With apologies to Judges 9:25, it seems today that "every man does that which is right in his own eyes," as far as selecting a Bible is concerned. But how can you decide which, if any, best preserved the inspired, authoritative Word of God? After all, God did say that His Word had been "for ever settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89) and had given sober warning to any who would presume to supplement, delete, or distort any of the words of Scripture (Revelation 22:18,19; II Peter 3:16).

So, allow me to ask a simple question: Does it REALLY matter which Bible you use? For probably 20 years, I have been using the NASB or the NIV. My wife got saved while reading the Good News Bible. There are literally HUNDREDS of different Bible translations to choose from. Most people (including myself and my wife until recently) don't really have a clue as to which translations are based on accurate source documents (i.e. manuscripts).

I was shocked to recently learn that the NIV removes, alters and completely changes the meanings of more than 64,000 words and verses in the Bible. However, it is done so subtly that very few ever realize it. Whole verses and sentences are completely deleted! Important words like "Lord", "Jesus", "Christ", "blood", "repent", and "hell" are omitted many times!  Laurence M. Vance has written a book called Double Jeopardy, in which he documents word for word the changes made in the 1995 NASB as compared to the previous 1977 NASB. The 1995 NASB has almost 7,000 fewer words in it than did the previous 1977 edition!!

When we take a close look at the changes that are made in the new versions, vital doctrinal truths about the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, salvation, the resurrection, the second coming of Christ, heaven and hell and others have been omitted or changed in many places. It would almost seem that these important truths were taken out to deliberately weaken certain doctrines. Imagine completely removing most of Paul's teachings, all of Peter's, Jude's, James' and John's including Revelation.  Does that bother you?  It should.  Do you think that it matters just who handles the Word of God? Does it really matter to you whether the book you base your eternity on is corrupted or not?  

Suppose you had a pastor who was also an adulterer, a liar, a thief, and a sorcerer. Would THAT matter to you? Suppose that same pastor did not believe in any miracles or healings, that he supported occultism, communication with the dead (necromancy), and evolution. What if he rejected the doctrine of the resurrection? What if he also despised the doctrine of the atonement and denied that it was through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that forgiveness was given? Would you still trust that man to lead you to heaven, to teach you and to explain to you the Word of God? What if the pope or the Jesuits translated a bible for you? Would you trust it? Suppose Satan himself translated a bible for you. Would you trust him? Suppose one of his fallen angels had a hand in the work, would it matter then?

My wife loves raspberry tea. But not just any brand of raspberry tea...she must have Bigelow's!  I've tried to persuade her to settle for one of the other brands. I have asked her, "What difference does it make? They're all raspberry tea." She would reply in a matter of fact manner, "They're just not as good as Bigelow's." You see, my wife is not indifferent about the "contents" in the package of tea. Which is exactly my point.  We shouldn't be indifferent about the contents of our Bible!

And let me reiterate this very important point: the debate is NOT whether the King James Bible is better than the other versions. The debate is whether the TEXTUS RECEPTUS is more reliable than the Minority Texts, such as Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus.

We can only stay strong in our Christian walk with the true Word of God. How could a warrior fight against an enemy with a dull sword? How can we fight the good fight if we don't have the true Word of God?  As you read through the material on this website, please ask yourself: Does it REALLY matter?  

Why is this important? It is simple: if two books say different things, or if two books say inherently contradictory things, they cannot both be God's Word. This is simple, basic logic. To say otherwise is to accuse the Holy Spirit of doublespeak.

And please remember....You do NOT have to be a Greek scholar to understand this issue. You just have to be a truth seeker.

Home          Does it Really Matter?          Manuscripts           Codex Sinaiticus          Codex Vaticanus           Textus Receptus            Westcott & Hort
Is Older Better?           Other Translations             Altered Verses           Constantine            Origen            Tischendorf            Catholics & the Jesuits