ambassadors for the risen Christ ministries

by Shawn Brasseaux
2012 Update

Within Christendom, there are numerous heated debates. Religion and God’s Word are always at odds with one another; ultimately, the good news is that “the word of our Lord endureth forever!” In this study, we are going to deal with one of the most important matters in all of Christianity: the Bible versions debate. My purpose is to expose the major theological errors contained in the modern English translations such as the New King James Version, the New American Standard Version, and the New International Version.

Ever since the Bible was first penned in a human language (Hebrew) over 3,500 years ago, Satan’s ministers have been hard at work counterfeiting God’s Word. In 2 Thessalonians 2:2, we even read of false “bibles”—that was 2,000 years ago! Even though the canon of the Scriptures was closed in the first century A.D., we still have people adding to God’s Word, taking from it, watering it down, and even ignoring it completely. If the devil can destroy God’s Word, he wins! If he can make you doubt God’s Word, you will be vulnerable to the devil’s lies. This is why Satan viciously attacks the purity of the Bible.

The devil is the master counterfeiter. Consequently, we have all sorts of false teaching today, and a large part of it is in the form of “Bibles.” There are a lot of perverted “Bible” versions and paraphrases of the Bible on the market today—over 100 complete translations, and 200 partial translations! These modern Bible versions do contain some truth, but they also have contradictions and grave historical and theological errors. The Roman Catholic Church attempted to insert over one dozen false books (the apocrypha) into the Bible. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have their own corrupt version called the “New World Translation.” The Book of Mormon is supposedly “another testament of Jesus Christ” (which is just as much of the devil as the rest of the modern versions). Again, Satan seeks to corrupt or destroy the Bible.

As long as Satan can keep the masses blinded, he can keep them in his chains of spiritual darkness. While Satan cannot destroy God’s Word, he has been allowed to produce counterfeit, damnable copies of God’s Word. Utilizing these perverted versions, the devil has misguided so many unsuspecting people; his main goal is to keep them blinded to the Gospel of Grace as 2 Corinthians 4:3,4 says, but he wants them using the wrong Bible too. In 2 Corinthians 11:3,4, the Apostle Paul referred to Satan’s counterfeits: “another Jesus, another spirit, another gospel;” what about “another Bible?” Sure!

After consulting seven of the modern English translations of the Bible, it is evident to me that the devil is still on his quest to counterfeit and dilute the Word of God. God has looked after the Bible, and while there are still genuine copies of God’s Word, these newer translations are another story, literally.

So, in this special Bible study, we deal with seven of these corrupt modern English “Bibles” that are quite popular today: The Message (MSG), New International Version (NIV), New American Standard (NASV/NASB), New Living Translation (NLT), New Century Version (NCV), New King James Version (NKJV), and New World Translation (NWT). What a strange coincidence: all but one of these Bibles has the word “new” in its title! So, what is “new” in these versions? Basically, nothing is new but the title—it is the same old corrupt underlying Greek text from apostates Westcott and Hort of 1881!

Before we begin this in-depth study on the Bible versions, I want to give you two examples of Bible corruption in order to catch your attention. In Luke 23:42, “Lord” is removed from many of these modern versions—this is a blatant denial of Jesus Christ’s deity! That is just one of dozens of places where modern Bibles omit “Lord.”

Acts 8:37, the Ethiopian eunuch’s profession of faith, is either completely removed or placed in a footnote in these modern English Bibles. “And Philip 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.” Completely omitted from modern Bibles. Very few readers notice the numbering system jumps from 36 to 38!

The common reader will overlook these very subtle changes, but if you compare these modern versions with the Authorized Version 1611 King James Bible, you begin to see these modern versions for the Alexandrian garbage they are! Despite the names, it is old Alexandrian corruption and nothing new at all.

