At John 1:1 the New World Translation reads “and the Word was a god”, where the great majority of English versions read “and the Word was God”. The Greek clause is καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος, in which θεός has no definite article and stands before the verb.
Claim ID claim-bible-john-1-1-a-godConcerns 2013Explicit statement
The organisation’s position or later explanation: The organisation argues that the absence of the article makes θεός qualitative rather than definite, so that the clause describes a quality of the Word rather than identifying him as Almighty God; it offers “divine” and “a godlike one” as alternatives and lists other translations that read similarly.
2013 · John 1:1 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”
The opening verse of John's Gospel in the current (2013) revision of the New World Translation, as displayed in the Study Edition on the Watchtower Online Library.
Provenance and verification note for New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), John 1:1
Confidence note. Chapter page opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026 and the running Bible text read in full; wording confirmed character for character.
1984 · John 1:1 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”
The same verse in the 1984 Reference Bible, which is still hosted on the Watchtower Online Library under the symbol Rbi8. The rendering 'a god' is identical in both editions; only the English word order and the bracketed article differ.
1985 · John 1:1 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Ἐν In ἀρχῇ beginning ἦν was ὁ the λόγος, Word, καὶ and ὁ the λόγος Word ἦν was πρὸς toward τὸν the θεόν, God, καὶ and θεὸς god ἦν was ὁ the λόγος. Word.”
The Watch Tower Society's own interlinear sets its word-for-word English beneath the Westcott and Hort Greek text. Its literal line for the third clause reads 'and god was the Word'; the New World Translation column beside it reads 'and the Word was a god'.
Notes. The Kingdom Interlinear is itself a Watch Tower publication, so this is primary evidence of what the organisation's own scholars took the Greek to say word for word.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID.src-nwtv-int-john-1-1
19 September 2026 · Bible Hub (reproducing the named copyright translations)
“New International Version, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Christian Standard Bible and New American Bible all read: “and the Word was God.” The NET Bible reads “and the Word was fully God”; Smith’s Literal Translation reads “and God was the Word.””
The parallel page for John 1:1. Of the major English versions listed there, none renders the clause 'a god'.
Provenance and verification note for Bible Hub parallel translations, John 1:1 in the parallel English versions
Confidence note. Page opened and every rendering read on 19 September 2026. Read on Bible Hub's reproduction, not in the printed editions; I did not check any version's own printing.
Notes. This quote field compiles renderings quoted separately from one Bible Hub parallel page; it is not a continuous passage. Each rendering was checked word for word against the page, which carries over forty versions.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID.src-nwtv-bh-john-1-1
1985 · pp.1139-1140 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“The articular construction of the noun points to an identity, a personality, whereas a singular anarthrous predicate noun preceding the verb points to a quality about someone. Therefore, John’s statement that the Word, or Logos, was “a god” or “divine” or “godlike” does not mean that he was the God with whom he was.”
The organisation's fullest published defence of 'a god'. The appendix also lists seven other translations that render the clause 'a god', 'divine' or 'godlike', quotes Philip B. Harner's 1973 Journal of Biblical Literature article, and gives a chart of anarthrous predicate nouns in Mark and John (apparition, prophet, thief, king and so on) where translators supply 'a'.
Provenance and verification note for The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, Appendix 2A: Jesus—A Godlike One; Divine
Confidence note. Appendix opened in full on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026; page markers 1139 and 1140 read from the HTML page-number spans.
Notes. The appendix quotes Harner: 'In John 1:1 I think that the qualitative force of the predicate is so prominent that the noun cannot be regarded as definite.' It does not quote any rendering Harner himself proposed.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID.src-nwtv-int-app2a
2013 · study note, John 1:1 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“the Word was a god: Or “the Word was divine [or, “a godlike one”].” … Many scholars agree that the absence of the definite article before the second the·osʹ is significant. When the article is used in this context, the·osʹ refers to God Almighty. On the other hand, the absence of the article in this grammatical construction makes the·osʹ qualitative in meaning and describes a characteristic of “the Word.””
The current study note attached to John 1:1, giving the organisation's present-day reason for the rendering.
A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-bible-john-1-1-a-god/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.