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"SPIRITUAL DECEPTION IN THE HIGHEST"
An In Depth Study Of:
The Authorized King James Bible vs. All Other 'Modern Versions'
PART TWO OF TWO
by: Jeff Johnson
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16
C H A P T E R 1 6
T H E J E S U I T S
( "Satan's Plain-Clothesmen" )
In the previous chapter Satan used both Rome and the Roman Catholic 'Church'.
In this chapter he will use the 'Jesuits'.
"The founder of the Jesuits was a Spaniard, Ignatius Loyola... [S2P232], As to his character, Ignatius "... was known as a youth to be treacherous, brutal, and vindictive" [S1P88]. Later in life, it is said he was "... unruly and conceited ..." [S1P88].
Also, it is this same Ignatius Loyola that: "... the Catholic Church has canonized and made Saint Ignatius" [S2P232].
"Wounded at the siege of Pampeluna (1521 A.D.) so that his military career was over, Ignatius turned his thoughts to spiritual conquests and spiritual glory. Soon afterwards, he wrote a book called: "Spiritual Exercises", which did more than any other document to erect a new papal theocracy and to bring about the establishment of the infallibility of the Pope. In other words, Catholicism since the reformation is a new Catholicism. It is more fanatical and intolerant" [S2P232].
It is said that Ignatius Loyola "... produced an elite force of men, extremely loyal to the Pope, who would set about to undermine
Protestantism and 'heresy' throughout the world. Their training would require fourteen years of testing and trials designed to leave them with no will at all. They were to learn to be obedient. Loyola taught that their only desire was to serve the Pope" [S1P88].
"The head of the Jesuits is called the 'Black Pope' and holds the title of General, just as in the military. That they were to be
unquestionably loyal to this man and their church is reflected in Loyola's own words, "Let us be convinced that all is well and right when
the superior commands it". Also: "... even if God gave you an animal without sense for master, you will not hesitate to obey him, as master and guide, because God ordained it to be so." He further elaborates: "We must see black as white, if the Church says so" [S1P88].
"The Jesuits were to be the Vatican's 'plainclothesmen'. They were founded to be a secret society, a society that was to slide in behind the scenes and capture the positions of leadership" [S1P89].
"Politics are their main field of action, as all the efforts of these 'directors' concentrate on one aim: the SUBMISSION of the world to the papacy, and to attain this the heads must be conquered first" [S1P89].
"The Jesuit priests were not required to dress in the traditional garb of the Roman Catholic priests. In fact their dress was a major part of their disguise" [S1P89].
And "Murder is not above the 'means' which might be necessary to reach the desired 'end'. The General of the Jesuits will forgive any sins which are committed by the members of this Satanic order" [S1P91].
"He [the Jesuit General] also absolves the irregularity issuing, from bigamy, injuries done to others, murder, assassination ... as long as these wicked deeds were not publicly known and this cause a scandal" [S1P91].
"That the Jesuit priests have such liberties as murder is reflected in the following ... quote from Paris' book 'The Secret History Of The Jesuits'" [S1P91].
"Amongst the most criminal jesuitic maxims, there is one which roused public indignation to the highest point and deserves to be examined; it is: ... A monk or priest is allowed to kill those who are ready to slander him or his community ..." [S1P91].
Also, the Jesuits can murder if: "... a Father, yielding to temptation, abuses a woman and she publicizes what has happened, and
because of it dishonours him, this same Father can kill her to avoid disgrace!" [S1P91].
These are some of the Jesuits' beliefs. But what about their practice? What have they actually done?
"In 1572, the Jesuits, with the help of Prince Henry III were responsible for the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. At this infamous
event, which took place on August 15, 1572, the Jesuits murdered the Huguenot (Protestant) leaders gathered in Paris for the wedding of Princess Margaret, a Roman Catholic, and Henry of Navarre, a Huguenot. The murders inspired Roman Catholics to slaughter thousands of Huguenot men, women, and children. Henry of Navarre was not killed but was forced to renounce Protestantism, although his renounciation was insincere, and he remained a Protestant until 1593. The number of victims in this Jesuit conspiracy is estimated to be at least 10,000. In 1589, when Henry III was no longer useful to the Roman Catholic Church, he was assassinated by a monk by the name of Jacques Clement. Clement was called an 'angel' by the Jesuit priest, Camelot. Another Jesuit priest by the name of Guigard, who was eventually hanged, taught his students that Clement did nothing wrong. In fact he voiced regrets that Henry III
had not been murdered earlier at the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. He instructed them with lessons such as this: ... Jacques Clement has done a meritorious act inspired by the Holy Spirit. If we can make war against the King then let's do it; if we cannot make war against him, then let's put him to death ... we made a big mistake at the St. Bartholomew; we should have bled the royal vein ..." [S1P91-92].
As bad as that was, "The Jesuit's murderous ways were not yet completed in the history of the French Protestants! When Henry III was murdered, Henry of Navarre a Huguenot [Protestant], came to power. A hope for a Catholic rebellion never materialized, and Henry IV was allowed to reign. In 1592, an attempt was made to assassinate the Protestant king by a man named Barriere. Barriere admitted that he had been INSTRUCTED TO DO SO by a Father Varade, A JESUIT PRIEST. In 1594, another attempt was made by Jean Chatel who had been TAUGHT by Jesuit teachers and had confessed to the Jesuits what he was about to do. It was at that time that Father Guigard, the Jesuit teacher previously mentioned was hanged for his connection with this plot" [S1P92-93].
Six years later, "In 1598, King Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes, granting religious freedom to the Huguenots [Protestants]. They were allowed full civil rights and the right to hold public worship services in towns where they had congregations" [S1P93].
Well "This was the last straw! Henry the IV had to be eliminated! This time the Jesuits would allow for more careful planning. Edmund Paris details the assassination of King Henry IV:
... On the 16th of May, 1610, on the eve of his campaign against Austria, he was murdered by Ravaillac who confessed having been inspired by the writings of Fathers Mariana and Suarez. These two sanctioned the murders of heretic 'tyrants' or those INSUFFICIENTLY DEVOTED to the Papacy's interests. The duke of Epernon, who made the king read a letter while the assassin was lying in wait, was a notorious friend of the Jesuits, and Michelet proved that they knew of this attempt. In fact, Ravaillac had confessed to the Jesuit Father d'Aubigny just before and, when the judges interrogated the priest, he merely replied that God had given him the gift to forget immediately what he heard in the confessional" [S1P93].
Reverend Gipp says: "This is the spirit of our enemy! THIS is the ruthlessness of the Roman Catholic Church against those who will not bow their knee to Rome! Would God use this church to preserve his word? [S1P93-94]
Do these two doctrines (Protestantism and Catholicism) have anything in common?
Obviously, not!
Should Protestants form 'pacts' or 'agreements' with Catholics?
I think not.
The Protestant and Catholic beliefs are 180 degrees apart. These two belief systems are diametrically opposed to one another and will always be that way.
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17
C H A P T E R 1 7
T H E J E S U I T B I B L E ( 1582 A.D. )
( The Corrupted Minority Text In English )
The previous chapter explored some of the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. We concluded the two doctrines are 180 degrees apart. And we learned that Catholic doctrine is trying to infiltrate God's Bible.
At this point in our study of the Bible, God is using: The Greek text of Erasmus (1522 A.D.), the Tyndale English Bible (1525 A.D.), and Luther's German Bible (1525 A.D.).
Satan is using the Roman Catholics and the Jesuits.
In this chapter there will be ANOTHER attack on God's true Word.
