I think the version of the Bible you read and memorize is important. For most of the important doctrines of the Bible, One God, Salvation, Separated Living, I think you can show the basics in any version but when you get down to it, the NIV really waters down who Jesus is and what he came to do. The editors use the exact same explanation as the Jehovah’s Witnesses do for their version (they’re practically the same). They claim they use the most ancient texts. While that may be true at face value, the Textus Receptus is the most consistent. It is difficult to blog all about that and there is a website you can visit to learn more about it at http://textusreceptusbibles.com/
The very fact that they use the same manuscripts as the JWs is an immediate red flag for me, personally, but here are some examples I have either collected from various sources or found on my own over the years. When I was growing up I read through the New World Translation a couple of times before I was excommunicated by the Jehovah Witness assembly when I was twelve.
This is a very incomplete comparison (There are over two hundred examples in the New Testament alone) between the two versions, KJV vs NIV, but does show what doctrines are fundamentally alterable by omitting or changing just a word or two. At first, I tried to put them in order but then tried grouping them together by teaching, then just gave up.
One argument you may hear or have is that the NIV often shows the missing part as a footnote saying something to the effect of, “Some texts read…” but a person new to reading the Bible is likely to take for granted that the footnote is not important or otherwise minimize the importance of what they are looking at.
I will highlight the altered/compared parts and may add a note or two of my own for clarification, although little is needed.
| King James | New International Version |
|---|---|
| John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. | John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a God. |
| Luke 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. | Luke 9:56 and they went to another village. |
| Matt. 18:11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. | Matt. 18:11 (missing) |
| Matt. 9:13 …I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. | Matt. 9:13 …I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. |
| Isaiah 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. | Isaiah 66:24 And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind. |
| Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. |
Mark 9:43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 44 (missing) 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 46 (missing) 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched. |
| Mark 3:15 …power to heal sickness, and to cast out devils | Mark 3:15 …authority to drive out demons. |
| Matt. 5:44 …Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. | Matt. 5:44 …Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. |
| Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. | Mark 11:26 (missing) |
| Luke 2:33 And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him. | Luke 2:33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. (Joseph was only the stepfather.) |
| Luke 22:64 And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? | Luke 22:64 They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” |
| John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. | John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known. |
| John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. | John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. |
| John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. | John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. |
| John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. | John 6:47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. |
| John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. | John 16:16 In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me. |
| I Cor. 5:7 …Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: | I Cor. 5:7 …Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. |
| 1Cor 10:28 But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof: | 1 Cor 10:28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. |
| Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: | Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. |
| Revelation 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. | Revelation 1:11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. |
| Revelation 5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. | Revelation 5:14 the four living creatures said “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshipped. |
| Revelation 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! | Revelation 8:13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!” |
| Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. | Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. |
| Revelation 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. |
Revelation 21:24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their spledor into it. |
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18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Comments
5 responses to “KJV Or NIV”
This is powerfully awesome stuff! Thank you for studying it out and showing the proof of what I tell people I have seen by reading them. The version does matter and regardless of what we can humanly understand of KJV, God will give the revelation of we ask.
You’re welcome.
Being Catholic, I prefer the Revised Standard Version (RSV), which includes good stuff like Book of Tobit and the two Maccabees, which I can’t understand being omitted in other versions, but I guess there are reasons. I also prefer Ezekiel by way of Tarantino. Makes good cinema.
That’s interesting. Actually, I do plan to read the books you talk about as part of my annual reading through the Bible in a year. I am on the second time around this year, so I might switch up and read that one.
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