The Watchtower Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures
An interlinear Greek Bible allows the average person to see the direct correlation between an English translation and the Greek text. Typically, underneath each Greek word in the text the equivalent of the simple English word will be placed. Due to differences in Greek word order and unique idioms, the English under the text maybe rather clumsy. Thus, it is common for an interlinear to set up each page with a column of the word for word Greek and English next to a column of an actual English translation of the text.
In 1969, the Watchtower organization (“Jehovah’s Witness”) printed a Greek Interlinear of the New Testament scriptures. According the book itself, there were 500,000 copies printed for this first edition. In 1985, the second edition was released in which 800,000 copies were produced. The goal of this book is to help the “sincere” and “humble” student of the Bible to see the accuracy of the Watchtower’s own New World Translation of the Bible which promotes its unique teachings. On the left side of each page, a person could see the word for word Greek and English. On the right side of each page, a person could compare the New World Translation.
This Watchtower “gem” is now out-of-print. Why is this book out-of-print if it clearly testifies to the truthfulness of the Watchtower teachings? Simply put, the goal of the organization backfired. As their own students began to see for the first time the Greek text and compare it with the translation and teaching of the Watchtower, it was made clear that the New World Translation was a deceptive translation of the Greek. The Watchtower Bible is merely a man made book published to promote its false teachings. The organization had to pull the plug and no longer make this resource available. In fact, if you ask the current generation of Watchtower students about this interlinear, you will discover that they have never even heard of it.
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