This will be one of many articles where I will be dissecting important scriptures to determine the accuracy of the Jehovah’s Witnesses New World Translation Bible.
The New World Translation Bible is inaccurate according to respected Bible scholars such as Jason David BeDuhn and Dr. Julius R. Mantey, who called the Jehovah’s Witnesses Bible “a shocking mistranslation”.
In this article, I want to point out a key point where the word “Lord” was deliberately removed and replaced with “Jehovah” when it was actually referring to Lord Jesus. I have used the greek interlinear NASB Bible along with the Strongs concordance dictionary.
Using the greek interlinear, we are able to see exactly which Greek word was used in the original text. In each of the translations, I have inserted in [brackets] what the original Greek word was.
If you would like to follow along, you can view this scripture in the NASB translation with the Greek Interlinear option, by following this link: https://www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/rom/10/1/s_1056015
Lets look at the NASB in conjunction with the Greek Interlinear text first.
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus [as] Lord [kurios], and believe in your heart that God [theos] raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same [Lord] is Lord [kurios] of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD [kurios] WILL BE SAVED.”
Romans 10:9-13 Greek Interlinear
Now let’s compare that to the New World Translation’s interpretation.
For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [kurios],+ and exercise faith in your heart that God [theos] raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration+ for salvation.
11 For the scripture says: “No one who rests his faith on him will be disappointed.”+ 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek.+ There is the same Lord [kurios] over all, who is rich toward* all those calling on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah [kurios] will be saved.”+
Romans 10:9-13 NWT
- Here, we clearly see that the Greek word for Lord referring to Jesus in this specific scripture was “kurios”
- and the Greek word for God was “theos”.
It would then be appropriate to refer to Jesus where “kurios” was used and Jehovah where the word “theos” was used.
Okay, so the word used in place of Lord where it was referring to Jesus was “kurios“ and the word used in place of God was “theos“.
In verse 13 from the NWT, why did the organization insert Jehovah in the place where Jesus’ name was supposed to be represented by the word Lord with the Greek word “kurios”?
The organization wants to remove Jesus’ significance as a mediator so that they can justify themselves as mediators. They are putting themselves in the place of Jesus.
The lord Jesus has given me a wounderfull opportunity to bring a brother out of this religious spirit into a true relationship with father God through Jesus Christ. Born raised a Jehovah’s Witness, the Lord has removed all Witnesses from him and has me with him now praying him through tearing down the religious spirit strongholds over his life and seeing him being transformed before my eyes, Oh Glory to God through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen!!!! What a strong spirit behind this religion, but Jesus is more powerful , it’s a prosses but its getting done
Romans 10.13 is a quotation from Joel 2.23 where the tetragrammaton occurs and the most familiar English form is Jehovah. Other translations also use a form of the divine name including many Hebrew langauge versions produced or sponsored by Trinitarians.
“Of the Lord” is the masculine singular form of the noun Kurios. Kurios is always used in reference to Jesus Christ in the book of Romans and there is nothing in the present context of this scripture that indicates otherwise. You’re right in saying that Paul was quoting Joel 2:23, however, that further implicates the translation because it implies that Jesus could very well have been considered the same entity as the one referred to by the tetragrammaton. The fact that it was a quote, does not change the context of this scripture. I am not claiming to “know it all”, but I am claiming that this is not an accurate translation.
Please elucidate. What is not accurate? Joel 2:13 where the Tetragrammaton is used. But translated Jesus in other Bibles?
Romans 10:13 is in the new testament so the translation into English must be from the greek new testament text into English. When you translate Joel in the old testament, then you use old testament scripture to translate into English. You don’t mix and match to suit your doctrine, even if the new testament refers to the old testament. That is bad practice and is the latest deception from the translators of the new world translation.