IS THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION JUST

ANOTHER NEW TRANSLATION?

by Chuck Bero
 

Recently, a new translation was introduced to the Christian world. It is titled the "NEW KING JAMES BIBLE:' Is this new version really true to the King James 1611, or is it just another attempt by the Alexandrian Cult, to usurp authority over God's Word? To test this new version, we will compare scripture with scripture, the NEW KING JAMES VERSION, with the OLD KING JAMES BIBLE.

According to the introduction in the New King James Version, there are basically two reasons for the revision:

First, the archaic words in the King James 1611 need to be updated.

Second, the spiritual treasures found uniquely in the King James 1611 need to be unlocked by more easily understood translation.

We will proceed to prove that both premises are unjustified.

First, let us look at the archaic words. All together, there are about eleven words in the New Testament that could be considered archaic in the Old King James Bible. None of the words considered archaic are exceptionally difficult to under stand. The conscientious Bible reader who pays attention to the context in which the archaic words are used, usually will not have any trouble understanding their meaning.

For example, let us briefly examine the phrase "by and by", used in Mark 6:25, which means "at once." The careful student will note that within two verses of where "by and by" is used, the word "immediately" is also used to answer the request which uses the term, "by and by".

No one will take issue with the fact that the Old King James Bible contains a few archaic words. (one will note that the word "minas" is substituted for "pounds" in Lk. 19:11-25 IN THE NEW KJV. Much more up to date. Right?)

However, the difficulties over eleven archaic words gives no one sufficient reason to go and alter hundreds of other words while claiming to be taking care of eleven. Such an issue is a false issue, and is only used by deceived men to cloud the minds of God's people concerning God's Final Authority in their lives.

With a little study, thought, and an occasional trip to a dictionary, the average Bible reader will not have any trouble understanding the "so-called" archaic words. As Mark Twain said, "It's not the things in the Bible I don't understand that bother me, but the things I do understand that bother me." There lies the first reason for the NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Let us bury it where it belongs, in the garbage.

Moving onward, let us look at the second reason for revision, and that is, "To unlock the spiritual treasures found uniquely in the King James Version of the Holy Scriptures". Does it unlock or lock-up the truths of the scriptures? Let the scriptures themselves be the judge.

In John 5:24, the Old King James reads "and shall not come into condemnation." The New King James reads "and shall not come into judgment. The careful Bible student will notice that "condemnation" and "judgment" are not the same words. To use the word "judgment" is to change the meaning of the verse, and it is a change for the worse. The Bible teaches that every person, whether saved or lost, is going to be judged. The lost man will appear at the White Throne Judgment to be judged for his sins and for his rejection of Jesus Christ, Rev. 20:11-15.

The saved man will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be judged for his works, I Cor. 3:11-15; II Cor. 5:10. The Christian is not condemned, but is judged. The rendering in the New King James is false and heretical. One wonders why they did not change condemnation to judgment over in Jude 4? They are not very consistent, are they?

Five verses down from John 5:24, the Revisors changed the word "damnation" to "condemnation". Does it give a better understanding of the verse? No! It is merely an attempt to tone down the harsh, straight forward language of the Old King James. Another example of this can be found in Heb. 12:8, where the New King James changes the word "bastard" to "illegitimate" . The change does not make the meaning more clear, therefore, it must be just another attempt to make the Book more respectable and acceptable so that it will sell better and make more money.

Also check Phil. 3:8, where the revisors changed the word "dung" to "rubbish" Again, these words are not the same. One should also note how the revisors corrupted I Tim. 6:5. Verse 5 in the Old King James reads "supposing that gain is godliness." The New King James reads, "who supposing that godliness is a means of gain." The careful Bible student will notice that the verses do not read the same.

Furthermore, the editors of the New King James completely change the meaning of the verse. By doing this they seek not to offend those brethren in the ministry who believe that their godliness is in direct proportion to the size of their ministry. If this were true, it would not be out of place to say that the Catholic Church is the spiritual leader of all religions, since they have edifices and numbers far above anything we Baptists could ever erect or assemble. However, as we know, the Catholic Church is NOT the spiritual leader of Christianity, but the unspiritual harlot of Rev. 17. The reading in the Old King James is correct, and those who believe that size is spirituality are "destitute of the truth", just as the verse reads. The New King James has not un locked any spiritual treasures, it has obscured the truth!

I Tim. 6:10 in the Old King James reads, "for the love of money is the root of all evil." The New King James reads, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."