17:2 T H E S T R U G G L E
"Sixty years elapsed from the close of the Council of Trent (1563) to the landing of Pilgrims in America. During those sixty years, England had been changing from a Catholic nation to a Bible-loving people. Since 1525, when Tyndale's Bible appeared, the Scriptures had obtained a wide circulation. As Tyndale foresaw, the influence of the Divine Word had weaned the people away from pomp and ceremony in religion. But this result had not been obtained without years of struggle. Spain at that time was not only the greatest nation in the world, but was also fanatically Catholic. All the new world belonged to Spain, she ruled the seas and dominated Europe. The Spanish sovereign and the Papacy united in their efforts to send into England bands of highly trained Jesuits. By these, plot after plot was hatched to place a Catholic ruler on England's throne" [S2P237-8].
"At the same time, the Jesuits were acting to turn the English people from the Bible, back to Romanism. As a means to this end, they brought forth in English a Bible of their own ... If England could be retained in the Catholic column, Spain and England together would see to it that all America, north and south, would be Catholic. In fact, wherever the English-speaking race extended, Catholicism would reign. If this result were to be thwarted, it was necessary to meet the danger brought about by the Jesuit Version" [S2P238].
"So powerful was the swing toward Protestantism during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and so strong the love for Tyndale's Version, that there was neither place nor Catholic scholarship enough in England to bring forth a Catholic Bible in strength. Priests were in prison for their plotting, and many fled to the Continent. There they founded schools to train English youth and send them back to England as priests. Two of these colleges alone sent over, in a few years, not less than three hundred priests" [S2P238-9].
"The most prominent of these colleges, called seminaries, was at Rheims, France. Here the Jesuits assembled a company of learned scholars. From here they kept the Pope informed of the changes of the situation in England, and from here they directed the movements of Philip II of Spain as he prepared a great fleet to crush England and bring it back to the feet of the Pope" [S2P239].
"The burning desire to give the common people the Holy Word of God was the reason why Tyndale had translated it into English. No such reason impelled the Jesuits at Rheims" [S2P239]. The purpose of the Jesuit New Testament was: "... to do on the inside of England what the great navy of Philip II was to do on the outside. One was to be used as a moral attack, the other as a physical attack - both to reclaim England" [S2P237-9].
We pick up the history of the Bible in 1582:
17:3 T H E S P I R I T U A L A T T A C K
"About 1582 ... the Jesuit Bible was launched to destroy Tyndale's English Version" [S2P233]. "The appearance of the Jesuit New Testament of 1582 produced consternation in England. It was understood at once to be a menace against the new English unity" [S2P239]. "Immediately the scholarship of England was astir. Queen Elizabeth sent forth the call ... to ... undertake the task of answering the objectionable matter contained in the Jesuit Version" [S2P239-240]. Thomas Cartwright undertook the task. "With inescapable logic, he marshalled the facts of his vast learning and leveled blow after blow against this latest and most dangerous product of Catholic theology" [S2P240].
Thus, Cartwright defended the English people against the spiritual attack. But, that was only 1/2 the battle ...
17:4 T H E P H Y S I C A L A T T A C K
"Meanwhile, 136 great Spanish galleons, some armed with 50 canons, were slowly sailing up the English channel to make England Catholic. England had NO SHIPS. Elizabeth asked Parliament for 15 men-of-war - they voted 30. With these, assisted by harbor tugs under Drake, England sailed forth to meet the GREATEST FLEET the world has ever seen. All England teemed with excitement" [S2P240].
Cartwright sent forth the Word of God against Satan's lies. With Drake, a type of 'David' was sent forth against an attacking Goliath.
Now, which side do you think God was on?
17:5 T H E O U T C O M E: G O D P R O T E C T S H I S O W N !
Although England was outgunned by every measurable indication (in the physical), history has forever recorded the results:
"... the Armada was crushed, and England became a great sea power" [S2P240].
Hallelujah! Praise God!
17:6 T H E P E R F E C T M A S T E R P I E C E
"Flushed with their glorious victory over the Jesuit Bible of 1582, and over the Spanish Armada of 1588, every energy pulsating with certainty and hope, English Protestantism brought forth a perfect masterpiece" [S2P242].
This perfect masterpiece: "... was not taken from the Latin in either the Old or the New Testament, but from the languages in which God originally wrote His Word, namely, from the Hebrew in the Old Testament and from the Greek in the New Testament" [S2P242].
English Protestantism: "... gave to the world what has been considered by hosts of scholars, the greatest version produced in any
language, - The King James Bible, called 'The Miracle of English Prose'" [S2P242].
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18
C H A P T E R 1 8
G O D ' S T R U T H:
T H E K I N G J A M E S B I B L E ( 1611 A.D. )
T H E M I R A C L E O F E N G L I S H P R O S E
( The Traditional Majority Text In English)
T H E B A C K G R O U N D
"Just prior to the translation of the King James Bible, England had broken free of the yoke of Rome. Shortly after the Authorized Version was published, England once again started down the road back to Rome. For a brief 'parenthesis' in English history, England was free of Roman influence just long enough to translate and propagate a perfect Bible" [S1P161].
The King James Bible "... was produced during a brief period following the overthrow of Roman authority and prior to the apostasy of the Church of England. It was translated in the era when the still young English language was at its height of purity" [S1P183].
And God foresaw the widespread use of the English language. Notice that:
"English is the language of this world. English is taught to Russian pilots, because it is universal. It is learned by Oriental businessmen, because it is universal. It was the first language spoken on the moon" [S1P40].
And, God gave us the BEST English:
"The English language in 1611 was in the very best condition ... Each word was broad, simple, and generic. That is to say, words were capable of containing in themselves not only their central thoughts, but also all the different shades of meaning which were attached to that central thought.
Since then, words have lost that living, pliable breadth. Vast additions have been made to the English vocabulary during the past 300 years, so that several words are now necessary to convey the same meaning which formerly was conveyed by one" [S2P246-247].
"The English language has degenerated from what it was in 1611 to what it is today. Those claiming to put the Bible in 'modern English' are actually, though possibly not intentionally, trying to force the pure words of God into a degenerated vocabulary of today!" [S1P41].
And so, "Not only was the English language by 1611 in a more opportune condition than it had ever been before or ever would again, but the Hebrew and the Greek likewise had been brought up with the accumulated treasures of their materials to a splendid working point. The age was not distracted by the rush of mechanical and industrial achievements. Moreover linguistic scholarship was at its peak. Men of giant minds, supported by excellent physical health, had possessed in a splendid state of perfection a knowledge of the languages and literature necessary for the ripest Biblical scholarship" [S2P244-245].
18:2 T H E C A L L
"On July 22, 1604, King James of England announced that he had appointed 54 Hebrew and Greek scholars to produce a Bible, which we know today as the King James, or Authorized Version" [S16P7].
And, it was understood that if 54 scholars were not enough:
"... ALL the learned men of the land could be called upon by letter for their judgment" [S2P257].
"The Kings order was carried out with utmost zeal and knowledge in an orderly manner" [S9P1] and "... because of the careful planning the whole project was completed in less than seven years" [S8P64].
18:3 T H E M E N O F T H E K I N G J A M E S B I B L E
"Without any question there never has been a greater group of
scholars gathered together at one time than the ... translators of the
King James Version" [S10P5].
"The most qualified of the entire English speaking world were summoned ..." [S9P1]. "They were all eminent scholars, and they all had great reverence for the Word of God, being wholly committed to its inspiration and infallibility ..." [S13P7].
"No one can study the lives of those men who gave us the King James Bible without being impressed with their profound and varied learning" [S2P258].
"Scholar for scholar, the men on the King James translating committee were far greater men of God than Westcott, Hort, or any other new translator. They were not only educated in a powerful, anti-Roman atmosphere, but they looked at the manuscripts which they handled as the Holy Word of God" [S1P182].
"Let me show you a few of the translators of the Authorized Version. JOHN BOIS was able to read the Bible in Hebrew when five years of age! When 14 he was a proficient Greek scholar and for years he spent from 4 o'clock in the morning til eight at night in the Cambridge library studying manuscripts and languages... LANCELOT ANDREWS was the overall chairman, who was fluent in twenty languages, the greatest linguist of his day. He spent five hours a day in prayer and was so respected by the kings that orders were given, whenever Andrews was in court, there was to be no levity, no joking ... JOHN CHEDDERTON, he knew Greek, Hebrew
and Latin as well as you and I know English, and better" [S10P5].
