KJV English is not exactly 16th and 17th centuries English

Opponents of the Authorised Version (KJV) have frequently used the 'old English too difficult to understand' excuse to reject the KJV in favour of modern English versions. You can read my article here: Bethel: Is the old English of KJV too difficult for modern readers? (bethel-sg.com). The opponents claim that KJV English is 17th century English used by English-speaking Christians of that time. From this reasoning, they claim that therefore, we need a modern English version for English-speaking Christians today.

The claim about KJV English is not completely correct. 

We must remember that William Tyndale and the translators of the KJV endeavoured to bring the Word of God to the common (English) people using the language (English) they understood. William Tyndale even became a martyr on 6 October 1536 for translating the Bible into English. 

However, the English of the 1526 William Tyndale's New Testament and of the KJV were not exactly the English spoken by the people of England in the 16th and 17th centuries. Tyndale and the KJV translators endeavoured to publish a faithful and very accurate translation and as a result, William Tyndale's New Testament and the KJV introduced words into the English language. At the same time, the KJV transformed mediaeval English into modern English. The KJV could bring about that transformation is exactly because KJV English was not exactly 16th and 17th centuries English.

Tyndale and the KJV translators showed that there is a standard in translation and they did not simply publish an 'easy English' translation. The opponents of the KJV appear to forget that even in modern English, there are significant differences between informal spoken English and formal written English. 

The demand for a modern English version has led to a multitude of versions published over the last 100 years. Now which of the modern versions is the most accurate? The opponents of the KJV are not sure of the answer themselves too. This is why many readers of modern versions are reading more than one version. You can read my article: Bethel: Why KJV readers do not read other versions while modern version readers do (bethel-sg.com).

Faith of textual criticism scholar not important?? Another reason to reject the Modern Critical Text and many modern Bible versions

In a blog post rejecting the Textus Receptus (TR) and supporting the Modern Critical Text (MCT), Jan Krans suggested that the faith of the textual criticism scholars working on the MCT did not matter. Krans backed up his suggestion by claiming that it was a set of academic standards that dictated the scholarship behind the MCT.

I think the reason Krans made that suggestion is because anyone familiar with modern textual criticism scholarship would know that the main people behind the MCT such as Westcott, Hort, Aland, and Metzger were unbelievers who denied the truth, infallibility, and Divine Preservation of the Holy Scriptures. Krans was probably trying to justify the involvement and work of unbelieving scholars.

For the benefit of anyone not familiar with modern textual criticism, the set of academic standards mentioned by Krans and followed by MCT scholars, is also invented by unbelievers with the aim of rejecting the TR - the traditional New Testament text handed down faithfully by Christians from generation to generation throughout the centuries.

You can read about the errors of modern textual criticism in my article: Bethel: A treatise on the theological reasons to reject most modern Bible versions (bethel-sg.com).

Is the faith of the textual criticism scholar not important as Krans claimed? Consider these two verses:

And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

(Romans 14:23, KJV)

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

(Hebrews 11:6, KJV)

The MCT is produced by unbelievers using methods invented by unbelievers. We can confidently conclude that the MCT is rejected by our Almighty God. Therefore, we must reject the MCT and all versions translated from the MCT such as the ESV, NIV, NASB, and CSB.

Why is the language of the Authorised Version (KJV) majestic and beautiful?

The language of the Authorised Version (KJV) is well known to be majestic and beautiful. This observation is not doubted even by fierce opponents of the KJV who would then complain that the old English of the KJV is too difficult for the modern reader. You can read my article: Bethel: Is the old English of KJV too difficult for modern readers? (bethel-sg.com).

Why is the language of the KJV majestic and beautiful?

Some have claimed that it was the intention of the translators of the KJV and I do not dispute this claim.

However, in my view, the true reason why the language of the KJV is majestic and beautiful is because the KJV is effectively the Word of God in the English language. The KJV was faithfully and very accurately translated from the true representatives of the Word of God in the original languages - the Hebrew Masoretic Text of the Old Testament and the Greek Textus Receptus of the New Testament. The Word of God is authoritative and majestic, the KJV being a faithful and very accurate translation would naturally reflect the authority and majesty of the Word of God.  

