GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE “WHICH BIBLE” ISSUE

by Clarence Settle

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[SDA PILLARS: 1. THE SABBATH; 2. THE SANCTUARY; 3. THE STATE OF THE DEAD; 4. THE 3 ANGEL’S MESSAGES]

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 2 Thess. 5: 21.

1. “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth:” John 16: 13 – first part. We know that the HOLY SPIRIT is that Spirit of truth which leads us into all truth.

2. “Ye are of your father the devil; and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8: 44. There are two spirits contending for the souls of men, the Spirit of truth, and the spirit of Satan the father of lies. Which one is evident is the question we must ask.

3. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 8: 17. In verse 1 it speaks of “truth,” and in this verse it speaks of “the word.” Let us connect the two together as we read the next text.

4. “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.” John 17: 17 What is truth? God’s word! But how is God’s word of truth relayed or passed on to humanity?

5. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1: 21. These holy men of God did not seek to be God’s spokesmen; rather He chose and used them.

6. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God...” 2 Timothy 3: 16. This verse does not say, “All versions of Scripture are given by inspiration of God…” or any like sentiment. It states that only ONE Scripture is given by inspiration of God. We will now look at that closely, and apply these Biblical texts to other “Scriptures” and see whom they are inspired by. Let us look at the two Bible versions most in use by Protestantism––the NIV and the NKJV, and compare them with the Authorized King James Bible to see if they are in harmony with these divine, irrevocable criteria established by God Himself.

THE SABBATH

KING JAMES BIBLE – “But the seventh day is THE Sabbath of the Lord Thy God…” Exodus 20:10. This is speaking of a definite and particular day of the week, which we know refers to Saturday, the seventh day of the week on the calendar.

NIV VERSION – “But the seventh day is A Sabbath to the Lord your God...” Exodus 20:10. By substituting the definite “the” for an indefinite “a,” this takes the emphasis of any particular day and leaves one free to choose any day of the week as “a” Sabbath day––a subtle attack by Satan on God’s holy Sabbath day.

THE DEVIL

KING JAMES BIBLE – “By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I WILL DESTROY THEE, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire...Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic: therefore WILL I BRING FORTH A FIRE from the midst of thee, IT SHALL DEVOUR THEE, and I WILL BRING THEE TO ASHES UPON THE EARTH in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people SHALL BE ASTONISHED at thee: THOU SHALT BE A TERROR AND NEVER SHALT THOU BE ANY MORE.” Ezekiel 28:16, 18,19. Here, the King James Bible clearly speaks of a FUTURE judgment to fall upon Satan.

NIV VERSION – “Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. [verse stops here]..By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I MADE A FIRE COME OUT FROM YOU, AND IT CONSUMED YOU, and I REDUCED YOU TO ASHES ON THE GROUND in the sight of all who were watching. All the nations who knew you ARE APPALLED AT YOU: YOU HAVE COME TO A HORRIBLE END AND WILL BE NO MORE.” Ezekiel 28: 16,18,19.

NEW KING JAMES VERSION – “By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; an[ I DESTROYED YOU, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I BROUGHT FIRE FROM YOUR MIDST; IT DEVOURED YOU, AND I TURNED YOU TO ASHES UPON THE EARTH in the sight of all who saw you, All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; YOU HAVE BECOME A HORROR, AND SHALL BE NO MORE FOREVER.” Ezekiel 28: 26,18,19. Both the NIV and the NKJV present this event as something already done and in the past in direct contrast to the KJV, and in direct contradiction to Revelation 20:10 which states that the devil will be cast into the lake of fire after the 1000 year millennium. Which version manifests the Spirit of truth, and which shows that it comes from the father of lies?

THE SANCTUARY/1844

KING JAMES BIBLE: “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, buy by His own blood He entered in once INTO THE HOLY PLACE, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Hebrews 9:12. In accordance with Advent truth, this verse harmonizes with the Sanctuary message that Christ did not enter the Most Holy Place until 1844.

