© 2001 by David W. Daniels
Question: I know the New King
James is said to be a "revision of the King James." But were the
Greek and Hebrew texts for the New King James the same as they
were for the King James?
Answer: The NKJV is not a
revision of the King James Bible at all. The Greek and Hebrew
behind the NKJV are the same as for the modern
perversions. They are not the same as the
Greek and Hebrew behind the King James Bible, God's preserved
words in English.
A History of Preservation
There is a big difference between God's preserved words
and man's perverted words.
Old Testament
God preserved the words of the Old Testament by the Levitical
priests, who faithfully copied them through the centuries. The best
manuscript, used by the King James Bible, was the Ben Chayyim,
also called the "Bomberg Text." This faithful Rabbinic Old Testament,
used for the King James Bible, was rejected by the NKJV committee in
favor of a Vatican-published text.
New Testament
God preserved the words of the New Testament by His faithful
Christian disciples, from Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:26) to the
Vaudois people of the French Alps about AD 120. From the 150s
on they passed this Old Latin Bible (called "Common Bible"
or "Vulgate") throughout Europe and the British Isles. The
Vaudois people were regarded by the Protestants and Baptists
as "pre-Reformers," passing down the gospel message till the
Reformation of the 1500s. Their Bibles, as well as others
translated from them, were so accurate they were included in
translating the King James Bible. The NKJV committee unwisely used
none of these Bibles.
The Preserved vs. the Perverted "Vulgate"
Please remember: the Old Latin Vulgate of the Vaudois is not the
same as the later Roman Catholic Latin Vulgate. The Vaudois Vulgate
is the preserved words of God in Old Latin that was used to bring
the gospel throughout Europe. The Roman Catholic Vulgate is
completely different. It wrongly diluted God's words with the perverted
Alexandrian Greek Old Testament, Apocrypha and New Testament. Modern
"scholars" falsely declare there's only one Latin Vulgate. But there
are two: the preserved (Vaudois) and the perverted (Roman Catholic).
A Mixture of Perversion
The New King James Version is not a true King James Bible. It is a mixture of some true King James accuracy, mixed in with a lot of Alexandrian and "new version" errors. We know this because the NKJV tells us which Bible texts they used when they compiled their Bible. Don't be fooled by the clever names and symbols. Here is what each text they used really is:
- The Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, or BHS. This is not the preserved Hebrew Old Testament. This one is approved by the Vatican (Roman Catholic institution) and printed jointly by the Vatican and Protestant Bible societies. In 1937 the "scholars" rejected the preserved Ben Chayyim it for an "older" (but not more accurate) text: the Leningrad Ms B 19a (also called the "Ben Asher text"). The BHS states:
"...it is a welcome sign of the times that it was published jointly in 1971 by the Wurttemburg Bible Society, Stuttgart, and the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome...."
--Prolegomena, p. XII
- The Septuagint, or LXX. As you have seen
elsewhere, the
so-called "Septuagint" is a fable. It is actually a post-Christian Greek
Old Testament. But there are many Septuagints, since each
Alexandrian Old Testament is different from every other.
Know what they are? Sinaiticus, Vaticanus and Alexandrinus. These are the
same codices (big books) where the modern perverted New Testaments come
from!
- The Latin Vulgate. This is not the preserved Vaudois Christian,
Old Latin Vulgate. The NKJV "scholars" consulted the perverted, Roman
Catholic Latin Vulgate.
- The Dead Sea Scrolls, or DSS. It is clear through Scripture that
God preserved His words through the tribe of Levi (Deuteronomy 17:18, 31:9-13,
25-26, Nehemiah 8 and Malachi 2:7). The Qumran community that produced the
DSS are never said to be Levites. But though God says "the
priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the
law at his mouth" (Malachi 2:7), the NKJV committee
instead consulted the DSS as well.
- The Majority Text, or MT. With a name like Majority Text it should be a compilation of the majority of Greek New Testament manuscripts. But it is not. The "Majority Text" is actually a hand-picked set of manuscripts grouped together by "pro-Alexandrian" liberal Hermann von Soden. Less than 8% of the over 5,000 Greek manuscripts were compared to each other by von Soden!
But the NKJV people give the MT great prominence, writing this inaccurate information in the footnotes. So people think that the King James is wrong, since it disagrees with "the Majority Text." Who cares? The "Majority Text" is not the majority of texts! The "Majority Text" is a big fake. Don't believe it. And don't trust any Bible that does.
If It Looks Like a Duck and Talks Like a Duck…
There is another side to the New King James that reveals its ugly alliances. Take a look at these examples:
Verse |
King James |
NKJV |
Perversions agreeing with NKJV |
Acts 3:26 |
God, having raised up his Son |
His Servant |
NIV, NASV, ASV, RSV, Roman Catholic New American Bible (NAB), etc. |
Acts 17:22 |
I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. |
very religious |
NIV, NASV, ASV, RSV, Catholic NAB, etc. |
Romans 1:25 |
Who changed the truth of God into a lie |
who exchanged the truth of God for the lie |
NIV, NASV, ASV, RSV, Catholic NAB, etc. |
1 Corinthians 1:18 |
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. |
who are being saved [This teaches the Roman Catholic lie that salvation is a process.] |
NIV, NASV, NASU, RSV, Catholic NAB, etc. |
The fact is that in most places where the NKJV disagrees with the King James Bible, it agrees with the Alexandrian perversions, whether Protestant like the NIV, NASV, RSV, ASV, etc., or Roman Catholic like the New American Bible.
The King James Bible is God's preserved words in English. The NKJV is just man's most subtle perversion of God's words. Don't be deceived. Insist on the King James Bible, not "New" King James, "Modern" King James, King James "2" or "21" or "Millennium." Even though it is very similar to a King James Bible, it is not a King James Bible. Insist on the one you can stake your faith on, the genuine King James Bible. And God will bless you.
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