BIBLE DOCTRINES AFFECTED BY MODERN VERSIONS
by Paul L. Freeman
INTRODUCTION
The battle for the Word of God is going on today as it always has. The work
of the Evil One himself has ever been to cause men to doubt the Word (Gen.
3:1), to corrupt the Word (2 Cor. 2:17), and to misquote the Word (Luke
4:10,11). There are many Modern Versions on the scene today all claiming to
be more accurate or more readable renderings of the Word of God. Most of
these versions follow the MINORITY Greek Text even though that text
exhibits a corruption throughout. The King James Version was translated
from the MAJORITY Greek Text which agrees with about 95% of all available
manuscripts. The MAJORITY Greek Text can be traced back to the Peshitta
(Syriac Version) about 150 A.D.
Many Christian Colleges and Universities have switched over to the
MINORITY Greek Text (known as Westcott and Hort or Nestle and Aland) for
the classroom while still using the King James Version in public preaching.
Since there are over 5,000 differences between the MAJORITY and MINORITY
texts a problem immediately faces the student. The King James Version he
brings to the classroom is subjected to constant editing by the teacher
who is using a Greek Text different from the one the King James Version was
translated from. The student is well aware that God did not inspire two
different Bibles. He must make a choice and for the sake of harmony or
teacher satisfaction he will usually accept his King James Version minus
the MINORITY Text corrections as the Word of God. Should there be an area
where agreement cannot be reached he is told to decide on the proper
rendering by exercising his spiritual discernment. The schools that are
following this double standard will admit that when the King James Version
is no longer needed for Public Relations they will make the complete change
to the New American Standard or the New International Version. These two
are seen to follow the MINORITY Greek Text.
Those who want to replace our King James Version with new Modern Versions
are constantly stating that no Bible Doctrines are affected by the
changes. One school recently published an article by one of its' teachers
in which he said that, "BOTH TEXTS ARE THE WORD OF GOD." It is difficult to
understand how two texts differing in over 5,000 places can both be the
Word of God. It only serves to show the absolute desperation on the part of
the MINORITY Text champions to defend their indefensible position. The
purpose of this volume is to show the changes made by the MINORITY text
and how they affect the Bible Doctrines which Christians have always
believed. Though I do not consider any change in the Word of God to be
unimportant, I have singled out the most glaring examples. A careful
reading will show that the Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian faith
have been affected many times.
Are we to believe the scholars when they tell us that no important
doctrines are affected by the new Modern Versions? It is obvious that they
are not correct. What they really mean to say is that when all the changes
have been made the Bible Doctrines are still there somewhere else in the
Bible. If there are ten verses showing the Virgin Birth of Christ, and
they have removed two, there are still eight remaining to prove the
doctrine. That may satisfy them, but the Fundamental believer sees that as
a piece by piece destruction of the Word of God.
We would accuse them of taking away from the Word of God. They would
accuse us of using a Bible which has many additions inserted by overzealous
Christian copyists. The issue now becomes quite clear. We must either
believe that overzealous heretics have corrupted the original Word of God
or believe that overzealous believers have added to the original Word of
God. I can understand why heretics would want to corrupt the original Word
of God, but I cannot believe that Christians would add one word to the
Word of God which they have been entrusted to copy and pass along. The
Spirit of God within Christians would put a holy awe and reverence around
the sacred word and guided by that same Spirit they would copy what God had
given them. My conclusion is that the new Modern Versions are based on
Greek manuscripts that have been corrupted by heretics who changed the Word
of God to agree with their rejection of the Deity of Christ and their
Humanism regarding salvation. The Greek Text underlying the King James
Version is not filled with additions made by overzealous Christians. It is
the Word of God preserved by the Spirit of God and it exalts the Lord Jesus
Christ, giving him his proper place and the glory due unto his name.
THE CHANGES IN THEIR PROPER NEW TESTAMENT ORDER ARE NOW LISTED:
MATTHEW
1:25 "her firstborn" is omitted. That Jesus was her firstborn indicates
that Mary and Joseph had sexual relations after the birth of Jesus and that
others were born of her. The omission here seeks to add credence to the
false doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church concerning the perpetual
virginity of Mary. The Bible is clear that Jesus had brothers and sisters.
5:22 "without a cause" is removed. In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord
warned of judgment for those who were angry with a brother without a cause.
Should this change be accepted everyone who is angry with his brother may
be judged. The effect is to bring Jesus into judgment for failing to
observe his own words (see Mark 3:5). Such is contrary to the doctrine of
the sinlessness of Christ.
6:4, 6, 18 "openly" is out. It is a Bible Doctrine that Christian work done
unnoticed for the glory of the Lord will one day be rewarded openly (Col.
3:4).
6:13 "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever,
Amen" is deleted. This ascription of praise to "Our Father" is found in 491
out of 500 existing manuscripts. This statement was made a century ago by
Dean John Burgon.
8:29 "Jesus" is left out. The demons bore witness to the fact that Jesus
was the Son of God. It was an identification of Jesus (in humanity) as the
Son of God (in Deity). It affects the doctrine of the Person of Christ.
9:8 "marvelled" is changed to "were afraid." There is no reason to believe
that the people were afraid because Jesus healed the sick of the palsy.
There is every reason for them to marvel at the miracle.
9:13 "to repentance" is left out. The Bible doctrine of repentance is one
that men would like to do away with. God requires that in order to be saved
one must truly repent (Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9). The word means "a change
of mind" and there must be that concerning God, sin and salvation. Men
think that sin does not really separate them from God--they must change
their mind about that. Men think that salvation is by works--they must
change their mind about that. There is nothing more evident today than the
absence of repentance among those who are professing to be converted.
15:8 "draweth nigh unto me with their mouth" is left out. According to
Isaiah 29:13 it belongs in because Isaiah prophesied of these hypocrites
exactly that way.
16:2,3 "When it is evening ... the signs of the times" is all omitted. The
Pharisees and Sadducees came looking for a sign and the signs were all
around them. Jesus called them hypocrites because they could not tell the
signs of the times.
17:21 Whole verse is left out. Power with God is to be had by prayer and
fasting. That is a fundamental truth of the Word of God.