18:4 T H E O R G A N I Z E D A P P R O A C H
"Originally 54 scholars were on the list but deaths and withdrawals reduced it finally to 47" [S8P64].
"These men were organized into six groups which were to meet separately. Two groups met at Cambridge, two at Oxford and two at
Westminster. Each group was designated a certain portion of Scripture to translate into the English language" [S16P7].
"Each scholar first made his own translation, then passed it on to be reviewed by each other member of his group. When each section had completed a book of the Bible, it was sent to the other five groups for their independent criticism. In this way each book went thru the hands of the entire body of translators. To guard further against possible errors another committee was formed by selecting two from each of the three companies. Then the entire version came before this select group where all differences of opinion were ironed out. It put the finishing touches upon the work, and in 1611 prepared it for the printers" [S4P102-103].
All of the work was done in the open.
18:5 T H E M A N U S C R I P T S U S E D B Y T H E
K I N G J A M E S T R A N S L A T O R S
"... it was ... the principle of the numerical majority of the readings which gave us the ... Textus Receptus" [S13P17].
"Dean Burgon a learned textural critic and collator of Manuscripts, Presbendary Miller, Dr. Scrivener and others, uphold the Textus Receptus because of the immense number of manuscripts which are in agreement with it" [S4P28].
The KJV agrees with the massive amount of witnesses (more than 5,000 Greek manuscripts) and also: "Virtually no [KJV] MSS are known to be copies of any others ..." [S6P57].
Thus, when we say that the majority of the 5,000 witnesses agree with the King James Bible, we are saying that these 5,000 witnesses are 'INDEPENDENT' witnesses.
"We can safely conclude from scholars on both sides of the issue that the vast majority of manuscripts agrees with the readings in the King James Version ... [And] Not only does the KJV have a firmer foundation numerically, but also geographically. It comes from numerous localities ..." [S3P479].
Thus, the testimony to the validity of the King James Bible is deep: 5,000 independent witnesses. And, the testimony is wide: these witnesses come from a variety of locations.
But what about the corrupted minority of Greek texts? Did the King James translators know about these manuscripts? Did they use them?
History documents that:
"... the translators of 1611 had available ALL of the variant readings of these manuscripts and rejected them" [S2P254].
Thus, the King James translators knew about the corrupted minority of manuscripts and they rejected this corruption.
The KJV translators went on to make a Bible which has been shown to be in agreement with the majority of the Greek texts.
To make the King James Bible, the translators selected and used a representative sample of the majority texts. This was easy to do because the majority texts agree with one another.
Specifically:
"The [KJV] translators drew on the earlier 16th century translations, such as the Bishop's Bible and the Geneva Bible, but especially on Tyndale's translation. His was a very great influence on the Authorised Version - it has been said that some 80% or more of the AV derives from Tyndale. In a sense the AV was the culmination of nearly a century of Bible translation ... it came out of the Reformation which was the greatest revival since the first Christian Pentecost" [S13P8].
As for the Geneva Bible, it: "... was the first English Bible to have verse numbers; the first to use italics for words that were not in the original languages, but necessary for understanding the English; the first to use the Roman type, rather than the Gothic (Old English); and they were small and inexpensive" [S9P2].
The King James Bible followed the example of the Geneva Bible. In other words, in the KJV: "All words which were not found in the Hebrew and Greek Manuscripts, were placed in italics. In this way these men [the KJV translators] made a vast difference between the words given by inspiration of God, and the words originating in the thoughts of men. This is the way it should be" [S4P103].
( Reader note: 'Modern' versions DO NOT separate God's Words from man's words. Instead the two are mixed together ).
"In conclusion, recent scholarship demonstrates that the majority of manuscripts, as seen in the traditional Greek Textus Receptus, and its translation, the King James Version, represent the earliest, broadest (numerically and geographically) and most consistent edition of the New Testament" [S3P503].
18:6 T H E R E S U L T S : R A V E R E V I E W S !
What do you get when you start with the true Word of God and then add: the anointing of the Holy Spirit, godly men in excellent health, an optimum work environment, an organized work approach, and a system of quality control though comprehensive peer reviews?
You get the following:
"The KJV reverberates with eternal familiarity" [S6Pvi].
Of the Bible: Queen Victoria said: "... That book accounts for the supremacy of England", George Washington said: "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible", Patrick Henry boasted: "The bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed" [S9P3].
"Priests, atheists, skeptics, devotees, agnostics, and evangelists, are generally agreed that the Authorized version of the English Bible is the BEST example of English literature that the world HAS EVER SEEN ..." [S2P260].
Ivy league scholars have selected the King James Bible as: "one of the FINEST samples of writing styles IN EXISTENCE" [S3P212].
"... 250 different versions of the Bible were tried in England between 1611 and now, but they ALL FELL FLAT before the majesty of the King James" [S2P253].
"[The King James Bible] was accepted in common use by the people, without coercion, and has been blessed of God as no other book of any language ..." [S9P1].
The KJV: "... has proven itself for almost 400 years, it is the most beautiful, it bears the most fruit, it produces spiritual revival, it is
easiest to memorize, its readers are the most zealous to read it often" [S9P2].
"But upon the whole the version of 1611 ... is probably the best version ever made for public use. It is not simply a translation, but a living reproduction of the original scriptures in idiomatic English, by men as reverent and devout as they were learned. It reads like an
original work, such as the prophets and apostles might have written in the seventeenth century for English readers. It reveals an easy mastery of the rich resources of the English language, the most cosmopolitan of all modern languages, and blends with singular felicity Saxon force and Latin melody. Even its prose reads like poetry, and sounds like music. It is the first of English classics, and the greatest modern authors have drawn inspiration from this pure well of English undefiled. Its best recommendation is its universal adoption and use ... Next to Christianity itself, the version of 1611 is the greatest boon which a kind Providence has bestowed upon the English race. It carries with it to the ends of the globe all that is truly valuable in our civilization, and gives strength, beauty, and happiness to our domestic, social, and national life" [S6P96].
"The Majority text, it must be remembered, is relatively uniform in its general character with comparatively low amounts of variation
between its major representatives. NO ONE HAS YET EXPLAINED how a long, slow process spread out over many centuries as well as over a wide geographical area, and involving a multitude of copyists, who often knew nothing of the state of the text outside of their own monasteries or scriptoria, could achieve this widespread uniformity out of the diversity presented by the earlier forms of text ... an unguided process achieving relative stability and uniformity in the diversified textual, historical, and cultural circumstances in which the New Testament was copied, imposes IMPOSSIBLE strains on the imagination" [S2P34]
"Herein lies the greatest weakness of contemporary textual criticism. Denying to the Majority text any claim to represent the actual form of the original text, it is nevertheless unable to explain its rise, its comparative uniformity, and its dominance in any satisfactory manner. All of these factors CAN be rationally accounted for, however, IF THE MAJORITY TEXT REPRESENTS SIMPLY THE CONTINUOUS TRANSMISSION OF THE ORIGINAL TEXT FROM THE VERY FIRST" [S2P34].
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19
C H A P T E R 1 9
M O D E R N B I B L E ' C L A I M S '
In the last chapter we learned that:
"... The KJV reverberates with ETERNAL FAMILIARITY ... Priests, atheists, skeptics, devotees, agnostics, and evangelists, are generally agreed that the Authorized version of the English Bible is the BEST EXAMPLE OF ENGLISH LITERATURE that the world HAS EVER SEEN ... Ivy league scholars have selected the King James Bible as ONE OF THE FINEST SAMPLES OF WRITING STYLES IN EXISTENCE ... The KJV ... has proven itself for almost 400 years, it is the MOST BEAUTIFUL, it BEARS THE MOST FRUIT, it produces SPIRITUAL REVIVAL, it is the EASIEST TO MEMORIZE ... the version of 1611 ... is probably the BEST version EVER MADE ... etc. etc. etc.
