Copyright trap of most modern English false bibles

Dear reader, are you aware that the ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB, and most modern English versions published in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have copyright?

What does this copyright mean to the reader?

Well, in very simple explanation, the copyright laws ensure that the modern versions must have significant differences among one another. This would naturally affect the accuracy of all modern version because the translators may have to make changes to their translation purely to ensure it is different.

Think this way. If the 1971 NASB has translated a verse accurately, the 2001 ESV may not be able to use the exact accurate translation from the NASB due to the copyright laws. The different words used by the ESV would logically be less accurate. Now consider the multitude of modern English versions and all the copyrights they have, is it unreasonable to conclude that none of them is reliable and trustworthy due to the copyright trap.

The unnecessary divergence of translation among the multitude of modern versions due to copyright laws naturally brings confusion to the readers of those versions. 

In conclusion, the copyright trap is another reason why you must reject the ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB, and other modern English false bibles published in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

The verse numbering system of the Bible

From my understanding, the verse numbers in our Bibles was first introduced by Stephanus in his 1550 edition of the Textus Receptus (TR). 

Therefore, this verse numbering system had been in general use for over 300 years before the publication of the Westcott-Hort edition of the Modern Critical Text (MCT) in 1881.

Why do I mention this?

The MCT does not contain some verses that are in the TR. You only need to look at your ESV, NIV or other false bibles translated from the MCT to see that some verses are not in the main text, for example in the ESV, Acts 8:36 is immediately followed by Acts 8:38. Other examples include Matthew 17:21, 18:11, 23:14; Mark 9:44, 46 and John 5:4. Meanwhile, there are statements casting doubts on the traditional conclusion of St. Mark’s Gospel (Mark 16:9-20) and the Pericope Adultarae (John 7:53-8:11).

How do we know that the verses present in the TR but missing in the MCT are the Word of God? One witness to the truth that the TR (including those verses missing in the MCT) is the Word of God, is the verse numbering system. Remember, the verse numbering system has been introduced by the Providence of God.

Meanwhile, the verse numbering system also makes it very obvious when TR verses are not included in the false bibles (such as the ESV and the NIV) translated from the false Arian MCT.

Dear reader, you must reject the false Arian MCT and all the false bibles such as the ESV and the NIV that were translated from the MCT. You must return to the TR and the Authorised Version (KJV).

We must reject modern textual criticism

Unbelievers and heretics who deny the truth, infallibility, and Divine Preservation of the Word of God, have involved themselves in theological scholarship.

Unsurprisingly, the unbelievers and heretics developed their methods of textual criticism according to the principles of higher criticism. With their methods, they tell Christians that the Modern Critical Text based on the so-called Alexandrian text and generally constructed from the texts of two false Arian manuscripts (Sinaiticus and Vaticanus), is the most accurate ‘New Testament’ text. What the unbelieving scholars seldom tell you is that Sinaiticus and Vaticanus do not even agree with each other with 3,000 differences between them in the Gospels. According to the same unbelievers, those two false Arian manuscripts are the ‘most reliable’ manuscripts. Their whole textual criticism methods are designed to reject the Textus Receptus (TR) which is the printed form of the Traditional Text - the text passed down faithfully by Christians from generation to generation throughout history.

Would you trust the TR, the text read and accepted by generations of Christians including the Reformers and the Puritans? Or would you trust the Modern Critical Text (Alexandrian text) that was rejected by ancient Christians and therefore, effectively disappeared for 1,400 years before the two unbelievers Westcott and Hort began promoting them in the nineteenth century?

Hebrews 11:6 teaches us that without faith it is impossible to please God. The Modern Critical Text, modern textual criticism in general, and modern theological scholarships done in universities in general, are the works of unbelievers and heretics. Therefore, in my view and from my understanding, the Modern Critical Text, modern textual criticism in general, and modern theological scholarships done in universities in general are all rejected by our infinitely holy God.

If you are not convinced and still think that it is possible for unbelieving scholars to do faithful and 'professional' scholarship, consider Jeremiah 13:23:

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

(Je. 13:23, KJV)

Dear reader, do not believe the ‘scholars’ who tell you that the Modern Critical Text is better than the TR. You must reject those unbelieving scholars, their unbelieving scholarship, their unbelieving textual criticism, the Modern Critical Text, and all false bibles such as the NIV, ESV, NASB, and CSB that are translated from the Modern Critical Text.

One simple reason you should not read the NIV, ESV, NASB, and other modern English versions

Doubt is an adversary of any Christian.

