Talk:New World Translation

Linking

1) Under "Features", then "Editions", then "Braille Editions" the links on "Braille" in the first sentence and "additional Braille scripts" in the second sentence lead to the same article-page, despite being under the same sub-header.

2) Under "Critical review", then "New Testament" the link on "USB" in the fourth paragraph leads to the article-page on "United Bible Societies", despite being the first time that the initialism gets used.

3) Under "Critical review", then "New Testament", the links on "apparatus criticus" in the fourteenth paragraph and first sentence and "critical apparatus" in the seventeenth paragraph lead to the same article-page, despite being under the same header. ~2026-68312-8 (talk) 15:43, 31 January 2026 (UTC)

A fifth translator

Raymond Franz stated that four people were members of the NWT translation committee. James Penton cited Franz in 1997 and listed the same four translators. However, it seems that in the 1997 edition of The Kingdom of the Cults (published posthumously), it is stated that a fifth person participated in the translation committee, but in editions of The Kingdom of the Cults published both before and after 1997, this fifth translator is not mentioned. It would be very helpful if it could be shown that Walter Ralston Martin identified the fifth translator, and what his source of information was. Jairon Levid Abimael Caál Orozco (talk) 17:33, 24 March 2026 (UTC)

Martin was deceased by 1997, so if the information was not in the book before, it can't be said to have been his identification. If it also wasn't in the book after, it appears the 1997 release may have been incorrect. Why would we put information in that has one (dubious) source? Vyselink (talk) 20:40, 24 March 2026 (UTC)

For example, in the Kingdom of the Cults 1985 edition, reprinted 1992, p. 72, only one translator is mentioned. In fact, he is not mentioned as a translator, but rather as a representative of the translation committee. Jairon Levid Abimael Caál Orozco (talk) 02:22, 29 March 2026 (UTC)

The Kingdom of the Cults 2003 edition, p. 93, agrees with the 1985 edition. Jairon Levid Abimael Caál Orozco (talk) 03:01, 29 March 2026 (UTC)

It appears that February 12, 2008, was the first time the citation Martin (1999) was included to reference the following statement: "According to its agreement, the Watchtower organization has never confirmed or denied any names or biographical data regarding this committee. However, former high-ranking Watchtower staffers have provided names".

• Martin W, Kingdom of the Cults, Expanded Anniversary Edition, October 1997, Bethany House Publishers, p. 123. “While the members of the [NWT] committee have never been identified officially by the Watchtower, many Witnesses who worked at the headquarters during the translation period were fully aware of who the members were. They included Nathan H. Knorr (president of the Society at the time), Frederick W. Franz (who later succeeded Knorr as president), Albert D. Schroeder, George Gangas, and Milton Henschel (currently the president).”
• Wills T, M.A., A People For His Name – A History of Jehovah’s Witnesses and An Evaluation, Lulu, 2006. Originally published in 1967 by Vantage Press. “[Frederick] Franz is a language scholar of no mean ability—he supervised the translation of the Bible from the original languages into the New World Translation, completed in 1961.” (p. 253) Of author Tony Wills, the Preface reads “The Author has been intimately associated with Jehovah’s Witnesses for many years, close enough to be able to think as one, but never, at the same time, losing his objectivity.”. Jairon Levid Abimael Caál Orozco (talk) 15:15, 30 March 2026 (UTC)

Statement by Raymond Franz?

The following text was recently added: "However, others highlight Gangas' familiarity with modern Greek does not help in the translation of Bible Greek, claiming only one of the mentioned ones, Frederick Franz, knew enough, making Gangas being listed among the main translators obsolete", and page 50 of Raymond Franz's book is cited. On page 50 of Franz’s book (footnote), it reads:

The New World Translation bears no translator’s name and is presented as the anonymous work of the “New World Translation Committee.” Other members of that committee were Nathan Knorr, Albert Schroeder and George Gangas. Fred Franz, however, was the only one with sufficient knowledge of the Bible languages to attempt translation of this kind. He had studied Greek for two years at the University of Cincinnati but was only self-taught in Hebrew.

Leaving aside Franz's assumption, if it were true, I see a problem with that conclusion (about Gangas), since the statement cited doesn't actually say that. Jairon Levid Abimael Caál Orozco (talk) 01:41, 26 April 2026 (UTC)

Agreed. The claim of Franz's that only one person had sufficient knowledge (Fred Franz) is good to leave in, but the addition of the Ganga's section is not supported by the above quote. There would need to be a different source if it is to remain. Vyselink (talk) 05:57, 26 April 2026 (UTC)

I have changed it. Vyselink (talk) 06:02, 26 April 2026 (UTC)

Thank you very much for the correction. However, this is just repeating what was said in the previous paragraph, so it may not be necessary to reiterate it. Jairon Levid Abimael Caál Orozco (talk) 06:45, 26 April 2026 (UTC)

I've already corrected it . Jairon Levid Abimael Caál Orozco (talk) 15:03, 5 May 2026 (UTC)