Now consider the modern English versions such as the ESV, NIV, NASB, and CSB. The reason the language of these modern versions is neither majestic nor beautiful is because these same modern versions are not the Word of God. The New Testament of most modern versions published since 1885 is based on the false Arian Modern Critical Text that was rejected by ancient Christians and effectively lost for 1,400 years. You can read my articles: Bethel: A treatise on why I read the Authorised Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible (bethel-sg.com), Bethel: A treatise on the theological reasons to reject most modern Bible versions (bethel-sg.com), and Bethel: A treatise on the textual criticism errors behind most modern Bible versions (bethel-sg.com).

One reality supporters and readers of modern Bible versions should know

Supporters of modern Bible versions (such as the ESV, NIV, NASB, and CSB) and of the Modern Critical Text (MCT) have often claimed that modern versions are more accurate than the Authorised Version (KJV). The reason behind this claim has nothing to do with English language nor the scholarship and knowledge of the translators. The claim is based on the observation that far more manuscripts are available to modern scholars than to the Reformers and Puritans. On this basis, the supporters of the MCT claim that the MCT is more accurate because it is based on many more manuscripts than the Textus Receptus (TR).

However, the reality is opposite to the claim. From my understanding, at least 90% to 95% of the manuscripts available to us today actually support the TR. On the other hand, the MCT is an Alexandrian type text that is supported by relatively very few available manuscripts and in reality, is mainly based on only two manuscripts, the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus. To make matters worse, Sinaiticus and Vaticanus do not agree with each other with about 3,000 differences between them in the Gospels.

The reason why the MCT is mainly based on the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus is because the so-called scholars since Westcott and Hort in the nineteenth century have claimed that those two manuscripts are the 'oldest and best'. This is certainly not the case, 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 the textual criticism errors behind most modern Bible versions (bethel-sg.com). It should be noted that the editors of the MCT such as Westcott, Hort, Aland, and Metzger were all unbelievers who denied the truth, infallibility, and Divine Preservation of the Word of God. You can read my other article: Bethel: Unbelievers telling us what is in the Bible? (bethel-sg.com).

In summary, the claim that the MCT is based on many more manuscripts than the TR is absolutely false. In reality, the MCT is based on only two questionable and inaccurate manuscripts (Sinaiticus and Vaticanus) because of the unreasonable and illogical preference of unbelievers beginning with Westcott and Hort.

Doctrines not affected by modern Bible versions?

Supporters of modern textual criticism, the Modern Critical Text (MCT) of the New Testament, and the modern Bible versions translated from the MCT, often assure us with the claim that although the MCT is shorter than and significantly different from the Textus Receptus (TR) - the traditional Greek New Testament text handed down faithfully by Christians from generations to generations throughout history, no major doctrine is affected. In other words and by extension, the MCT supporters are claiming that no doctrine and no understanding would be affected if a man reads a modern English Bible version translated from the MCT such as the ESV, NIV, NASB, and CSB instead of the Authorised Version (KJV) that was translated from the TR. 

However, the claim made by MCT supporters is false. Two major doctrines are immediately affected by the acceptance of the MCT. 

First, the Divine Preservation of the Holy Scriptures. If you accept the MCT, you would be saying that God did not preserve His Word because the supposedly true New Testament text was hidden from Christians for 1,400 years and therefore, during that 1,400 years, Christians did not have the true New Testament text.

Second, the infallibility of the Holy Scriptures. If God had not preserve His Word, how can we be confident that the Bible we hold in our hands is the infallible Word of God?

When these two major doctrines are affected, the authority of the Bible in the eyes of man would also be affected. If man has doubts about the truth of the Bible and no longer trusts in the Bible, potentially ALL doctrines can be affected.