18:2 "Jesus" is left out. This is done many times by the corrupt Greek Text
of Westcott and Hort. I have not chosen to remark about each instance
because it would add many pages to this work. The MAJORITY Text
continuously places the word "Jesus" in the narrative with the definite
article preceding it. Thus it places him in the center of things and in
command. It is doctrinally unsound for such prominence to be discarded for
the word "he."
18:11 The whole verse is omitted. This verse tells us that man is lost,
that he needs to be saved, and that the Son of man is the one who can do
that. The doctrine of salvation through Jesus Christ is affected by this
change.
18:15 "against thee" is omitted. This omission sets us up as watchdogs over
others and if one sins we are to go and tell him. Such is not the teaching
of Scripture. Were we to declare every sin we would be constantly busy
(bodies) judging the actions and motives of everyone. This change is a very
bad error.
18:35 "their trespasses" is omitted. Same thought as mentioned in 18:15.
19:9 "and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery" is
removed. This is a very important doctrinal change which concerns divorce
and remarriage. A man who divorces his wife and remarries commits
adultery, and also the man who marries the divorced wife commits adultery.
19:16,17 "Good" before Master is omitted. In addition to that, the phrase
"Why callest thou me good?" is changed to "Why askest thou me concerning
the good?" Good Master is correct and Jesus responded to show the young
man that only one was good and that one was God. The conclusion should have
been obvious. Since Jesus was good he was necessarily God. The omission and
change destroys the intended testimony to the Deity of Christ.
20:16 "for many be called, but few chosen" is left out. The Lord would have
us know that many are called to inherit eternal life, but few are chosen by
virtue of believing in Christ. It is a Bible doctrine that God wants all
men to be saved but few will come to Christ for salvation.
21:12 "of God" is out. Jesus, who was God in the flesh, came to his own
temple and said, "My house shall be called the house of prayer." It was the
temple of God and the God of the temple was there.
22:30 "of God" is removed. There are good angels and fallen angels. The
believers, in the resurrection, will be like the good angels "of God" who
alone are in heaven.
23:8 "Master" is changed to "teacher." There are many teachers but only one
master. The change here takes away the pre- eminence that God intends for
his Son.
25:13 "wherein the Son of man cometh" is omitted. The warning to watch is
tied to the imminent return of the Lord. The omission here does away with
the doctrine of the Lord's second advent.
26:28 "new" is dropped before testament. The apostle Paul tells us that
Jesus said, "this cup is the NEW testament in my blood." The change here is
intended to corrupt the Word of God and to confuse Christians.
27:35 "that it might be fulfilled ... did they cast lots" is all omitted.
It is very important in Matthew's gospel, where Jesus is portrayed as the
King of Israel, to show that he is the fulfillment of Old Testament
prophecies. Here the parting of his garments and casting lots is the
fulfillment of Psalm 22:18 which portrays the crucifixion of Christ. To
omit this is to show the intended corruption of the Word of God by the
textual critics.
28:6 "the Lord" is omitted. The very reverent angels said, "see the place
where the Lord lay." They would not say, "see the place where he lay." The
constant attempt to humanize Jesus and take away from his Deity does not
endear the Westcott and Hort Greek Text to believers.
MARK
1:1 "the Son of God" is left out. These words present Jesus Christ as
Deity. Such an omission is a direct attack on the person of Christ and is
without doubt a doctrinal error.
1:31 "immediately" is dropped. The descriptive word tells us when the fever
left her and therefore provides us with a miracle. The word left out denies
the miracle and thus the one who performed it.
2:17 "to repentance" is left out. See comments on Matt. 9:13.
3:15 "to heal sicknesses" is omitted. Jesus gave them authority to heal
diseases as well as to cast out demons. Sickness is the result of sin
(Adam's) and the only one who has authority to eliminate it is the one who
would die for sin. On the basis of his approaching death for sin on
Calvary he could say, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" and "Rise up and
walk."
4:24 "and unto you that hear shall more be given" is left out. It is a
Bible teaching that those who seek truth from the Lord shall be given more
truth (see John 7:17).
5:36 "as soon" is dropped. The word in the Greek is "immediately." The word
immediately is constantly dropped by the Revisers of 1881. It is a key word
in Mark which is the Gospel of the Servant of the Lord who came "not to be
ministered unto, but to minister." When Jairus was told that his daughter
was dead and that he should not trouble Jesus further, the Lord
"immediately" encouraged him to believe.
6:11 "Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and
Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city" is removed from the
text. This passage emphasizes the great degree of responsibility that was
upon those cities who heard the Lord's apostles as they preached repentance
and worked miracles before them. Sodom and Gomorrah did not have such
light, yet they are still suffering the eternal wrath of God (see Jude 7
where "suffering" is in the present tense). How much more the judgment of
America today where people sit in an abundance of complete revelation from
God and choose to remain in darkness.
7:8 "as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye
do" is omitted. The Lord not only condemns the Pharisees for traditions of
men, but he names them. There are traditions of men today which are sending
people to Hell and preachers need to name them. It is doctrinally unsound
to let men go on in traditions and not expose them.
9:23 "if thou canst believe" is dropped. The father had said to Jesus, "if
thou canst do anything." To this lack of faith Jesus answered, "if thou
canst believe." It was at once a rebuke and an encouragement to have faith
in him. The father's answer in the next verse is beautiful but the Revisers
ruined that also. They omitted "with tears, Lord" from the most precious
answer as recorded by the Spirit of God.
9:45 "into the fire that never shall be quenched" is dropped. The character
and duration of Hell is described here and the doctrine of eternal
retribution is affected by this change.
9:47 "fire" is omitted. The words are inspired and in complete agreement
with Rev. 20:15. The consignment of the lost to the lake of fire is a Bible
doctrine.
10:21 "take up the cross" is left out. The word to the young man was to
divest himself of the riches in which he trusted, consider himself dead to
the world, and follow Christ into eternal life. There are many who will
let go of riches and seek to emulate some of Christ's teachings, but the
way of the cross they refuse. The cross for Christ and for believers is
Fundamental in Christian doctrine.