Are these minor doctrinal errors in the NIV, NASB, NKJV, ESV, NRSV, and so on? You tell me:

• the deity of Jesus Christ is denied,
• references to eternal hellfire are removed,
• the apostleships of Peter and Paul are undermined and/or questioned,
• denial of Old Testament prophecy fulfilled in the New Testament,
• two large 12-verse passages are questioned,
• denial of the virgin birth of Christ,
• some verses pertaining to salvation are highly distorted, and
• omission of important Bible terms such as “repent,” “heaven,” “Son,” “Jesus,” “Lord,” “hell,” “Christ,” “my Father,” and “blood.”

 

The Gospel of Grace in the Modern Bible Versions

As you can see, countless fundamental beliefs of Bible-believing Christians have been compromised, watered down, or completely eliminated in these modern English Bibles. What a surprise to find the Gospel of Grace remains relatively intact in these modern versions (Romans 10:9-13 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). However, this is just another example of the devil’s craftiness. If he could make you believe these modern translations are reliable by accurately translating the Gospel of Grace, you would never suspect any gross error in these modern versions—would you? The devil will never come at you with 100 percent lie—he will always provide some truth to entice you, to “reel you in.” Satan may have 90 percent truth, but you have to be concerned with the 10 percent error that is less obvious, friends and brethren!

God has hovered over the Gospel so it has not been adulterated in these modern Bibles, too. People can still be saved by reading the Gospel of Grace found in these newer versions, but that still does not erase the fact that most—if not all—newer translations have MAJOR doctrinal errors (we briefly mentioned them earlier, but they will be discussed later in detail). With the exception of The Message, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and Romans 10:9-13 in all the other versions have the basic highlights of the Gospel: Jesus Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised from the dead. However, The Message’s rendition of Romans 10:9-13 sounds highly distorted, I find.

 

Where Was it Written?

Mark 1:2 KJB says, “As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” Modern Bibles (NIV, NASB, NRSV, ESV, et cetera) read, “as it is written in Isaiah the prophet….” Any reference Bible will tell you that this is a quote from Malachi 3:1. Verse 3 is from Isaiah (40:3). Modern Bibles have a mistake in them—plain and simple.

 

Whose Purification?

Was the Lord Jesus Christ the perfect sacrifice? Yes, the Bible confirms the Lord Jesus Christ was sinless so He could become our propitiation, our substitute (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15). However, the NASB, the NLT, the NIV, and other modern versions degrade and deny this critical doctrine clearly demonstrated and confirmed in the Scriptures.

Find Luke 2:22 in the New American Standard: “And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.” The NIV and NLT also contain the words “their purification.” In the King James text, Luke 2:22 uses the word “her,” not “their.” While it may seem like modern translators made an honest mistake, let us examine this matter more closely. Modern Bibles actually make Christ a sinner with this subtle change!

According to Leviticus 12:6-8 in the NIV, the NASB, and the KJB, the Law of Moses demanded that the woman undergo purification. Verse 6 says “her purification.” The Law of Moses said nothing about the male child’s purification in this verse. So, why does the NASB and NIV use the pronoun “their” in Luke 2:22, when according to Leviticus chapter 12, “her” is the proper pronoun? When a translation changes “her” to “their” in Luke 2:22, it claims that Jesus Christ was not sinless! This is not an honest mistake—this is a vicious assault on the doctrine of Christ being “without spot” (Hebrews 9:14). This is not something to be taken lightly!

 

Who Rebelled?

Hebrews 3:16 KJB says: “For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.” Modern bibles read, “Who were they who heard and rebelled? were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? Modern Bibles are wrong!!! Caleb and Joshua did not rebel (Numbers 13:30; Numbers 14:6-12,23,24)—they entered the Promised Land. Yet, modern Bibles claim that every Jew rebelled against the LORD, which is historically wrong. The KJB is right! (Notice the KJB’s declarative statement has been transformed into an interrogative statement in modern Bibles.)

 

Was Jesus Christ God?

Phillippians 2:6 KJB says: “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:” Modern Bibles such as NIV read, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.” Obviously the NIV translators have perverted the verse (NIV2010 quoted here; NIV1984 had “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,”). Notice the NIV2010 and NIV1984 do not even agree with each other, let alone agree with KJB!