Again, one should observe that "root of all evil" and, "a root of all kinds of evil" are not the same. Quite definitely, here is a direct attack on God's Holy Word. There is no reason, outside of devilment, to change one word in this verse. This is strictly a private interpretation done to change the truth which is found in the Old King James, namely, "THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL"!

Something interesting to note is that all the changes mentioned, which supposedly improve the Old King James Bible, are the same changes, if not worse changes, as those made by the Revised Standard Version of the World Council of Churches. One would be tempted to conclude that we are dealing with merely an ultra-revised R.S.V., instead of a corrected K.J.V.!

The editors, to give themselves license for their "corrections", have taken II Cor. 2:17 and changed it sufficiently so as not to be categorized with the corruptors of the other revisions. The verse reads "For we are not as many which corrupt the word of God". The New King James reads "For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God". When one peddles something, he sells it. The word "peddle" here is not a synonym of corrupt, but a corruption in itself!

This is another sly attempt by ungodly revisors to hide from God's people their sin of messing with the Book! This alteration of II Cor. 2:17 does not bring out a more clear meaning in the Old King James, but is just another private interpretation of scripture with no good reason behind it. Only the devil enjoys such confusion as results from this type of tampering with God's Word.

In 11 Cor. 10:5, the Bible reads, "casting down imaginations." The New King James reads "casting down arguments." This alteration changes the correct reading. The context of the verse justifies the Old King James reading. Later in the verse it reads, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." The context is "thoughts" which are in the mind, the same place where one finds "imaginations". "Arguments" has no place in the verse. This is another corruption of the word of God, with no additional spiritual treasure being brought to light.

In Col. 3:2, the Bible reads, "set your affections on things above." The New King James reads, "set your mind on things above." The "mind" is in no way a more clear substitute for "affections". One can set his "mind" to do something, and yet not have his "affections" in it. God would rather have your heart than your mind. As a preacher once said, "Give God your heart, and He will straighten the kinks out of your head."

Again, in I Tim. 6:20, the Bible reads, "and oppositions of science falsely so called." The New King James reads, "and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge."  This is a change which is of no value in bringing out any "deeper truths" in the Old King James reading. The fact is, the Revision hides a great spiritual truth, which is that, regardless of what science comes up with, none of its discoveries can nullify any of the truths of the scripture. A good cross reference to this truth is found in I Tim. 1:4. No clarity in the change, just corruption.

Finally, notice in Phil. 2:6 where one finds a very subtle but gross corruption of the doctrine of the deity of Christ. Old King James reads, "who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." The New King James reads, "who being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped." The careful Bible reader will notice that the Old King James magnifies the deity of Jesus Christ, while the New King James demeans the position of Jesus Christ concerning His relationship with God.

It appears as if the Revisors are trying to portray Jesus Christ as a lesser god, who was a created being out in eternity before the world was created. As usual, the changes in the New King James are very subtle, and this is exactly what makes these new revisions so dangerous.

One might also check Matt. 20:20, where they remove the words "worship him." Please note, no change yet discussed has unlocked any previously hidden spiritual treasures found in the Old King James Bible. What this new perversion has done is to do a good job of burying such truths.

Dear Reader, we could go on and on because of the multitude of alterations found in the New King James Version. For the readers who are still in question as to the reliability of this so-called revision of the Old King James Bible, let them also check the following references: Lk. 16:23; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:16-17,22; Rom. 1:28-32; Rom. 2:2; Rom. 4:7; I Cor. 1:22; I Cor. 11:29; II Cor. 5:17; Gal. 4:17; Gal. 5:4; Eph. 6:12; Phil. 2:8; Phil. 3:2; Col. 2:12; Col. 2:14-15; 17-18; I Thess. 5:22; I Thess. 5:23; II Thess. 2:7; II Thess. 2:12; I Tim. 1:4; I Tim. 3:6, I Tim. 4:1; I Tim. 5:1; II Tim. 2:5; II Tim. 2:12-13; II Tim. 2:14-15; II Tim. 4: 2-5; Ja. 5:16; I Jn. 2:2; I Jn. 3:6; I Jn. 3:8- 9; II Jn. 10; Jude 6,8,12,15,19,24; Rev. 1:18; Rev. 6:14.

These verses by no means exhaust the considerable number of errors that are presented in the New King James Version.