Now contrast those quotes with sales pitches for 'modern versions':
... the King James Bible is too hard to understand ... its words are archaic ... people don't understand it ... it has thee's and thou's .... today's Christian needs is a 'more readable' version ... etc. etc.
These two views are diametrically opposed to one another. Only one of them is true. Either the King James Bible IS the ... BEST EXAMPLE of English literature the world HAS EVER SEEN or it ISN'T.
So, should we believe:
Instead of emotionally (and philosophically) debating this question, let's get the facts.
Sales pitches for new, modern, versions contain several 'claims'. In this chapter, we will test them for truth.
19:2 R E A D A B I L I T Y
One persistent advertisement is that new versions are 'easier to read'. If this is true, it is easily verified.
The Flesch-Kincaid research company has a formula which measures the grade level of a book. The higher the grade level the more education is required. And, the lower the grade level, the less education is required.
The Flesch-Kincaid formula is:
Grade level = (.39) times (the average number of words per sentence) + (11.8) times (the average number of syllables per word) minus (15.59)
From this formula; fewer syllables per word lowers the grade level and/or shorter sentences lowers the grade level. Both make sense.
Now, let's compare some 'modern' versions to the King James Bible.
19:2.1 In her excellent book "New Age Bible Versions", on page 196, G.A. Riplinger gives us the Flesch-Kincaid readability results of various 'Bibles'. In her first analysis, she compares the average grade level required to read the first chapter of the first and last books of both the Old and New Testaments. Her chart follows:
Name
Of
Book |
KJV
Grade
Level |
NASB
Grade
Level |
NKJV
Grade
Level |
TEV
Grade
Level |
NIV
Grade
Level |
| -------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
| Gen. 1 |
4.4 |
4.7 |
5.2 |
5.1 |
5.1 |
| Mal. 1 |
4.6 |
5.1 |
4.6 |
5.4 |
4.8 |
| Matt. 1 |
6.7 |
6.8 |
10.3 |
11.8 |
16.4 |
| Rev. 1 |
7.5 |
7.7 |
7.7 |
6.4 |
7.1 |
|
|
Grade
Level
Average |
5.8 |
6.1 |
6.9 |
7.2 |
8.4 |
Analytical data confirms that it's the KING JAMES BIBLE that requires the LEAST amount of education, NOT the 'modern versions'.
Think about it. God is willing than none should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Now; if you were God, and you wanted everyone to be saved, would you make your Bible hard to understand?
Of course not.
You would make the message of salvation so simple anyone (and everyone) could understand it. This is what God has done in the
Traditional Majority Text (King James Bible).
Also, notice that the NEW King James Version IS NOT an improvement over the KJV. The NKJV requires an additional grade level INCREASE in education compared to the KJV.
Continuing her analysis, G.A Riplinger says:
19:2.2 "To extend the inquiry, one each of the three book-types (Gospel, Pauline epistle, and General epistle) were surveyed. The resulting data confirms the readability of the KJV" [S3P196].
Name
Of
Book |
KJV
Grade
Level |
TEV
Grade
Level |
NKJV
Grade
Level |
NIV
Grade
Level |
NASB
Grade
Level |
| -------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
John
1:1-21 |
3.6 |
5.9 |
3.9 |
3.6 |
4.2 |
Gal.
1:1-21 |
8.6 |
6.7 |
8.9 |
9.8 |
10.4 |
James
1:1-21 |
5.7 |
6.0 |
6.4 |
6.5 |
7.0 |
|
|
Grade
Level
Average |
6.0 |
6.2 |
6.4 |
6.6 |
7.2 |
An objective analysis uncovers the truth. 'New versions' are actually HARDER TO READ, not easier. The claim that new versions are easier to read is ANOTHER lie. And who is the father of lies ?
"Why is the KJV easier to read? The KJV uses one or two syllable words while the new versions substitute complex multi-syllable words and phrases" [S3P196]
19:2.3 For instance: The following is a sample of the hard words used in the NASB vs. the easy words used in the KJV. This sample analysis is also courtesy of G.A. Riplinger [S3P197-208].
NASB vs KJV
| Verse |
Hard
Word
(NASB) |
Easy
Word
(KJV) |
| ------------------------------ |
------------------------------ |
------------------------------ |
| Matt. 1:11 |
deportation |
carried away |
| Matt. 2:16 |
environs |
coasts |
| Matt. 9:18 |
synagogue-official |
certain ruler |
| Matt. 11:26 |
well pleasing |
good |
| Matt. 14:24 |
but the boat was
already many
stadia away |
was now in the
midst of the sea |
| Matt. 14:24 |
battered |
tossed |
| Matt. 15:6 |
invalidated |
made |
| Matt. 16:27 |
recompense |
reward |
| Matt. 25:10 |
make the purchase |
buy |
| Matt. 26:59 |
in the order that
they might |
to |
| Matt. 27:27 |
Praetorium |
common hall |
| Matt. 27:27 |
whole Roman cohort |
band of soldiers |
| Mark 2:21 |
unshrunk |
new |
| Mark 15:18 |
acclaim |
salute |
| Luke 5:29 |
reclining at table |
sat |
| Luke 6:22 |
ostracize |
separate you
from their company |
| Luke 6:49 |
collapsed |
fell |
| Luke 7:2 |
highly regarded |
dear |
| Luke 7:32 |
sang a dirge |
have mourned |
| Luke 8:31 |
the abyss |
the deep |
| John 10:23 |
portico |
porch |
| John 16:26 |
on your behalf |
for you |
| John 17:4 |
accomplished |
finished |
| John 18:1 |
ravine |
brook |
| John 19:20 |
inscription |
title |
| John 21:7 |
stripped for work |
naked |
| Acts 11:24 |
considerable numbers |
much people |
| Acts 12:21 |
rostrum |
throne |
| Acts 27:18 |
jettison the cargo |
lighten the ship |
| Romans 9:29 |
posterity |
seed |
| 2 Cor. 11:32 |
the ethnarch |
the governor |
| Gal. 1:14 |
contemporaries |
equals |
| Phil. 4:9 |
practice |
do |
| 1 Thess. 2:17 |
having been bereft
of you |
being taken from you |
| 1 Thess. 5:1 |
epochs |
seasons |
| 1 Thess. 5:14 |
admonish |
warn |
| 1 Tim. 1:15 |
foremost of all |
chief |
| 1 Tim. 3:3 |
uncontentious |
not a brawler |
| 1 Tim. 5:12 |
previous |
first faith |
| Titus 1:6 |
dissipation |
riot |
| Titus 3:10 |
factious |
heretick |
| Heb. 7:2 |
apportioned |
gave |
| Heb. 12:1 |
encumbrance |
weight |
| Rev. 4:1 |
standing |
was |
| Rev. 11:11 |
who were beholding
them |
saw |
| Rev. 18:2 |
prison of every
bird |
cage |
19:3 M E M O R I Z A T I O N O F S C R I P T U R E
"The memorization of scripture, which is the 'sword of the Spirit', is a necessary self-defense against sin. Simple sentence structure and single syllable words certainly simplify this task. Satan strives to stop this safeguard against sin, so new versions keep the 'sword' wrapped in a sheath of words" [S3P204]. For example:
Syllable Comparison: NASB vs KJV
| Verse |
NASB
Wording |
# Of
Syllables |
KJV
Wording |
# Of
Syllables |
| -------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
| Matt. 26:41 |
Keep watching
and praying |
6 |
Watch and pray |
3 |
| Matt. 26:59 |
in order that
they might |
6 |
to |
1 |
| Matt. 28:5 |
you are looking for |
5 |
seek |
1 |
| Mark 1:34 |
who he was |
3 |
him |
1 |
| Mark 1:41 |
am willing |
3 |
will |
1 |
| Mark 2:7 |
speak that way?