Secret changes in Romans 13:9 in modern English versions (modern false bibles confessing to bearing false witnesses)

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(Ro. 13:9, KJV)

τὸ γάρ, Οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ φονεύσεις, οὐ κλέψεις, οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις, οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις, καὶ εἴ τις ἑτέρα ἐντολή, ἐν τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται, ἐν τῷ, Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς ἑαυτόν.

(Ῥωμ. 13:9, TR)

In the Authorised Version (KJV) and the Textus Receptus (TR), in Romans 13:9, the Apostle St. Paul listed five of the Ten Commandments:

1. Thou shalt not commit adultery (Οὐ μοιχεύσεις) [7th Commandment]

2. Thou shalt not kill (οὐ φονεύσεις) [6th Commandment]

3. Thou shalt not steal (οὐ κλέψεις) [8th Commandment]

4. Thou shalt not bear false witness (οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις) [9th Commandment]

5. Thou shalt not covet (οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις) [10th Commandment]

Now let's look at how Romans 13:9 is read in the NIV, ESV, NASB, and CSB. Look for 'Thou shalt not bear false witness'.

9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b]

[a] Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deut. 5:17-19,21

[b] Lev. 19:18

(Romans 13:9, NIV)

9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

(Romans 13:9, ESV)

9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

(Romans 13:9, NASB)

9 The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal;[a] do not covet;[b] and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself.[c]

[a] Other mss add do not bear false witness

[b] Ex 20:13–17; Dt 5:17–21

[c] Lv 19:18

(Romans 13:9, CSB)

Dear reader, can you see 'Thou shalt not bear false witness' is missing in the NIV, ESV, NASB, and CSB? A quick check shows that the highlighted commandment is also missing in the same verse in NRSV, LSB, and GNB. Out of those 7 modern English versions, only CSB contains a footnote that informs the reader of the highlighted commandment being found in other manuscripts. Therefore, you would not be aware of the highlighted commandment in Romans 13:9 if you read only the main text of the modern English versions mentioned.

Why do the modern English false bible lack the highlighted commandment? This is because the false Arian manuscript Vaticanus and the Modern Critical Text (MCT) based on Sinaiticus and Vaticanus do not contain the highlighted commandment in Romans 13:9. Almost all modern versions are translated from the MCT.

Why did Vaticanus leave out the highlighted commandment? Is it because the scribes of the false Arian Vaticanus knew that they were breaking the commandment? Remember, Vaticanus and the Alexandrian text it represents, are significantly different from the TR - the Traditional Text handed down faithfully by Christians from generation to generation throughout the centuries.

Why do the editors of the MCT follow Vaticanus instead of Sinaiticus here? Other than the principle to prefer shorter readings, is it that the editors of the MCT themselves knew that they were also bearing false witnesses?

Why do modern false bibles such as the the NIV, ESV, NASB, and NRSV leave out the highlighted commandment without even a footnote informing the reader that the commandment is found in other versions and manuscripts? Is it because the editors and translators of the mentioned false bibles also knew that they themselves were also bearing false witnesses?

Therefore, in conclusion, the secret changes to the text of Romans 13:9 in modern false bibles actually shows that the same false bibles are confessing to bearing false witnesses.   

Secret changes in Acts 9:5-6 in modern English versions

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

(Ac. 9:5-6, KJV)

This is the Word of God in the Authorised Version (KJV) for Acts 9:5-6. Now notice the differences in NIV, ESV, NASB, and CSB:

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

(Acts 9:5-6, NIV)

5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

(Acts 9:5-6, ESV)

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.”

(Acts 9:5-6, NASB)

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said.

“I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

(Acts 9:5-6, CSB)

In the KJV, our Lord told Saul that 'it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.' Saul trembling and astonished said 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?' From my understanding, this was the first time Saul (who would later become the Apostle St. Paul) acknowledged and confessed Jesus Christ is Lord.

However, not only is this not in the text of the NIV, ESV, NASB, and CSB, there are no footnotes or statements in those same modern versions acknowledging the text found in the KJV.

If modern false bibles such as NIV, ESV, NASB, and CSB could make secret changes in the text of Acts 9:5-6 without informing the reader, can we still trust the same false bibles and their editors?