You can see by the facts given, that the scholars (Mal. 2:12) have tried to pervert and destroy the authority of God's true Bible. Our prayer is that all who read these words will perceive the subtlety of the Devil's attack on their Bible. Also, we pray that all those who possess the Authorized King James 1611 Bible will believe, now more than ever, that they hold in their hands God's preserved, inerrant, infallible, word to the English people in the English language (Ps. 12:6-7).

Is the New King James Version just another translation? Yes! Is it a better translation? Never! Watch and wait my friends for this too shall soon be superseded by yet another newer, super colossal, more modern, easier to read, more corrupt version as the scholars find that God's people still won't give up THE BOOK - KING JAMES 161 I! - from THE FLAMING TORCH

 

" . . . Making The King James Even Better"

(The following letter was sent by Pastor Ben Sanders, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Fairfax, Virginia to these men stating his concern for the preservation of the King James Version of the Bible: Dr. W.A. Criswell, Dr. Truman Dollar, Dr. Jerry Falwell, Dr. A. V. Henderson, Dr. Curtis Hutson, Dr. Tim F. LaHaye, Dr. Clyde Narramore, Dr. James D. Price, Dr. Edward E. Hindson, Dr. Robert L. Hughes.)

The purpose of this letter is to express my disappointment in your part in ". . . making the King James Version Even Better." I am not an extremist on the King James Version. I accept it as a translation that God has chosen to bless and use.

Have you considered that no other translation can boast of any great accomplishments in the advancements of Christianity?

1. Our country was founded upon the King James Version. Every great document is derived from it. (Constitution, Bill of Rights, Mayflower Compact).
2. Every great preacher in the history of modern evangelical Christianity preached from it.
3. All meaningful missionary work has been done with the King James Version.
4. The vast majority of soul winners use it.
5. To my knowledge, every Fundamental Baptist
Church uses it almost exclusively.

Now we need to improve it. I'll be the first to agree that we need to explain some words and what they mean. But, isn't that the purpose of teaching and preaching? You have seven goals in changing the King James Version:

1. Using More Reverent Pronouns for God by Removing "thee," "thou", etc. - Who wants a Bible without these terms? Do we want the Bible to read like a novel? There is no translation that reads with the dignity of the King James Version.
2. Updating the Punctuation and Grammar - The example you give is Hebrews 4:1-2. Your correction in verse one does not do one thing to improve the meaning. Again, the purpose of a preacher is to explain the meaning of such verses.
3. Improving the Understanding of Verbs - Since
when did these words become "impossible" to pronounce? We use the King James Version in all Sunday
school classes and in our Christian school. No pronunciation problems have come up.
4. Capitalizing Pronouns for God - In 20 years of
pastoring, I have never known this to be a problem with
any Christian.
5. Preserving the True Meaning of Words - In the brochure, it states, . . to protect the truth of the King James Version . . This would indicate that the King James Version is failing and you men must rescue it. Supposing you left it alone and the King James Version fails to preserve truth. Where then would we find the
Word of God? This would mean that even God couldn't
keep His promises. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word abideth forever!"
6. Adding Quotation Marks - Anyone with any education at all is able to recognize quotes in the Bible.
7. Protecting Theological Terms - You state "all theological words have to be kept unchanged . . ." If I can't accept all of the King James Version, then how can I accept these terms.

I personally believe that you have committed a grave error. All you are doing is creating another issue for fundamentalists to deal with. Your motive and method is no different from "Good News for Modern Man", "Living Bible", etc. These "updated" versions are found only in liberal churches.

Would you answer this question for me? If the King James Version is not a valid and authoritative translation that God has used to preserve the Word of God, then where is the Word of God? Where can I obtain a copy?

The King James Version is a staunch defense against the trend of liberalism today. I don't know of a liberal preacher today that admits that it's God's Word.

I write this with concern and Christian love. Many preachers are going to wonder just where you stand and what you believe.

I notice that just about every denomination from extreme liberalism to fundamentalism is represented in the brochure. I believe that this is a very subtle plan to remove something that keeps those denominations apart.

It seems that someone is looking for "common" grounds. How in the world can we "contend for the faith" if we don't have God's Word to tell us what it is!

The Word of God is under attack from every side. The liberals explain it away. Reader's Digest is trying to condense it. Now others are trying to improve and update it! Thank you for letting me unload this burden.

Ben Sanders, pastor
Bethlehem Baptist Church
P.O. Box 290
Fairfax, Virginia 22030

 

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