Worst "Translation" of the Bible in the English Language? (chatGPT)

I asked chatGPT what's the worst translation of the Bible in the English 
language, and why? Here is the response:

If by “worst translation” you mean the English Bible that most seriously 
departs from the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek texts in places where 
the translators have a theological commitment at stake, I would put the 
New World Translation (NWT) at or near the bottom.

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures

The central problem does not involve ordinary translation choices. Every 
translation has weaknesses. The serious problem with the NWT appears 
where the Watch Tower's theology conflicts with what the biblical text 
says about Christ.

1. John 1:1 — “the Word was a god”

The Greek reads:

καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος
“and the Word was God”

The NWT renders the final clause:

“and the Word was a god.”

That rendering supports the Jehovah's Witness denial of Christ's full 
deity. But the grammar does not require, or naturally favor, “a god.” 
The absence of the Greek article before θεός does not turn θεός into an 
indefinite noun. In fact, the construction emphasizes the nature or 
essence of the Word.

John then identifies this Word as the one through whom all things were 
made (John 1:3). The same Gospel eventually has Thomas address the risen 
Jesus as:

“My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28, ESV)

The opening of John's Gospel deliberately establishes Christ's deity 
before narrating His incarnation.

2. Colossians 1:16 — adding “other”

Paul says that through Christ:

“all things were created” (Colossians 1:16, ESV)

The NWT repeatedly inserts the word “other,” producing the idea that 
Christ created all “other” things.

But the Greek text does not contain the word “other.”

That addition matters enormously. Paul's argument concerns Christ's 
supremacy over creation. He does not place Christ among created things. 
He says that all things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 
1:16, ESV).

The next verse makes the point even harder to escape:

“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” 
(Colossians 1:17, ESV).

If Christ Himself were one of the created things, Paul's statement that 
He existed before “all things” would become incoherent.

3. Titus 2:13 — obscuring Christ as God

Paul writes:

“waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great 
God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13, ESV)

The Greek construction strongly identifies “God” and “Savior” as 
referring to the same person, Jesus Christ.

The NWT instead renders this as:

“the glorious manifestation of the great God and of our Savior, Jesus 
Christ”

The added “of” separates “God” from “Savior” and consequently avoids 
identifying Jesus as “our great God.”

Again, the issue isn't simply that another translator happened to choose 
a different English expression. The rendering serves the theological 
position that Jesus is not Almighty God.

4. Hebrews 1:8

Speaking of the Son, Hebrews quotes Psalm 45:

“But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever’” 
(Hebrews 1:8, ESV).

The NWT renders this differently in a way that permits “God” to function 
as an address to someone other than the Son.

Yet the author of Hebrews is making a sustained argument for the Son's 
superiority over angels. He immediately contrasts the Son with creation 
and attributes eternal kingship to Him (Hebrews 1:8–12).

5. The broader pattern matters more than any single verse

A translation should sometimes make difficult decisions. That alone 
doesn't make it bad.

The problem arises when a translation consistently makes unusual choices 
that happen to protect a predetermined theological system.

The NWT's treatment of passages concerning Christ's deity is therefore 
more significant than questions such as whether it uses formal or 
dynamic equivalence. It can obscure doctrines that the New Testament 
presents plainly:

Christ existed before creation (John 1:1–3; 17:5, ESV).
Christ created all things (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16, ESV).
Christ receives worship (Matthew 14:33; 28:9, 17, ESV).
Christ forgives sins in His own authority (Mark 2:5–12, ESV).
Christ receives the divine title “God” (John 20:28; Hebrews 1:8, ESV).
Christ shares God's glory (John 17:5, ESV).
Salvation comes through faith in Him (John 3:16; Acts 16:31, ESV).

And this matters because the gospel itself depends upon who Christ is. 
Jesus did not merely provide an example of obedience. He came to save 
sinners through His death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1–4, ESV). 
Paul says that God publicly presented Christ as the propitiation for 
sin, demonstrating God's righteousness (Romans 3:23–26, ESV).


-- 
Good News †

Through the cross, Christ erased the spiritual debt we owed to God for 
our rebellion (Colossians 2:14), a reality established when God raised 
Him from the dead (Romans 1:4). God can now righteously pardon our sins 
(Romans 3:26) and exempt us from the coming divine judgment (1 
Thessalonians 1:10). Salvation cannot be earned; it is a free gift for 
believers (Romans 6:23). Trust in Jesus and invoke His name to be saved 
(Romans 10:9-13):

How to be saved: christrose.news/salvation