 

Resemblances to The New World Translation

Most Christians are aware of the fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses are anything but Christians. I know of Christians who know Jehovah’s Witness teaching is absolutely false, yet these same people use Bible translations that have eerily similarities to Jehovah’s Witness teaching and the Jehovah’s Witness “bible!” I find it pitiful that those who hate the New World Translation for its demeaning of Christ will find nothing wrong with the NIV, the NASB, or the NKJV when these books are guilty of teaching the same thing! If you dislike the NWT and the Jehovah’s Witness doctrine, why use the NIV or the NASB? I am going to give you three examples that are similar amongst the NIV, the NKJV, the NASB, and the NWT.

According to Jehovah’s Witness teaching, Jesus Christ was a created being, and therefore not equal to God. Consequently, their translation of the Bible—the New World Translation—dilutes the verses that support Jesus Christ as being God. For instance, look at John 1:1 in the King James Bible: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Now, look at the New World Translation (NWT): “In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” Did you catch the subtle change? According to the NWT, Jesus Christ was “a god,” not THE ONE AND ONLY GOD like the King James Bible says! Notice a lower-case “god” in the NWT.

Our first example is how the NWT denies Christ’s deity. John 1:18 KJB says that Christ is “the only begotten Son.” The NIV reads (John 1:18): “God the One and Only.” The NASB reads “the only begotten God.” This is similar to the New World Translation’s “the only-begotten god.” (Notice, again, the NWT uses a lower-case “god.”). Although the New King James Version uses “the only begotten Son,” its footnote gives credibility to some manuscripts that read “only begotten God.” See, the NKJV cannot be trusted either! These modern versions support the false idea that God was created and that Jesus Christ was not God. Blasphemy!

Look at our second example. In the King James Bible, 1 Timothy 3:16 is one of the most convincing verses to support the fact that Jesus Christ is God: “God was manifest in the flesh….” The NIV and the NASB both replace “God” with “He.” The NKJV contains the word “God,” yet the footnote encourages the use of “Who” rather than “God!” Can you guess how 1 Timothy 3:16 reads in the New World Translation, the Jehovah’s Witness “bible?” The same way the NIV and NASB do—the New World Translation uses “he” rather than “God!”

Look at our third example. Another doctrine the Jehovah’s Witnesses dislike is the doctrine of the Trinity, the Godhead existing in three Persons. So, they remove most of 1 John 5:7. In the King James Bible, 1 John 5:7 says: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” The NIV and the NASB remove “the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost.” The NKJV, again, casts doubt on these words using a footnote. Notice, the NIV, the NASB, and the NKJV support Jehovah’s Witness doctrine a third time! This is just of many examples.

Why do these modern Bible versions (NIV, NASB, etc.) have similarities to the New World Translation, you ask? The NWT relies on the corrupt Westcott and Hort Greek text, and this Greek text is nearly the same as the corrupt Nestle-Aland Greek text being used by the NIV and the NASB! After all, Nestle and Aland based their Greek text on Westcott and Hort’s 1881 Greek New Testament text.

 

Modern English Bible Versions Ignore Paul’s Gentile Apostleship and the Revelation of the Mystery

Many people have the wrong idea that Paul and Peter preached the same Gospel, and the modern English Bibles contribute to this confusion. Christ and the twelve apostles in His earthly ministry preached the Gospel of the Kingdom to Israel, and it even continued into the early part of the Book of Acts (Matthew 9:35; Acts 8:35-37). The Bible is very clear that the Lord revealed only to the Apostle Paul “the Gospel of the Grace of God,” a year after the cross of Christ (Acts 20:24; Romans 16:25-26; Galatians 1:11-12; Galatians 2:5-10; Ephesians 3:1-9).

