The New World Translation, printed by Jehovah’s Witnesses, includes the word “other” five times in Colossians chapter 1. For instance, in verse 16, where, speaking of Jesus, it says: “because by means of him all other things were created.”
Other Bible translations do not include the word “other,” and the New World Translation is accused of bias by adding the word “other” to enforce the meaning that Jesus is a created being, rather than an uncreated creator or part of the Trinity.
To highlight why they think this is a problem, critics will often quote scriptures such as Revelation chapter 22, which warn of grave consequences for anyone adding to or taking away from Scripture.
This post will give a defense and show how it is not only reasonable and justified to include the word “other” in the scriptural text, but also how it is, in fact, free from bias. Please note that whilst this video will touch on the meaning of Jesus being the firstborn of creation, a deeper consideration of this topic and more will be saved for future presentations.
Now, we will focus on defending the inclusion of the word “other” by looking at how translations are made, where and when it is appropriate to add words, and a lesson in translating Greek from the apostle Paul.
As critics point out, the Greek in Colossians chapter 1, verses 16 to 18, does not include the word “other.” Heteros and allos are both used to mean “other” in Greek and are used several times in the Bible. However, it is true that neither heteros nor allos are used in Colossians chapter 1, verses 16 to 18.
So, with this being the case, how can the word “other” be included in the English translation? If you’ve ever learned a new language, you will know that translating between languages involves a lot more than a simple one-for-one word exchange, and Bible translation is no different.
Indeed, this is obvious, as can be seen by looking at word counts of different Bible translations for Colossians chapter 1, which reveal a wide variation, all of which are different from the Greek. This does not mean all these differences are due to biases or that the translators are trying to change the doctrinal meanings of the verses to suit their particular ideologies. However, one thing to note is that the word “other” is added several times in many translations.
For instance, in Acts chapter 5, the apostles had continued their preaching activity despite orders to the contrary, and in giving an explanation, several Bible translations read: “Peter and the other apostles.” The word “other” is not contained in the Greek but is added. The reason being that Peter is an apostle, so if it read “Peter and the apostles,” this sounds like Peter is not an apostle. So, reading “Peter and the other apostles” makes it explicit that we’re talking about all the apostles and that Peter is in that group. Hence, it is clearer to the reader.
Going back to Colossians chapter 1, this contains “all things,” which in the Greek is panta, derived from pas.
Note what is said in Young’s Concordance about “all”: some particles such as “all” are frequently used for “some” or “most.” Backing this up is commentary from Jason BeDuhn, who says that “all” is commonly used in Greek as hyperbole, where “other” is assumed.
A good example of this is in Luke chapter 11. When Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees, he says: “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue, and all other kinds of garden herbs.” Here, “other” has been added and does not appear in the original Greek. However, mint and rue were widely known as being herbs, so similar to the case with Peter and the other apostles, adding “other” makes sense here too, and many translations do add it.
In fact, not only have scholars made this use of “all” apparent, but the apostle Paul does too. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, it reads: “For he has put everything under his feet.” Here, “everything” is panta, “all things,” from the Greek word pas.
Look how Paul continues. He says: “Now when it says that everything has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.” So, according to Paul, it’s clear that “all things” or “everything” has an exception. In this instance, God, who is putting everything under Christ, is not included in the “all things” that pertain to Christ.
The second point of note is that God counts as a “thing.” Therefore, if we were to take Colossians chapter 1, verse 16 literally without the word “other,” then if Christ created all things, that would have to mean Christ created himself and his Father, which simply doesn’t make sense. As Jason BeDuhn says, “other” is implied in “all,” and the New World Translation simply makes what is implicit explicit.
You can argue whether it is necessary or not to do this, but I think the objections that have been raised show that it is, in fact, necessary, because those objections want to negate the meaning of the phrase “firstborn of creation.” If adding “other” prevents this misreading of the biblical text, then it is useful to have it there.