Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Other Perversions

"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3)

It's funny how that so many modern bible versions want people to believe how much like the KJV they are, and yet they differ in so many ways from it.

Consider the following quotes that came directly from the websites that promote and sell these particular perversions.

NIV supporters boast the following:

"The NIV was created and is maintained with the mandate to accurately and faithfully translate the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic biblical texts into clearly understandable English. The NIV is the most widely accepted contemporary Bible translation today. More people today buy the NIV Bible than any other English-language translation."

ESV supporters say this:

"The true heirs of the King James translators are those who continue their task today, not those who declare it to have been definitely ended in 1611."

If the above statements are correct, then why are the following verses completely missing from both NIV and ESV?

Matthew 12:47, 17:21, 18:11, 23:14
Mark 7:16, 9:44&46, 11:26
Luke 17:36, 23:17, (most of 9:55-56)
John 5:4
Acts 8:37, 15:34, 24:7, 28:29
Romans 16:24
1John 5:7 (They get really deceptive here, by leaving out the real verse and splitting up another one to make it look like v.7 is there)

This list doesn't even begin to show all of the other verses that are greatly distorted (many of which distort the truths of salvation, Deity of Christ, the blood, repentance, etc.) Many of the verses that actually are close to being right, have a footnote saying that they probably should be different, or shouldn't be there at all. What confidence does that give to a reader, as to the authority and accuracy of the Bible?

Another popular perversion that many "Bible believers?" are holding to is the New King James Version (NKJV). Yet in thousands of places, it lines up more with the corrupted texts, than the preserved ones.

NKJV supporters claim:

"Verse-by-verse accuracy makes it the best translation for study...The 130 scholars who translated the New King James Version were committed to the complete equivalence method of translation. The NKJV maintains the word-for-word and verse-by-verse accuracy needed for serious Bible study, classroom teaching and preaching.""The great English Bible tradition connects believers with God's work through the ages...The New King James Version is the only modern translation that is intended to preserve the heritage and faithfulness of the great English Bible. God has used His Word through the ages to inspire great movements of revival, mission and outreach. Unlike other modern translations, the manuscript family on which the NKJV is based is the same one used in the translation of the King James Version (1611). This manuscript family underlies the Bible that has been the basis of every major movement of God throughout the centuries. You can trust the NKJV as believers throughout the ages have trusted it."

NKJV is a phony KJV - a counterfeit.(coun ter feit \'kaunt-er-fit\: to imitate or copy closely, especially with intent to deceive.)

Here's a link to an article listing some of the numerous changes in the NKJV.

http://www.av1611.org/nkjv.html

I guess at least they're saving money on paper and ink by printing these new versions with so many omissions. Somehow though, I don't think that's what God had in mind about us being "good stewards". I'd rather just go ahead and chop down a few more trees, buy a little more ink, and print a complete Bible.

This may be getting old, but let me say it again: THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT, ARE NOT THE SAME! Either we have God's word or we don't. I believe we do. How could all these differing versions, each be God's inspired, infallible Word? Stay with your old KJV.

Beware of these, they could be detrimental to your spiritual health:

NIV - (Non Inspired Version)
ESV - (Educated Slowpeople's Version)
NKJV - (Not King James Version)
(Add any other modern perversion that you want)

"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." (Psalm 12:6-7)

"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:5-6)

(taken from Bro. Josh's Bible Thoughts)

6 comments:

Karen said...

Just curious....it is my understanding that the KJ1611 also contained the apocrypha. I am assuming you don't use the apocrypha (you'd be the first baptist folks I know that do). If it was a part of that translation and that translation is perfectly God's Word to every jot and tittle, then why don't you use it? Just wondering....

Please be assured that this question comes with no "attitude" and I'm not trying to be argumentative....just truly curious. And no, I don't use the apocrypha either.

Have a good day, guys!

Travis Foulks said...

