Bible Versions
A Position Paper
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a
famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for
water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall
wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they
shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not
find [it]. Amos 8:11-12
Prologue
The discussion over bible versions is an emotionally charged
issue. It can raise walls faster than they fell at Jericho. This
paper is not an attempt to raise any walls, but to explain why I
feel as I do on this issue.
There is no malicious intent. I do not question the sincerity of
those who disagree, although I believe that they are incorrect. I
am also not calling into question anyone's salvation or
spirituality, those are personal matters between the reader and
the one, true God.
It should be noted that throughout most of this paper the Hebrew
manuscripts are not mentioned as much as the Greek. This is
because the major point of difference is in the Greek Texts.
Introduction
A phenomenon began in the 1960's. By the 1970's the centuries old
standard of truth was "taking it on the chin" by
newcomers. The great bible version wars had begun. The rash of
new, "modern" English versions began around 1880 with
Wescott and Hort's new Greek text and the Revised Version
Committee of which they were prominent members. Acceptance was
low and only occasional skirmishes prevailed in the United States
until this time.
Suddenly advertisements began touting the "more
accurate" versions for the "serious student." The
more liberal churches seemed to join the new crowd the fastest.
Eventually the fundamental groups also accepted newer texts.
Conservative Baptists, particularly independent Baptists, were
some of the last to move. Few churches, independent or
denominational, remain that adhere exclusively to the old
standard. Proponents of the KJV only position are viewed as
pariahs.
What should we make of all of this? Is it significant? I endeavor
to explore this and more. The intent of this paper is not to
present the many hundreds of altered verses, or list their kind
and category. This work has already been done by many others, who
are much more able than I. What I do intend to present are my
thoughts regarding the data already presented so well by others.
Doctrine or Conviction
This is an important issue. Is the version of the Bible you read
a doctrinal issue or one of conviction? If it is doctrinal, then
there is a right and a wrong side and the matter applies to the
whole body. If it is a conviction, it is the way the Holy Spirit
has personally impressed an individual, but it may not apply to
the body as a whole. The Holy Spirit may indeed impress certain
individuals to behave in a certain manner, and for them it would
be sin not to ("...for whatsoever [is] not of faith is
sin." Romans 14:23c). That is a conviction.
The Bible Version debate centers around the Word of God. What is
and what is not the Word of God?
Since "...faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word
of God" (Romans 10:17), knowing what is, and is not, His
Word is extremely important. It is a matter of spiritual life and
death.
Psalm 12 tells us that the "words of the Lord are pure
words" and that God will "preserve them from this
generation for ever". I believe this is literal truth. I
believe that God inspired the scripture writers and that the
exact words of the Lord were preserved for all generations from
the recording of the same, until this day. Nothing has been
hidden, nothing will be uncovered because God divinely, as he
promised, preserved his Word for all generations because he is
willing that none perish (2 Peter 3:9). God is also no respecter
of persons (Col 3:25). To allow some generations only corrupted
or incomplete scriptures would be a form of cruelty, affecting
their ability to have faith through hearing the Word of God.
I believe the following discourse will show that the bible
version debate is a doctrinal issue, because the propagators of
the new versions deny God's supernatural preservation of the
scriptures.
In his book attacking fundamentalism, James Barr says: "Once
the unique primacy of the Authorized Version has gone, the
implication is that there can be many translations. Less and less
can any English form of words be taken as a direct transcript of
the mind of God. More and more must the question be put, what can
we know of the mind of the author that can decide the questions
of interpretation? For, once the idea has been lost that the
Authorized Version is the direct transcript of the mind of God,
it will be found that even the Greek or Hebrew text cannot be
taken as the direct transcript of the mind of God either. Thus
the change of attitude to the English translations in the last
decade or so may typify and be proleptic of a yet greater shift
of emphasis in conservative faith." (Fundamentalism, 1978,
James Barr, Page 212 - emphasis mine)
A Little Background
Most people are told that modern versions are merely the Holy
Bible in updated English. People assume that they are basically
the KJV with out the thee's, thou's, ye's and yea's. But there is
more, and most people don't know it.
All new bible versions are based on the foundational work
(although not all are based on their actual Greek Text) of two
men, Wescott and Hort. These men were clergy in the Church of
England and sought to reconstruct a Greek text to the Bible. They
believed that the KJV was flawed and they directly sought to
change it. They produced a New Greek Text, which became the
foundational work for all new bible versions, including the
misnamed New King James bible.
What they constructed was really nothing new. Since the time of
Paul, people were corrupting scriptures (II Cor 2:17). The chief
enemies of the scriptures were the gnostics in Alexandria, Egypt.
In a very rough and much paraphrased form, it can be said that
soon there were two basic sets of manuscripts. Out of Antioch
came what was to become the Textus Receptus. (The term Textus
Receptus, or Received Text, comes from the 1633 edition of the
Greek Text which says in Latin "The text which is now
received by all" without either alteration or corruption.