However, the NIV, ESV, NASB, CSB, and most modern English versions contain many statements and footnotes that cast doubt on parts of the Bible. If you need examples, just look at the statements they have for the traditional conclusion of St. Mark’s Gospel (Mark 16:9-20) and the Pericope Adultarae (John 7:53-8:11).

Why those statements and footnotes? You can read my articles Bethel: A treatise on the theological reasons to reject most modern Bible versions (bethel-sg.com) and Bethel: A treatise on why I read the Authorised Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible (bethel-sg.com).

It is without doubt that those statements and footnotes would cause the reader to doubt the infallibility and Divine Preservation of the Word of God. The authority of the Bible to the reader, and the faith of the reader would be affected.

Therefore, those statements and footnotes in the ESV, NIV, and other modern English versions would be a simple reason for you not to read them.

Stuart Townend's version of Psalm 23

    I uphold Exclusive Psalmody - the practice of singing only the biblical Psalms during personal and congregational worship. Therefore, I do not participate when uninspired songs are sung during any church Service.

    The Evangelical Church which I normally attend on Sundays has a strong preference for modernised traditional songs (usually known as hymns) and modern songs. I have noticed that songs written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend are sung in almost every services. This probably shows that the pastors and others in the church love them and their songs.

    However, I am writing this article to protest against Stuart Townend's version of Psalm 23 that was sung during Services in the Evangelical Church I normally attend. My anger was kindled because Townend added his own chorus 'I will trust in You alone......' to his version of Psalm 23.

    Why can't Townend sing the Psalm faithfully and properly? Why must he add his own chorus? In my view, with the addition of the 'I will trust in You alone......' chorus, Townend's version of Psalm 23 is no longer Psalm 23 and is certainly not a Psalm that can be sung during Services. 

    Therefore, I disapprove of and would refuse to sing Townend's version of Psalm 23.    

English-speakers will always be able to understand the English of KJV

Opponents of the Authorised Version (KJV) have frequently used the unreasonable 'old English of the KJV too difficult to understand' excuse to reject this most accurate and faithful translation of the Word of God in the English language. I have proven that the English of the KJV could be understood by modern English speakers in my article: Bethel: Is the old English of KJV too difficult for modern readers? (bethel-sg.com). 

Those same opponents of the KJV would then insist that we must instead read modern English versions such as the NIV and ESV. They would also very strongly insist that the KJV is no longer suitable for the modern English speaker. Are modern English versions much easier to understand? Clearly not. The same people would then recommend us to read more than one modern English version. You can also read my article: Bethel: Why KJV readers do not read other versions while modern version readers do (bethel-sg.com). In reality, those same opponents actually hate the KJV. To them it is 'any version but KJV' and they do not want to hear the KJV read to their ears again.

Why such extreme antipathy towards the KJV? The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Opponents of the KJV are pricked in the heart because they subconsciously know that the KJV is the Word of God.

We must remember that William Tyndale's New Testament and the KJV revolutionised the English language in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, transforming mediaeval English into the modern English we understand today. From 1611 onwards, the KJV has always been the standard of the English language and therefore, there has been no major changes in English over the previous 400 years. It is also reasonable to be confident that with the KJV continuing to be the standard, there will be no major changes nor revolution in the English language in the future.

Therefore, English-speakers will always be able to understand the English of the KJV.      

Modern English Bible versions and church attendance

In my article: Bethel: Modern English Bible versions are an obstacle to evangelisation and ammunition for unbelievers (bethel-sg.com), I have shown how modern English Bible versions are an obstacle to evangelisation and ammunition for unbelievers.

In the last few decades, many Evangelical churches in England have abandoned the Authorised Version (KJV), often citing the ‘old English of KJV too difficult to understand’ excuse. I have another two articles Bethel: Is the old English of KJV too difficult for modern readers? (bethel-sg.com) and Bethel: Why KJV readers do not read other versions while modern version readers do (bethel-sg.com) that prove that modern English speakers are able to understand the old English of KJV. Therefore, ‘old English of KJV too difficult to understand’ is in reality an unreasonable excuse.

If modern English versions such as the ESV and NIV really help in evangelisation, we should be seeing a massive and even exponential growth in attendance in the Evangelical churches that read them. In reality, this appears not to be the case. 

While Evangelical churches are doing much better than the liberal Church of England and the Methodist Church (both of them suffering massive decline in church attendance), I think it is still fair to say that much of the growth of church attendance comes from immigrants who were already Evangelical Christians when they came to this country.

Therefore, in conclusion, modern versions have not helped in evangelisation nor improve church attendance.