Notes And Quotes For Today:
Is Your Bible Really The Word of God? – V
What Is The Purpose of All These Versions?
The great proliferation of Bible versions in recent times is no accident. There is a good reason for all of the work and effort that has gone in to giving us modern versions which flood the market. The Devil may change his tactics but you can be sure he never changes. There have been times down through the ages when he got people to burn the Bible, and when that couldn’t be accomplished there were efforts to ban the Bible. In both of these he has been quite successful in keeping the word of God from the multitudes. However he has in the modern times found an even more auspicious way to keep the Scriptures from man; make new versions of the Bible.
In the name of Scholarship and progress many are accepting Bibles which have come from a corrupted source. The revisionists and the publishers constantly tell us that one reason is their desire to make the Word of God more readable or understandable. Many of them have styles that can not be compared with the KJV for literacy and beauty as well as content.. They have made some passages almost unintelligible from the spiritual viewpoint and some are really coarse or rough in their presentation. A good many of them are written in the street languages of our day! Who would like a Bible in today’s language?
Of course , they loudly proclaim that these Bibles are better because they are based on better manuscripts. Merely believing and putting down such a statement does not make it so. Here is our view: first of all we want to mention the matter of profit. It seems to us, that is one of the real motives behind some of the translations and versions. Some have been put on the market with advertising campaigns that surely look as though they originated on “Madison Avenue.” And then the endorsements are something to behold. Most of them have been promoted by religious leaders of almost every shade of theological persuasion. Anybody who is somebody has put his name behind one or more of them, which includes a host of Evangelicals who urge these perversions upon the people of God. We don’t know how many times we have read that this or that modern version has sold millions of copies. True born again Christians would do well to save their money or to invest it in a good sound work of God and then, spend more time reading the faithful King James Version.
Many of the endorsements and promotional statements of these versions provide a tip-off on another reason for their existence – to please men. This madness of trying to get along with everyone is the all-consuming passion of many, and that includes the bulk of Evangelicalism, and we are afraid some Fundamentalists also. This mania to mix and mingle with those of every shade of “Christian” philosophy is the curse of our day, and it is sweeping many unsuspecting children of God in its wake.
They have perverted love to mean a man ought to have no enemies and be able to cooperate and co-exist with everyone. Modern versions are certainly aiding the cause of ecumenism and indeed their aim is a universal Bible that will please everyone. The Bible does not state that love brings us eternal life, God’s grace, and all heavenly treasures, but that the word brings them to us. We certainly desire to maintain external peace with others – we must do so with everyone in thei world, even or angriest enemies. But when doctrine and Christian fellowships are concerned, we don’t want to have anything to do with those who do err or to regard them as our brethren; we must look at them as our enemies and fight against them with our spiritual weapons.
Beware and take heed that it is the evil ones desire to lead us away from the word, when he demands that we should give way and suffer error for the sake of concord. If we we err in such a way that the enemy robs us of this Word, then we have lost everything, and have no counsel and help left; for the main thing is gone, without which there is nothing we will accomplish that will avail before God. Would to God every believer in Jesus Christ might take these warnings to heart. Unless we take our stand now, the present compromise will rob us of the most precious thing we have, the very Word of Almighty God, for we have not been called to please men but God.
Perhaps the greatest force behind the proliferation of modern versions is Satan himself. Surely we can not believe that these modern versions came by accident for our good. Satan’s purpose behind them is the perversion of the pure Word of God. Nothing would serve his purpose better. Down through the ages he has tried to nullify and destroy God’s word among men. Time after time he has induced men to burn the Bible; to discredit and discard it. Back in the 18th century Voltaire, the French infidel said, “ within one hundred years the Bible and Christianity will become completely forgotten.” What Voltaire and thousands like him could not do as long as men of God took their stand and held to the Word of God, the devil may now succeed in accomplishing from within the Church.
These new versions have added nothing really new to the Bible except heresy. Indeed they have taken much away. We have said little about all of the changes, omissions, etc., in the versions. For further proof, just compare any of them with the KJV. Also there are ample articles written with more detailed information proving the defective and deadly nature of modern versions.
Here are a few of the Examples:
The Revised standard version (1881) where it all began, destroys the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 by changing the word, “Virgin” to “ a young woman.” How in the world could there be any “sign” in predicting that a young woman would have a child, it happens every day. Furthermore , the revisers rejected the plain teaching of the Holy Spirit where in Matthew 1:22-23, clearly stated that Jesus was born of a virgin and that it was a direct fulfilment of such prophecy in Isaiah 7.
The New English Bible (NEB): This version carries the same Isaiah 7:14 alteration as do many of the other versions. In additions to hundreds of changes and omissions the revised standard version has omitted the last twelve verses of Mark 16 and John 7:53 – 8:11. Many others exclude them including the Berkley Versions, New American Standard, Good News for Modern Man, while the New English Bible also excludes the John passage. While often passages are not literally deleted in the NEB, they are discounted by placing them in italics or in parenthesis or by stating in the footnote that such and such is not in the best or most ancient manuscript. Of course these are merely following what Westcott and Hort did in their Greek New Testament. This version is no doubt one of the worse versions. Much of this translation is not only faulty and perverted, but it is given to dull expressions and demeans the Word of God. It takes great pains to play down the Deity of Christ, and such basic words related to salvation as elect, justify, redemption and regeneration are missing.
The Twentieth Century New Testament: This version translates Romans 11:25 so that it teaches universal salvation and although the word “ Grace” occurs 130 times in the New Testament, this version never uses it once, but replaces it with twenty-five other words. What is the Bible without GRACE?
Good News For Modern Man: this version has been called by some Bad News For Modern Man and not without reason. Where the Bible speaks of the “blood” of Christ which alone atones for our sin, this pervasion omits the word “blood” in 15 different occasions. This version is full of passages translated so as to teach salvation by good works -far too many to mention here. It also eliminates the word “begotten” referring to the Lord Jesus Christ in 8 important passages. It contains a multitude of deviations. All this for what purpose? To please everyone!
The Deity of Christ:
most of the versions at different places play down the Deity of Christ. The NEB version is no doubt is the worst version. Much of this translation is not only faulty and perverted, but takes great pains to play down the Deity of Christ, and such basic words related to salvation as elect, justify, redemption and regeneration are missing. The NEB translators claim that for the purpose of clarity, they use the word “ thou” when speaking of God and “you” when referring to men. Watch this folly now; that the disciples always use “you” when speaking to Jesus – Christ is viewed as a man. Furthermore the Greek word which means “worship” is so translated in passages referring to God, but whenever the same word is used of Jesus they make it read “to pay homage” or “ to bow low.” Their theological bias is quite evident as seen in their reluctance to make Jesus equal to God. Even the unbelieving Jews realized what Jesus claimed to be for they tried to kill Him because it was obvious to them that Jesus was “MAKING HIMSELF EQUAL TO GOD.” John 5:18. The NEB also removes the “blood” of Christ in key passages and makes the darkening of the earth at Christ’s crucifixion to be a mere natural event for it says, “ the sun was in eclipse.” Beloved, we could go on and on but no more proof seems necessary.
To Be Continued…………………
From The Peoples Gospel Hour Staff