10:24 "for them that trust in riches" is left out. This is a very glaring
doctrinal error. It is not hard to enter into the kingdom of God (salvation
is a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ) but it is hard for those who
trust in riches to trust Christ alone for salvation. Their God is their
wealth and it is no more compatible with Christ than Dagon was with the Ark
of God (see 1 Sam. 5:1-5).
11:26 The whole verse is removed. It is a Bible doctrine that if we regard
iniquity in our heart the Lord will not hear us. Answered prayer and clean
vessels go together. When I confess my sins and ask God for favor he
requires that my confession of sin include forgiveness of those who have
sinned against me. If I refuse to forgive others it becomes sin to me (see
Eph. 4:32).
13:14 "spoken of by Daniel the prophet" is dropped. Without the reference
to Daniel the appeal to understand is without force. Though some might
connect it in their thoughts because they are familiar with Scripture, it
does not follow that he is referring to Daniel. The reference to Daniel by
the Lord also authenticates his writing as inspired Scriptures.
14:22 "eat" is dropped. Our Lord did not give them a relic from the Last
Supper to take home and cherish. He gave them broken bread to eat which
(when observed) would always remind them of his body which was broken for
them.
15:28 The whole verse is left out. Jesus was crucified between two thieves
in fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12. It is doctrinal error to eliminate clear
statements concerning the fulfilling of prophecy (see Luke 24:27).
16:9-20 Twelve verses are omitted. These verses are found in every known
manuscript but two (the oldest of those two leaves a blank space where it
belongs). They are found in all the Versions, quoted by the church
fathers, and seen in the lectionaries of the church. There are many
doctrines affected by the omission of these twelve verses. The resurrection
of Christ is deleted. The great commission, baptism, eternal damnation and
His ascension into Heaven are all taken out of the Word of God. Certainly
the gospel does not end with "they were afraid." Some say the ending has
been lost (see Dr. Ryrie's Study Bible) but that destroys the Bible
Doctrine that God preserves His Word (see 1 Peter 1:23-25). The evidence is
clear that these verses are original and to cut them out is to affect many
doctrines of the Christian faith.
LUKE
1:28 "blessed art thou among women" is omitted. There were many virgins in
Israel at the time, but God chose Mary. The Son that she bore would be her
Saviour from sin. The Roman Catholic doctrine of the immaculate conception
of Mary (concerning her birth) is nothing but pagan fiction. Mary was
blessed AMONG women, but not ABOVE women. The worship of Mary is contrary
to Scripture. This omission is designed to lift her above others and
eventually deify her.
2:14 "peace, good will toward men" is changed to "peace among men of good
will." The first talks of the birth of Christ as bringing God's peace and
good will (reconciliation) to men. Faith in the death of Christ for our
sins brings justification and peace with God. The change offers God's peace
to men who are good. That is doctrinally unsound since there is none good.
2:33 "Joseph and his mother" is changed to "his father and mother." The
Spirit of God is very careful to show that our Lord Jesus Christ was born
of a virgin and that he did not have a human father who begat him. The
change casts doubt upon the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ as the
"seed of the woman." Later, when Mary refers to Joseph as "thy father,"
Jesus answers with, "wist ye not that I must be about my Father's
business," meaning that God was his father (see 2:48,49).
2:40 "in spirit" is left out. That the child grew and waxed strong in
spirit (meaning that he was spiritually strong) is evident from verse 47.
It is unlikely that the Spirit of God wanted us to see how strong Jesus
was with reference to his physique.
2:43 "and Joseph and his mother knew not of it" is changed to "and his
parents were unaware of it." The first retains the teachings of the virgin
birth, the second discards it. The virgin birth is a Fundamental doctrine
of the Christian faith and the MAJORITY Text upholds it. Let us not hear of
supposed overzealous copyists but rather let us beware of overzealous
heretics who would deny the fundamentals of the faith.
4:4 "but by every Word of God" is dropped. Many are willing to agree that
bread alone cannot satisfy man, but few are willing to live by every word
of God. This quotation is from Deut. 8:3 where the omitted words are
found. The same one who said, "Yea, hath God said?" is the author of this
omission. The Revisers could not leave this passage in because they have
changed "every word of God" in over 5,000 places in the New Testament.
Satan does not mind if we read the Bible as long as we have a Swiss cheese
Bible (full of holes). Holes in the Word cause doubts in the Word, doubts
cause faith to be lost, and without faith it is impossible to please him.
4:8 "Get thee behind me, Satan" is omitted. The devil had tempted Jesus to
bypass the cross and receive the kingdom over the world. Jesus, whose face
was set as a flint to go to the cross, refused to worship him.
6:10 "whole as the other" is left out. These words tell us that not only
was his hand restored to use but it was whole as the other. The
completeness of the miracle is attested to by these words.
9:54 "even as Elias did" is omitted. Apart from this word they had no
precedent for doing such a thing.
9:55, 56 "and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the
Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them" is
omitted. In reply to the disciples who thought that they could call down
fire from heaven, Jesus told them that he came to save men. This passage is
consistent with John 3:17, "For God sent not his Son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
11:2-4 "Our ... which art in heaven" is deleted along with "Thy will be
done as in heaven, so in earth" and "but deliver us from evil." Only
corrupt manuscripts can produce so many departures from the disciples
prayer which is found without deletions in Matt. 6:9-13.
14:5 The word "ass" is changed to "son." The use of "son" is too much for
the comparison the Lord is making. Only a slavish loyalty to a corrupt
Greek text can produce such a foolish change.
22:31 "And the Lord said" is dropped. The Lord Jesus was God and as such he
was omnipresent and omniscient. He was present when Satan came before God
and asked permission to try Peter's faith. He had prayed to the Father, as
Peter's intercessor, that his faith would not fail. It was the Lord who
knew all of this and warned Peter specifically.
22:64 "they struck him on the face" is dropped. It is error to minimize the
sufferings of Christ. His facial appearance was marred more than any man
(see Isaiah 52:14 and 53:5).
23:23 "and of the chief priests" is omitted. The Lord was careful to let us
know that the religious priests were involved in the rejection of Christ.