Read Romans 2:16 KJB: “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” The NASB, NKJV, and New Century alter Romans 2:16 using transposition (rearrange the wording). The NLT totally omits the word “Gospel” in Romans 2:16. Romans 2:16 NIV reads: “This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.” The truth is that people will be judged ACCORDING TO Paul’s Gospel. Paul’s Gospel does not merely suggest you will be judged, but God will use Paul’s Gospel as the criteria of whether or not you are saved!

Romans 11:13, as read in the King James Bible, says that Paul “is the apostle of the Gentiles.” The NASB, the New Century, the NKJV, and the NIV all use the indefinite article “an” instead of the definite article “the.” This is certainly a major error.

Acts 9:15, Romans 15:16, and Ephesians 3:1-9 tell us that Paul was sent to minister to the Gentiles: why has the definite article “the” been replaced with the indefinite article “an?” Galatians 2:9,10 is evidence that the 12 apostles ministered only to Jews, whereas Paul and Barnabas ministered to the Gentiles. By using the word “an” and not the original word “the,” these modern versions make no clear distinction between Paul’s ministry to Gentiles and the twelve apostles’ ministry to Jews. Do you still think “modern versions are easier to read?”

The King James Bible only uses the term “dispensation” four times (1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:25). Modern Bibles—including the NKJV—remove or water down this term (substituted for “administration,” “commission,” “stewardship,” et cetera). You cannot use a modern Bible to say “dispensational Bible study.”

 

“Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth”

This portion of our article deals with the most important verse regarding Bible study. Studying the Bible is what God wants, but He also wants us to “rightly divide,” separating what was written to Jews under the Law (the entire Old Testament, the Four Gospels, and Hebrews through Revelation) and what was written to Gentiles under Grace (Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon). We are not under Law; we are under Grace (Romans 6:14,15). We are the Church the Body of Christ, not the nation Israel. The book of Acts is the “transition book,” documenting God’s dealings with Israel have shifted to Him dealing with Gentiles.

“Rightly dividing” the Bible is the only way to make sense of the Bible because Jews were told one thing, and God tells us Gentiles something entirely different (see Romans 15:4). The King James Bible reads in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Read 2 Timothy 2:15 as it is found in modern translations, and you will notice that none of these mention the word “study” [study the Bible]. Some copies of the New King James Version use “rightly dividing,” and other NKJV use “correctly handling.” It is obvious that this verse has been tampered with in the following modern Bible versions:

• The Message (2 Timothy 2:15 MSG): “Concentrate on doing your best for God… lay out the truth, plain and simple.”
• New Century Version (2 Timothy 2:15 NCV): “Make every effort to give yourself to God… use the true teaching in the right way.”
• New International Version (2 Timothy 2:15 NIV): “Do your best to present yourself to God… correctly handle the word of truth.”
• New American Standard Bible (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB): “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God… accurately handling the word of truth.”
• New Revised Standard Version (2 Timothy 2:15 NRSV): “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him… rightly explaining the word of truth.”
• English Standard Version (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV): “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved… rightly handling the word of truth.”
• Contemporary English Version (2 Timothy 2:15 CEV): “Do your best to win God’s approval… teach only the true message.”
• New Living Translation (2 Timothy 2:15 NLT): “Work hard so you can present yourself to God… who correctly explains the word of truth.”
• New King James Version (2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV): “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God… rightly dividing the word of truth.”
• New World Translation (2 Timothy 2:15 NWT) – JEHOVAH’S WITNESS “BIBLE”: “Do your utmost to present yourself approved to God… handling the word of the truth aright.”

Shame, shame, shame! They have butchered the only Bible verse that explains how we should study and interpret the Bible. No wonder people know very little, if anything, of dispensational Bible study—they never read “rightly dividing” in their modern Bible versions! They never are instructed to “study” the Bible either.

 

Other Major Errors in the Modern English Bibles

There are many, MANY more errors than space permits me to cite, so I would encourage you to find and read “Theological Errors in the Versions—The King James Bible’s Superiority in Theology,” by Dr. D.A. Waite of THE BIBLE FOR TODAY.

