Jesus prayed we'd be 'ONE' with each other in Him that the world will know! (John 17)

NIV alterations that greatly affect Christian doctrine — including my pet peeves. The NIV is destroying the church! Here’s proof.

I’ve been warning people about some of these passages for many years, while others I just discovered today while putting together Westcott and Hort Magic Marker Binge! Would you take a magic marker to your Bible and cross out words from passages? Do you read the NIV?

The more I study what the NIV and similar translations really are the more I realize how greatly we’re being deceived!

They’re destroying God’s Word and the pastors continue to teach the people from a book that was translated from a Greek text which was intentionally altered by a horde of those practicing textual science.
And the seminaries still require that future pastors learn Greek which will do them hardly any good because they’re reading these intentionally altered Greek texts (UBS and Nestle Aland) that the NIV was based upon. Learning Greek for seminarians is often just a knowledge-puffs-up exercise. Too many graduate armed and dangerous, proudly carrying their little, altered Greek ‘Bibles’ around. But most weren’t taught that their Greek ‘Bible’ were intentionally altered:

” . . . Origen, an early textual critic . . . said, that ‘the Scriptures are of little use to those who understand them as they are written . . . . given the opportunity, many like Origen will actually alter the manuscripts to make them say what they understand them to mean…. Justin Martyr, Valentinus, Clement of Alexandria, Marcion, Tatian, and a horde of others practiced their ‘textual science’ by operating on manuscripts, or by writing their own ‘versions’ . . . .

” . . . Today there are more than 5,000 manuscripts and lectionaries in Greek as witnesses to the New Testament text. And 95% of them witness to the Received Text readings [contained in Green’s Interlinear and the King James Version]. Partly due to the fact that ancient manuscripts containing the Received Text were worn out by use, while the Alexandrian textbase manuscripts were preserved by the dry conditions of Egypt, some have sought to discredit the Received Text because they say it is not ancient. But now that manuscript portions from the second century are being unearthed, it is found that many of the readings of the Received Text which had been tagged scornfully as ‘late readings’ by nearly unanimous consent of the ‘textual scientists’ are appearing in these [newly found] manuscripts. Readings which were before called late and spurious have been found in these early-date manuscripts . . . . Yet strangely, in textual criticism classes, such discoveries are swept under the rug, not reported to the class.” (source)

From what I’ve seen, most pastors don’t need to learn Greek [many seminarians and otherwise would-be seminarians shudder at the thought]. That’s what the Greek scholars are for, and they’ve written down their findings in plain English. What’s most important is that pastors read an English translation from the reliable, non-intentionally altered Greek manuscript, the Received Text/Textus Receptus.
Here is some of the proof of what’s been done. I’m using the World English Bible text (WEB — Textus Receptus based) to show how the NIV has literally butchered the word of God, so now the ‘church’ is wobbling, hardly standing at all.

We need some POWER behind us — the real word of God!

What’s crossed out here is what the NIV guts. And in some cases I put in brackets what the NIV replaces the truth with.

* * *

If I had been reading the NIV “Bless those who curse you” wouldn’t have been written on the side of my NOHATE car for the last 15 years.

Matthew 5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

Sometimes I wonder what the Greek scribes were thinking when they left out important directives like this one. Perhaps the man who was paying the scribes way married someone who was unbiblically divorced.

Matthew 19:9 I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery.”

The Devil loves this one. He doesn’t want any of us praying perfectly against demons in tongues. This would seriously mess up his operation. Can’t have that.

Mark 16:17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

This is probably the worst NIV deletion. I explain this in Who-Goes-To-Heaven Scriptures — Narrow is the Way | Who are the Children of God? If the NIV hadn’t done this, perhaps I wouldn’t have had to write my doctrine correcting essay. This one takes the cake, as it is sending millions to hell, thinking they are going to heaven. Disgusting! Pastors need to use real Bibles from now on! It’s their own demise, not just those they are misleading.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

I just found this omission today. It’s interesting that Rupert Murdoch now owns Zondervan who publishes the NIV, and his Fox News is the biggest warmongering newscast. A lot of ‘Christians’ who probably watch Fox News and read the NIV thought the Iraq war was a type of evangelism. But those of us who read the real Bible at least should have known better. It was clear to me.