The term is now generally applied to the Greek texts underlying
the KJV and the earliest printed editions of the Greek texts -
[History of the Bible in English, 1978, F.F. Bruce, Pages
127-128]) Out of Alexandria, and on to Rome, came the Roman
Catholic manuscripts.
From day one the Catholic hierarchy sought to destroy the
followers of any text but their own. Groups throughout history,
and well before the Protestant Reformation, defied the Papal
system and studied what they believed were the preserved words of
God. For this they were persecuted, tortured and killed in
manners which will not be discussed in this forum.
When the Reformation came, each and every group that left the
Catholic Church (of which I am aware) turned immediately to the
Textus Receptus and threw away their Catholic bibles. Did all of
the reformers act out of spite? Or was there a spiritual reason
for this move? I believe it was spiritual.
Catholicism was and is the avowed enemy of any Bible based on the
Textus Receptus. It was placed on their forbidden book list and
remains there, as far as I know. Ironically, the Textus Receptus,
was compiled from the Antiochian manuscripts by a Catholic named
Erasmus. It was first published as such in 1516. This compilation
was unique only in that it pulled together in one place all of
the manuscripts already being used by bible believing Christians.
Erasmus believed that the Bible was God's Word.
Like the Roman Catholic Church, Wescott and Hort did not like the
Textus Receptus. When they went to reconstruct a new Greek text,
the two biggest documents that affected their changes to the TR
were the Vaticanus and Sinaticus - two Roman Catholic documents.
These manuscripts contain thousands of variant readings from the
TR. Unfortunately, for the revisers, they hardly agree with each
other. Nonetheless, our "biblical scholars" picked and
chose the readings they would use in their new text. Writing
about the Revised Version Committee and Wescott and Hort's New
Greek Text, F.F. Bruce says:
"...Wescott and Hort ... ardently espoused the claims of the
two great uncial manuscripts, the Vatican and Sinatic codices, to
reproduce the original text in as pure a state as could be
attained."
"... the text of the two great codices did not seem to them
(Wescott and Hort) to stray from what they believed to be the
norm ..."
"They (Wescott and Hort) placed their critical work (New
Greek Text) at the disposal of their colleagues on the revision
company, and to a very large degree their findings on the text
were approved by the majority ..."
(All three quotes from History of the Bible in English, pp.139)
Many of the thousands of additions, deletions and changes exist
in only one or a handful of extant
manuscripts. These men decided which were most reliable for their
new manuscript. Out of this, the New Greek Text was born. Its
research has been used to change your bible.
Spiritual or Spiritualist
But what of these bold men who would uncover the truth of God's
Holy Word. They were clergy of the Church of England. Well
learned men of the best schooling and upon this they rested their
ability to reconstruct God's Word for us, since it was not
accurately in English print.
Wescott and Hort were not holy men. They were spiritualists.
While they were working on their text of a lifetime, a text that
would change English and American protestantism, they were busy
conjuring spirits.
Wescott and Hort were college buddies who founded the Ghostly
Guild. This group studied paranormal phenomena. A favorite
pastime was to talk to dead spirits. They never left this
"hobby."
Wescott and Hort both retained ties throughout their lives with
spiritualist groups. Some of the groups they founded grew to
become the foundation for our modern "New Age"
movement. Hence the calling of the new bible versions, by some,
as New Age Versions.
Wescott and Hort, two men you would never, ever let into your
pulpit now lurk in the recesses of your bible.
Creationism vs. Intellectualism
Much has been written and said of the Christians who accept
evolutionary theory, in spite of God's
obvious Word on creation. It is said that they have bowed down to
the intellectuals. Scientists intimidate them with
"finds" and the Christians who are intimidated cower
and twist the scriptures to fit new teachings.
Until Darwin's theory was published, no one thought the seven
days of creation were ages, eons, or
allegorical. All Jews and Christians accepted the words as they
were: six days of literal creation and one day of rest. God used
this for an example in Exodus when instituting the Sabbath
(Exodus 20:11). The Holy Spirit apparently never whispered to
anyone in the thousands of previous years that true meaning was
ages, eons, or etc.
Clearly God meant what He said. Clearly those who say otherwise
are doctrinally in error. They weaken the faith by casting doubt
upon God's Word and caving in to the intellectuals of the world.
The same case can be made against modern versionists. They have
been duped into believing that these new versions are updates of
language only, but they are not. They are alterations to God's
Word.
Modern versionists have placed their faith in linguists with
PhD's who have dubious spiritual
backgrounds. These "experts", starting with Wescott and
Hort, take the work of the Holy Spirit into their own hands. They
believe that the bible has not been accurately preserved. Hence
they search out the latest scrap of paper, looking for older and
older manuscripts with which they may alter their new greek
texts.