 

Major Theological Errors in the New American Standard Version (NASV)

• The NASB completely omits “through [Christ’s] blood” in Colossians 1:14.
• “Every word of God” is completely eliminated from Luke 4:4 in the NASB. Why was it left intact in Matthew 4:4? Who else but the devil would remove this important part of the verse? (Source: Waite).
• In 2 Peter 3:2, the phrase “us apostles” in the KJB has been changed to “your apostles” in the NASB. By making this change, Peter’s apostleship is questioned, and perhaps we could even go so far as to say this was a deliberate attempt to deny Peter’s apostleship entirely. (Source: Waite).
• Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:53—8:11 in the NASB are bracketed off, separated from the Bible text, therefore casting doubt as to whether or not they are truly God-breathed Scripture. Yet the passage found in Mark is corroborated by various other portions of Scripture. (Source: Waite).
• The reference to Sodom and Gomorrah in Mark 6:11 in the KJB is completely eliminated from the NASB. There is not even a marginal note even containing the portion of Scripture in the NASB! (Source: Waite).
• John 6:69 in the KJB claims that Jesus Christ is “Christ, the Son of the living God.” Instead, you will find an inferior reading “the holy one of God” in the NASB. (Source: Waite).
• “Eternal life” in the KJB in 1 Timothy 6:19 has been replaced in the NASB by a watered-down “life that truly is life,” “true life,” or “that which is life indeed.”
• Ephesians 3:9 in the KJB clearly states that Jesus Christ is the Creator God of Genesis 1:1. However, the phrase “by Jesus Christ” is completely eliminated from the NASB; Jesus Christ (God the Son) is denied as being the Creator.
• In 1 John 5:7-8, there is a denial of the Trinity (Triune Godhead) in the NASB.
• Jesus Christ’s power over Satan is denied, with the KJB phrase in Luke 4:8 “Get thee behind me Satan” completely eliminated from the NASB.

 

Major Theological Errors in the New International Version (NIV)

• The NIV removes “through [Christ’s] blood” from Colossians 1:14 and places it in the marginal notes.
• “Every word of God” in Luke 4:4 is completely eliminated from the NIV. Why was it left intact in Matthew 4:4? Who else but the devil would remove this important part of the verse? (Source: Waite).
• In 2 Peter 3:2, the phrase “us apostles” in the KJB has been changed to “your apostles” in the NIV. By making this change, Peter’s apostleship is questioned, and perhaps we could even go so far as to say this was a deliberate attempt to deny Peter’s apostleship entirely. (Source: Waite).
• Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:53—8:11 in the NIV are bracketed off, separated from the Bible text, therefore casting doubt as to whether or not they are truly God-breathed Scripture. Yet the passage found in Mark is corroborated by various other portions of Scripture. (Source: Waite).
• John 6:69 in the KJB claims that Jesus Christ is “Christ, the Son of the living God.” Instead, you will find the inferior reading “the holy one of God” in the NIV. (Source: Waite).
• The reference to Sodom and Gomorrah in Mark 6:11 in the KJB is completely eliminated from the NIV. There is not even a marginal note even containing the portion of Scripture in the NIV! (Source: Waite).
• “Eternal life” in the KJB in 1 Timothy 6:19 has been replaced in the NIV by a watered-down “life that truly is life,” “true life,” or “that which is life indeed.” “Eternal life” has been deleted and an inferior and useless phrase has been inserted.
• Ephesians 3:9 in the KJB clearly states that Jesus Christ is the Creator God of Genesis 1:1. However, the phrase “by Jesus Christ” is completely eliminated from the NIV; Jesus Christ (God the Son) is denied as being the Creator.
• Jesus Christ’s power over Satan is denied, with the KJB phrase in Luke 4:8, “Get thee behind me Satan” completely eliminated from the NIV.