Those who call themselves priests today do likewise.
23:42 "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy
kingdom" is changed to "Then he said, Jesus remember me when you come into
your kingdom." The confession that Jesus is Lord is doctrinally correct
because it is required for salvation (see Rom. 10:9- 13).
23:45 "the sun was darkened" is changed to "the sun was eclipsed." The
Greek word in the corrupt Greek Text is EKLIPONTOS from which we derive the
word ECLIPSE. An eclipse is caused by the natural occurrence of the moon
passing between the sun and the earth and usually lasts for about 3-5
minutes. The sun being darkened for three hours was a miracle of God and
will be repeated again prior to the Lord's return to earth (see Matt.
24:29) Many modern versions try to hide the Greek word they are using to
translate from the corrupt Greek text by using words like: obscured
(NASV), faded (AMPLIFIED), stopped shining (NIV), failed (NEW WORLD), but
some honestly translate the word "eclipse" (20th CENTURY, MOFFAT, NEB,
PHILLIPS). Humanism would try to find some way to explain away the miracles
of God's Word lest they be forced to accept it as the revelation from God
concerning salvation.
24:36 "and saith unto them. Peace be unto you" is omitted. Jesus had said
to them, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you" (John 14:27).
He was now risen from the dead and in their midst to guarantee that peace
to them. One of the greatest benefits of our salvation is to have peace
with God (Rom. 5:1) and the peace of God ruling in our hearts (Phil. 4:7).
24:40 The whole verse is omitted. The bodily resurrection of Christ is
proven here as he showed them his hands and his feet. The omission affects
Bible doctrine very much.
24:51 "and carried up into heaven" is left out. The bodily ascension of
Christ into heaven is a Bible doctrine that is denied here. It leaves the
Lord parted from them but does not tell us where he went. The Revisers
removed the doctrine and left the Word in a poor state of disarray. Acts
1:1, 2 tells us that the "former treatise" (Luke) ended with Jesus being
"taken up." That ought to be sufficient to show the Revisers are wrong.
24:52 "And ... worshipped him" is omitted by the NASV. The MAJORITY Text
says, "And they having worshipped him returned to Jerusalem with great
joy." The picture we have is of our Lord receiving their worship because
he is God (see 4:8 where worship is to be to God only) and then before
their very eyes ascending into heaven. It is a Bible doctrine that we are
to worship Jesus and the omission by the NASV is a clear denial of that
doctrine.
JOHN
1:18 "the only begotten Son" is changed to "The only begotten God." Such a
phrase is foreign to Scripture. It accommodates the Arian teaching that
Christ was a lesser deity created by God. It agrees with the teaching of
Origen that Christ was not equal with God in essence and nature. Sound
Fundamental doctrine concerning Christ is that he is one person of the
Triune God and that he proceeds from the Father by an eternal generation
and reveals God to men as the Son of God.
1:27 "He it is ... who is preferred before me" is removed. This change
removes the pre-eminence and pre-existence of Christ. John wanted us to see
that though Christ came after him, he in reality preceded and ranked above
him.
3:13 "which is in heaven" is omitted. This change affects the doctrine of
the omnipresence of Christ. As man he was here on earth, as God he was able
to be everywhere present. The omission is a corruption introduced by those
who do not believe in the perfect and absolute Deity of Christ.
3:15 "should not perish" is removed. This deletion removes the opposite of
everlasting life, which is to perish. The doctrine of eternal damnation is
weakened by the change.
3:16 "his only begotten Son" is changed to "the only begotten Son." The
word HIS marks Jesus Christ out as God's own peculiar son in a relationship
that no one else has. It marks him as of the same essence and nature. The
Deity of Christ is involved and is thereby weakened (3:17 also changed).
4:42 "the Christ" is left out. The purpose of John's gospel as given in
20:31 was to lead people to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of
God. That belief was to bring life to them. To omit it here is to deny the
purpose of the inspired writer.
5:3b, 4 The statement regarding the moving of the water by an angel and
subsequent miraculous healing is removed. Should this deletion be
permitted there would be no sense to verse 7 since that verse presupposes
5:3b, 4. This is an effort to remove the miraculous from the Bible and thus
accommodate humanism.
5:16 "and sought to slay him" is omitted. The Scripture teaches us that on
many occasions they tried to kill Jesus but by supernatural power were kept
from doing so (see John 18:6). He was omnipotent and there was no way they
could take him until his hour was come.
6:47 "on me" is left out. The object of faith has been removed here.
Everlasting life does not come to those who believe, but to those who
believe on Christ. This is doctrinal error of the gravest sort and has been
carried over into the NASV and NIV.
7:8 The little word "yet" is dropped and the result is that the Lord
appears to lie to his brothers, since he did go up to the feast. There is
a world of difference between "I go not up YET" and "I go not up." The
sinlessness of Christ is an indispensable doctrine of the Christian faith
and lying is sin.
7:53-8:11 The whole story of the woman taken in adultery is omitted. This
is one of the most blessed portions of the Word of God. It is intended by
God through the inspired writer to amplify what came before in 3:17. The
law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (1:17).
8:38 The words "my Father" and "your father" are intended to show the
difference between his father and their father, who was Satan. By removing
the word "my" and "your" there is a deliberate attempt to remove the
offence and cater to the false dream of the Fatherhood of God and the
Brotherhood of Man.
8:39 "If ye were Abraham's children" is changed to "if ye are Abraham's
children." The Lord intended them to see that they were not Abraham's
children at all. The change gives us to see that they were Abraham's
children and therefore they ought to act like it. This is pure humanism and
contrary to sound doctrine.
9:4 "I must work the works of him that sent me" is changed to "We must work
the works of him that sent us." The uniqueness of Christ as the Sent One
of the Father is destroyed and he is placed equally with the disciples as
sent from God to do the work of God. This is an attack on the Person and
Work of Christ and it exalts humanism. Jesus was sent by the Father and the
disciples were sent by Jesus, "as my Father hath sent me, even so send I
you."
9:35 "the Son of God" is changed to "the Son of man." The thing to be
believed in John's gospel is that Jesus is the Son of God (20:31). The
change by the minority texts is not warranted.