The state of modern greek texts is in flux. Ever since Wescott
and Hort's groundbreaking work the text has been altered. New
"oldest" manuscripts are found (much like the
"new" discoveries scientists make to confirm evolution)
year after year and "experts" sift and discuss their
relevance. They determine if the new information changes the
text.
God no longer preserves His Word. A band of men must do the work
for our weak God.
The popular NIV bible is already hopelessly outdated, based on
its own underlying new greek text
(Nestle/Aland). In fact many variant readings in the text
underlying the NIV have reverted back to the KJV rendering since
its publication. F.F. Bruce points out that "at the present
time (1978)" scholars agree with the underlying Greek text
to the NIV, but, as this wishy-washy quote implies, it will (and
did) change. (History of the Bible in English, p 266)
Standard or Moving Target
The Holy Bible is no longer a standard, it is a moving target.
New modern versions are being created all of the time. Each are
sold as the "most accurate" based on the newest Greek
text available from the scholars of the day. Unfortunately, the
Greek texts keep changing.
Once upon a time, lost and saved knew where to turn for the true
Word of God. I read in a book about the great evangelists in the
1800's and how everyone revered the Word. Even the tough
characters that wanted nothing to do with God, at least knew
where to find him if they wanted. Today, even our ministers don't
know. Polls show that shockingly many protestant preachers no
longer believe in the infallibility of God's Word. How can they,
when modern seminaries teach them that the new versions are
"more accurate", which is a statement that presumes
that the KJV is "less accurate". If it is not 100%
accurate, then God never bothered to preserve His complete Word
anywhere in English, in fact He did not even bother to preserve
it in the original tongues.
Bruce M. Metzger sums it all up for the new versionists in the
title of his 1964 work, "The Text of the New Testament: Its
Transmission, Corruption and Restoration". In the preface to
his book he defends the practice of textual criticism (whereby
scholars look at manuscripts and decide what stays, goes or is
added to the ever-changing new Greek Texts) by stating: "The
necessity of applying textual criticism to the books of the New
Testament arises from two circumstances: (a) none of the original
documents is extant, and (b) the existing copies differ from one
another." Professor Metzger is correct in his two statements
- no original documents exist and some manuscripts do differ. The
reviser's response to this truth is different from mine though.
The revisers see this "evidence" and claim that they
must reconstruct the original by scholarly means. I propose that
God, through the Holy Spirit, miraculously preserved His Word.
Professor Metzger also fails to state that the differing
manuscripts are far in the minority. They obviously result from
corruption in Paul's time and later as mentioned earlier.
English, English
Why would God preserve His Word in English in 1611? Isn't it the
English of Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth? No. The Bible
dedicated to Queen Elizabeth and used by the playwright was the
Geneva Bible.
Both famous individuals where dead in 1611. God choose the time
when the English language had
matured. By this time English was a mature and relatively stable
language. The written word of 1611 could be understood by English
speaking peoples from then until the end of time.
The language of 1611 was precise. It holds its precision even
unto this very day. The same things that many people say are
reasons for having modern bibles, are the very reasons they
should retain the KJV.
The cliche of all objections is the thee's and ye's. With a
little effort and study, a bible student will find the value in
these over the general word you. If I said "I say unto you,
you must be born again", to whom am I referring? Perhaps to
a crowd of people, perhaps to one. The KJV English would read,
"I say unto thee, ye must be born again." The word thee
is singular. We know that the sentence is directed to the person
to whom he is speaking. But the latter part of the sentence
starts with ye, which is plural. Now we know that not just one
person must be born again. It is directed to all of us, plural.
Modern English is not so precise.
Doctors and Lawyers all have their own special language subsets
to ensure precision and accuracy. The Holy Spirit has done the
same in the English language. In actuality very few archaic words
exist in the KJV.
And the few that do can be easily found in a dictionary. Isn't it
worth a minute in a dictionary now and then to hear what the Holy
Spirit has to say?
Reverend D. A. Waite, ThD, PhD and Director of the Bible for
Today Incorporated, went to the trouble of examining the 1611 KJV
version with our current edition of the KJV. His fascinating
facts are as follows:
In comparing the versions phonetically (looking for sound
differences, not spelling differences), from Genesis to
Revelation, he found a total of 421 phonetic changes out of
791,328 words. Only 136 of those 421 were substantial changes
involving different words. The remaining 285 were minor changes
of word formation. That is a total of 136 substantial word
changes out of 791,328 words in almost 400 years. Now that is a
standard!
Up until the mid-twentieth century, the KJV was almost universal
in American Protestantism. At the
same time the church and society were much more godly than today.
Massive groups of people were not calling out for new English
versions. The new versions were foisted upon us by intellectuals.
They created the market for their wares, the market did not
create the wares. Somehow, the masses were able to understand the
KJV - suddenly they are not.
Translation vs. Interpretation
We now know that the new versions are not just English updates.
