The Preserved Word of God in English, Part 2

But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

“The WORDS of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt PRESERVE them from this generation for ever.” (Psalm 12:6-7) (Emphasis mine)

If God preserves his Word in every generation, which Bible version is His preserved Word in English today? We believe it is the King James Version (KJV). The KJV is based on the Greek Received Text (Textus Receptus).

The Textus Receptus was used by the earliest Syrian and Greek Christians and was sometimes called the Syrian Text, the Byzantine Text, the Majority Text or the Traditional Text.

SYRIAN TEXT AND ITALIC BIBLE

There was a school in Antioch of Syria in very early Christian times that taught the literal, historical, grammatical approach to interpreting the Scriptures. Preachers like Chrysostom held to the Syrian Text that agrees with our KJV.

This Received Text was soon translated into old Latin in about 150 A.D. (long before Jerome’s Latin Vulgate) and was called the Italic Bible. The Vaudois (later called Waldensians) of northern Italy used the Italic Bible.

These men of God preached salvation by grace through faith in the redeeming blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, predestination, the priesthood of the believer, believer’s baptism by immersion—centuries before the Protestant Reformation.

They condemned the Roman Catholic doctrines of idolatry, transubstantiation and the forbidding of the Bible to the common people. Many sealed their testimony with their own blood. Their Italic Bible agrees with the KJV.

The Vaudois (Waldenses) the Albigenses, the Reformers (Luther, Calvin and Knox) all held to the Received Text that later was translated into our KJV Bible. They all rejected Jerome’s Latin Vulgate used by the Roman Catholics

About 95% of all existing Greek manuscripts agree with the Textus Receptus. The remaining 5% are from the Alexandrian Greek texts (including the Vaticanus and the Sinaiticus). These texts were later translated into the Latin Vulgate.

If God preserves his Word in every generation, then why do we now have contradicting versions of the Bible? One answer that should be obvious to any true believer in Christ is this: Satan hates the Bible and seeks to corrupt it.

SATAN’S METHOD

The Bible clearly warns us of Satan’s method of CORRUPTING the Word of God. We read about it in the third chapter of Genesis:

Satan questioned God's Word (“Yea, hath God said?”) misquoted God's Word (“ye shall not eat of EVERY tree of the garden?”) then flatly contradicted God's Word (“ye shall NOT surely die”).

SATAN’S MANUSCRIPTS

In Alexandria, Egypt there existed a school of learned men who wanted to blend Christianity with paganism. Their names were Philo, Marcion, Origen, Clement, Eusebius and others. They lived in the early centuries of church history.

These men deliberately corrupted the Bible manuscripts in their possession. They felt free to add, delete and change words, sentences, chapters and even whole books of the Bible to make it say what they believed it should say.

Bible believing Christians everywhere rejected their manuscripts. But Roman Catholic scholars kept these Alexandrian manuscripts. Today, they are best represented by two old Greek texts: the Vaticanus and the Sinaiticus.

These are the two main Greek texts upon which almost all the modern Bible versions are based. You can read footnotes in the NASB or NIV stating:

“this verse not found in the earliest mss.”

Or

“other ancient authorities omit this verse”

Can you smell Serpent’s breath in these statements? It is the same old questioning of God’s Word (“Yea, hath God said?”) that occurred in the Garden. It is meant to sow confusion about what is and what is not the real Word of God.

The terms earliest manuscripts and ancient authorities are generally referring to these two very old, but corrupt, Roman Catholic manuscripts—the Vaticanus and the Sinaiticus. Let’s take a brief look at each of these Alexandrian texts.

THE VATICANUS

The Vaticanus was discovered in the Vatican library in the year 1481. It was in excellent condition. Yet it omits Genesis 1:1 to 46:28, Psalms 106 to 138, Matthew 16:2-3, all the Pauline Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy through Titus) Hebrews 9:14-13:25 and the entire book of Revelation!!!

In other words, it omits much that was used by ancient believers to condemn Roman Catholic doctrines and traditions. For example, Paul’s Pastoral Epistles twice declare that a bishop should be the husband of one wife (1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6).

Paul also warns of devil doctrines like forbidding to marry (1 Timothy 4:3). This contradicts Catholic demands that its bishops and priests be unmarried (celibate). It is therefore omitted in the Vaticanus.

Hebrews 10:10-14 condemns (by implication) the re-sacrificing of Christ done at the “sacrifice of the Mass” as taught in the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. This passage is omitted in the Vaticanus.

