“For we are not as many which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 2:17
THE BUSINESS OF BIBLE CORRUPTING is not new. If this accursed practice were confined to modernity, the Holy Ghost, through Paul, would not have warned the church at Corinth of the many which corrupt the word of God. Nor would have the Spirit, through Peter, warned believers of the unlearned and unstable who wrested the scriptures unto their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16). No, so long as there has been Bible, Satan has sought to corrupt Bible, and, beginning with the sordid Scripture perversions put forth by Wescott and Hort in 1881, he has deployed a host of so-called Bible “translations” which are at odds with the King James Bible and with themselves. In these pages, I would like to briefly discuss five Scriptures which have been especially defiled by the legion of modern “Bibles” that change the truth of God into a lie (Romans 1:25). Although the modern perversions of God’s Word are notorious for watering down the sharp, uncompromising tone of the King James Bible, the issues here raised surpass mere vagueness or obscurity. Crucial doctrines have not merely been weakened, but altered altogether, and made entirely different. I assure you I despise having even to type the wretched perversions which abound in these abominable Bible corruptions, but I will do so nonetheless so you may readily compare how shockingly different the King James Bible and the modern perversions are.
EXAMPLE #1: MARK 1:15
Mark 1:15 (King James Bible): “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Mark 1:15 (so-called “Easy to Read” Version): “He said, “The right time is now here. God’s kingdom is very near. Change you hearts and lives, and believe the Good News!”
The word “repent” in Mark 1:15 is derived from the Greek word “metanoia”, which simply means “a change of mind”. When Christ said, “repent ye, and believe the gospel”, he meant before his listeners could believe the gospel to be saved, they must first change their mind. If they were relying upon self-righteousness and good works to go to heaven, they would no longer rely upon self-righteousness and good works. If they were relying upon keeping the law of Moses, they would no longer rely upon keeping the law of Moses. Whatever they hitherto believed regarding salvation and eternal life would be abandoned, in favor of simply trusting him for salvation.
But this simple “change of mind” is not the meaning conveyed in the damnable “Easy to Read” perversion of the Bible, for that farcical exhortation to “Change your hearts and lives” as a prerequisite to being saved commands an entire change of lifestyle. This is salvation by works, not by grace through faith, and transforms eternal life from a free gift God offers those that believe on his Son, to a debt God owes those who serve him. This is another gospel, and we can be sure the ungodly translators which corrupted Mark 1:15 are accursed (Galatians 1:8-9).
EXAMPLE #2: 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18
1 Corinthians 1:18 (KJB): “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18 (“New International” Version): “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
In differentiating between these two sentences, we see how greatly one little word changes the meaning conveyed. In the King James Bible, we easily see the preaching of the cross is the power of God to those who are saved. But the NIV despicably alters this precious Scripture by rendering it, “us who are being saved”. Thus, with the addition of the helping verb “being”, salvation is twisted into a process. We are no longer saved and eternally secure, but rather are in the process of being saved, and, presumably, are at risk of being damned unless we persevere in the faith. Once more, a modern “Bible” translation is preaching another gospel, and changing the truth of God into a lie. The regeneration taught in the King James Bible is transformed into mere reformation, which is utterly incapable of justifying a man before God.
EXAMPLE #3: 1 PETER 2:2
1 Peter 2:2 (KJB): “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
1 Peter 2:2 (“Good News” Translation): “Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved.”
Carnal Christians are babes in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). They have been born again and are washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, but they are not living as God commands believers ought to live. Therefore, they must grow in grace (2 Peter 3:18). Just as human babies need nourishment to develop properly, baby believers need the Scriptures to grow and serve God. This has nothing to do with salvation, for just as a human baby has already been born, likewise a baby Christian has already been born again, and possesses eternal life. This has everything to do with service, and if we are to be Christ’s disciples, we must desire the Scriptures as a baby would desire milk.
However, the inaptly named “Good News Translation” has perverted this simple Scripture, once again turning salvation into a process rather than a new birth. In this case, it implies we must study the Bible to be saved, again teaching works for salvation. This is damnable heresy. We do not need to study the Bible to be saved. We need only to look to the Savior, and let him wash us from our sins in his blood. To quote “My Faith Has Found a Resting Place”: “I need no other argument, I need no other plea, It is enough that Jesus died, and that he died for me.”
EXAMPLE #4: LUKE 2:33
Luke 2:33 (KJB): “And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.”
Luke 2:33 (“Revised Standard” Version): “And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him;”
GOD ALMIGHTY is Jesus Christ’s Father; Joseph was his stepfather. The “Revised Standard” Perversion’s odious corruption fits a pattern in the modern “translations” of divesting Jesus Christ of his deity and virgin birth. By removing these references, they present Jesus, no longer as the only begotten Son, but as a mere historical figure. If Joseph was Jesus Christ’s father, than our Savior was but a man, and, therefore, a sinner (Romans 5:12). He would not be the Lamb of God, being himself tainted with sin, and could not take away the sins of the world. But thanks be to God, while on earth, Jesus Christ was God in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16), and was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
EXAMPLE #5: ACTS 8:37
Acts 8:36-38 (KJB): “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? (37) 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. (38) And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Acts 8:36-38 (“Tree of Life” Version): (36) “Now as they were going down to the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, water! What’s to prevent me from being immersed?” (37) OMITTED (38) He ordered the chariot to stop. They both got down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and Philip immersed him.”
Here we have the wonderful story of the Ethiopian eunuch. Rather, in the King James Bible, we have the wonderful story of the Ethiopian eunuch. In the “Tree of Life” (or, perhaps better, the Tree of Death) Perversion, we have an incomplete story missing its most essential verse. For as is the case with many modern perversions, Acts 8:37 has been deleted entirely, taking with it the linchpin of the entire passage. Now baptism is no longer a symbol of Christ’s death, burial, and bodily resurrection, but, according to the “Tree of Life” Perversion, it is apparently something people do whenever they see water. Dear reader, I hope you see with verse 37 missing, this entire passage is not only absurd; it is teaching a false plan of salvation. Are we to infer that baptism is a necessary component of salvation? The Tree of Death Perversion seems to believe so.
CONCLUSION
The above are but a sampling of the innumerable and grave perversions of the Scriptures which characterize the modern “Bible” translations. I pray seeing the irreconcilable differences between sound and false doctrine, between the gospel and another gospel, between God in the flesh and merely a good man will convince you the modern Bible versions do not differ from the King James Bible simply in being updated (or, perhaps more fittingly, downgraded) to modern English. They teach different plans of salvation, delete references to Jesus Christ’s virgin birth and deity, and commit a host of other perversions which are too numerous to be detailed in so brief a compendium as this. God’s Word is very pure, and it is ours to love it (Psalm 119:140). Can we truly love the Word if we will not defend it from the sundry corruptions here discussed? I think not.