That is a matter of fact. New versions are based on new (and ever
changing) Greek texts. The KJV is based on the time honored
Textus Receptus and its underlying manuscripts. But what about
translation techniques?
The word translation means "to bring over". In other
words, when one translates he is bringing the words of one
language into the words of another. Interpretation, on the other
hand, conveys the thought.
Interpretation is higher level of translating. In the case of the
bible, a translator would get a greek word and bring it over as
closely as possible. An interpreter would try to bring over the
thought - not necessarily the words.
The KJV was translated by the finest assortment of men ever
assembled for such a task. I encourage all to read about it. The
methodology used and the number of fully competent translators
used has never been duplicated. Most modern version work is done
in secret, many times by secret committees. Some versions have
never released the names of their translators (NASB is one). The
work on the KJV was public and the men behind it were known. Why
new versions must work in secret is unknown.
The NIV makes a big deal about its large team which encompasses
many denominations. Other versions have used this approach as
well. But in the end, generally only one or a handful of men
actually do the work. The rest are editors, not translators.
Compare this approach to the meticulous methods employed by the
KJV.
All new versions are really interpretations of the bible and not
translations. They are not as concerned with actual words as they
are with the thoughts. If you read the preface to the NIV you
will see that stated boldly. It says they were after the
thoughts. Bible interpretation is the work of saints, and it can
be accepted or rejected. But God's Words are pure and holy. They
may not be rejected. I may agree or disagree with an
interpretation of a given scripture, but I dare not deny God's
Words. The new versions admit to having built in interpretations,
if this is so then it contains man's words with God's.
A Mingled Seed
God commanded His people not to sow a mingled seed (Lev 19:19).
Since scholars are telling us that we can not trust the purity of
God's Word, then God's Word must include some of man's word in
it. And with interpretation substituting for translation, even
more of man's word is in God's Word. How can we keep from sowing
a mingled seed? Can God confirm a mingled seed?
Our Precious Lord Jesus Christ
Nothing is more precious than the deity of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. If He was not God, then we are yet in our sins and
we will all go to Hell. For some reason, all of these new and
"more accurate" versions attack the deity of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The words Lord and Christ are removed over and
over. John Anwyll of Lemoyne, PA counted over 100 instances where
the lordship or the deity of Jesus Christ is reduced or removed.
Why does the move toward "accuracy" always diminish our
Lord?
The deceptively named New King James Version Greek text)
"translates" the exact same greek word as son and
servant (and it can mean either). When dealing with Jesus it
translates the word as servant of God (with a footnote saying
that it may be son), but when dealing with a man, he has a son,
not a servant (and no footnote saying it may be servant). This is
a blatant attack upon our Lord. Either translate the word
consistently or footnote consistently. We must contend earnestly
for the faith, but the enemy must destroy Jesus. The one world
church which will be built and will usher in the anti-christ,
will only be able to be formed on a Christ-less bible, a bible
that ravages the deity of Jesus.
In keeping with the stated purpose of this paper, I will not list
examples of the many cases where our Lord is attacked. I refer
all readers to other fine works on the subject which would
present the verses much better than I.
Twisted Meanings
If all versions are God's Word, then we would expect to find them
in agreement. They should just use more modern "hip"
language while conveying the same message. Let's look at a few
scriptures side by side.
I will compare the KJV to the NIV since it seems to be the most
popular and most promoted new version.
II Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture
is of any private interpretation. (KJV)
II Peter 1:20 Above all you must understand that no prophecy of
Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. (NIV)
Here we change what some interperate as a blanket prohibition
against private interpretation of the
scriptures and turn it into a statement about the prophet's mind
set and motivation exclusively. There is no prohibition on
private interpretations. These verses say two different things.
Does God or does He not prohibit private interpretations of
scripture? It depends what version you read.
Galations 5:12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
(KJV)
Galations 5:12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the
whole way and emasculate themselves! (NIV)
Is this the same? In the KJV, Paul says that the legalistic
trouble makers should be cut off. This is an easy phrase for any
non-scholar to understand, it is used often, and means that they
should be disassociated. The NIV rendering has Paul cursing the
legalists and wishing they would cut off their genitals. Is this
a thought from Christ through Paul? Is this a Christ-like
example? These verses say two different things. Would Paul wish
for the legalists to mutilate themselves, or that they were
separated from the believers until they changed their minds? It
depends what version you read.
Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through His blood,
[even] the forgiveness of sins (KJV)
Colossians 1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of
sins (NIV)
Unfortunately modern English readers don't understand that nasty
word blood, so we will just strike it out of the text. It is not
important anyway, is it? In the defense of the NIV they do retain
most references to the word blood, but why not here in such an
important context? I examined all New Testament blood references
in the KJV to the Today's English Version (TEV) and found all
relating to Christ's redemptive blood were missing. In other
contexts the word was ok, but not when dealing with His
sacrifice. I may be out of touch with modern reality, but doesn't
everyone know what the word blood means?
Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou
comest into thy kingdom. (KJV)
Luke 23:42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come
into your kingdom." (NIV)
In both versions this is followed by Christ assuring the thief
that he would be in Paradise that day with Him. But wait! Where
is the thief's profession of faith in the NIV? It does not exist.
In the NIV this particular thief gets a free ride. Why should he
go to be with the Lord and not the other thief? What is going on?
If you look at the KJV the issue is clear, the thief called upon
the name of the Lord and was saved. He called Jesus his Lord. He
recognized Him as Lord and Savior.
I have mentioned this verse to Mormons and Catholics in defense
of our position that one need not be baptized in water to go to
heaven. The Mormon said the thief was baptized in his death and
the Catholic said this guy did not go to heaven - he went to
paradise and stayed there. Without the word Lord, we are
defenseless and can not say why this thief should go to heaven.
Without the word Lord, this verse could help prove universal
salvation.
I John 5:7-8 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and
the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. (KJV)
I John 5:7-8 For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the
water and the blood; and the three are in
agreement. (NIV)
In the KJV, we find one of the clearest evidences of the Trinity
in the scriptures. It is torn from the pages of the NIV and
suggested in the footnotes that it was added to the scriptures in
the 1500s. (F.F. Bruce says the verse was added by the Spaniard
Priscillian before his execution for heresy [by the Catholic
Church] in 385 A.D. - History of the Bible in English, p 141)
These verses are drastically different. Clearly one is wrong and
the other is correct. If the NIV is correct, then the KJV is in
error and should be discarded as corrupted. If the KJV is
correct, then the NIV is guilty of removing parts of God's Word -
a serious offense.
Which is the True Word of God?
I will only expound on one more of many possible examples. This
one is near and dear to me because it cemented my opinion on this
entire subject. When I found this difference during my personal
study time, I was angered at what they had done to the
scriptures. There is a very good and beautiful portion of
scripture which clearly illustrates the steps to salvation in a
nut shell. I have
read them to people before to demonstrate what I believe. I am
referring to Phillip and the Eunuch. In Acts 8:26-40 the
conversion of the eunuch is related. Phillip is led by the Spirit
and approaches a man reading Isaiah in his chariot. Phillip
explains the message of the Gospel to the man. He immediately
asks: Why shouldn't I be baptized? (NIV). In the NIV the chariot
is stopped at once and the eunuch baptized. Missing in the
account is verse 37 (KJV) where it is stated: And Phillip said,
If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he
answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
This powerful profession of faith is no longer needed (in the new
versions) for one to be baptized.
Baptism itself leads to salvation. Why should this verse be
stripped from my bible? Did generations of English reading
believers err in their reading and interpretation of this
encounter? F.F. Bruce says, "This (Acts 8:37) represents an
attempt to bring the Ethiopian's baptism into line with what soon
became regular church procedure ..." (History of the Bible
in English p 195 - emphasis mine). Again the two bibles are not
the same. They convey different meanings. Either God is double
minded or one of them is wrong. The one that is wrong is not the
whole and complete Word of God.
Footnotes, Footnotes, Footnotes
The new versions are filled with impressive footnotes referencing
manuscript evidence and the ever
popular "ancient witnesses" (who are never named). What
are the footnotes for, what do they accomplish?
Plain and simple, they call into question the Word of God. When a
scholar blocks off a portion of
scripture or footnotes it with "Some late Manuscripts",
"some manuscripts", et cetera, he is placing doubt on
that scripture. How am I, a simple believer, to interpret John
7:53-8:11? In the NIV and most new versions it is bracketed off,
caged like some evil wild animal with a warning posted on the
bars:
The earliest and most reliable manuscripts and other ancient
witnesses do not have John 7:53-8:11
What does that mean? Are these scholars telling me it is or is
not scripture? Should I believe it? Should I throw it out? Should
my Pastor be allowed to preach from these sections of scripture?
Clearly this type of handling of the scriptures promotes
disharmony and disbelief.
Mark 16:9-20 has a similar warning plastered before it:
The most reliable early manuscripts and other ancient witnesses
do not have Mark 16:9-20.
I ask the same questions again. And, if these scholars who
compiled these new versions believe that only unreliable early
manuscripts and late manuscripts contain these verses, then why
are they
maintained? Are they afraid of the uproar if they just blatantly
remove them? Probably so. The bible revisers follow a cowardly
path of casting doubt in one version, footnoting in another, and
then
removing without notation. In future, more accurate, modern
bibles, you will find many of these sections missing.
[It should be noted that Irenaeus quoted from the these late,
corrupted verses of Mark in about 150 AD, the
"superior", "most reliable" manuscripts date
from 350 to 375 AD. What time machine
did Irenaeus use to discover the corruptions 150 years in
advance?]