Romans 10:15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

I’ve had specific discussions on this site about whether or not Galatians teaches us to obey. Perhaps I was the only one reading a real Bible. This is sad, but you can see why Greek scholars would want to throw out verses that make them uncomfortable.

Galatians 3:1 Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth among you as crucified?

This is huge! Don’t use an NIV when discussing Jesus’ deity with a Jehovah’s Witness. This scripture alone should convince anyone that Jesus is God.

1 Timothy 3:16 Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh [He appeared in a body], justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.

I discovered this one a few months ago. The Greek scholar who altered this one must not have prayed in tongues. And it’s likely that everyone on the NIV translation team weren’t tongues prayers either. Praying in the Holy Spirit builds yourself up in holiness faith!

Jude 20 (WEB) But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.

VS

Jude 20 (NIV) But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

One of Satan’s slickest tricks is to deceive people into thinking that God isn’t 100% wise. Satan prefers we worship the creation instead of the Creator.

Jude 25 to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

I’ve been harping about this forgiving-and-the-NIV subject for decades. Try to teach the importance of forgiving out of the NIV.

Forgiving our brother 77 times is good enough? It’s definitely a reachable number — unlike 490 times.

And the “jailers” don’t sound like demons to me. “Tormentors” certainly do though. If we don’t forgive everyone from our hearts the tormentors have a right to torment us. God allows this so we get so disgusted with living in torment so we learn to always walk in love towards even our enemies when they curse us, hate us and mistreat us (the phrases the NIV left out, above).

It’s hard to even know what real Christianity is when we read the NIV. And we won’t learn enough about how Satan’s kingdom really works so we can learn how to be free. Many NIV readers don’t even realize that they have demons directly affecting them. The NIV puts people in the dark. Here is what they’ve done to parts of Matthew 18 and Ephesians 4:

Matthew 18

21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven [seventy seven times].

23 Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants. 24 When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’ 27 The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’ 30 He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’ 34 His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors [turned him over to the jailers to be tortured], until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”

And “a foothold” in Eph. 4, what’s that! The Greek word here is topos, which means “place,” like in topography. There is nothing in the text that indicates the Devil just gets a little foothold if we stay angry. The demons go right in, because we’ve given place to them. We’ve given them the right to torment us because we disobeyed God by not forgiving everyone from our hearts.

This is how lust demons work too. No lust, no lust demons. Whereas, lust just a little bit and they have the right to enter and drive lust from then on until we repent — cold turkey. 100% repentance, 0% lust = 0 lust demons — lust freedom!

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another [body]. 26 “Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 neither give place to the devil [do not give the devil a foothold].

This is my NIV Bible, by the way, given to me in 1974. I really loved this ‘Bible.’ It was so easy to read, and I became a Christian reading it during my senior year in high school. In it, I found Hebrews 10:26.

But if I hadn’t parted ship, once I learned how dangerous this translation really is I probably wouldn’t even have a blog right now. [And I dread to think of where I’d be now had they altered Hebrews 10:26 also. That was my theme song in high school. I was trying to tell everyone what I had found.]

I wallowed in the NASB for awhile, which isn’t much better. It’s also missing Romans 8:1b, etc.. It’s junk; though, it was a Cambridge, extra heavy black leather, wide margin, weighed-2-pounds masterpiece — so I thought.

It took me awhile to fully wake up. I hope this helps others wake up too.

God bless!
Jeff Fenske
Anchorage, Alaska
To Be Free!

Related:

Westcott and Hort Magic Marker Binge! Would you take a magic marker to your Bible and cross out words from passages? Do you read the NIV?
 