The book of Revelation, chapter 17 clearly describes a religious whore headquartered in Rome (the city of seven hills that rules over the kings of the earth). Revelation 13 warns of the Mark, Name and Number of the Beast.

Both chapters are missing in the Vaticanus. Besides the above listed omissions, the Vaticanus—in the Gospels alone (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)—leaves out 237 words, 452 clauses and 748 whole sentences.

THE SINAITICUS

The Sinaiticus and the Vaticanus disagree with each other over 3,000 times in the Gospels alone!!! The Sinaiticus was found on a trash pile in St. Catherine’s Monastery, near Mt. Sinai, in 1844.

It contains nearly all of the New Testament, but it adds the “Shepherd of Hermes” and the “Epistle of Barnabas.” On nearly every page of the manuscript there are corrections and revisions, done by ten different people.

Even worse, the Shepherd of Hermes and the Epistle of Barnabas include commands to do things God has forbidden in His Word, including:

Take “the name” of the beast.

Give up to the beast.

Form a One-World Government.

Kill those not receiving his “name.”

Worship female virgins.

Receive another spirit.

Seek power.

Avoid marriage and permit fornication.

Abstain from fasting.

Here we see Satan going beyond questioning and misquoting God’s Word. Here he is advancing to his third tactic. He is flatly contradicting God’s Word.

No wonder U.S. News and World Report magazine, in its 11-8-93 issue reveals plans by Canon Seminar scholars for a “radical revision of the New Testament” that will replace the Book of Revelation with “Other writings …[previously] dismissed by church leaders as unauthentic or heretical.”

No wonder the NIV, in its latest British version, refers to God in the neuter (he-she). No wonder it is called the New INTERNATIONAL Version. No wonder the American Bible Society publishes a version called “Good News for a NEW AGE.”

Satan's manuscripts and his modern day Bible versions are setting us up for a blend of Christianity and paganism. A Roman Catholic friendly version in support of a One World Religion for the New World Order of Antichrist.

For those who may be interested in further reading and documentation for this editorial, we highly recommend the following two books:

Let's Weigh the Evidence by Barry Burton (ISBN: 0-937958-17-4) Chino, CA: Chick Publications, 1983.

New Age Bible Versions by Gail Riplinger (ISBN: 0-9635745-0-2) Ararat, VA: AV Publications Corporation, 1993.

Which Bible is the most accurate? Which Bible can we trust? Why KJV only? We believe that the King James Version (KJV) is the preserved Word of God in the English language today.

In future editorials, Lord willing, we hope to discuss the Westcott and Hort Text and take a look at the beliefs and agenda of these men. We’d also like to discuss the New King James Version.

Do you love the King James Bible? Then you will love Scripture Songs sung from the KJV by Patti Vaillant.

We also offer a well-documented Vietnam Veteran Story that illustrates the mercy of God. The Vietnam Veteran Story, found on our Combat Vet page, comes from published accounts of Vietnam Veterans experiences, as well as this Vietnam Veterans experiences, told first hand.

Concerned about inflation leading to hyperinflation? Some say buy silver and gold coins. Others say it is evil to own silver and gold coins. What does the Bible teach us? Tulip Gems offers an Hyperinflation Survival Guide which provides a Biblical basis for ownership of silver and gold coins as an hedge against the horrors of hyperinflation. Links to online vendors are also provided.

Will out of control government spending lead to hyperinflation, and possibly to a new world currency? Will a new world currency lead to the Mark of the Beast (666)? Will the Rapture occur before the Tribulation (Pre-Tribulational Rapture) or will the Rapture occur after the Tribulation (Post-Tribulational Rapture)? For Biblical answers, visit our Mark of the Beast Explained page.

Will America come under nuclear attack? What does the Bible say? For reliable information on what to do in a nuclear attack, read our Survive Nuclear Attack page. While many Calvinists shy away from Bible prophecy, we don't. For those who want Biblical guidance about the future, check out our Hyperinflation Survival Guide, Mark of the Beast Explained and Survive Nuclear Attack pages. Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke often about the events leading up to His Second Coming. Where our Good Shepherd leads, we may safely follow.

Who is Jesus Christ? Why KJV only? Why Home School your children? Jesus Christ is Lord and the KJV Bible is the Preserved Word of God in English. Finally, Scripture gives us compelling reasons to Home School our children. One very important reason is to lead them to Our Passover Lamb. We recommend Christ-centered Home Schooling Curriculum.

George Theiss is a combat veteran of Vietnam who now follows Lamb of God. He and his wife Christy have been married 34 years. They have 8 children.