Unity
The rallying cry against the KJV proponents is that they disrupt
unity. This is foolishness. There was unity in churches before
the version controversy. People were not begging for new versions
to
understand the bible better. Scholars wanted to build a better
bible based on their scholarly studies, and then foisted them
upon the public as updated English versions.
I remember, fondly, as a child the congregational readings
directly from the Word of God. It was a powerful way to impart
the Word to the whole congregation. It ensured that their
thoughts were with the Pastor as all eyes scanned the word and
read them in unison.
Try it today and the result would be a mess. Everyone has their
own version, each with its own interpretation of the scriptures.
I sat in a bible study once where the leader was teaching from
the KJV (although a proponent of new versions). We got to Romans
8:1.
He read the verse half way and asked for whom there is no
condemnation. The answer was the second half of the verse, those
who walk after the Spirit. He stressed that the second half of
the
verse was vital to understanding the whole verse. In subsequent
examination, I found that the NIV eliminates the second half of
the verse. If I was an NIV reader, what should I have made of
that
leader's statement? He must have been wrong, because that last
part of the verse is no longer considered part of God's Word.
The first deception in this world came about because Satan
questioned God's Word. In Genesis 3:1 he said, "Yea. Hath
God said...". Hey Eve, did God really say what you thought
He said?
Eve, I've got some archeological research that says ......
Unity is not enhanced by modern versions and KJV proponents are
not the cause of disharmony. The cause is the agent of change and
that agent of change was and is the new versions which are being
constantly created and updated. New versions have created
disharmony and confusion in the church.
A Spiritual Book
The Holy Bible is God's Word. It is a spiritual book. God intends
for it to be understood. If we read it prayerfully, seeking God's
wisdom and the Holy Spirit's divine guidance, we will understand
it. God has preserved His Word in understandable, intelligible
English. He has preserved it in the language of the Holy Spirit
in English in the KJV. English speaking peoples around the globe
can
understand it easily, especially with the help of the Holy
Spirit.
Reading the bible is not like reading a how to manual. A common
book is the word of man. It does not come with its own spiritual
interpreter and helper. The true Holy Bible does.
People will cry, but I know of people who have been saved through
new versions! They must be ok. Well people have been saved
through many mediums: television, tracts, pamphlets, etc. Just
because something contains the Word of God, it does not mean that
it is entirely the Word of God. I believe new versions do contain
the Word of God, but in a mingled state.
Many are fond to point out that one can be saved out of the
Jehovah's Witnesses by their own bible. This is true, but who
would recommend that they continue to learn from it? In fact the
NIV is
more closely related to the NWT than the KJV. Just because
something has enough true scripture in it to save, it is not a
reason to continue using it for study. If I was saved from a
Chick tract, should I use it as my bible henceforth?
It is interesting to note that three of the largest
"Christian" opposers of the KJV are the Mormons, Roman
Catholics, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Most bible-based believers
will admit that these three
groups do not preach salvation solely through the completed work
of Jesus Christ. Since the Bible is a spiritual book it will, by
the Holy Spirit, convict people of doctrinal errors. The
Catholics have
long since followed the Alexandrian manuscripts to avoid this
conviction. The Jehovah's Witnesses are famous for their NIV-like
New World Translation, which raises the ire of fundamentalists
even
though they use the NIV, NASB, NRSV, NKJV, etc. But the Mormons
always stumped me.
Everyone (including themselves) says they use the KJV. It did not
add up to me, how could they use this spiritual book and not have
more Mormons falling away from the false faith by the power of
the Holy Spirit? As it turns out, the Mormons use a kind of KJV
called the "Inspired Revision of the Authorized Version (By
Joseph Smith, Junior) A New Corrected Edition, 1944". Mormon
history says that when Smith received his magic glasses and the
Book of Mormon gold
plates, he also received corrections to the KJV (A.K.A. the
Authorized Version). The Book of Mormon says, "For behold,
they have taken away, from the gospel of the Lamb, many parts
which are plain and most precious." Joseph Smith was to
correct this. For some reason Smith kept his revision secret. He
died in 1844 and his wife finally gave it to the Mormon
organization which published it in 1866. Unfortunately Smith's
new "divine" additions had some problems and the new
"Inspired Revision" came out in 1944. When you set out
to change God's Word, it seems you just can't stop.
Another View
After writing the first version of this paper, I decided that it
was time to give the other side a chance. To be honest, all of
the books I had read on the subject of versions were written by
KJV
proponents. I set out to find a scholarly book by a new
versionist.
I found "The Bible In The Making" by Geddes MacGregor,
a Scottish clergyman who worked in some capacity with the RSV
committee. He is a theologian with a Doctor of Divinity and a
writer of at least 10 books on religious/theological subjects.
