Matthew 28:19, Jesus tells His disciples to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Why would the disciples be instructed to baptize in the name of anybody or anything that was not God? Do JW's follow the command of Jesus and baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit?"