[This article is contributed by Apollos and Alex Rover]

The Watchtower acknowledges that it’s very important to not insert human opinions nor hide the thought of original writings.

Literalness. Unlike paraphrased translations, the New World Translation renders words literally as long as doing so does not result in awkward wording or hide the thought of the original writings. Translations that paraphrase the Bible’s original text may insert human opinions or omit important details.
(Source: https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/new-world-translation-accurate/)

 It is a serious thing should an organization knowingly and willingly change the word of Jehovah.

“I am bearing witness to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this scroll; 19 and if anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life and out of the holy city, things that are written about in this scroll.” (Re 22:18, 19)

Tampering with Luke 22:17

This is the Bible’s standard. It is also the standard set by the Organization.  Does the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures live up to this standard?  Consider this passage:

“And accepting a cup, he gave thanks and said: “Take this and pass it from one to the other among yourselves,” (Lu 22:17)

 Notice the translation “pass it from one to the other among yourselves”. This maintains the impression to Jehovah’s Witnesses reading this passage that they can follow Jesus’ command to “keep doing this” by passing along the emblems without actually consuming them.

This translation was released long after Jehovah’s Witnesses instituted the unscriptural practice of commemorating the memorial by passing along the emblems in lieu of distributing them with the aim of partaking.

A Bible Commandment 

We are told, “Do this in remembrance of me.”; or as the NWT renders it, “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19, and quoted again by Paul in 1 Cor 11:24.)

Do what? Pass along or partake?

“This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor 11:24)  “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor 11:25)

Again, do what? Pass along or partake?

From the context, it is evident that the “do this” in all cases refers to partaking, not simply passing along the emblems.  We cannot participate in the memorial unless we partake. Passing along the emblems without partaking is not a biblical practice.

“Do this” is a commandment. We may not add to it; nor can we take away from it.

How Do Other Translations Render This Passage?

Other Bible translations are very consistent in translating this passage a certain way.  A review of over two dozen translations shows that “share it” or “divide it” are the preferred translations.

This is consistent with the original as shown by the rendering from the Kingdom Interlinear:

Strong’s Concordance defines diamerizó thus:

Short Definition: divide up into parts, break up, distribute
Definition: divide up into parts, break up; distribute

This definition does not allow for the idea of “passing along” the memorial emblems but demands that they be divided up and distributed. This is in line with the command of our Lord that Christians must partake of the memorial emblems.

 Is There Malice at Play?

Taking liberties with the texts for the mere sake of brevity, and substituting some modern parallel when a literal rendering of the original makes good sense, has been avoided. Uniformity of rendering has been maintained by assigning one meaning to each major word and by holding to that meaning as far as the context permits. At times this has imposed a restriction upon word choice, but it aids in cross-reference work and in comparing related texts.
(Source: Reference Bible, (Rbi8) p. 7)

The Watchtower claims to assign one meaning to each major word and hold to that meaning as far as the context permits.

What meaning did the Watchtower give to the Greek word, and did they apply it per their translation principle? Where is the exception, and what reason could there be for changing the translation in this one instance, except for deceiving the reader into thinking that you can commemorate the memorial command by passing the emblems instead of partaking of them?

Can we find any other reasonable explanation?  Let us see.

Matthew 27:35 V-AIM-3P
GRK: δὲ αὐτὸν διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτια
NAS: And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments
KJV: him, and parted his
INT: moreover him they divided the garments
NWT: they distributed his outer garments

Mark 15:24 V-PIM-3P
GRK: αὐτὸν καὶ διαμερίζονται τὰ ἱμάτια
NAS: And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments
KJV: him, they parted his
INT: him also they divided the garments
NWT: distributed his outer garments

Luke 11:17 V-APP-NFS
GRK: ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν διαμερισθεῖσα ἐρημοῦται καὶ
NAS: kingdom divided against
KJV: Every kingdom divided against itself
INT: against itself having been divided is brought to desolation and
NWT: kingdom divided against itself

Luke 11:18 V-AIP-3S
GRK: ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν διεμερίσθη πῶς σταθήσεται
NAS: Satan also is divided against himself,
KJV: Satan also be divided against himself,
INT: against himself be divided how will stand
NWT: divided against himself

Luke 12:52 V-RPM/P-NMP
GRK: ἑνὶ οἴκῳ διαμεμερισμένοι τρεῖς ἐπὶ
NAS: household will be divided, three
KJV: one house divided, three against
INT: one house divided three against
NWT: house divided, three against two

Luke 12:53 V-FIP-3P
GRK: διαμερισθήσονται πατὴρ ἐπὶ
NAS: They will be divided, father against
KJV: The father shall be divided against
INT: Will be divided father against
NWT: They will be divided

Luke 22:17 V-AMA-2P
GRK: τοῦτο καὶ διαμερίσατε εἰς ἑαυτούς
NAS: this and share it among
KJV: and divide [it] among yourselves:
INT: this and divide [it] among themselves
NWT: pass it from one to the other

Luke 23:34 V-PPM-NMP
GRK: τί ποιοῦσιν διαμεριζόμενοι δὲ τὰ
NAS: lots, dividing up His garments
KJV: they do. And they parted his raiment,
INT: what they do dividing moreover the
NWT: they cast lots to distributed his garments

John 19:24 V-AIM-3P
GRK: ἡ λέγουσα Διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά
NAS: the Scripture: THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS
KJV: which saith, They parted my raiment
INT: which said They divided the garments
NWT: they divided my garments

Acts 2:3 V-PPM/P-NFP
GRK: ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς διαμεριζόμεναι γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ
NAS: as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested
KJV: unto them cloven tongues
INT: there appeared to them divided tongues as
NWT: and were distributed

Acts 2:45 V-IIA-3P
GRK: ἐπίπρασκον καὶ διεμέριζον αὐτὰ πᾶσιν
NAS: and possessions and were sharing them with all,
KJV: goods, and parted them to all
INT: they sold and divided them to all
NWT: distributing the proceeds

This listing contains every instance of the Greek word diamerizó in the Bible.  Notice how the NWT translation committee has rendered it consistently the same way in every instance except when it comes to promoting the JW teaching of non-participation.

Is this not evidence of doctrinal bias affecting honesty in translation?

Let us again reflect on the unchangeable decree of God expressed here:

“I am bearing witness to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this scroll; 19 and if anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life and out of the holy city, things that are written about in this scroll.” (Re 22:18, 19)

Meleti Vivlon

Articles by Meleti Vivlon.
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