 
 
 

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5 Comments

  1. The Messiah testified that “He had a G-D and Father”, and that “His G-D and Father was also the G-D and Father” of His Brethren…….
    There is Only ONE True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, and HE has no g-d for HE IS The Only True G-D, and HE has no father for HE IS Father(Creator) of ALL…….
    The Messiah testified, “That they would know YOU, The Only True G-D”…….
    “Only” = without others or anything further; alone; solely; exclusively…….
    And Truth IS, as Paul testified, “G-D was in The Messiah”, Paul did not testify that ‘g-d was the messiah’…….
    And Paul testified of “ONE G-D, Father of ALL”…….
    The Messiah testified of “The Only True G-D”, and The Messiah testified that He had a “G-D and Father”, and The Messiah’s G-D and Father was, is and always will be The ONE and Only True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL…….
    Paul testified, “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in G-D, WHO CREATED ALL things by The Messiah”…….(Eph3:9)
    And The Father(Creator) spoke The Word “Let there be Light” and “there was Light”…….
    LIGHT begot Light…….
    The Messiah, “The Light which enlightens every man”, was “The Beginning of The Creation of The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL…….(Rev 3:14)
    There is Only ONE True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, and HE IS The G-D and Father(Creator) of The Messiah and His brethren…….
    John 17:3 “And this is Eternal Life, that they might know YOU The Only True G-D, and The Messiah, Whom YOU have sent”…….
    Mark 12:32-33 “And the scribe said unto The Messiah, Well, Master, You have said The Truth: for there is ONE G-D; and there is NONE OTHER but HE. And to love HIM with all your heart, and with all your understanding, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and to love his neighbor as yourself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices”…….
    Rom 3:30 “Seeing it is ONE G-D, WHO shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith”…….
    1 Cor 8:6 “But to us there is but ONE G-D, The Father, of WHOM are all things, and we in HIM; and one Master, The Messiah, by Whom are all things, and we by Him”…….
    Rev 3:14 The Messiah was “The Beginning of The Creation of The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL”…….
    Eph 4:6 “ONE G-D, Father of ALL, WHO is above all, and through all, and in you all”…….
    John 4:24 “G-D is A SPIRIT: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in Spirit and in Truth”…….
    Luke 24:39 The Messiah testified after He was “raised from among the dead”, “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself, handle Me and see, for A SPIRIT DOES NOT HAVE FLESH AND BONES, AS you see I HAVE”…….
    The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL can not die…….period…….
    The Messiah died and “The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL raised Him from among the dead”……. And The Messiah’s incorruptible body ascended into the clouds…….
    James 1:13 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of G-D, for G-D CAN NOT BE TEMPTED with evil, neither tempts HE any man”…….
    Heb 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest(The Messiah) Who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, for He WAS in all points TEMPTED like we are, yet without sin”…….
    The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, HE CAN NOT BE TEMPTED with sin AS THE MESSIAH WAS…….period…….
    1 Tim 2:5 “There is ONE G-D, and one mediator between G-D and men, the man-The Messiah”…….
    James 2:19 “You believe that there is ONE G-D, you do well, yet the devils also believe, and tremble”…….
    John 20:17 “The Messiah said unto her, Touch Me not; for I have not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My G-D, and your G-D.”
    Mark 3:33-35 “The Messiah answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brethren”? And He looked round about on them which sat about Him, and said, “Behold my mother and my brethren! For whoever shall do The Will of G-D, the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother””…….
    Rom 8:29 “Whom G-D did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of HIS Son, that The Messiah might be the firstborn among many brethren”…….
    Hope is you are one of the brethren of The Messiah…….
    The brethren of The Messiah know there is Only ONE True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL…….
    And Truth is as The Messiah tesified, ” My(Our) Father is greater than I”…….(John14:28)
    And Truth is as Paul testifed, “The HEAD of The Messiah is The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, and The Head of the man is The Messiah, and the head of the woman is the man”…….(1Cor11:3)
    Those who would pervert The Order of The ONE and Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL will have to answer to HIM…….
    For The ONE and Only True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, “HE Created all things by The Messiah” and The Messiah was “The Beginning of The Creation of The ONE and Only True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL…….
    Truth is “The Messiah is The Son of The ONE and Only True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL”…….
    The Messiah testified that He had a “G-D and Father” and that His “G-D and Father” was also the “G-D and Father” of His Brethren…….
    And The ONE and Only True Living G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, HE has no god, for HE IS G-D, and HE has no father, for HE IS Father(Creator) of ALL, and HE has no brethren, for HE IS Father(Creator) of ALL…….
    Hope is there would be those who experience The Miracle that is receiving “the love of The Truth” for they will “experience The Messiah and The Power(Our Father) that raised Him from among the dead”…….
    The Faith of those who have received “a love of The Truth” is grounded in Miracles, not mere colored marks(words) written on a dead tree(page) and bound in a book…….
    Thankfully The ONE and Only True G-D, Father of ALL, HE yet communes with HIS Children, HE yet reveals all things…….
    Father Help! and HE does…….
    Peace, in spite of the dis-ease(no-peace) that is of this world and it’s systems of religion, for “the WHOLE(not just a portion) world is under the control of the evil one” indeed and Truth…….
    Truth IS, a lie never was and is not…….
    Abide in Truth…….

