My Morning Musings

I have heard for many years that you need to be very careful what translation or version of the Bible you use because some are altered, verses are removed, etc. More recently, I have seen a graphic being shared across social media platforms along with a post explaining why this is believed to be true. While I 100% agree that translations/versions do matter, and I also agree – in my opinion – that some versions or translations are not fit for study, let me address the particular post and graphic that is being shared so that you are informed.

Bold = the original post quoted; Italics = My answer

NIV was published by Zondervan but is now OWNED by Harper Collins, who also publishes the Satanic Bible and The Joy of Gay Sex.

True. Harper Collins is a secular publishing company. Their business is publishing. Refusing to support their company is the same as refusing to buy gas at a gas station because they sell alcohol and cigarettes, or refusing to eat at a restaurant because they serve alcoholic beverages. Also, big-box stores such as Walmart and Target also support the LBGT movement. Besides, King James was believed to have been a homosexual himself. However, King James did not translate the Bible, he commissioned it.

The NIV and ESV has now removed 64,575 words from the Bible including Jehovah, Calvary, Holy Ghost and omnipotent to name but a few…

Not true. Yes, these words are different in other versions, but not removed. I’m not sure if it’s truly 64,575 that are different translations but let’s at least look at each one listed in the post:

 – Jehovah (KJV) = Yahweh, YHWH, Lord, God, Rock, Banner, Etc (NLT, NIV, CSB, NJKV) Jehovah is the Hebrew name for God in the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. He is introduced in the book of Genesis, or beginnings, as creator of the universe and everything in it. The name Yahweh comes from the Hebrew word for “I am,” which was eventually translated as “Jehovah.” Jehovah is a boy’s name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God.” This name is a vocalization of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH). These four letters are said to be the proper name of God in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament.

Calvary: Translated in the Greek and Hebrew as Golgotha which means “place of the skull”. Calvary is the Latin version of the word Golgotha.

Ghost: Is a synonym for Spirit. In my personal opinion, with the satanic movement pushing Halloween and “ghost” as they are today, I think I would rather use the term “Holy Spirit” over “Ghost”. 

Omnipotent: Is a synonymy for All-Powerful, Almighty, Supreme, Most High. Meaning “having unlimited power; able to do anything”.

The NIV and ESV has also now removed 45 complete verses. Try and find these scriptures in NIV and ESV on your computer, phone or device right now if you are in doubt: Matthew 17:21, 18:11, 23:14; Mark 7:16, 9:44, 9:46; Luke 17:36, 23:17; John 5:4; Acts 8:37.

Again, I didn’t go count to see if it’s 45 to be exact, but the verses in question here have been proven as not being in the original manuscripts of the Greek and Hebrew Bible. KJV could have added them as clarification or explanation to the surrounding verse, just as portions of scripture in the KJV that are in brackets or italics have been added for clarification or reference. Ex. If other versions truly were removing scriptures – such as Matthew 18:11- then Luke 19:10 would have also been removed. Matthew 18:11 is added in the KJV as clarification referencing Luke 19:10.

There is a crusade geared towards altering the Bible as we know it; NIV, ESV and many more versions are affected.

True. Just as there are movements that are trying to alter what we sing, preach, teach, and stand for. The Bible speaks of this happening “in the last days…” You should be aware, vigilant and looking up awaiting the return of our Savior. 

So the big question: Are certain translations being altered? 

Yes, they probably are, but not in the way this post going around on social media is portraying. Thomas Jefferson literally cut out all the miracles and supernatural events from the Bible and they are absent from His collection. I am sure there are other versions especially some that are thought-for-thought versions , paraphrase versions or Bible commentaries that have added, altered or removed parts of the Bible because these were not meant to be “literal translations or word-for-word” translations.

Don’t get so caught up in what translation or version you should or should not use and miss the point of studying the Word of God. Seek the face of God, saturate your Bible study with prayer, STUDY out the scriptures and let God reveal Himself through them. In all honesty, there is probably no version that has been translated from Greek/Hebrew to English that is 100% accurate. This is why we study, pray and let God do the talking.