 

Major Theological Errors in the New King James Version (NKJV)

• The original 1611 King James text is supported by the Textus Receptus (the Greek Majority Text). The New King James Version, in contrast, ignores the Textus Receptus over 1200 times! Is the NKJV an updated King James Bible? Absolutely not!
• The NKJV translators even admit that it was necessary to do more than replace obsolete words with contemporary English.
• A.V. Publications (Gail Riplinger) released a pamphlet regarding the NKJV that reads:

“Why does the NKJV use harder words than the KJB? The derivative copyright law insists that: “To be copyrightable, a derivative work must be different enough from the original to be regarded as a ‘new work’ or must contain a substantial amount of new material. Making minor changes or additions of little substance to a preexisting work will not qualify the work as a new version for copyright purposes.” Therefore all new Bible versions must change those simple one or two syllable Anglo-Saxon words to complex Latinized words. Consequently the KJB reads at the 5th grade level and the NKJV reads at the 6th grade level. Because of this copyright law, there will never be an easier to read Bible than the KJB.”

• The NKJV is not the KJB. The NKJV is a counterfeit version of the 1611 Authorized King James Bible. After reviewing the information found in the chart below, we see that the NKJV reads harder than the King James Bible. But, why is it that people complain about the “archaic” King James words, yet never comment on the more difficult words found in the NKJV?

SOURCE: A.V. PUBLICATIONS

King James Bible	New King James Version		King James Bible	New King James Version
JEHOVAH	**omitted completely**		boat (Acts 27:30)	skiff
every word of God (Lk. 4:4)	placed in footnotes/margin		are saved (1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Cor. 2:15)	are being saved (works-religion/ progressive salvation)
John 7:53–8:11	**bracketed off from rest of Scripture**		heretick (Tit. 3:10)	divisive man
Mark 16:9-20	**bracketed off from rest of Scripture**		narrow is the way (Matt. 7:14)	difficult is the way (works-religion/ progressive salvation)
blood	**omitted 23 times**		Godhead (Acts 17:29)	Divine Nature
pictures (Isa. 2:16)	sloops		too superstitious (Acts 17:22)	very religious
Lord	**omitted 66 times**		heaven	**omitted 50 times**
pennyworth (Jn. 6:7)	denarii		Satan (Ps. 109:6)	an accuser
quicksand (Acts 27:17)	Syrtis Sands (!?)		“unbelief”/“not believed” (Rom. 11:30,32)	disobedience
times past (Acts 14:16)	bygone generations		God	**omitted 51 times*

Major Theological Errors in the New Living Translation (NLT)

• The NLT removes “through [Christ’s] blood” from Colossians 1:14 and places it in the marginal notes.
• In 2 Peter 3:2, the phrase “us apostles” in the KJB has been changed to “your apostles” in the NLT. By making this change, Peter’s apostleship is questioned, and perhaps we could even go so far as to say this was a deliberate attempt to deny Peter’s apostleship entirely. (Source: Waite).
• John 6:69 in the KJB claims that Jesus Christ is “Christ, the Son of the living God.” Instead, you will find “the holy one of God” in the NLT. (Source: Waite).
• “Eternal life” in the KJB in 1 Timothy 6:19 has been replaced in the NLT by a watered-down “life that truly is life,” “true life,” or “that which is life indeed.” “Eternal life” has been deleted and an inferior and useless phrase has been inserted.
• In the NLT, there is a subtle denial of the Triune Godhead in 1 John 5:7-8.
• Jesus Christ’s power over Satan is denied, with the KJB phrase in Luke 4:8 “Get thee behind me Satan” completely eliminated from the NLT.

 

Major Theological Errors in the The Message (MSG)

• “The Message” is nothing more than a paraphrased Bible text. Eugene Peterson began writing it in 1993, and it was completed in 2002. In an interview, Peterson made a stunning admission: “I just typed out a page the way I thought it would have sounded to the Galatians.” What Mr. Peterson has admitted is that he not only translated the Bible for you, he has also graciously interpreted the Bible for you too! He played the role of the translator AND the teacher! Thus, the possibility of error is twice as great.
• The reference to Sodom and Gomorrah in Mark 6:11 in the KJB is completely eliminated from the Message. There is not even a marginal note even containing the portion of Scripture!
• The Message is a modern-language paraphrase of the Bible—a blatant mockery of God’s Word. The Message refers to Jesus as “Master Jesus,” instead of “Lord Jesus.” How blasphemous, because Lord—not “Master”—makes the connection between Jesus Christ and the LORD God of the Old Testament! Colossians 1:17-20 in The Message reads (one of the many wordy, difficult passages in this version). “Resurrection parade?” Christ is “spacious and roomy?” “Broken and dislocated pieces of the universe?” What in the world is going on with the Message?