NIV VERSION – “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but HE ENTERED THE MOST HOLY PLACE once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:12

NEW KING JAMES VERSION – “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood HE ENTERED THE MOST HOLY PLACE once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:12.

Both of these versions attack the Advent message pillar of 1844 by indicating that Christ went into the Most Holy place at His ascension. Were these versions written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, or under the inspiration of demons?

THE STATE OF THE DEAD

KING JAMES BIBLE –“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment TO BE PUNISHED.” 2 Peter 2:9. This verse clearly tells us that the unjust will not receive their punishment until after they have been judged.

NIV VERSION – “If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, WHILE CONTINUING THEIR PUNISHMENT.” 2 Peter 2: 9.

NEW KING JAMES VERSION – “Then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly our of temptations and to reserve the unjust UNDER PUNISHMENT for the day of judgment.” 2 Peter 2: 9. Both of these versions give credence to the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory.

3 ANGEL’S MESSAGE/RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH

KING JAMES BIBLE – “Because STRAIT is the gate, and NARROW IS THE WAY, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:14.

NEW KING JAMES VERSION – “Because NARROW is the gate, and DIFFICULT IS THE WAY which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:14. Here the NKJV not only changes “strait” to “narrow,” but replaces “narrow” with “difficult.” The implication of this is that if something is difficult you just try––just work a little harder and you’ll eventually make it––or in other words, Righteousness by WORKS, not Righteousness by FAITH––which is the 3 Angel’s message in surety. A teaching of Divine truth, or satanic falsehood?

THE HOLY SPIRIT

KING JAMES BIBLE – “Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” James 4:5. This verse speaks of the yearnings and desires of the carnal nature.

NEW KING JAMES VERSION – “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?” James 4:5. By substituting Spirit for spirit this version declares that the Holy Spirit leads one to sin. Again, is this blasphemous substitution indicative of holy inspiration or satanic manipulation?

CONCLUSION

Nine of the “scholars” that produced the NKJV were also on the translation committee of the NIV. Is it not reasonable then to suppose that their attitudes, their opinions, their beliefs were no different when they translated the NKJV than when the produced the NIV? The NKJV makes over 100,000 word changes from the KJV, and though they claim that it’s a superior and more accurate translation they state: “It was the editor’s conviction that the use of footnotes would encourage further inquiry by readers. They also recognized that it was easier for the average reader to delete something he or she felt was not properly a part of the text, than to insert a word or phrase which had been left out by the revisers.” [The New King James Bible, 1982, Study Edition, “The History of the King James Bible.” P. 1235]

Here the editors of the NKJV are encouraging anyone and everyone to delete something he or she felt was not properly a part of the text. So if you are reading along and you run across something you don’t FEEL should be a part of the text––just delete it!!! A candid revelation of the true spirituality of these men and by the way, other than the name, the NEW King James Bible has nothing to do with the King James Bible. That was a clever and extremely successful marketing ploy to sell more Bibles. If the publishers would have named it, for example, the New Thomas Nelson Edition of the Bible it’s very doubtful that as many would have been sold.

The supplied verses prove that the NIV attacks three of Adventism’s four pillars – the Sabbath, the State of the Dead, and the Sanctuary. The NKJV, lauded by many in the Adventist community as a superior and better version of the Bible not only attacks three of Adventism’s four pillars – the State of the Dead, the Sanctuary, and the 3 Angel’s Message, it also blasphemes the Holy Spirit. The question each professed believer must honestly ask him/herself is not which is the “better” version, but whether or not IT IS THE WORD OF GOD they hold in their hands! Matthew 7:18 states: “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” Both the NIV and the NKJV admittedly come from corrupt manuscripts. Both versions between them attack ALL FOUR of the distinctive pillars of Adventism, not to mention thousands of other abominable changes, substitutions, deletions, etc., which are far too numerous to mention here.

There is ONLY ONE Holy, Divine, Word of God written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that Word of God is manifested to us in the form and body of the Authorized King James Bible.

Clarence Settle