The following material is published by Way of Life Literature. All rights are reserved by the author. Permission is given for duplication for personal use, but not for resale. The following is available in booklet format from Way of Life Literature, Bible Baptist Church, 1219 N. Harns Road, Oak Harbor, Washington 98277. Phone (206) 675-8311. BIBLE DOCTRINES AFFECTED BY MODERN VERSIONS By Paul L. Freeman

INTRODUCTION

The battle for the Word of God is going on today as it always has. The workof the Evil One himself has ever been to cause men to doubt the Word (Gen.3:1), to corrupt the Word (2 Cor. 2:17), and to misquote the Word (Luke4:10,11). There are many Modern Versions on the scene today all claiming tobe more accurate or more readable renderings of the Word of God. Most ofthese versions follow the MINORITY Greek Text even though that textexhibits a corruption throughout. The King James Version was translatedfrom the MAJORITY Greek Text which agrees with about 95% of all availablemanuscripts. The MAJORITY Greek Text can be traced back to the Peshitta(Syriac Version) about 150 A.D.

Many Christian Colleges and Universities have switched over to theMINORITY Greek Text (known as Westcott and Hort or Nestle and Aland) forthe classroom while still using the King James Version in public preaching.Since there are over 5,000 differences between the MAJORITY and MINORITYtexts a problem immediately faces the student. The King James Version hebrings to the classroom is subjected to constant editing by the teacherwho is using a Greek Text different from the one the King James Version wastranslated from. The student is well aware that God did not inspire twodifferent Bibles. He must make a choice and for the sake of harmony orteacher satisfaction he will usually accept his King James Version minusthe MINORITY Text corrections as the Word of God. Should there be an areawhere agreement cannot be reached he is told to decide on the properrendering by exercising his spiritual discernment. The schools that arefollowing this double standard will admit that when the King James Versionis no longer needed for Public Relations they will make the complete changeto the New American Standard or the New International Version. These twoare seen to follow the MINORITY Greek Text.

Those who want to replace our King James Version with new Modern Versionsare constantly stating that no Bible Doctrines are affected by thechanges. One school recently published an article by one of its' teachersin which he said that, "BOTH TEXTS ARE THE WORD OF GOD." It is difficult tounderstand how two texts differing in over 5,000 places can both be theWord of God. It only serves to show the absolute desperation on the part ofthe MINORITY Text champions to defend their indefensible position. Thepurpose of this volume is to show the changes made by the MINORITY textand how they affect the Bible Doctrines which Christians have alwaysbelieved. Though I do not consider any change in the Word of God to beunimportant, I have singled out the most glaring examples. A carefulreading will show that the Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian faithhave been affected many times.

Are we to believe the scholars when they tell us that no importantdoctrines are affected by the new Modern Versions? It is obvious that theyare not correct. What they really mean to say is that when all the changeshave been made the Bible Doctrines are still there somewhere else in theBible. If there are ten verses showing the Virgin Birth of Christ, andthey have removed two, there are still eight remaining to prove thedoctrine. That may satisfy them, but the Fundamental believer sees that asa piece by piece destruction of the Word of God.

We would accuse them of taking away from the Word of God. They wouldaccuse us of using a Bible which has many additions inserted by overzealousChristian copyists. The issue now becomes quite clear. We must eitherbelieve that overzealous heretics have corrupted the original Word of Godor believe that overzealous believers have added to the original Word ofGod. I can understand why heretics would want to corrupt the original Wordof God, but I cannot believe that Christians would add one word to theWord of God which they have been entrusted to copy and pass along. TheSpirit of God within Christians would put a holy awe and reverence aroundthe sacred word and guided by that same Spirit they would copy what God hadgiven them. My conclusion is that the new Modern Versions are based onGreek manuscripts that have been corrupted by heretics who changed the Wordof God to agree with their rejection of the Deity of Christ and theirHumanism regarding salvation. The Greek Text underlying the King JamesVersion is not filled with additions made by overzealous Christians. It isthe Word of God preserved by the Spirit of God and it exalts the Lord JesusChrist, giving him his proper place and the glory due unto his name.