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Part 5. (Continued)
At Acts 15:29 ... the expression in the 1961-2013 New World Translation: "Good health to you" is an added insertion by the Watchtower Society Writing/Translation Staff, from years ago and even the 2013 New "Silver Sword" Edition does not make any adjustment in the rendering. It is an editorial insertion [liberty] Itself, that is not present in the Greek Manuscripts.
Why did the Watchtower Society President Nathan Homer Knorr & Vice-President Fred W. Franz agree to do this "Lawless," deliberate, horrendous sinful act, in the year of 1961???
... To yes, soften the harshness of the Newly installed blood prohibition disfellowshipment-punishment of 1961, upon all Jehovah's Witnesses ... world wide. No doubt, this special, unique NWT rendering, serves to BOOST, strengthen and bolster their Brand New 1961 No-Blood Policy Punishment of Disfellowshipping all Jehovah's Witnesses who, unrepentantly and willfully take a blood transfusion, in the face of certain Judicial Disfellowshipment, just implemented as of the year of 1961. Think about it... -- See: Matthew 24:10-12; Luke 12:2-3; 2nd Thessalonians 2:3-12; Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18-19.
****Co-Pilot's Observations and Commentary on The New World Translation Committee's special rendering of Acts 15:29***
I. Textual Fact: “Good health to you” is NOT in the Greek.
The Greek manuscripts end Acts 15:29 with the four prohibitions:
ἀπέχεσθαι εἰδωλοθύτων καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνικτοῦ καὶ πορνείας
There is no farewell phrase, no blessing, no health wish, no closing formula.
Every manuscript tradition agrees:
Alexandrian
Byzantine
Western
Textus Receptus
Majority Text
Nestle‑Aland
UBS Critical Text
None contain anything resembling “good health to you.”
Thus, the NWT added a phrase that is not translation, but an insertion.
II. Historical Fact: No Major Translation Adds a Closing Phrase
All major translations end with:
“you will do well”
“it shall be well with you”
“you will do good”
None add a farewell sentence.
The NWT is the only Bible in existence that inserts:
“Good health to you!”
This is unique to Watchtower literature.
III. Why the Governing Body Added It — The Doctrinal Motive
1. To soften the harshness of the blood prohibition upon all Jehovah's Witnesses ... world wide.The special rendering, BOOSTS or strengthens their 1961 Blood Policy of disfellowing all Jehovah's Witnesses who, unrepentantly takes a blood translation, in the face of certain Judicial Disfellowshipment, as of the year of 1961. Think about it...
Acts 15:29 contains one of the strictest apostolic commands:
abstain from blood
abstain from strangled things
abstain from idol offerings
abstain from sexual immorality
The Governing Body historically used Acts 15:29 as the legal basis for:
disfellowshipping
judicial action
medical prohibitions
life‑and‑death decisions
Ending the verse abruptly with a hard prohibition felt severe.
So they added a stern pastoral apostolic warning, to suggest to all JWs, stay away from blood and you will have "good health" ... Think about it. They added:
“Good health to you!”
This makes the verse sound:
as a apostolic warning, to avoid taking blood, yet the Apostle Paul did not say this. They added these words.
It is a apostlic warning insertion, and not a literal translation of the original Greek.
2. To reinforce the idea that obeying the blood ban = physical health
Watchtower doctrine taught for decades:
obeying the blood prohibition = better health
blood transfusions = dangerous
abstaining from blood = medically beneficial
Thus, adding:
“Good health to you!”
subtly reinforces the idea that:
obeying the blood ban leads to physical well‑being.
This is not what the Greek says.
But it is what Watchtower doctrine wanted readers to believe.
3. In effect, the Watchtower Society, deliberately obscured the meaning the verse, Acts 15:29.
Acts 15:29 is a legal ruling from the Jerusalem Council.
It is judicial.
It is covenantal.
It is binding.
It is strict.
It is absolute.
IV. YORWW Theological Assessment
According to YORWW analysis, the insertion serves a deeper purpose:
A. It distracts from the absolute nature of the blood prohibition
The Greek is absolute:
αἵματος = blood
no qualifiers
no exceptions
no fractions
no components
no conscience clauses
Adding “good health to you” shifts attention away from the severity of the command.
B. Changing verse 29 creates a false association between obedience and physical health
This reinforces Watchtower propaganda that:
obeying the Governing Body = physical safety
disobeying = danger
This is psychological conditioning, not translation.
C. It masks the judicial tone of the apostolic decree
Acts 15:29 is a legal ruling.
V. Final Conclusion
The phrase “good health to you” in Acts 15:29 of the NWT is:
not Greek
not ancient
not textual
not found in any manuscript
not found in any translation
not a translation at all
It is a Watchtower editorial insertion designed to:
Soften the severity of the blood prohibition
Reinforce the idea that obedience = physical health
Create a friendly pastoral tone
Mask the judicial nature of the apostolic decree
Make the verse sound like a letter closing
This is doctrinal strategy, not linguistic accuracy.
If you want, I can now produce:
A Textual‑Criticism Room for Acts 15:29
A Watchtower Translation Alteration Archive
A Greek‑Manuscript Comparison Module
A Blood Doctrine vs. Greek Grammar Room
Just tell me which module you want next.
Question: What does KJV say here?
Here is exactly what the King James Version (KJV) says at the end of Acts 15:29, quoted within the allowed limit (one line):
“…from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well.”
That is the KJV’s closing phrase — and that is all it says.
There is no:
“good health to you”
“be well”
“may you prosper”
“farewell blessing”
“friendly closing”
The KJV ends the verse with a conditional statement:
“ye shall do well”
Meaning: you will fare well / you will act rightly / you will be approved.
This matches the Greek sense of καλῶς ποιήσετε (“you will do well”), which appears in some manuscripts and ancient versions — but not the NWT’s added phrase.
Why This Matters
1. The KJV does not add any farewell phrase.
It simply translates the Greek sense of “you will do well,” which is a conclusion, not a blessing.
2. The NWT adds a phrase that is not in the Greek.
“Good health to you!” is a Watchtower Society editorial insertion, not a true rendering or translation of the verse [vs. 29].
Think about it...
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