Day 37

The King James Version

Vs. Modern Translations

Roger and Eileen Himes

www.ThePracticalGospel.com

Can you always believe what you hear from the podium (even one you respect and have trust in)? Can you believe what you read in Christian books, even though the authors are ‘the cream of the crop’ — the very best, well known and visible Christianity has to offer? If you have been a Christian 12 months, you know the answer to these two questions is NO. It was hard for me to realize I could not always trust my mentors. Like me, they saw through a glass dimly. They didn’t know all truth.

Can you always even believe what you read in the Bible? To all of us, this question brings a resounding YES! After all, this is the word of God. Of course it is trustworthy. Isn’t it? It is, in that it is God’s word. But even Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes” (Mark 12:38), and also to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees” (Matt 6:11).

The Pharisees might be considered the ‘doctrine makers.’ They are the ones who interpret God’s word for us. The scribes are what might be called the ‘Bible translators.’ And with all the modern day versions of the Bible we have, the scribes have really been busy the past 50 years. We used to only have 4-5 choices. Today we have scores of Bibles.

I began my Christian life reading the King James Version, but this is generally inadvisable this might be to NEW Christians. It is by far the most difficult to read. Its English is sluggish, and its word usage is sometimes worse. It is by far the hardest Bible to read. I didn’t become a Christian until 1975, but I began considering the Bible about 1969, which is when Eileen and I moved to Colorado from Houston, Texas. In 1973, I even attended a theology school part time, while practicing law. When I became a believer, I dropped out of theology school.

We did have other translations available at this time, but not a lot that were readily available over-the-counter. Modern translations were originally resisted. Today they are common place. A philosophical cartoon says, “What used to be prohibited will soon be compulsory.” This is the way it was with modern translations.

I started coming into revelation knowledge of the gospel of the finished work of Christ about 1989 — pushing 15 years after I became a Christian. When I did, I had been into using the modern, new translations. I had long since discarded the antiquated, old KJV.

About 1993, I also noticed that the Jesus I knew in my heart, in the gospel, was NOT the same Jesus I heard preached, or read about in modern translations. It was like a different Jesus. He still wanted the best for me, and wanted me to know his abundant life, but this was mostly accomplished by MY obedience, not by HIS finished work. This was a far cry from the revelation the KJV presents to us.

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GOSPEL TRUTH #73

The religious presentation of most modern translations differs from the gospel found in the old, antiquated, hard to read KJV. Modern translations seem accurate, until they begin to translate truth of the finished work of the cross of Jesus. Modern translations tend to take the focus off GOD and his gospel, and put US in the spotlight. The message is, ‘It’s all about us.’ The KJV is emphatic: ‘It’s all about him.’

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This is ‘the different gospel’ Paul talks about in Galatians 1:6-9. This is what led him to ask the question, “Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?” (Gal 3:3).

Let’s look at generalities, before we look at a few specifics.

Modern translations ALL come from the Westcott-Hort version of the Bible comprised in the late 1800s. Here, the name of God, and many aspects of his finished work, became DE-emphasized and shortened. ‘The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’ simply became ‘Jesus Christ.’ Also, ‘the Holy Ghost of God’ simply became ‘the spirit.’ God the heavenly Father simply became God. ‘Christ died for us’ simply became ‘Christ died.’ This seems unimportant, but in modern Bibles this occurs HUNDREDS of times. A personal God, and his finished work, simply becomes ‘God.’

In addition, sin was also DE-emphasized, in an attempt to make people not feel guilty, and not be offensive to some people. Modern translations often water sin down. They substitute ‘sin’ for idolatry, blasphemy, murder, abuse, fornication or homosexuality. This reality led Karl Menninger M.D. to write a widely read book: Whatever Became of Sin?

Much of the time, modern Bibles change the word ‘faith,’ into the word ‘faithfulness.’ Faith is man’s faith in God’s work. Faithfulness expresses human activity and work. The spotlight began to be taken off God, and put on us. Similarly, countless times the KJV talks about ‘Christ’s faith in us,’ which is an impartation of divine ability and power. Modern translations eliminate EVERY mention of this. They substitute HUMAN faith for DIVINE faith. I assure you there is a BIG difference!

Modern translations do use the word ‘righteousness’ half the time. But often, they substitute the words ‘prosperity,’ ‘obedience,’ or ‘success’ for the words righteousness or belief. Thus again, they take the focus off GOD, and put it on US. One article I read said they also omit using the terms ‘blood’ or ‘grace’ about 60% of the time. Why? It is because they think the KJV is too repetitious with these concepts. WOW!

Most modern Bibles shorten the text. One study compared a modern Bible with the KJV, saying 64,000 words were removed! This is about 160 pages! The article said some of this was ‘primary descriptive substantive text’ as we have been discussing. Western style thinking replaced eastern through patterns!

Some modern translations still use the word ‘gospel,’ but they do so much less of the time. Instead, they substitute ‘good,’ or ‘good news,’ or ‘beneficial,’ for the term gospel. ‘Gospel’ is one of the most important words in the New Testament. Jesus says we must ‘Repent and believe the gospel.’ It was his very first sermon. Paul says his whole life’s message was to proclaim the gospel of Christ’s finished work. To reduce the impact of this concept of truth is spiritually negligent, perhaps criminal.

