I came across this in considering the Greek of John 1.1 and other related text
in Greek relating to the Deity of Christ. I believe he is a Professor of
Linguistics. I ordered his book "Babylon Cypher" Concerning language and
possibly Social Sciences.
Interestingly, the New World Translation is often targeted as being "wrong" but it is far from the only translation that renders it as such. The argument was not even about the NWT at all so it seems someone may simply have a bee in their bonnet.
Here is an interesting comment from Robert Price, who although is considered by most a rebel to New Testament theology, does shed some light on John 1.1 and other trinitarian concepts. Also, other beliefs Jehovah's Witnesses hold.
Interestingly, the New World Translation is often
targeted as being "wrong" but it is far from the only translation that renders
it as such. The argument was not even about the NWT at all so it seems someone
may simply have a bee in their bonnet.
Here are a few translations, I am sure
you could find more.
1)14th century: "and God was the word" – Wycliffe's Bible
(translated from the 4th-century Latin Vulgate)
2)1808: "and the Word was a god"
– Thomas Belsham
3)The New Testament, in an Improved Version, Upon the Basis of
Archbishop Newcome’s New Translation: With a Corrected Text, London. 1822: "and
the Word was a god" – The New Testament in Greek and English (A. Kneeland,
1822.)
4):1829 "and the Word was a god" – The Monotessaron; or, The Gospel History
According to the Four Evangelists (J. S. Thompson, 1829)
5) 1863 "and the Word was
a god" – A Literal Translation of the New Testament (Herman Heinfetter
[Pseudonym of Frederick Parker], 1863)
6)1864 "and a god was the Word" – The
Emphatic Diaglott by Benjamin Wilson, New York and London (left hand column
interlinear reading)
7) 1867 "and the Son was of God" – The Joseph Smith
Translation of the Bible 1879: "and the Word was a god" – Das Evangelium nach
Johannes (J. Becker, 1979)
8)1885 "and the Word was a god" – Concise Commentary
on The Holy Bible (R. Young, 1885)
9) 1911 "and [a] God was the word" – The Coptic
Version of the New Testament in the Southern Dialect, by George William Horner
10)1924 "the Logos was divine" – The Bible: James Moffatt Translation, by James
Moffatt. 1935:
11) "and the Word was divine" – The Bible: An American Translation,
by John M. P. Smith and Edgar J. Goodspeed, Chicago.
12) 1955 "so the Word was
divine" – The Authentic New Testament, by Hugh J. Schonfield, Aberdeen.
13)1956 "And the Word was as to His essence absolute deity" – The Wuest Expanded
Translation
14)1958 "and the Word was a god" – The New Testament of Our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Anointed (J. L. Tomanec, 1958);
15)1975 "and a god (or, of a divine
kind) was the Word" – Das Evangelium nach Johnnes, by Siegfried Schulz,
Göttingen, Germany
16)1975 "and the Word was a god" – Das Evangelium nach Johannes
(S. Schulz, 1975);
17)1978 "and godlike sort was the Logos" – Das Evangelium nach
Johannes, by Johannes Schneider, Berlin
18) 1985 “So the Word was divine” - The
Original New Testament, by Hugh J. Schonfield.
19) 2017 “and the Logos was god” -
The New Testament: A Translation, by David Bentley Hart.