He is blaspheming |
8 |
speak blasphemies |
4 |
| Mark 3:3 |
Rise and come
forward |
5 |
Stand forth |
2 |
| Mark 13:37 |
Be on the alert |
5 |
Watch |
1 |
| Mark 16:8 |
astonishment had
gripped them |
7 |
were amazed |
3 |
| Luke 1:80 |
continued to grow |
5 |
grew |
1 |
| Luke 5:26 |
seized with
astonishment |
6 |
amazed |
1 |
| Luke 6:8 |
what they were
thinking |
5 |
their thoughts |
2 |
| Luke 7:5 |
it was he who |
4 |
he hath |
2 |
| Luke 7:26 |
one who is more |
4 |
much more |
2 |
| Luke 8:45 |
Who is the one
who touched me? |
7 |
Who touched me? |
3 |
| Luke 8:50 |
Do not be afraid
any longer |
9 |
Fear not |
2 |
| Luke 10:9 |
those in it who are |
5 |
the |
1 |
| Luke 16:3 |
am not strong
enough to |
6 |
cannot |
2 |
| Luke 18:3 |
Give me legal
protection from
my opponent |
12 |
avenge |
2 |
| Luke 20:37 |
in the passage
about the |
7 |
at |
1 |
| John 19:3 |
And they began to
come up to him
and say |
11 |
said |
1 |
| John 19:3 |
to give Him blows
in the face |
7 |
they smote him |
3 |
| Eph. 1:4 |
with a view to |
4 |
until |
1 |
| Rev. 7:15 |
spread his
tabernacle over |
8 |
dwell |
1 |
|
|
--------------- |
|
--------------- |
| TOTAL SYLLABLE COUNT: |
|
148 |
|
42 |
After comparing these two columns; it is no wonder G.A. Riplinger says: "The sentence structure of the new versions can only be called a labyrinth" [S3P207].
Reader note: The Word is "The Sword of the Spirit". When G.A. Riplinger says that: "The memorization of scripture is a necessary self-defense against sin" and that: "simple sentence structure and single syllable words ... simplify this task"; I believe she has hit on a very SUBTLE but EXTREMELY important point.
The memorization of scripture REQUIRES repetition. And, it requires hearing the SAME words again and again. When each 'modern' version, substitutes different words (so it can 'sell itself' as a 'new' version), it hinders and confuses the memorization of scripture.
When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, I suspect He DID NOT have scrolls of scripture with him. Nor do I think He fumbled around with which version to quote back to Satan. The only thing Jesus had was the Word, memorized !
Think about it.
19:3.2 NKJV vs KJV
"Only a multi-million dollar marketing campaign could capture unsuspecting customers for the New King James Version camp. An actual collation of its text proves it MORE DIFFICULT, not 'clearer', as claimed. Second grade students can define ALL of the following sample KJV words, but NONE of their NKJV substitutes" [S3P208].
| Verse |
Hard
Word
( NKJV ) |
Easy
Word
( KJV ) |
| ------------------------------- |
------------------------------- |
------------------------------- |
| 2 Cor. 5:2 |
habitation |
house |
| Eccl. 2:3 |
gratify |
give |
| Is. 28:1,4 |
verdant |
fat |
| Duet. 28:50 |
elderly |
old |
| Judges 19:29 |
limb |
bones |
| Ps. 43:1 |
Vindicate |
Judge |
| Rom. 14:13 |
resolve |
judge |
| Josh. 22:24 |
descendants |
children |
| Acts 17:22 |
the Areopagus |
Mars's Hill |
| Ez. 31:4 |
rivulets |
little rivers |
| New Test. |
hades |
hell |
| 1 Kings 10:28 |
Keva |
linen yarn |
| 1 Sam. 13:21 |
pim |
file |
| John 18:28 |
Praetorium |
judgement hall |
| Rom. 13:1 |
governing
authorities |
higher powers |
| Gal. 5:4 |
estranged |
no effect |
| Is. 2:16 |
sloops |
pictures |
| Lam. 5:3 |
waif |
fatherless |
| 1 Sam. 10:19 |
clans |
thousands |
| Acts 27:17 |
Syrtis Sands |
quicksand |
| 2 Cor. 11:5 |
eminent |
chiefest |
| Job 2:10 |
adversity |
evil |
| 1 Sam. 16:14 |
distressing |
evil |
| Jer. 19:3 |
catastrophe |
evil |
| 2 Kings 22:16 |
calamity |
evil |
| Eccl. 12:1 |
difficult |
evil |
| Eccl. 8:5 |
harmful |
evil |
| Ezek. 5:16 |
terrible |
evil |
| Ezek. 5:17 |
wild |
evil |
| 2 Sam. 17:14 |
diaster |
evil |
| 1 Kings 17:20 |
tragedy |
evil |
| Prov. 16:4 |
doom |
evil |
| Jer. 44:17 |
trouble |
evil |
| Amos 9:4 |
harm |
evil |
| Job 2:10 |
adversity |
evil |
19:3.3 Syllable Comparison: NKJV vs. KJV
Not only are the words simpler in the KJV (vs. NKJV) but the syllable count is less, too. For example:
| Verse |
NKJV
Wording |
# Of
Syllables |
KJV
Wording |
# Of
Syllables |
| -------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
| 1 Cor. 3:3 |
behaving like
mere men |
6 |
walk as men |
3 |
| 2 Cor 11:29 |
do not burn
with indignation |
8 |
burn not |
2 |
| Ps. 40:9 |
I have proclaimed
the good new of |
8 |
I have preached |
2 |
| 1 Cor 11:10 |
a symblo of
authority |
8 |
power |
2 |
| 1 Sam 25:12 |
on their heels |
4 |
their way |
2 |
|
|
--------------- |
|
--------------- |
| TOTAL SYLLABLE COUNT: |
|
34 |
|
12 |
And lastly; let's compare the NIV syllable count to the KJV:
19:3.4 Syllable Comparison: NIV vs. KJV
| Verse |
NIV
Wording |
# Of
Syllables |
KJV
Wording |
# Of
Syllables |
| -------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
| 1 Cor. 10:7 |
indulge in
revelry |
6 |
rose up to play |
4 |
| Lev. 14:2 |
regulations for
infectious skin
diseases and
mildew |
15 |
law of leprosy |
5 |
| Lev. 11:30 |
skink |
1 |
snail |
1 |
| 2 Chron. 2:2 |
conscripted |
3 |
told |
1 |
| Rom. 1:28 |
think it
worthwhile |
4 |
like |
1 |
| Eph. 4:16 |
supporting ligament |
6 |
joint |
1 |
| Luke 10:35 |
reimburse |
3 |
repay |
2 |
| Luke 11:26 |
finale condition |
5 |
fast state |
2 |
|
|
--------------- |
|
--------------- |
| TOTAL SYLLABLE COUNT: |
|
43 |
|
17 |
"So the reader will not think 'select' verses are presented, a thorough comparison of one book, Hebrews follows. The NIV's vocabulary evades both young and old alike" [S3P209].