 

“And when it comes to the church, he [Christ] organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.” (Colossians 1:17-20 MSG).

Now here is Colossians 1:17-20 in the King James Version:

“And he [Christ] is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

 

Major Theological Errors in the New Century Version (NCV)

• “Eternal life” in the KJB in 1 Timothy 6:19 has been replaced by a watered-down “life that truly is life,” “true life,” or “that which is life indeed.” “Eternal life” has been deleted and an inferior and useless phrase has been inserted.
• The New Century Version has “the holy one from God” instead of “the Son of the living God” in John 6:69.
• Ephesians 3:9 in the KJB clearly states that Jesus Christ is the Creator God of Genesis 1:1. However, the phrase “by Jesus Christ” is completely eliminated from the New Century Version; Jesus Christ (God the Son) is denied as being the Creator.
• In the NCV, there is a subtle denial of the Triune Godhead in 1 John 5:7-8.
• Jesus Christ’s power over Satan is denied, with the KJB phrase in Luke 4:8 “Get thee behind me Satan” completely eliminated from the New Century Version.

 

Conclusion: There is More Where That Came From!

So, as you can see, there are major theological errors in the modern Bibles. Many professing Christians have abandoned the “old” King James Bible to embrace more “contemporary”—yet theologically inferior—versions. They abandoned the sound King James for a watered-down, easy-to-read and corrupt modern “bible.”

How pitiful. The Revised Standard Version (RSV), The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), Today’s English Version (TEV), and the American Standard Version (ASV) all contain the same errors—and definitely more—as those mentioned in this article. The New Berkley, one additional Bible version I did not consult, contains many of the same errors as found in these other newer versions (denial of Christ’s power over the devil in Luke 4:8; denial of the Trinity in 1 John 5:7-8; omission of “eternal life” in 1 Timothy 6:19). (Source: Waite)

The Lord gives us a warning regarding people twisting/wresting/corrupting the Scriptures, altering the Bible in an attempt to substantiate their own erroneous and heretical beliefs (2 Peter 3:15-17). Paul wrote “Many corrupt the word of God” (2 Corinthians 2:17). If we take a look at the basis of these modern versions (the corrupt text from Alexandria), it is quite obvious that the devil’s nature has never changed. The King James Bible, and its underlying Antiochian text, is reliable. Because the modern versions have a separate Greek source than that of the King James text, they read differently from the King James Bible—it is more than a difference of interpreting the same text. Satan is ruthless, doing everything he can to pollute the Bible, and upon reading the history of the Bible and its translation, I am aghast. The common Christian has not been taught just how serious this matter is.

The devil has been hard at work these past couple millennia, ever since the canon of Scripture were closed. The Bible versions debate is a serious matter, so what should we be doing? If you are a Christian who is currently using a contemporary English Bible version, such as one of those listed here, please REFRAIN from using them. Put them away, and use the Authorized Version King James Bible, God’s infallible and inerrant Word to you as an English-speaking person!

If you are interested in comparing these newer translations with the reliable King James Bible (if you use one of the new Bibles listed above, I strongly recommend that you see for yourself), please visit www.biblegateway.com. There, you can find the King James text as well as copies of these new translations (with the exception of the New World Translation). Please do not waste your money buying these trashy perversions of the Bible. Pass the word around… the Authorized Version 1611 King James Bible is theologically superior to these newer English translations. It alone is God’s preserved Word and words in English. Period!