Modern translations even minimize things like ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ They remove or shorten, ‘for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’ The KJV is careful to preserve a UNITY in the godhead. Jesus speaks of ’MY Father.’ The KJV says ‘the Father of Jesus,’ or ‘the Holy Spirit of Christ.’ Modern translations change these to only ‘THE Father,’ or ‘THE Spirit.’ The connection between the godhead is broken in modern Bibles. They become more separate than a trinity.

Modern translations are more a HUMAN success manual, not a proclamation of the truth of the gospel. Now let’s look at some verses more specifically. Keep in mind not ALL modern translations are guilty of the same things in the same passages. But in many ways they ALL change meanings from the original text!

In II Timothy 2:15, many modern translations tell us to ‘do our best’ so we will be approved of by God. The KJV says to ‘study’ the Bible to show ourselves we are approved by God (due to Christ’s finished work).

In Luke 2;14, the KJV simply talks about God’s good will toward men. But many modern translations say God must be ‘well pleased with us — BEFORE we can receive his favor and good will.

In Acts 2:46, the KJV says the people were in ‘singleness of heart,’ which expresses an objective single-mindedness in GOD. It is what Jesus talks about in Matthew 5:8 when he talks about being ‘pure in heart.’ New Bibles talk about us having ‘sincere hearts,’ which is a totally different perspective. This now becomes a subjective look at SELF, to see if our heart is sincere enough to be included.

II Corinthians 11:3 says much the same thing. Modern Bibles point to ‘OUR sincere devotion to Christ.’ The focus is human activity and work. The KJV speaks of us being enticed away from the simplicity that is in Christ. The implication in the KJV is we are ‘corrupted’ if we DO focus on us, instead of on Christ’s finished work. They are total opposite thoughts.

In Acts 18:5, modern translations say Paul ‘devoted himself’ to preaching about Jesus being the Christ. The KJV says he was ‘pressed in the spirit.’ The first is an activity that begins in SELF — something we do. The second begins in GOD —the spirit — and works through us. Elsewhere, Paul refers to anything done ‘in the flesh’ as being ‘dead works.’

In both John 3:36, and Hebrews 4:6 we see modern translations converting belief, a matter of the heart, into human obedience, a matter of work, effort and physical compliance. God wants our behavior to change — but he does not want blind obedience. The Old Testament shows this didn’t work. He wants obedience born in relationship with him, that HE generates through us because of our belief. Jesus says our ’work’ is simply to believe (John 6:29).

In both Romans 5:3 and II Corinthians 12:12, the KJV uses the word patience; modern Bibles use the word persistence. One is an ATTITUDE, the second is outer human ACTION. The implication modern translations give to Corinthians is that signs, wonders and miracles are accomplished by persistent human action and perseverance. The focus is on what we do. Acts 2:22 says Jesus didn’t even do miracles in himself — it was the Father doing them through him. How much more us?

In Colossians 1:13-14, the KJV says we are ‘delivered’ and ‘translated’ by the blood of Christ. This is a powerful gospel truth. Modern translations often omit mention of Christ’s blood, and just say we’re ‘rescued,’ which is a softer, less powerful term. To me, to rescue someone can be just pulling them out of the water onto a boat. The gospel concept of deliverance means being translated into the presence of God.

Philippians 2:4-5 is totally changed by modern Bibles. The KJV says Jesus ‘did not think it robbery (criminal) to be equal with God.’ Paul tells US to think this same way. The modern approach says he did not regard equality with God as something he could grasp, or attain. Elsewhere we talk about equality in the gospel — how we have even been positioned on the throne of Christ himself (Eph 2:6). The picture modern versions paint is one of both Jesus and us striving for something impossible. The KJV speaks of an abundant state of life God has decreed.

In I Corinthians 15:34, in the KJV Paul tells us to awake (come into divine revelation) of our righteousness in Christ. Modern Bibles put all focus on sin, not on righteousness, and tell us to ‘stop sinning.’ The first is the act of God, the second is human activity.

In John 3:9 it is much the same thing. Modern translations talk in terms of us ‘continuing in sin,’ and us ‘keeping from sin.’ The KJV boldly says that we do NOT sin, and CANNOT sin — at least in the sight of God, because of Christ: because we are born of him and his seed is in us.

In Ephesians 1:6, modern Bibles say that God’s grace is given to us. The KJV tells us what this does: it makes us ACCEPTED by God. It’s good to have God’s grace, but we need to know the result this produces.

In Ephesians 1:10, modern Bibles talk of things being put into effect ‘when the times have reached their fulfillment,’ which is future. The KJV talks of the ‘dispensation of the fullness of times,’ or now. Ephesians 3:2-4 Paul says it has already occurred: it all came together at Christ’s cross. In modern Bibles the event is still future; in the KJV it is accomplished!

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GOSPEL TRUTH #74

The general bottom line of the whole matter is this: the KJV puts our focus on God, and the finished work of his Son on the cross. Modern translations take focus off of this, and put it on US: our effort, ability, faithfulness, dedication, and persistence. This brainwashing occurs HUNDREDS of times in the New Testament!

Modern Bibles say it’s all about US. The KJV makes it clear: it is all about GOD. The first is humanistic, and is what Paul says ‘is another gospel, that is not the gospel at all.’ It results in dead works. The KJV says the issue is not us, but the cross. It emphasizes Jesus’ dying declaration: ’It is finished!’ Modern theology rests in ‘the religion of human DO-DO.’ Gospel truth reveals ‘the religion of DONE.’

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