19:3.5 Further Syllable Comparison: NIV vs. KJV
| Verse |
NIV
Wording |
# Of
Syllables |
KJV
Wording |
# Of
Syllables |
| -------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
-------------------- |
| Heb. 1:2 |
universe |
3 |
worlds |
1 |
| Heb. 1:3 |
radiance |
3 |
brightness |
2 |
| Heb. 1:3 |
representation |
5 |
image |
2 |
| Heb. 1:3 |
sustaining |
3 |
upholding |
3 |
| Heb. 1:3 |
provided
purification |
8 |
purged |
1 |
| Heb. 1:4 |
superior to |
5 |
better than |
3 |
| Heb. 2:3 |
announced |
2 |
spoken |
2 |
| Heb. 2:10 |
exists |
2 |
are |
1 |
| Heb. 4:2 |
combine |
2 |
mixed |
1 |
| Heb. 4:15 |
sympathize |
3 |
be touched |
2 |
| Heb. 5:7 |
his reverent
submission |
7 |
he feared |
2 |
| Heb. 5:10 |
designated |
4 |
called |
1 |
| Heb. 5:13 |
not acquainted |
4 |
unskillful |
3 |
| Heb. 6:6 |
subjecting him |
5 |
put him to |
3 |
| Heb. 7:16 |
indestructible |
5 |
endless |
2 |
| Heb. 8:13 |
obsolete |
3 |
old |
1 |
| Heb. 10:26 |
deliberately |
5 |
wilfully |
3 |
| Heb. 10:27 |
expectation |
4 |
looking for |
3 |
| Heb. 11:5 |
experience death |
5 |
see death |
2 |
| Heb. 11:22 |
exodus |
3 |
departing |
3 |
|
|
--------------- |
|
--------------- |
| TOTAL SYLLABLE COUNT: |
|
81 |
|
41 |
19:4 F E W E R ' D I F F E R E N T ' W O R D S
Not only does the King James use simpler words, but it also uses a shorter vocabulary of 'different' words. In his book "The Majority
Text", Theodore Letis points out:
"The AV contains only about six thousand words as compared to Shakespeare's fifteen to twenty thousand and Milton's thirteen thousand ..." [S6P87].
19:5 U N R E C O G N I Z E D W O R D S
What about the King James' words we don't recognize?
G.A. Riplinger responds to this question:
"The ... words in the KJV, which are unfamiliar, at first glance, to dictionary shy Americans are actually simpler and more accurate than their new substitutes. A 'stomacher' for example (Isa. 3:24) is NOT a belt, as new versions indicate, but a chest ornament. (It seems the only 'simpler' words in new versions are incorrect or from a corrupt Greek text.) New versions not only do not improve the KJV's 'sackbut' (Daniel 3:7), calling it a 'trigon', but in the same sentence change the KJV's simple 'harp' to a 'zither' [S3P210].
19:6 T H E E ' S A N D T H O U ' S
A second claim is that: 'thee', 'thou', 'thy', and 'thine' are out of date. The 'pitch' is that these words were spoken in 1611, are archaic, and need to be eliminated.
Let's examine this claim.
In his book 'The King James Version Defended', Edward F. Hills gives us some interesting insight into these words. On page 218, he says:
"... the English of the King James Version is not the English of the 17th century ... It is Biblical English, which was not used on ordinary occasions even by the translators who produced the King James Version. As H. Wheeler Robinson (1940) pointed out, one need only compare the preface written by the translators with the text of their translation to feel the difference in style ... The King James Version ... owes its merit, not to 17th century English - which was very different - but to its faithful translation of the original. Its style is that of the Hebrew and the New Testament Greek. Even in their use of thee and thou the translators were not following 17th century English usage but biblical usage, for at the time these translators were doing their work these singular forms had already been replaced by the plural you in polite conversation" [S12P218].
In his book 'The Old Is Better', Alfred E. Levell also comments on the need for thee's and thou's. On page 31, he says:
"Why did the AV translators not adopt the up to date English of their time? For one reason ... accuracy of translation! Whenever the Hebrew and Greek texts use the singular of the pronoun, so does the AV; and whenever those texts use the plural, so does the AV ... There is a distinct loss of accuracy in translation if 'You' is used for singular as well as the plural: it becomes an ambiguous word ... Thus in Luke 22:31-32 the Lord says to Peter "Satan hath desired to have you, to sift you as wheat," "you" here referring to Peter and the other disciples; "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not," "thee" and "thy" referring to Peter only. Such shades in meaning are completely lost when 'you' is used throughout" [S13P31].
The words: 'thee', 'thou', 'thy' and 'thine' are clearly needed. The Holy Spirit picked these words for a reason: It is to distinguish the 'singular you' from the 'plural you' for the purpose of clarity. Praise God!
Objective, analytical, data shows new versions are NOT EASIER to read, they are HARDER. Also, new versions are wordier, have more syllables per word, and use harder words.
The words God chose, for His Traditional Majority Text, are simpler. And, like the use of 'thee', 'thou', 'thy' and 'thine'; each word was chosen for a reason. We may or may not understand each word, but it is there for a purpose; just like you and I are here for a purpose.
Lately; Bible publishers are trying to tell Christians the King James Bible is 'hard to understand'. Their 'claim' is that we need to buy a 'new version'.
Well, if the King James Bible is 'hard to understand', then this is a very, very, RECENT phenomenon. Our grandparents were able to read the King James!
And, how would Bible publishers explain this supposed problem with King James 'readability' when we are actually MORE EDUCATED than our grandparents?
No; their claim does not make sense. Something else is wrong.
19:7 T H E T R U E P R O B L E M
The truth is that the King James Bible is NOT the problem.
"The real gap is one of distance between God and man, not a lapse between us and Father Time ... The spiritual chasm is so vast that even those close to Jesus could not understand him. He was NOT speaking archaic Aramaic to Mary and Joseph yet, "they understood NOT the saying which he spake unto them". Obsolete words were NOT the obstacle when he asked Peter, "Are ye also yet WITHOUT understanding?" [S3P635].
Something to think about.
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20
C H A P T E R 2 0
S A T A N ' S C O U N T E R F E I T S :
T H E S I N A I T I C U S A N D V A T I C A N U S T E X T S
( Corrupted Minority Texts In Greek )
"In our day there are reputed to be about 110 so-called translations of the Bible or New Testament in the English language alone ... Of those 110 versions only the King James Version (Authorized) is translated from the Received Text (Textus Receptus). All the others, even though no two of them agree with each other, were translated from another source. That other source is the Misters Westcott and Hort Text" [S14P3-4].
Jasper James Ray 'echoes' the same report. He says all modern Bibles since 1611 are: "... for the most part, in agreement with the Greek Text of Westcott and Hort" [S4P29].
So, where did the Greek Text of Westcott and Hort come from?
"The Greek text of Westcott and Hort is ... from a very limited and select number of manuscripts" [S4P27]. "The Westcott and Hort Greek New Testament was primarily based on the Vaticanus (B) and Sinaiticus (Aleph) manuscripts of the fourth century, both of which originated from the Alexandrian School" [S1P9].
In this chapter we discuss the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus manuscripts.
The reader should note that 'Vaticanus' is sometimes called 'Codex Vaticanus'. The word 'Codex' means the manuscript is in 'book' form, verses a scroll. Vaticanus is also called 'B'.
Sinaiticus is also referred to as 'Codex Sinaiticus'. Again the word Codex meaning this manuscript is also in 'book' form, verses scroll. Sometimes Sinaiticus is also called 'Aleph'.
In summary: "The text of Westcott and Hort is practically the text of Aleph and B" [S2P136]. i.e. Sinaiticus and Vaticanus.
20:2 V A T I C A N U S
Vaticanus: " ... was written on fine vellum (tanned animal skins) and remains in excellent condition. It was found in the Vatican Library in 1481 A.D." [S5P60]
In spite of being in excellent condition:
"This Codex omits portions of Scripture vital to Christian doctrine. Vaticanus omits Genesis 1:1 - Genesis 46:28, Psalms 106 - 138, Matthew 16:2,3; Romans 16:24; the Pauline Pastorial Epistles; Revelation; and everything in Hebrews after 9:14" [S1P72]. "These parts were probably left out on purpose" [S5P60].
"Moreover having been found in the Vatican library, the suspicion was all the more compounded. We must recall that the Renaissance was lifting the great curtain hiding medieval superstition and forged documents, allowing the light to shine in ..." [S6P135].
"According to authorities the date of its writing is placed within the years 325 A.D. to 350 A.D." [S4P20].