His book traced the making of the bible throughout the centuries,
highlighting important works and the people behind them. He spent
about four chapters on the background and efforts of the King
James Version. He confirmed many of the facts related in the
pro-KJV books about the quality of the KJV translation. Although
he lauded their work, MacGregor admitted that it needed replaced
because of the corrupt manuscripts upon which the KJV was based.
"Their [Wescott and Hort] Greek text varied from the
'received text' in nearly six thousand instances. This text was
of great importance to the revisers. The King James translators
had had
nothing better than Beza's Greek text, which had been printed in
1598 and, being largely based on the text of Erasmus, was fairly
good in its way, yet dependent on late and corrupt medieval
manuscripts." (Page 210, emphasis mine)
F.F. Bruce confirms this opinion as well, "The principle
defect of the AV is one for which the translators cannot be held
responsible.
In the New Testament especially, the text which they used was an
inferior one." (History of the Bible in English, p127)
Furthermore, I have read numerous quotes in pro-KJV books that
show the reviser's destain for fundamental Christianity. At the
end of the book, MacGregor goes into a tirade against those who
oppose his views of the bible. The quote is long, but worthwhile.
It seems that the revisers are truly of one heart.
"A word should be said here on the subject of what is still
called in America-very misleadingly-"fundamentalism."
By this is usually meant literalism in the reading of the Bible;
that is, the practice of attempting or claiming to attempt to
read the Bible as though it contained no figurative language.
Since the language of religion is in the nature of the case even
more figurative than are most other kinds of language, though all
language is figurative to some extent at least, such a claim is
absurd. It also betokens a peculiarly non-religious frame of
mind. It is true that some people are more literalistic in their
thinking than are others: imagination and intelligence are not
universal endowments. But to say that a person's thinking is
literalistic is to really imply that he has a
block against religious thought, a barrier, indeed against even
the beginnings of a religious attitude. The so-called
"fundamentalist" is therefore the most irreligious of
men. Not only is the "fundamentalist's" arrogance
stupid: it is fundamentally opposed to the indispensable
condition required for beginning to understand what religion is
all about. All religious men in every age have
been in some sense poets, though they have been also much else
besides. To undertake to read the Bible literalistically is to
make certain of wasting one's time. To read the Bible one need
not be
learned, so long as one is humble enough and earnest enough to
make use of the helps the learned have so abundantly provided,
often out of a profound love of the Scriptures they have studied
with
unremitting care." (Pages 309-310, emphasis mine)
Let's see, the Bible can not be read literalistically (note the
error he makes saying that fundamentalists say there is no
figurative writing in the Bible) and anyone who does so is stupid
and irreligious. We are also wasting our time!
But even more dangerous than this man's name calling is his real
view of the Bible. Notice how it is to be read by us
"commoners". We must be humble enough to realize that
we can not understand the Bible without the helps of more learned
men. This is dangerous heresy! We are no longer priests (I Peter
2:5), can no longer hear from the Holy Spirit himself. We
less-learned must rely on the interpretations of the
intellectual. Where have I heard that before?
In fact, MacGregor writes in his book that the Roman Catholics
were correct in their hearts, if not their actions, in their
efforts to restrict good Catholics' access to the scriptures.
They were only
trying to ensure that they received proper interpretation.
Notably absent in MacGregor's book was any mention of the work of
the Holy Spirit; how can you write about the Word of God and
ignore the Holy Spirit? He never speaks of Jesus Christ as his
Lord, either. Have you noticed that in new bible versions the
word lord, when used for Jesus, is being replaced more and more
by Master? The reader may note that Judas is never recorded as
calling Jesus his Lord, but he did refer to him as Master (I
Corinthians 12:3 - "... no man can say that Jesus is the
Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.").
"The Bible in the Making" was written during the
1950's. During my research for version 3.0 of this paper, I
stumbled across a much newer work (1979) by Geddes MacGreggor.
Curiously it was titled "Gnosis" and was about
Gnostics. In the inner leaf, the publisher's name was given as
The Theosophical Society of America - an occult book publisher!
MacGreggor is now pushing gnostic thought, and accusing the early
church, particularly Iraneaus, of error in stopping the movement.
He is enthralled by the Alexandrian cults and believes that Jesus
can only be understood within His gnostic setting. He calls for a
twentieth century reformation of the church along Alexandrian
lines. This is not surprising. In majority, the texts used to
"correct" the Recieved Text are Alexandrian in
origin. If we accept their perverted versions of the Word, why
not emulate them further?
Conclusions
It is my opinion that the reliance on new versions will lead to
apostasy. I am not saying that all churches which adopt new
versions will be instantly propelled to the gates of Hell. I am
saying that in the long term these versions will muddy the purity
of the scriptures. Since the versions themselves are sometimes
contradictory and since new greek texts (and bibles based upon
them) are continually being churned out, believers will slowly
turn to some man-made authority to interpret the scriptures for
them. Eventually, this will usher in a new-age, one world, one
faith religion. Satan can not deal with the Word of God. He must
destroy it to prevail.