10:38 "that ye may know, and believe" is changed to "that ye may know, and
understand." The union of Christ and the Father within the Godhead is that
which we are to believe and rely upon for the certainty of our salvation.
To understand the union is beyond human comprehension and if it could be
understood, that would still not be the equivalent of salvation.
11:41 "where the dead was laid" is removed. God intends that we should know
that this was the very same place where Lazarus was laid. This is an
attempt to cloud the evident miracle which followed. (see also 12:2 where
"which had been dead" is also removed).
ACTS
Title "of the Holy Apostles" is deleted. To leave us with "ACTS" means
nothing. That the Apostles were sanctified (holy) by the Lord Jesus and
sent forth as his sent ones is evident from John 17:17- 19. The title in
the MAJORITY Text is doctrinally correct.
2:30 "according to the flesh he would raise up Christ" is omitted. It was
not just that one of David's descendants would sit upon the throne, but
that his greater Son would be raised from the dead in a body of flesh.
2:31 "his soul" is omitted. The body of Christ was in the tomb but his
soul went down into Hades (Hell), the place of departed spirits. The
teaching of the Bible is that our Lord had a body, soul and spirit.
2:47 "to the church" is left out. Believers are added to the Church which
is Christ's body. The Church is an organism, and when persecutors touched
the Church they touched Christ (see 9:5).
3:21 "all" is dropped in front of "his holy prophets." God has spoken of
the Kingdom age by the mouth of ALL his prophets since the world began. In
harmony with this Jesus spoke to the two on the road to Emmaus about
himself from "all the prophets" (see Luke 24:27). There are others in the
world who claim to be prophets but they do not speak of Jesus and his
kingdom, therefore they are not of God.
3:26 "Jesus" is dropped. The specific name leaves no doubt as to whom God
raised up from the dead to offer again the kingdom to Israel.
4:24 "thou art God" is changed to "thou art he who." There is no reason to
accept MINORITY manuscripts when they want to change "God" to "he who"
(see 1 Tim. 3:16).
6:3 The word "Holy" is dropped. When God led the Church to choose deacons
he made it clear that they should be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Many
churches since have appointed men who had a lot of spirit and were full of
enthusiasm, but that is not the same as being full of the "Holy Ghost."
Godly living is required of deacons and it is contrary to sound doctrine to
leave out "Holy." The Greek word for spirit can refer to man's spirit or
God's spirit and lest we should err here God inserted the word "Holy"
before spirit.
6:8 "faith" is changed to "grace." The Bible does not teach that Christians
are full of grace but rather that they receive grace. The only one who was
"full of grace" was our Lord Jesus Christ (see John 1:14). The measure of
faith is given to every believer to profit thereby.
7:30 "of the Lord" is omitted. It was not just an angel that appeared to
Moses at the burning bush, it was an angel of Jehovah (the Lord). This was
an Old Testament appearance of the eternal Son of God in angelic form. In
plain words it was the Lord who appeared to Moses (see Exodus 3:1-5).
7:37 "The Lord your" and "him shall ye hear" are omitted. This is contrary
to the original quotation as found in Deut. 18:15. In Stephen's sermon the
"him shall ye hear" is most important since those who refuse Christ's
words will be judged by God.
8:18 "Holy" is dropped. Four times here in four verses the Holy Ghost is
mentioned. To drop the word Holy in one out of the four times is to create
confusion and doubt concerning the Word of God.
8:37 The whole verse is omitted. This leaves the question of the Ethiopian
eunuch unanswered. Philip's answer is correct in that belief must be from
the heart prior to baptism. The eunuch's confession of faith is in exact
agreement with what is required for salvation as given in John 20:31.
Souls have been led to Christ with this verse of Scripture and it is
doctrinally unsound to remove it.
9:5,6 "it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and
astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said
unto him" is all omitted. This passage gives us a picture of Saul resisting
the Spirit of God as he was under conviction. Saul's response is to submit
to the Lord's direction, having been humbled before the Lord. Without
Saul's "what wilt thou have me to do?" there could be no "arise and go."
9:29 "Jesus" is left out. The reason the Jews went about to slay Saul was
not because he spake boldly in the name of the Lord, but because he spoke
of the Lord Jesus. As we well know in this day of Modernism there is a
great difference.
10:6 "he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do" is left out. The would-
be correctors of the MAJORITY Text would have us believe that Cornelius was
already saved and that it would be good for him to have fellowship with
Peter. The truth is that Cornelius was not saved (see 11:14) and that there
was something which he had to do. He must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
or he would be lost and go to Hell.
10:30 "fasting" is left out. Fasting, to find the will of God, is a
Biblical doctrine. Though it is little used today, especially since we have
the completed Word of God, it was evident in the New Testament apostolic
times.
10:32 "who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee" is omitted. See above
comments under 10:6.
15:24 "Ye must be circumcised and keep the law" is left out. This is
exactly the reason why the Jerusalem council was called or convened. There
is no doubt that the reply to the Gentile converts made mention of the all
important question.
16:31 "Christ" is omitted. The word speaks of the Deity of Christ. It
pointed the Philippian jailer to the God he must believe in for salvation.
18:5 "was pressed in the Spirit" is changed to "was engrossed with the
word." When Paul was teaching he was always engrossed with the Word. In
Corinth Paul had been laying the groundwork at the synagogue concerning
what the Scriptures had to say about their Messiah (Christ). When Silas and
Timothy came, Paul was under compulsion to show that Jesus was the Christ.
19:10 "Jesus" is left out. For the heathen to hear about the Lord is not
enough. They must hear that Jesus is that Lord.
20:28 "of God" is changed to "of the Lord." The word lord is sometimes
used of men and sometimes of God. Therefore, the change does not affirm the
Deity of Christ. Our Authorized King James Version shows that God
purchased the church with his own blood. This establishes the Deity of
Christ irrefutably.