  2. Caligheri

    Recently I saw the Pauline instructions in the NIV regarding how we are to respond to authority. Now know this, I touch nothing but the Authorized 1611 King James Holy Bible and will not even attend a ‘church’ where the pastor is using anything but KJB. It’s getting harder to find a pastor who instructs from the KJB, God’s plenary, verbally inspired WORD.
    Back to the Pauline instructions, I believe they are in Romans. In the NIV Paul’s instructions are so distorted and New World Order, Nazi even. I was shocked. If anyone obeys this garbage, they’re in trouble. Betcha Corrie ten Boom was reading the KJB when she hid Jews from Hitler. If she’d been reading the NIV, she’d have turned them over to Hitler.

  3. All ‘biblical’ Translations Are Biased!
    The Messiah testified, “The Words I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are Life!”
    And with a multitude of words in any two languages having more than one meaning, religions most certainly translate in accordance with their way, not GOD’S(Father{Creator}) Way! For HIS Way was revealed in The Life and Teachings HE bestowed upon The Messiah!
    So it is that each and every english language ‘biblical’ translation is perverted in accordance with the religious dogma and theo’ry’logical doctrines of the translators, for all systems of religion but carry on the legacy of the pharisee’s. And all systems of religion are of the fleshly mind and gender death!
    Sadly, each and every english ‘biblical’ translation is biased.
    However, thankfully Our Father, HE yet reveals all things!
    And such is needful for there are more than 100 english language “biblical” translations.
    http://www.tyndalearchive.com/Scriptures/index.htm
    Some examples of religious bias, prejudice and perversion follow:
    Christian “trinitarian” religion’s who but follow pagan catholic folklore have their kjv which was translated by pagan catholicism’s #1 christian daughter, aptly named “the church OF england”! There is no doubt that she was, and is, wholly in and of this wicked, evil world. And Truth testifies that “the WHOLE(not just a portion) world is under the control of the evil one”…….(1John5:19)
    She(the church OF england) translated “YHWH” as “lord god”.
    And my how they play games with those words.
    Need more be said?
    Then we have the ‘jehovah’ religions(yes, there are many sects as well) and their ‘new world translation’. Those who believe Michael the archangel and their version of the pagan catholic/christian ‘jesus’ are one in the same. Just another translation biased in accordance with the religious dogma and theo’ry’logical doctrines of the translators.
    And the ‘jesus only’ folk? Those who believe that their version of the pagan catholic/christian ‘jesus’ is their father, and is their son, and is their holy spirit. They have their ‘biblical’ version named “the full life study bible: an international study bible for {deluded} pentecostal and charismatic christians”.
    They have made sure that “I AM’s” abound when referring to The Messiah.
    And today’s “messianic communities” have their “sacred name” versions.
    Some with their very own personalized version of ‘YHVH’ and “Y’shua, be it ‘YHWH’ or ‘Yehovah’ or ‘Yeshua’ or ‘Yahshua’ or ?.
    i believe anyone who has received “the love of The Truth” can clearly “see”, or will “see”, that religious dogma(folklore) rules in each and every religious system, for they all are of of this wicked, evil world!
    And they will “see” that religious dogma has influenced(perverted) all ‘biblical’ translations.
    Multiplied millions have been killed and enslaved in the name of the god(s) of this, or that system of religion!
    And because of such “The Way of Truth is evil spoken of” ;-(
    Hope is there would be those who take heed unto The Call to “Come Out of her, MY people”!
    “Come Out” of the systems that are of this wicked, evil world(babylon) and especially it’s systems of religion!
    Once again, thankfully Our Father, HE yet reveals all things!
    And such experience should be The Teacher!
    Experiencing immersion in, of, by and thru The Holy, Set Apart, Spirit which endues one with The Power that enables them to overcome this wicked world even as they receive the spiritual discernment that is needful to rightly divide “The Word of Truth”, no matter the translation…….
    Hope is there would be those who experience The Miracle that is receiving “the love of The Truth” for they will “see” The Light that is The Messiah and experience “The Power that raised Him from among the dead”!
    All Thanks and Praise Be Unto Our Father!
    The brethren of The Messiah are most certainly but “aliens and pilgrims while on the earth” for they realize that their “citizenship is in Heaven”! And so it is that they are no longer of this “wicked, evil world”!
    And they realize that Faith will not create a religion, for Faith IS Family!
    What are “sons(brothers) and daughters(sisters)” of “Our Father” if not Family!
    The Family of GOD, “of WHOM the whole Family in Heaven and ONE EARTH is named”!
    And soon, and very soon, the brethren of The Messiah will be Home, Home at last…….
    Till then:
    Father Help! and HE Does…….
    asimpleandspirituallife.org
    Peace, in spite of the dis-ease(no-peace) that is of this wicked world, for “the WHOLE(not just a portion) world is under the control of the evil one” indeed and Truth…….(1John5:19)