It is reasons like that this that beside baptist are created. Instead of promoting a Bible why not promote the one the Bible is about.
Do you not trust God to preserve His Word? It seems that way. Those who translated the KJV said that they expected better translations to come along. The dead sea scrolls helped to better translate the Bible. The KJV is counterfeit by all methods based on your post. It doesn't line up word for word with the Hebrew, early Latin, and Aramaic Language that was used by the authors. Certain words were left out of the text because they were unknown. Until we stop arguing about the stuff that makes no difference and begin to focus on the things that save people(the gospel of Jesus Christ) we will never be able to work together.
I assume you have never read out of another Bible other than the KJV which is what you were raised on. You should do that before you attack the Word.

Jacob said...

Hm... I was bothered by the extensive of discussion on the occult provided on one of the pages you linked to. I don't have an issue with mentioning it, and maybe citing a reference or two, but we could do without all the elaboration and visual evidence.

I personally use the KJV almost exclusively, as I have found no satisfactory alternative. But I live in rougher inner-city area (Northside Omaha). And when I read the King James to even fairly competent and educated neighbors, they have extremely limited comprehension. Often, my solution is to paraphrase after every reading, stepping through each verse to explain the archaic language along the way.

But the language of the inner city where I live is so far removed from the KJV that even decently literate people from that culture must almost learn the language all over again to relate. And I'm talking about competent English speakers who function effectively in American society.

Granted, "dumbing down" the Bible would be a huge mistake. Not everyone's vocabularies overlap in the same places, and now and then I run across words I don't know-- even in the KJV I grew up with. But to some extent, that's just part of reading and literacy. (Though I'm not so sure every Bible reader should be required to identify a besom or know how to sod meat.) Furthermore, the Scripture contains profound and abstract ideas-- things "hard to be understood" and "spiritually discerned." (2Pet3:16, 1Cor2:14) We must not attempt to oversimplify these things.

Yet I'd hate to be found like the old priests who refused to allow the Bible to be translated into the language of the common people, trying rather to act as the gatekeepers of heaven. I'd rather use "great plainness of speech" (2Cor3:12).

It frustrates me that the King James seems insufficient for Enlgish-speakers today. It frustrates me even more that proliferate paraphrases and doctrinal theses are often passed off as the alternative. Yet perhaps more frustrating are those who recognize the inadequacies of these attempts, but seem almost resolute to relegate Scripture to a chosen few who are well versed in the antiquated argot of the King James.

So the dilemma: If not the KJV, then what? Honesty, I don't have the answer yet. But in the meantime, I'd rather look for solutions than preoccupy myself with criticizing those who attempt to.

Pardon my rant; I hope I haven't alienated you too much. I strongly feel that you have something worthwhile to add to the discussion, or I wouldn't have commented at all. What DO you think about all this?

Peace. --Jacob

The Good Reporters said...

Blog Guy,

I'm sorry you felt a need to just now post a comment to my blogsite; especially after posts regarding the inerrant and infallible word of God. Of course, maybe you don't believe we have God's preserved, inerrant, infallible word of God today, since there will be even more discoveries and more and more versions to come in the near future. Let's see, how many English versions have come about in the last 100 years or so vs. the English Bible which was used mightily by first England and then America bringing the gospel to the entire world for almost 400 years now!!! Common sense tells me many versions mean confusion, and we know that God is not the author of confusion. I think man is behind the bible version of the month club, not God!!!

I'm sorry you haven't taken the time to respond to any of my posts about my involvement in the bus ministry, focusing on getting the gospel out to the children and their families in my local community, or the other articles of interest in my blog ministry. My main focus is the gospel, and then teaching the young Christian. In today's Christian world, it is sad to say that many have no knowledge of the Bible, so apparently the new easier to understand bibles have not been a help. There is little knowledge of God and His word in the professing Christians of today.

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to speak about an important issue in your life. I guess we'll just have to disagree on this one matter; a rather important one at that!!!

The Good Reporters said...