21:25 "they observe no such thing, save only that" is omitted. The
Gentiles had been told that they did not have to observe the law of Moses
nor circumcise their children (see Acts 15:23-29). James was in error when
he sought to keep the Jews obedient to the Law after he had written to the
Gentiles that they were not under it. The omission here leaves one with the
impression that the Law was optional for the Gentiles and possibly
preferable. Tampering with God's Word always leaves the door open for
doctrinal error.
26:28 "almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" is changed to "do you
think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"
King Agrippa was "almost persuaded" and he was in possession of the truth
concerning salvation. The change would have us believe that he needed more
information and perhaps Paul was too quick to expect a decision.
ROMANS
1:16 "of Christ" is omitted. The gospel message is of Christ and centers
around his Person and Work. This is an inexcusable attempt to leave Christ
out of the good news of salvation.
3:22 "and upon all" is dropped. The doctrine of imputed righteousness is
most blessed to the believer. We are clothed in his righteousness and God
sees us in Him, therefore it is "upon us."
8:1 "Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" is dropped. To
the truth that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ, the
Word adds the truth that they are characterized by a walk in the Spirit.
It is a Bible doctrine that those who are saved are characterized by a
changed life.
11:6 "But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no
more work" is dropped. The first part of the verse shows that grace rules
out works. The second part of the verse shows that works rules out grace.
It is intended for those who want to intrude works into the established
state of grace for good measure (or safekeeping in salvation). This is a
very important doctrinal passage in its' entirety.
13:9 "thou shalt not bear false witness" is dropped. Those who wrote the
corrupt manuscripts had no trouble with the other commandments shown here.
It is obvious that a smiting conscience would not permit them to include
this commandment since it directly involved what they were engaged in,
bearing false witness about God's Word.
14:9 "and rose" is left out. Many heretics are willing to say that he died
and that he lives again, but that he rose (bodily out from among the dead)
they reject outright. The bodily resurrection of Christ is a cardinal
doctrine of the Christian faith.
1 CORINTHIANS
2:4 "man's wisdom" is changed to "wisdom." Paul did not reject wisdom in
his teaching, he rejected MAN'S wisdom.
3:4 "are ye not carnal?" is changed to "are ye not men?" It should be
obvious that they were men, but the Bible truth to be taught was that in
their divisions they were being controlled by fleshly (carnal) desires and
not spiritual desires.
5:7 "for us" is omitted. This affects the vital doctrine of the
substitutionary atonement of Christ. If Christ did not die for our sins
then we are still under the wrath of God and without hope.
5:12 The little word "also" is dropped. That word indicated that Paul did
judge those who were within the church. Those who were outside the church
were for God to judge. The responsibility for believers to carry out
discipline within the church is a Bible doctrine.
6:4 "set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church" is changed to
"do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?" The
Word of God teaches that it is better to suffer wrong than to go to court
against another Christian before a lost world. It is better to leave the
judgment of the matter to the least Christian than to the greatest worldly
judge. The change here completely turns around the way of God and seems to
rebuke the church for leaving the matter in the hands of the least
Christians.
6:20 "and in your spirit which are God's" is omitted. The body gives us
world consciousness and the spirit gives us God consciousness. We are to
glorify God in our body by holy living and in our spirit by walking in
fellowship with God. Verses 16 and 17 talk about both.
10:9 "Christ" is changed to "Lord." In the Old Testament they tempted
Christ and that rock that followed them was Christ (see verse 4). The word
Lord can be used of the Father and the Son. Changing to that word here
eliminates the pre-existence of Christ.
11:24 "take eat" is omitted along with "is broken." The symbolic bread was
broken and given to the disciples with instruction to eat it. It typified
his flesh which "is being broken for you" (literal Greek). Though not a
bone of him was broken it is true that his flesh was broken in many places
before he died on our behalf.
11:29 "unworthily" is dropped. The word gives the picture of a believer
treating the Lord's Supper as a common meal, not reverencing the symbolic
meaning and spiritual impact it is intended to make upon his soul and
spirit. To remove this word is a very great doctrinal error. When you
consider that sickness and death was the result of such unworthy
participation, it is no light matter.
11:29 "not discerning the Lord's body" is changed to "if he does not judge
the body rightly" (NASV). When we partake of the Lord's Supper we are to
see through the elements to the Lord's body. As you think of the cost of
your redemption there ought to be more holy living. The change brings
absolute confusion concerning what body is meant, the Lord's or the
believers. It is hallowed ground and the corrupters of God's Word have
dared to tread upon it.
15:47 "the Lord" is left out. God is contrasting Adam and Christ. To say
that the second man is from heaven is not enough. There have been men from
heaven who were angels. Here the man from heaven is the Lord. This is an
attempt to do away with the Deity of Christ.
15:49 "we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" is changed to "we
should bear the image of the heavenly." The first is a fact based upon the
certainty of our eternal salvation in Christ. The second is an exhortation
based upon the uncertainty of a salvation by works. The first is sound
doctrine, the second is unsound doctrine.
16:22 "Jesus Christ" is omitted. In a phrase with such import as to be
accursed it is unthinkable that the test should center around the general
term "Lord." The curse of God is upon those who do not love the Lord Jesus
Christ. When his person and work is refused there is nothing to look for
but wrath.
2 CORINTHIANS
4:4 "unto them" is omitted. The devil does not have power to keep the light
of the gospel of Christ from shining, but he does have power to blind men
lest it shine "unto them."
5:17 "all things" is left out. The believer is brought into vital union
with Christ so that it is declared that he is in Christ. In the sight of
God "old things" of the sinful nature are passed away. It only remains for
those old things to be unwound, like Lazarus' graveclothes, in his daily
life. In the sight of God "all things" are become new though they make
their appearance in the life of the believer as he grows in grace and
knowledge. To deny that "all things" are become new is to deny the finished
work of Christ whereby we are made accepted in the beloved.
12:11 "in glorying" is dropped. The Corinthians had compelled Paul to talk
about his experiences with the Lord. He did not want to brag about his
spirituality. He felt that he had become foolish in boasting or glorying.
The change would have Paul saying, "I have made a fool of myself." That is
not what we are to understand.
GALATIANS
3:1 "that ye should not obey the truth" is omitted. The Galatians had been
bewitched by the Jewish legalizers who had put them under the Law to keep
saved. Paul tells them that in so doing they were not obeying the truth.