The book "New Age Bible Interpretation" by the New Age
Press says, "The keys to the deepest mysteries of the Bible
have been lost to the warders of popular Christianity since the
early centuries of our era. In this new cycle of power and
illumination they must be restored to the many. A new phase of
Christianity is due for unfoldment." (Vol. IV,
Introduction). Amazingly similar to the
beliefs of all Bible revisors, who believe that the scriptures
were corrupted and that now they are reconstructing it.
A recent article in the Harrisburg Patriot News (Harrisburg, PA)
entitled, "Scholar's Radical views may lead to new
Bible", discussed how new findings show that only about 20%
of the Gospels
sayings of Jesus are true. They also have discovered that most of
Jesus' healings were of "psychosomatic illnesses." They
wish to use their newly found facts to form a council to make a
"modern version" of the bible.
Reverend Bill Nelson (Editor of The Fourth, a publication of the
Jesus Seminar - the group forming the council and also Adjunct
Professor at the Pacific School of Religion) said, "It is a
tragic fact that many people worship their Bible rather than God.
Their presumed perfection of the Bible's contents forms an
idolatry focused on the book rather than the reality of the
book." (emphasis mine)
The article also states that the group probably will include the
Gospel of Thomas in its version because it predates any of the
other Gospel accounts.
So this is where we are heading. God's Word is arbitrated by man.
The book is no longer perfect and preserved as promised in the
scriptures themselves. The new versions of the past and the
present are only stepping stones to the godless world bible soon
to be created.
Of course any "fundamental" christian who likes new
versions scoffs at this point. He thinks, " I would never
use such a gross perversion." Well, look back about a
hundred years and see the
torrents that arose surrounding the new greek texts of those
spiritualists Wescott and Hort. Bible believers of the day said
the same thing when they saw how the scriptures were perverted
with
changes, additions and deletions. But, after enough time and the
saturation of our seminaries, new versions finally emerged
triumphant.
The readers of the bible have been weakened by the new versions
and soon they will be ready for the next step. Perhaps the Jesus
Seminar's work will be it. If not, it will be something similar.
Once you allow man to tamper with God's Word, how can you tell
him where to stop? Can you say ok, take out the verse 37 of Acts
8 but retain John 3:16? Can you say go ahead and remove the
Lord's encounter with the adulteress, but retain His
resurrection? Where do you draw the line?
I urge each and every concerned believer to study this topic, to
review the literature and studies of others. But most of all,
look at the scriptures. They do differ. Many are similar, but
there are many differences (omissions, deletions, changes). Is
God a double minded God? If not then only one of the versions can
be correct. I urge all readers to seek out that correct text, to
study it with the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to hold it
dear. God gave us the scriptures so that through them we might be
close to Him. The scriptures are God's direct revelation to each
and every man.
The scriptures are by their very nature a spiritually divisive
entity (Hebrews 4:12). It must be noted that under no
circumstance can an individual claim that both new versions and
the KJV are the
Word of God. All revisers claim that the underlying texts to the
KJV are flawed and corrupted, it is their basic premise for using
new Greek Texts. If one feels that the new versions are accurate
representations of God's Word, then they are compelled to reject
the KJV. On the other hand, if one accepts the KJV as the Word of
God, then they are compelled to reject the new versions. The two
stand on different foundations. The only way one can take the
middle ground and say that all versions are the Word of God is to
take the position that no underlying Greek text is accurate, and
therefore one inaccurate, unpreserved, kind-of, sort-of Word of
God is as good as the next.
Any version that detracts from the Sonship, Lordship, Godliness,
perfection, or primacy of our one and only Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ - I want no part of it. Grace, through faith, in Jesus
Christ is the only way to heaven. God's Word points us to Christ.
It is vitally important.
Appendix A
A Brief Example of 1611 KJV and our Current KJV
The following example is from "The Bible in the
Making". It was used by the author to show how most of the
changes were to spelling. Remember, MacGregor is a new versionist
and I am using
his example - so I did not intentionally pull a rare example to
prove my case only. The comparison can be found on page 316 of
his book.
King James Version 1611
1 God who at sundry times, and in diuers manners, spake in time
past vnto the Fathers by the Prophets,
2 Hath in these last dayes spoken vnto vs by [his] Sonne, whom he
hath appointed heire of all things, by whom also he made the
worlds,
3 Who being the brightnesse of his glory, and the expresse image
of his person, and vpholding all things by the word of his power,
when hee had by himselfe purged our sinnes, sate down on ye right
hand of the Maiestie on high,
4 Being made so much better then the Angels, as hee hath by
nheritance obtained a more excellent Name then they.
King James Version (Present day wording)
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the
worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image
of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right
hand of the Majesty on high;
4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
~ Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995 by Brian K.
Kautz