Jacob,

Thanks for taking the time "to rant;" I do understand your frustration, although our sources of frustration are entirely different. You mention people of today that can't understand any bible version; maybe due to the problems of our current educational system as well as all the diversions of entertainment found in the world today. My frustration comes from those who think God's Word is just "any ole" bible picked up from the shelf of the christian bookstore. The many versions are man's attempts and thoughts to make the Word of God easier and easier to understand and grasp; yet today, many are biblical illiterates!!!!!

I have yet to find a sincere new Christian who's desire is to read and obey God's Word who has found any trouble with the King James Bible. Sure, there are words that must be looked up in the dictionary from time to time. I have found that if one uses a concordance and finds the first reference verse of an unknown word, the Bible has its own definition system or it can be clearly understood by the supporting context.

Most people today have problems enough living and obeying the things they do understand clearly in God's Word, so they use the "hard stuff (words they don't understand or have changed meaning)" as an excuse that they can't understand any of it because of the hard words!!!!!

I have no problem believing that the King James Bible is the inerrant, infallible, preserved Word of God for the English speaking Christian of today; other versions may contain a portion of God's Word, but not all. If they were all the same, there would be no reason to call them by a different name!!! Things that are different are not the same...

We will have to agree to disagree about this matter for now, but I challenge you to pray and study about this area; God gave us His Word so that we would know about Him. Would he contradict Himself in various versions, or is it clear that man is the one who has had the primary focus in presenting many versions, thus creating confusion in the world today, just as man has done with the many different names on the church doors of today??? Confusion is rampant today!!! I don't think it is caused by not being able to understand the King James Bible; I think it is the confusion of many bibles and no one taking the time to even read any of them!!!!!

Thanks again for stopping by...

Travis Foulks said...

It is not as important as it is to making the gospel known to all mankind. The translations people use are of no importance when compared to the message that should be told. I don't support all translations. However not all of them are lacking the message and truth of God. I have found 4 translations that I am openly against...
1. The Ebonics Translation
2. The English Standard Version
and
3. The Amplified Bible
4. The Message
I don't knock the others because they eighter agree with the gospel and theology of the Old Testament or I have not yet read them. God didn't create the confusion. We did. He wants salvation to ring throughout the lands. To everyone. Many versions bring out confusion because we allow them to be discussed and trampled as if they are worthless and then those who read the more current(current doesn't mean more accurate) English translations are offend that people do not believe they read the Word.
We cannot blame the new translations for the lost and ignorance of God's Word. The finger belongs solely on those who don't read the Bible and those who do and yet refuse to share it. Our outreach is not what we read about in the book of Acts. We are failing. Sure we can say "I outreach, or I share the Good News." We are a unit. One Church. When a person fails to share the Word we all fail to share it. It is not the translation it is us. I think the KJV is a good translation but I do not believe that it is the only translation that spreads the Word and tells of hell.
I wish that we all spoke Hebrew, Latin, and Aramaic. There would be no debate over the Word of God. We could all read the Word in it's earliest translations. We however don't all speak those languages. So we will have to disagree on this one. Much like I disagree with other practices in some denominations. I yet accept those who preach the fundamentals has my brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that you do the same also.
I have read several of your post my friends. You are very intelligent. For the most part I agree with what you say and appreciate your open honesty about what you believe. For you two young men to be so young God has given you a passion and the knowledge to accomplish great things in His name. Capitalize on that ability. Never assume that some one is not reading this blog. Over 60% of my readers are of other beliefs than Christianity. I would love to have more come to my site and read that would feedback with positive encouragement much like you guys did. However I fully believe that God has blessed me with the ability to have safe relationships with the atheist and agnostics that over runt the blogosphere. My ministry is successful mush like yours is. I would not say this had I not read your site. I will lift your young men up in my prayers and pray that you ministry continues to flourish. My hope is that you will do the same for me despite our differences.
Sorry about the poor grammar it is late for me.