  4. Ron Aragon

    What you fail to realize is that the NIV translation of that verse is the correct translation. The NIV translated the first verse in Romans chapter 8 based upon older manuscripts that were written long before half of Romans 8:4 was added to Romans 8:1 by the KJV. Read both verses one and two in each version and it should become clear which translation is correct — remembering that verse two is a continuation of verse one.

    • From: http://dedication.www3.50megs.com/greektext.html

      There is now a general concept that newer translations are more reliable because they are translated from “older” Biblical manuscripts than the KJV. This argument has been used in discrediting the second half of the verse in Romans 8:1 where it says “Now there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

      Let’s look at these “older” manuscripts of NT writings in more detail. For the past hundred years there has been a rivalry between two Greek texts: the Received Text and the Critical Text.

      A Bible version is considered only as good as the text from which it is translated. Therefore we must determine which Greek text is superior: the Received Text or the Critical Text.

      The critical Text has only come into wide circulation in the last hundred years, as evidenced by the large number of Bible versions translated from it. It is largely influenced by the Alexandrian line of manuscripts. Out of over 5000 Greek manuscripts in existence, only a small handful -less than ten — contain this text-type. However prominent among these few are two manuscripts which many scholars value more highly than most other manuscripts. They are called Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, and they date a little over 200 years from the original writings.

      Sinaiticus was discovered in 1844 by Constantine Tischendorf while visiting a monastery at the base of Mt. Sinai. He found 43 leaves of it in a basket waiting to be burned. Several years later he acquired the remainder of the leaves from the monastery, and by 1862 he had published the complete manuscript.

      Vaticanus’ history is not as dramatic as Sinaiticus. . Pope Nicholas V brought it to the Vatican in 1448. For hundreds of years, the Roman Catholic Church guarded it so closely that no Protestant scholar of ability was allowed to study it for any length of time. In 1866 however, the Vatican finally allowed Constantine Tischendorf, under supervision, to copy the manuscript. In 1867 he published it.