The truth was that they were saved by grace and that all spiritual
blessings were theirs in Christ. To turn from that is to be in error.
3:17 "in Christ" is dropped. Paul is talking about the covenant with
Abraham through his seed which was Christ. The law was added later and did
not affect the covenant of promise to those who would be saved by
believing as Abraham did. God promised Abraham that through his seed
(singular) all the families of the earth would be blessed. That was a
covenant confirmed before of God "in Christ."
4:7 "an heir of God through Christ" is changed to "an heir through God."
The inheritance is to the children of God through the mediatorship of
Christ. We are not heirs of God through God, but through Christ. The change
here is intended to destroy the reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ who
said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me."
EPHESIANS
1:1 "at Ephesus" is left out. It is hard to conceive that the Spirit of God
addressed an epistle and then lost the address.
3:9 "by Jesus Christ" is removed. It is a Bible doctrine that all things
were created by Jesus Christ and without him was not anything made that
was made. This change detracts from the Deity of Christ which is made
evident by the fact that ALL THINGS were created by Him.
5:30 "of his flesh, and of his bones" is left out. The Bible teaching is
that the believer is vitally conjoined to Christ for a new life and walk in
the Spirit. We are "quickened together with Christ," "raised up together,"
and "seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." God likens this
to the marriage relationship where two people become one flesh.
6:10 "my brethren" is dropped. These words make it very clear that Paul's
instructions concerning Christian living are for Christians who by the new
birth have become Paul's "brethren." There is a great danger that unsaved
people might get the impression that by imitating the things that
Christians do they can become Christians.
PHILIPPIANS
4:13 "Christ" is changed to "him." It is precious to the believer to know
that Christ will give him strength for spiritual living. Christ himself
said, "without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). The word "him" is quite
indefinite and can be misconstrued by Modernists to include the "him" of
any religious group believing in a Supreme Being.
COLOSSIANS
1:2 "and the Lord Jesus Christ" is omitted. Along with the Father he is the
source of grace and peace.
1:14 "through his blood" is left out. Redemption and forgiveness of sins is
through the direct agency of his shed blood. Many Modernists today can work
around the words "redemption" and "forgiveness of sins," but they cannot
work around the shed blood. Therefore they must deny it and be in direct
opposition to it.
2:11 "of the sins" is removed. What is left to work with brings the NIV to
translate "In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your
sinful nature." It is an established Bible doctrine that by the
circumcision of our heart which the Lord made, we are able to overcome the
sins of our flesh. But the putting off of our sinful nature will not take
place until we are changed in the Rapture. Errors like this can only occur
as the group of translators persist in following the MINORITY Text.
2:18 "those things which he has not seen" is made to read "those things
which he has seen." Men were vainly attempting to worship angels as
emanations from God in a step-ladder effort to reach God. Paul exhorted
them to hold fast to the Head (our God-man Christ Jesus) who proceeded
forth and came from God (himself being of the Trinity) that he might bring
us to God. Paul says they DID NOT see them, heretics say THEY HAVE.
1 THESSALONIANS
1:1 "from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" is dropped. Are we to
think that grace and peace is bestowed by Paul? No, that is not within his
power. They have their source in the Father and the Son.
5:27 "holy" is dropped from before "brethren." Paul had other brethren
according to the flesh who were not saved (Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1). These were
sanctified and preserved brethren and they were "holy" because they were
accepted in the beloved.
1 TIMOTHY
3:3 "not greedy of filthy lucre" is omitted. The phrase has to do with
obtaining earthly gain through disgraceful means. This happens everyday
within professing Christendom. It is inspired of God and belongs in the
text.
3:16 "God was manifest" is changed to "He was manifest." The reference is
to Christ manifest in the flesh, etc. The MAJORITY Text tells us that this
Christ was God. There are 252 copies of Paul's Epistles which have "God"
and only 2 copies which have "he." The MINORITY Text leaves us in doubt as
to who "he" is. The doctrine of the Deity of Christ is greatly harmed here
by the corrupt text.
4:12 "in spirit" is left out. To be an example of the believer it is
necessary to have a spiritual man guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
5:16 "if any man" is omitted. It is unthinkable that the head of the house
should be removed here from the responsibility to provide for widows.
6:5 "from such withdraw thyself" is dropped. The Bible doctrine of
separation is affected by this corruption. We are to withdraw from teachers
who are destitute of the truth.
6:19 "eternal life" is changed to "that which is truly life." The first
talks about the length of life, the second talks about the quality of life.
You cannot have the first without being saved. You can have the second but
still be lost, depending on what you think is "truly life."
2 TIMOTHY
1:11 "of the Gentiles" is omitted. That Paul was appointed to teach the
gospel to the Gentiles is indisputable (see Gal. 2:7-9).
HEBREWS
1:3 "When he had by himself purged our sins" is changed to "when he had
made purification of sins." The omission of the word "our" leaves us to
wonder whose sins were purged, his own or others. It is not plain and
therefore the substitutionary atonement of Christ is affected by the
change. With the words "by himself" the Holy Spirit wanted us to see that
the atonement for our sins was accomplished by Christ alone. The damage to
this verse is awesome in its' consequences.
3:1 "Christ" is omitted. Our High Priest must be anointed of God to that
office and the word Christ means the Messiah or Anointed one of God.
10:34 "in heaven" is left out. Those who had lost all their earthly goods
certainly had no enduring substance here, but in heaven was their treasure
and reward.
JAMES
2:20 "faith without works is dead" has been changed to "faith without
works is useless." There is a great difference between dead faith and
useless (or idle) faith. The first indicates that no faith exists and the
person is lost. The second implies that faith exists but it is not being
used. Again we see humanism and the false idea of a little divinity in each
one which only needs to be fanned into a flame. The change promotes false
doctrine.
4:4 "ye adulterers" is dropped from the text. No reason to excuse the men
from the scathing denunciation of God's Word.
4:14 "It is even a vapour" is changed to "Ye are just a vapour." In
describing the length of our life, God tells us it will pass quickly like a
vapour. The change would have US OURSELVES to exist as a little steam.
