Some Problems with the "God's Word Translation"

One should recognize that every translation of the Scriptures has its own set of problems because there is no perfect translation of the Scriptures.  “God’s Word Translation” (GWT) has its own set of problems just like the other translations.  The rest of this article will point out a few of these problems. 

In Acts 2:38, GWT translates the word “repent” by “a change of mind and life”.  This would be a good translation of the word “repent if the translators had left off “and life”.  Vine defines the word as “metanoeo NT:3340, lit., "to perceive afterwards" (meta, "after," implying "change," noeo, "to perceive"; nous, "the mind, the seat of moral reflection"),…hence signifies "to change one's mind or purpose," always, in the NT, involving a change for the better, an amendment, and always” (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers).  Thus we see that the word “repent” is a change of mind or purpose.  This change of mind or purpose will lead to a change of life but is not the change of life itself.

The GWT translates the Greek word presbuteros (presbuteros) as “spiritual leaders” in Acts 14:23, 15:2; 20:17; Titus 1:5 while most translations translates it as “elders”.  The word presbuteros means “an old man, an elder”.  Vine defines it as “1. presbuteros …an adjective, the comparative degree of presbus, "an old man, an elder," (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)  

The word "stumble" in Romans 14:21 means to place a rock, or anything, in the path of someone that they end up tripping over.  The rock in Romans 14 is when a strong Christian does something that caused the "weak brother" to do something that violates their conscience, thus to be guilty of sin.  Therefore, the word "stumble" that is found in a lot of translations, is a much better translation than God's Word Translation's of Romans 14:21 which is "The right thing to do is to avoid eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that causes another Christian to have doubts."  A Christian can have doubts without sinning. 

In God’s Word Translation of Acts 2:1-4 we find “When Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Passover, came, all the believers were together in one place.  Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were staying.  Tongues that looked like fire appeared to them.  All the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.”  Apparently the translators decided to translate the Greek word “en” as “believers” in these verses.  Compare Thayer’s definition of the word: “en--I was, etc.” with how the translators have translated it.  There is no word for “believers” in the Greek in Acts 2:1-4.  The word “en” is in the third person and refers to the eleven in Acts 1:26 not the 120 in Acts 1:15.

In Romans 10:12-14, God's Word Translation translates the Greek language as "There is no difference between Jews and Greeks.  They all have the same Lord, who gives his riches to everyone who prays to him.  So then, 'Whoever prays in the name of the Lord will be saved.'  But how can people pray to him if they have not believe in him?  How can they believe in him if they have not heard his message?  How can they hear if no one tells them the Good News?"  Compare how the New King James translates this passage: "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?"  The GWT translators translated the same Greek word in Acts 22:16 as "call" ("What are you waiting for now?  Get up! Be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.")  In Acts 2:21 where Peter quotes the same prophecy by Joel as Paul in Romans 10:13, the GWT translates it as: "Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  If you will notice in Acts 22:16, Ananias does not tell Paul to keep on praying but rather tells him to call on the name of the Lord by arising and be baptized.  When the Jews on the Day of Pentecost asked Peter how to call on the name of the Lord (2:21, 37), Peter did not tell them to pray but rather to repent (to change one's mind or purpose for the better) and be baptized for the remission of sins.

Top of the page