"Vaticanus, though intact physically, is found to be of very poor literary quality. Dr. Martin declares, 'B' exhibits numerous places
where the scribe has written the same word or phrase twice in succession" [S1P72].
"Besides all that - in the gospels alone it leaves out 237 words, 452 clauses and 748 whole sentences, which hundreds of later copies agree together as having the SAME words in the SAME places, the SAME clauses in the SAME places and the SAME sentences in the SAME places" [S5P60].
"It seems suspicious indeed that a MSS possessed by the Roman Catholic Church omits the portion of the book of Hebrews which exposes the 'mass' as totally useless. (Please read Hebrews 10:10-12). The 'mass' in conjunction with the false doctrine of purgatory go hand in hand to form a perpetual money making machine for Rome. Without one or the other the Roman Catholic Church would go broke!" [S1P72].
G.A Riplinger adds the following about Vaticanus (i.e. 'B'):
"The use of recent technology such as the vidicon camera, which creates a digital form of faint writing, recording it on magnetic tape and reproducing it by an electro-optical process, reveals that B has been altered by at least two hands, one being as late as the twelfth century ... A few passages ... remain to show the original appearance of the first hand. The corrector omitted [things] he believed to be incorrect" [S3P551].
"B agrees with the Textus Receptus only about 50% of the time. It differs from the Majority Greek in nearly 8,000 places, amounting to about one change per verse. It omits several thousand key words from the Gospels, nearly 1,000 complete sentences, and 500 clauses. It adds approximately 500 words, substitutes or modifies nearly 2,000 and transposes word order in about 2,000 places. It has nearly 600 readings THAT DO NOT OCCUR IN ANY OTHER MANUSCRIPT ..." [S3P551].
And: "Linguistic scholars have observed that B is reminiscent of classical and Platonic Greek, NOT the Koine [common] Greek of the New Testament ..." [S3P551].
"Protestant theologians question its lack of use by anyone for 1300 years-then its sudden 'discovery' in the Vatican in 1481" [S3P552].
"Its [i.e. Vaticanus'] immediate use to suppress the Reformation and its subsequent release in 1582 as the Jesuit-Rheims Bible are logical, considering the manuscripts omission of anti-Catholic sections and books (ie Hebrews 9:14 and Revelation etc.)" [S3P552].
Also, Vaticanus: "... agrees essentially with Origen's Hexapla, omitting the deity of Christ frequently ..." [S3P552].
In summary, history records that:
"... Vaticanus was available to the King James translators but they didn't use it because they knew it was unreliable" [S5P60].
20:3 S I N A I T I C U S
"The Sinaiticus is a manuscript that was found in 1844 in a trash pile in St. Catherine's Monastery near Mt. Sinai, by a man named Mr. Tichendorf" [S5P61].
"The date of its writing is placed at around 340 A.D. ..." [S4P20].
"The Sinaiticus is extremely unreliable, proven by examining the manuscript itself. John Burgon spent years examining every available manuscript of the New Testament" [S5P61]. He writes about Sinaiticus:
"On many occasions 10, 20, 30, 40 words are dropped through very carelessness. Letters, words or even whole sentences are frequently written twice over, or begun and immediately cancelled; while ... a clause is omitted because it happens to end in the same words as the clause proceeding, [this] occurs no less than 115 times in the New Testament" [S5P61].
"On nearly every page of the manuscript there are corrections and revisions done by TEN different people" [S5P61].
Dr. Scrivener agrees with John Burgon. Dr. Scrivener says (of Codex Sinaiticus):
"... it is clear that this document was corrected by ten different scribes at different periods". He tells of "the occurrence of so many
different styles of handwriting, apparently due to penmen removed from each other by centuries, which deform by their corrections every page of this venerable looking document" [S2P307-308].
And Dr. M. Reynolds tells us:
"Tischendorf, the discoverer of the Sinaiticus manuscript noted at least 12,000 changes which had been made ... by OTHERS than the original copyist" [S17P3].
G.A. Riplinger cites some 'advanced' analysis of Sinaiticus:
"[With] more recent detailed scrutiny of the manuscript ... by the use of [the] ultra-violet lamp, Milne and Skeat discovered that the original reading in the manuscript was erased ... [in places]" [S3P552].
In Sinaiticus: "There are about 9,000 changes from ... the Majority ... Text, amounting to one difference in every verse. It omits some 4,000 words from the Gospels, adds 1,000, repositions 2,000 and alters another 1,000. It has approximately 1,500 readings that DO NOT APPEAR IN ANY OTHER MANUSCRIPT ..." [S3P552-553].
"Philip Mauro was a brilliant lawyer who was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court in April 1892. He wrote a book called 'Which Version' in the early 1900's" [S5P61]. He writes concerning Sinaiticus ...
"From these facts, therefore, we deduce: ... the impurity of the Codex Sinaiticus, in every part of it, was fully recognized by those who were best acquainted with it, and ... it was finally cast aside as WORTHLESS for any practical purpose" [S5P61].
20:4 S I N A I T I C U S A N D V A T I C A N U S
Since the Vaticanus originated between 325 A.D. and 350 A.D; and since the Sinaiticus originated about 340 A.D. :
"Several textural authorities believe that the Sinaitic and Vatican manuscripts are two extant copies of the 50 Greek manuscripts copied for Constantine by Eusebius in 331 A.D." [S4P19].
One of those authorities is Dr. Herman C. Hoskier. He says:
"My thesis is then that B (Vaticanus) and Aleph (Sinaiticus) ... are Egyptian revisions current between A.D. 200-400 and abandoned between 500 and 1881, merely revived in our day ..." [S3P550].
Do you remember in an earlier chapter we talked about Constantine? We said that, on the surface, he put on the 'robe' of Christianity. But, behind the scenes, he had Eusebius prepare 50 corrupt Bibles from the heretical teachings of Origin.
It's possible that we have 2 copies of Satan's corrupted minority Greek texts resurfacing again from the year 331 A.D. Westcott and Hort then use these 2 corrupt texts to produce their own corrupt Greek text.
20:5 K E Y E V E N T S
Let's summarize some key events in the history of the corrupted minority text:
Now, whether or not Vaticanus and Sinaiticus are actually two of Eusebius' 50 Bibles is not fully proven (at this time). It is, however, consistent, with the facts.
Since these two texts are forerunners of 'modern' versions; the key question is: What is contained in these manuscripts?
20:6 A N A N A L Y S I S O F :
S I N A I T I C U S A N D V A T I C A N U S
"The Vaticanus and Sinaiticus both leave out the last 12 verses of Mark, concerning the resurrection of Christ. But, there is not one other manuscript ... that leave out this passage" [S5P62].
"Aleph and B differ from one another IN THREE THOUSAND PLACES in the Gospels alone - not including differences in spelling" [S6P43].
Of Vaticanus and Sinaiticus, John Burgon says: "It is in fact easier to find two consecutive verses in which these two MSS. differ the one from the other, than two consecutive verses in which they entirely agree" [S15P16].
G.A. Riplinger points out that:
"Neither Aleph nor B ends with the book of Revelation. Vaticanus (B) completely eliminates Revelation, thereby disobeying God's command 'not to take away from the words of this book'. Sinaiticus (Aleph) adds two books after Revelation ... These two books: The Shepherd of Hermas and The Epistle of Barnabas, spell out in detail the New Age scenario, including commands to do the things God specifically forbids, such as:
1) Take 'the name' of the beast
2) Give 'up to the beast'
3) Form a one world government
4) Kill those not receiving his 'name'
5) Worship female virgins
6) Receive 'another spirit'
7) Seek power
8) Believe that God is immanent in his creation, as a
pantheistic, monistic Hindu God
9) Avoid marriage, permit fornication
10) Abstain from fasting
11) Subscribe to the New Age Race Root Theory
12) Be saved by being baptized and keeping the 'twelve'
mandates of the Antichrist [S3P557].
