1808 Unitarian Corrected "Improved Version" of NT in PDF

by cabasilas 5 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • cabasilas
    cabasilas

    Of possible interest to reserachers. This translation is hard to find.

    In discussing John 1:1, Watchtower publications have cited a translation of the New Testament known as the "Improved Version" of Archbishop Newcome's NT published in 1807/1808.

    For example, the March 15, 1982 Watchtower, page 24, cites this translation in support of the New World Translation's rendering of John 1:1:
    "The NewWorldTranslation renders this phrase, "And the Word was a god." Nor is it unique in doing so. This is exactly the way a revision of Archbishop Newcome's translation rendered the phrase back in 1807."

    The Witness booklet "Should You Believe in the Trinity" also cites it:

    http://www.watchtower.org/e/ti/article_08.htm It is also cited as the first support of the John 1:1 translation in the appendix on John 1:1 in the New World Translation Reference Bible. It is important to note, however, that this translation is a "correction" of Archbishop Newcome's version by a committee headed by Unitarian minister Thomas Belsham. Newcome himself translated John 1:1 in the traditional fashion as can be seen here: http://www.forananswer.org/Top_JW/Scholars%20and%20NWT.htm#Newcome The "Improved Version" also notes in a footnote at John 1:1 that Archbishop Newcome had translated John 1:1 as "the Word was God." More on this "Improved Version" can be found here: http://www.bible-researcher.com/belsham.html Interestingly, Benjamin Wilson, the translator of the Emphatic Diaglott mentions this translation in the introductory section of his work when he discusses the "History of English Versions." A comparison of many of the Unitarian and Trinitarian "batteground" passages in this "Improved Version" and the "Emphatic Diaglott" would suggest Wilson was influenced by it. A PDF of the "Improved Version" as corrected by Belsham can be downloaded from: http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f=a2a143b0d24709971491803970f5c49b
  • Atlantis
    Atlantis

    Cabasilas:

    Thank you cabasilas for this PDF!

    The "Improved Version" also notes in a footnote at John 1:1 that Archbishop Newcome had translated John 1:1 as "the Word was God."

    Interesting!!!! Did the Watchtower include that footnote by any chance? They will use anything as long as it can be used as proof of their doctrines, even if the original was totally different!

    Cheers! Atlantis-

  • badboy
    badboy

    INTERESTING THAT THEY SHOULD QUOTE FROM A UNITARIAN PUBLICATION.

  • Leolaia
    Leolaia

    Thanks, bookmarking this.

  • Doug Mason
    Doug Mason

    The WTS quotes from the "Emphatic Diaglott" by Benjamin Wilson, who was a Christadelphian. They are a Unitarian sect who do not believe in the pre-existence of Jesus.

    Doug

  • AlphaOmega
    AlphaOmega

    The WTS quotes from the "Emphatic Diaglott" by Benjamin Wilson, who was a Christadelphian. They are a Unitarian sect who do not believe in the pre-existence of Jesus.

    Doug

    The Emphatic Diaglott can be found in PDF format here :

    http://www.thedcl.org/bible/diaglott-nt/index.html

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