There is a leaning here toward annihilationism.
5:16 "Confess your faults" becomes "confess your sins." In a context where
God talks about sin in relationship to sickness, he moves on to talk about
faults (a side-slip or deviation). The change "faults" to "sins" leads to
the priesthood and the confession box which is contrary to all of
Scripture.
1 PETER
1:22 "through the Spirit" is removed. The Bible teaches that it is through
the agency of the Holy Spirit that men are brought to believe in Christ. In
John 16:8,9 he convicts the world (all men) and draws them to faith in
Christ.
1:23 "for ever" is dropped and thereby the preservation of the Word of God
is called into question. The agency here of the new birth is the Word of
God, which is eternal. Our new birth therefore is as eternal as the Word
which originated it.
2:2 The phrase "unto salvation" is added by Westcott and Hort to "that ye
may grow thereby." This puts a question mark over the certainty of our
present salvation. It makes salvation a process rather than an accomplished
fact. The doctrine of eternal security is denied by the new exhortation to
grow UNTO SALVATION.
3:18 "suffered for sins" is changed to "died for sins." The context has
Christians suffering for well doing and they are exhorted to keep on
because Christ also has suffered for us. It is a Bible teaching that Christ
not only died for our sins, but that he suffered for our sins (see Isaiah
53:5-7).
3:18 "quickened by the Spirit" is changed to "quickened in the spirit." The
correct rendering attributes the resurrection of Christ to the Holy
Spirit. This completes the truth that all three persons of the Trinity were
involved in the resurrection of Christ (see John 2:19; Rom. 8:11).
4:1 "for us" is left out. Christ suffered for us, the just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God.
5:2 "taking the oversight thereof" is omitted. To watch over the flock of
God with authority is a clear teaching of the Word.
5:12 "wherein ye stand" is changed to "wherein stand." By the removal of
the word "ye" there is a change from our standing in grace to an
exhortation to stay there standing. The blessing of a perfected standing
in grace is thereby removed.
2 PETER
2:17 The words "for ever" are dropped. Peter, in the word concerning false
teachers, states that their darkness is to last forever. The change leaves
us with no definite word as to their end.
2:18 "those that were clean escaped" is changed to "those that are scarcely
escaping." The change from past tense to present tense moves us from a
completed salvation to a hope-so salvation. Those who are saved are in
possession of eternal life (see John 5:24).
2:20 "the Lord and Saviour" becomes "our Lord and Saviour." The false
teachers had escaped some of the world's worst sins by following the
teachings of "the Lord" but they had never come to know him as "our Lord"
is known to real Christians. They were not saved and then lost, but never
saved at all.
3:2 "us the apostles" is changed to "your apostles." The Church is built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20) and there are
no apostles and prophets today nor is there any such thing as an apostolic
succession. The phrase "your apostles" indicates that the people he was
writing to had special apostles designated for them and lends support to
the continuance of a so-called "Apostolic Succession."
1 JOHN
1:7 "Christ" is dropped. This word brings the cleansing blood into
relationship with our great anointed High Priest who ever liveth to make
intercession for us. Many cults believe that Jesus (as man) died for the
original sin of Adam and that Christ (as a spirit) rose without the body.
John would have us know that the one who died and the one who arose are the
same.
3:5 "our" is removed from before "sins." Once again the question of whose
sins were taken away is raised. There have been sins committed by angels
and men. The "our sins" refers the atonement to those of men. (see my
comments under Hebrews 1;3).
3:14 "his brother" is removed. The teaching of the Word is that a true
Christian will love his brother in Christ. If a man does not love a true
Christian, then it is evident that he is still lost and abides in death.
The test of spiritual life is not that we love, but that we love the
brethren (see John 13:34,35).
4:19 "We love him" is changed to "We love." The object of God's love is us,
and the object of our love is him. Christians are not just people who love,
but people who love God because of his grace. The very next verse deals
with the professor who says he loves God but is a liar. Lost people may
love, but saved people love God.
5:7 The whole verse bearing testimony to the Triune God is discarded.
There are at least 20 Greek manuscripts which have this verse in. It is
also seen in the writings of the church fathers and lectionaries. It
directly affects the Bible doctrine of the Trinity.
REVELATION
5:10 "kings and priests" is changed to "a kingdom of priests." The 24
elders are representative of all the redeemed who in Christ are constituted
kings and priests. A kingdom of priests smells of Nicolaitanism (the rule
of the clergy over the laity) and the priesthood for a select few as in the
Roman Catholic Church. (The same change is seen in 1:6)
8:13 "an angel" is changed to "an eagle." This is most amusing and shows
how captive the Revisers are to their corrupt text. In a setting replete
with angels we are told about a talking eagle who pronounces three more
"Woes" to the inhabiters of the earth.
14:5 "before the throne of God" is dropped. This phrase speaks of the
perfect standing that the saved have in Christ. They are without fault
before God because they are, like the church, "accepted in the beloved"
(Eph. 1:6).
20:9 "from God" is dropped. At the end of the Kingdom Age the enemies of
God are destroyed by fire "from God out of heaven." God is the one who will
destroy all enemies and create a new heaven and a new earth.
20:12 "before God" is changed to "before the throne." The dead will be
raised, not to stand before an impersonal throne, but to stand before "the
God" [literal]. Many would like to change the personal God into some kind
of Divine Mind or Supreme Being.
CONCLUSION
All that has gone before makes it very clear that Christian Doctrine is
greatly affected by the changes. The MINORITY Text is the source of these
changes and the New Modern Versions usually follow that Text. It is
unthinkable that men of God would continue to advocate the use of these
versions when they are in complete possession of all the facts. The
ministry of the Holy Spirit is to guide us into "all truth." May he be
allowed to have his way in our hearts. If you have read this book and are
of the same persuasion as the author, I would exhort you to give copies to
your Christian friends. It is very important that they understand the issue
confronting the Church today. As great numbers of Christian people let
their voices be heard for the retention of God's Word, as given to us in
the Traditional Text, there will be a restoration of the same in the
pulpits and in the Christian schools of our land.