In part 1, I covered some of the differences betwixt the Textus Receptus that is the basis for the KJV, and the Wescott and Hort master Greek text that is the basis for the NWT. Other critical texts like Nestle/Aland and United Bible Societies (UBS) generally follow Wescott/Hort, as you'll see below. The modern Critical Texts have many thousands of Greek words missing, when compared to the TR. The overall count results in a net loss equivalent to the bible books of 1 and 2 Peter in most Modern Bibles. All of the differences below cannot be attributed to one cause, since our bibles are a product of the consultation of ancient texts of various languages, translation procedures, textual criticism rules, and families of texts. It is widely claimed that the 1% text family originate in the area of Alexandria and the 99% text family are from all over Asia Minor and Europe and originate in the area of Antioch, where folks were first called by the name Christians.
The TR is largely based on the master Greek text created by Erasmus when he collected many ancient manuscripts during his travels around Europe in the late 1400's and early 1500's. During these travels he met thousands of Christians who were not Catholic, but exibited rare and astonishing Christian qualities of character. History shows that these gentle peoples were called by many names and were widely separated throughout Europe. In spite of this, they exibited uncanny similarities. They were called Waldenses, Albigenses, Valdois and by many other regional names. A brief history of these peoples can be seen at the following thread which includes interesting comments by readers below it:
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b0aeee22c37.htm
One count of the Waldenses has twenty thousand in the Alps of northern Italy and France and eighty thousand in the area of Czech Republic. It is the texts and bibles from the scholars of these remote mountain peoples that formed the basis for Erasmus' compilation, and indeed for the Reformation itself. It is said that the egg Erasmus laid was hatched by Luther. However, there are groups of the descendants of these peoples today, numbering into the many millions, that claim to never have been part of the Reformation and do not consider themselves as Protestants at all, simply because they never "protested".
In Part II, I compiled a lot of pre-existing information on the NWT into one easy to read essay that I hope will assist anyone witnessing to a JW family member, or other interested person.
The below collection of scriptural differences have to do with SIN in general, and I believe represent a "dumbing down". I've noticed since leaving the JW organization and bumping around different kinds of churches that a lot of people no longer like to think in terms of sin as God does. Sin and sinners is replaced in modern language with phrases like “mistakes”, “falling short”, “immature ones”, “human nature” etc. This of course reminds me a lot of my JW days.
The corruption on Matt 9:13 makes it seem like a good thing to be a sinner, and as such, specially sought out for fellowship by the Lord.
The corruption of 1 John 5:19 places the guilt for sin onto the devil instead of on those who are guilty of such. This is the proverbial, “The devil made me do it” excuse. This is what Eve’s immediate response to sin was; she blamed the devil. In my opinion, many modern Christian counselors (and others) play into this deception when they try and transfer the responsibility for sin (when it's obiously inappropriate) , rather than to teach repentance and the supernatural eradication of its dominion over a person through the re-birth.
This list is by no means exhaustive.
| SCRIPTURE | KJV | NASB | NIV | NWT |
| Luke 7:30 | rejected the counsel of God against themselves | rejected God’s purpose for themselves | rejected God’s purpose for themselves | disregarded the counsel of God to them |
| I Corinthians 5:1-6:13 | fornication | immorality | sexual immorality | fornication |
| Matt 9: 13 | I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance | I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners | I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners | I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners |
| Ephesians 5:5 | Whoremonger | immoral person | immoral person | fornicator |
| Galatians 5:19 | adultery | immorality | sexual immorality | fornication |
| Deuteronomy 23:17 | sodomite | cult prostitute | temple prostitute | temple prostitute |
| Galatians 5:21 | murders | omitted | omitted | omitted |
| Romans 13:9 | Thou shalt not bear false witness | omitted | omitted | omitted |
| Mark 10:24 | them that trust in riches | omitted | omitted | omitted |
| I Timothy 6:10 | root of all evil | root of all sorts of evil | root of all sorts of evil | root of all sorts of injurious things |
| Mark 11:26 | But if ye do not forgive, neither will your father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. | omitted(marginal note) | omitted(footnote) | omitted |
| Matthew 5:22 | angry with his brother without a cause | angry with his brother (marginal note) | angry with his brother (footnote) | continues wrathful with his brother |
| John 7:53-8:11 | Passage included | Marginal disclaimer | parenthetical disclaimer | footnote disclaimer |
| I John 5:19 (people are wicked but God is still sovereign) | the whole world lieth in wickedness | the whole world lies in the power of the evil one | the whole world is under the control of the evil one | the whole world is lying in the [power of the] wicked one |
| Revelation 2:15 | which thing I hate | omitted | omitted | omitted |
| II Timothy 3:2 | blasphemers | Revilers | abusive | blasphemers |
| Titus 2:5 | that the word of God be not blasphemed | dishonored | malign | spoken of abusively |
| Revelation 22:11 | unjust | does wrong | does wrong | doing unrighteousness |
| II Corinthians 4:2 | dishonesty | shame | shameful ways | the underhanded things of which to be ashamed |
| Matthew 23:14 | ye devour widows houses and for a pretense make long prayers | Parenthetical with disclaimer | omitted(footnote) | omitted |