"Long ago Burgon and Miller (1896) pointed out the heretical trait in Aleph and B, and their observations have never been refuted" [S8P77].
"Burgon's position remains absolutely unshaken ... He maintains that Aleph and B had been tampered with and revised and proved it in his "Causes of the Corruption of the Traditional Text"" [S2P141].
"Many scholars today disagree with Westcott and Hort, noting the poor character of these minority manuscripts. Moody Vice President, Alfred Martin, calls Aleph and B 'depraved'. Dean John Burgon writes: 'I have convinced myself by laborious collation that they are the most corrupt of all. They are depositories of the largest amount of fabricated and intentional perversions of the truth which are discoverable in any copies of the word of God. They exhibit a fabricated text...[and are] shamefully mutilated'" [S3P546].
Of Sinaiticus and Vaticanus we can say that:
"The longer we ponder the evidence ... the more obvious it becomes that the texts ... were the handiwork of heretics who for some reason were reluctant to acknowledge Jesus to be the Son of God" [S8P77].
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21
C H A P T E R 2 1
S A T A N ' S C O U N T E R F E I T
T H E W E S T C O T T A N D H O R T T E X T ( 1881 A.D. )
( The Corrupted Minority Text In Greek )
In the last chapter, we learned 'Codex Vaticanus' and 'Codex Sinaiticus' are two manuscripts from the corrupted minority of Greek
texts.
'Vaticanus' was found in the Vatican library. 'Sinaiticus' was found in a Mt. Sinai trash can.
We also know these 2 manuscripts form the basis for the Westcott and Hort Greek text. And, the corrupt Westcott and Hort Greek text forms the basis for 'modern' versions of the Bible.
In this chapter Westcott and Hort use the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus manuscripts to make their 'own' Greek text. This they submit to a Bible translation committee. The result will be the "English Revised Version of 1881". Later on, other 'modern versions' will follow the W&H text.
We pick up the history of the Bible, in England, in 1870.
21:2 T H E B A C K G R O U N D
"In 1870, the Convention of the Church of England commissioned a revision of the Authorized Version" [S1P162].
A revision committee was assembled.
The Revision Committee was instructed: "... NOT to deal with the underlying Greek text of the Authorized Version. They were instructed to do as follows: (1) to introduce AS FEW alterations as possible into the text of the King James Bible, and (2) to limit ... the expression of any alterations TO THE LANGUAGE of the Authorized Version" [S1P163].
"Westcott and Hort had other plans. They had edited the corrupt Vatican and Sinaitic manuscripts ... and produced their own Greek text. Wisely they had never published it" [S1P163].
"Westcott and Hort had been working together on their text since 1853; in 1870 they printed a tentative edition for private distribution only. This they circulated under pledge of secrecy within the company of New Testament revisers, of which they were members (of which came the Revised Version of 1881). It soon became evident that the New Testament committee was NOT going to be content merely to revise the Authorized Version, but was determined to revise the UNDERLYING Greek text radically" [S2P153-154].
In November of 1870, Westcott said: "In a few minutes I go with Lightfoot to Westminster. More will come of these meetings, I think, than simply a revised version" [S1P162-163].
Hort to Westcott: "This may sound like cowardice-I have a craving that our text should be cast upon the world before we deal with matters likely to brand us with suspicion" [S3P407-408]
Westcott to Hort: "... strike blindly ... much evil would result from a public discussion" [S3P408].
21:3 A U N I T A R I A N A T C O M M U N I O N ?
"When the company of New Testament revisers (for the Revised Version) were ready to begin their work, a communion service was held in Westminster Abbey. A Unitarian member of the committee partook along with the others. There was serious criticism of this ... The upper house of the Convocation of Canterbury passed a resolution that NO person who denied the deity of Christ should take part in the work" [S2P156].
"Westcott expressed his loyalty to apostasy when he threatened to quit if the Convocation were successful in ejecting Smith [the
Unitarian] from the Committee. 'I never felt more clear as to my duty. If the Company accepts the dictation of the Convocation, my work must end. I see no escape from the conclusion'" [S1P165].
Westcott and Hort found an ally for their plan to abolish the Traditional Majority Text, when Dr. Vance Smith, a Christ denying,
Unitarian preacher, was seated on the committee.
As to the Unitarian, Dr. Hort said: "It is, I think, difficult to measure the weight of the acceptance won before the hand for the
Revision by the single fact of our welcoming a Unitarian" [S1P165].
21:4 D R. S M I T H
What were some of Dr. Smith's beliefs?
Dr. Smith called the belief in Christ's 2nd coming 'erroneous'. He said:
"This idea of the Second Coming ought now to be passed by as a merely TEMPORARY incident of early Christian belief. Like many another ERROR, it has answered its TRANSITORY PURPOSE in the providential plan, and may well, at length, be left to rest in peace" [S1P165].
21:5 T H E R E V I S E D V E R S I O N C O M M I T T E E
Dr. Vance Smith was NOT the only problem within the translation committee. The following quote summarizes the members in general:
"The reputations of the committee members were so tainted that Queen Elizabeth and her chaplain ... refused to give it official sanction ... Half the Church of England declined involvement, as did the American branch ..." [S3P435]. Also: "Others ... left after seeing the SINISTER character of the 'New' Greek text" [S3P435].
When comparing the scholars of his day to those of the King James committee: Bishop Ellicott, the CHAIRMAN of the Revised Version Committee, said:
"We have certainly NOT YET ACQUIRED sufficient critical judgment for any Body of Revisors to undertake such a work as this" [S3P435].
(Please note: "Advocates of modern versions assume that they are the product of scholarship far superior to that of the translators of the King James Version of 1611, but this assumption is not supported by the facts" [S2P13]).
It was said that Bishop Ellicott was the committee chairman. Actually, the FIRST chairman was Bishop Wilberforce. One meeting, was enough for him. He wrote to a friend: "What can be done in this most miserable business?" [S2P291] "Unable to bear the situation, he absented himself and never took part in the proceedings ... One factor had disturbed him considerably - the presence of Dr. G. Vance Smith, the Unitarian ..." [S2P291].
21:6 B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S
When the King James Bible was translated from Hebrew/Greek into English each scholar first made his own translation. His work was passed on to other scholars within his own section for review. This work was then passed on to other sections for their review. Lastly, the work went to a final committee to iron out differences. All the work was done in the open.
The work of Westcott and Hort was VERY different:
"The Old Testament committee met together SECRETLY as one body for ten years. The New Testament committee also met together SECRETLY for ten years. All was done in secret" [S4P103-104].
"This arrangement left the committee at the mercy of a determined triumvirate to lead the weak and to dominate the rest. All reports
indicate that an iron rule of silence was imposed upon these revisers during all that time. The public was kept in suspense all the long,
weary ten years. And ONLY after elaborate plans had been laid to throw the Revised Version all at once upon the market to effect a tremendous sale, did the world know what had gone on" [S2P257-258].
This same tactic, of buying sight unseen, was used to 'sell' the RSV Bible on September 30th, 1952. We know that: "Pastors had no opportunity to review the new Bible, yet they were asked to open their churches for a tremendous advertising campaign" [S4P104].
21:7 T H E T R A N S L A T I O N B E G I N S
Once the corrupted Old Testament and corrupted New Testament were ready, Reverend Gipp tells us how Westcott and Hort manipulated the English translation:
"Since the Committee had been instructed not to deal with matters of the Greek text, and the Westcott and Hort text had not been published, it was necessary for the two Cambridge Catholics to submit it little by little to the committee" [S1P163].
Jasper James Ray also confirms the same report:
"The unpublished new Greek Text of Westcott and Hort, upon which they had been working for 20 years was, portion by portion, secretly committed into the hands of the Revision Committee" [S4P104].
"Had it been published earlier, it [the Westcott and Hort text] assuredly would have been exposed as corrupt and unfit for translation into English" [S1P163].
Once the corrupted text was submitted ...
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