      Both these manuscripts are older than the Received Text from which the KJV was translated. Does this mean we now have a more authentic base for our modern Biblical translations?

      These older manuscripts contain significantly different readings than those of the Received Test. The Alexandrian Test had been out of circulation for 1500 years. If it is the true version why would God allow His church to be deprived of the truth for so long? In addition the benefits of the Alexandrian Text to the church have been dubious indeed.

      This text type has trouble meeting scholarly standards for accuracy of transcription. Minor differences within text types are normal; however, the number of variants within the Alexandrian Text is enormous. Not including minor errors such as spelling, Sinaiticus and Vaticanus disagree with each other over 3000 time in the space of the four Gospels alone. This means that one or the other must be wrong 3000 times. That averages to a disagreement on almost every verse of the Gospels! It is, in fact, easier to find two consecutive verses in which these two manuscripts differ the one from the other , than two consecutive verses, in which they agree.

      Undoubtedly these manuscripts suffer from scribal carelessness. Vaticanus exhibits numerous places where the scribe has written the same word or phrase twice in succession, a clear indication that the writing was not checked. The scribe of Sinaiticus occasionally skipped lines in copying and made so many obvious errors that during the time Sinaiticus was used, ten different readers noted corrections. However, instead of questioning the reliability of these manuscripts, scholars have accepted many of their peculiar readings. Sinaiticus and Vaticanus are the basis for most of the two hundred omissions from the modern New Testament versions.

      For several years the Alexandrian Text was blindly accepted. But recent scholarship has confirmed that what has been restored should not be considered the original text, simply the text that had the highest authority in Alexandria, Egypt in the third century.

      Alexandria, Egypt, an area to which none of the original manuscripts were addressed, has little claim upon our confidence as possessing a pure text. A look into the history of Alexandria, especially during the time these manuscripts are believed to have been produced, is quite revealing. Alexandria was the center of commerce and Hellenistic culture and was renowned or its schools of philosophy. Christian thinkers regarded Greek philosophy as a tool for understanding and applying Scripture.

      Several scholars believe that Vaticanus and Sinaiticus were produced when Constantine ordered 50 Bibles to be prepared in AD 331. Vaticanus and Sinaiticus were both written on parchments of vellum by talented calligraphers, a very expensive specification included in Constantine’s order. Constantine called upon Eusebius of Caesarea to be in charge of the preparation of the Bibles. Eusebius is well known as a student of Platonism and Stoicism, which Christian philosophers tried to harmonize into their concepts of scripture. If Eusebius used any of the critical skills of his mentors, he was likely to dissect the Scriptures, thinking he was correcting them. This may explain some of the omissions characteristic of the Alexandrian Text and likewise of most modern versions.

      It is also historically told us that the manuscripts ordered by Constantine were written in extreme haste. Repeatedly, Constantine urged Eusebius to press the project with all speed. Careful proof reading and correcting would be time consuming.

      It is interesting to realize that several of the omissions and peculiar readings of the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus were once found only in Roman Catholic Bible, the Latin Vulgate.

      Now let’s examine where the Received Text comes from — the text upon which the KJV is based. Unlike the small number of manuscripts that support the Alexandrian Text, the Received Text is derived from the Byzantine text-type which is represented in 80 to 90 percent of all Greek manuscripts. That amounts to approximately 4000 witnesses! These representations of this text come from many different places — Greece, Constantinople, Asia Minor, Palestine, Syria, Alexandria, Africa, Italy, England, Ireland. This is quite a contrast to the limited locality and time range of the Alexandrian Text.

      Although none of the Greek manuscripts of the Byzantine text-type date before AD 400, most scholars agree that in order for this text-type to be so widespread and predominant among the Greek manuscripts, it had to have a much earlier existence. Indeed, distinctive Byzantive readings are found in all of the oldest versions, in the papyri, and in the Scriptural quotations of the early church fathers. It was the authoritative Scriptures of the Syrian church, the Waldensian church of northern Italy, and the Greek Orthodox Church. […]

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