Editing Jehovah's Witnesses (section)

===Nathan Knorr===
[[File:NathanHomerKnorr-WTPres.png|thumb|right|upright|Nathan Knorr, the third president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society]]
{{See also|Development of Jehovah's Witnesses doctrine}}
[[Nathan H. Knorr|Nathan Knorr]] was appointed as third president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in 1942. Knorr organized large international assemblies, instituted new training programs for members, and expanded missionary activity and branch offices worldwide.<ref>{{harvnb|Beckford|1975|pages=47–52}}</ref> He also increased the use of explicit instructions guiding Jehovah's Witnesses' lifestyle and conduct as well as a greater use of congregational judicial procedures to enforce a strict moral code.<ref>{{harvnb|Beckford|1975|pages=52–55}}</ref>{{sfn|Penton|1997|pages=89–90}} Watch Tower Society literature stopped crediting individual contributors during his tenure, as he believed that recognition should only be given to God.{{sfn|Chryssides|2022|page=23}}  

Knorr commissioned a new translation of the Bible, the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', the full version of which was released in 1961.<ref>{{harvnb|Beckford|1975|pages=47–52}}</ref> Various Bible scholars, including [[Bruce M. Metzger]]<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Metzger|first1=Bruce|date=July 1, 1964|doi=10.1177/000608446401500311|journal=The Bible Translator|volume=15|issue=3|page=151|s2cid=220318160|title=Book Review: New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures|url=http://www.ubs-translations.org/tbt/1964/03/TBT196403.html?seq=49|access-date=October 30, 2018|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802013602/http://www.ubs-translations.org/tbt/1964/03/TBT196403.html?seq=49|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[MacLean Gilmour]],<ref>{{cite journal|first=MacLean |last=Gilmour |date=September 1, 1966|issue=1|journal=Andover Newton Quarterly|pages=25–26|title=The Use and Abuse of the Book of Revelation|volume=7}}</ref> have said that while scholarship is evident in ''New World Translation'', its rendering of certain texts is inaccurate and biased in favor of Witness practices and doctrines.<ref name="pentongov"/><ref>{{cite book |author1=John Ankerberg|author2=John Weldon|author3=Dillon Burroughs|title=The Facts on Jehovah's Witnesses |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rLHuulPCiTgC&pg=PA43|year=2008|publisher=Harvest House Publishers |location=Eugene, OR|isbn=978-0-7369-3907-2|pages=43–45}} See also John Ankerberg and John Weldon, 2003, ''The New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses'', accessible [https://web.archive.org/web/20121029043702/http://www.johnankerberg.org/Articles/ATRI-Bible-School/Fall-Bible-School/fall-bible-school-jw-new-world-translation.htm online]</ref> Critics of the group such as Edmund C. Gruss<ref>{{cite book |author=Edmond C. Gruss |page=211|title=Apostles of Denial}}</ref> and Christian writers such as [[Ray Stedman|Ray C. Stedman]],<ref>Stedman, R.C., "The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures", ''Our Hope'' 50; 34, July 1953. 30 as quoted in Edmond C. Gruss, ''Apostles of Denial'', p. 209.</ref> [[Walter Ralston Martin|Walter Martin]], Norman Klann,<ref>{{cite book|first1=W.|last1=Martin|first2=N.|last2=Klann |location=Minneapolis |page=161|publisher=Bethany|title=Jehovah of the Watchtower|year=1974}}</ref> and [[Anthony A. Hoekema|Anthony Hoekema]]{{sfn|Hoekema|1963|page=208–209}} say the ''New World Translation'' is scholastically dishonest. Most criticism of the ''New World Translation'' relates to its rendering of the New Testament, particularly regarding the introduction of the name ''Jehovah'' and in passages related to the Trinity doctrine.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |editor=G. Hébert |chapter=Jehovah's Witnesses |page=751|publisher=Gale|title=The New Catholic Encyclopedia|volume=7|year=2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Anthony A. Hoekema|isbn=0802831176|pages=208–209|publisher=William B. Eerdmans|title=The Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism|year=1963}}</ref>

The offices of elder and ministerial servant were restored to Witness congregations in 1972.<ref>{{harvnb|Chryssides|2008|pages=32,112}}</ref> In a major organizational overhaul in 1976, the power of the Watch Tower Society president was diminished, with authority for doctrinal and organizational decisions being passed to the [[Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses|Governing Body]].<ref>{{harvnb|Chryssides|2008|page=64}}</ref> Knorr introduced these changes as he believed that people making spiritual decisions should be "called by Christ" rather than elected.{{sfn|Chryssides|2022|page=24}} The presidency's role transitioned into heading the denomination's [[legal entity]].{{sfn|Chryssides|2022|page=24}} The distinction between these roles grew further when all Governing Body members resigned as directors and the [[Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, Inc.]] was formed in 2000.{{sfn|Chryssides|2022|page=26}} Since Knorr's death in 1977, the presidency has been held by [[Frederick Franz]],<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Ostling |first1=Richard |title=Witness Under Prosecution |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,922767,00.html |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930061930/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,922767,00.html |access-date=13 November 2023|archive-date=September 30, 2007 }}</ref> [[Milton George Henschel|Milton Henschel]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Milton Henschel, 72; Executive Who Led Jehovah's Witnesse |work=The New York Times |date=March 30, 2003 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/30/nyregion/milton-henschel-72-executive-who-led-jehovah-s-witnesses.html |access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref> [[Don Alden Adams]]<ref>''Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches 2009, Volume 2009'' by Eileen W. Lindner, Abingdon Press, p. 131</ref> and [[Robert Ciranko]].<ref name=McCoy>{{cite book|author-last=McCoy|author-first=Daniel J.|title=The Popular Handbook of World Religions|publisher=Harvest House Publishers|year=2021|page=287}}</ref>