The Case of the Missing Verses

Many of my favorite preachers read from the old King James Version of the Bible. Personally, I have a hard time with its archaic English. That’s why I prefer using the New King James Version. It’s close enough to the KJV to where I can follow along and better understand what God is saying in HIs word.

Still, there are King James Only advocates who criticize translations such as the New International Version for missing certain verses and phrases. For example, Colossians 1:14 in the NIV says, “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” It doesn’t include the phrase “through His blood” used both in the KJV and NKJV. 

Does this mean the New International Version dishonors the blood of Jesus? No! Six verses later it talks about “making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Ephesians 1:7 in the NIV says, “In him we have redemption through his blood…” Revelation 12:11 refers to “the blood of the Lamb.” Many other examples could be cited. 

The above meme being shared on social media is misleading. The missing verses are included in the New International Version’s footnotes. So why weren’t they placed in the main text? The King James Version was translated from the Textus Receptus, a Greek edition of the Bible completed in the 16th century. The NIV and most newer translations are based on older manuscripts that don’t include the missing verses. This refutes claims made by some King James Onlyists that verses were removed by translators with a satanic agenda. None of those missing verses alter basic Christian doctrine.

The bottom line is no Bible translation is 100% perfect including the much venerated King James Version. That’s why it’s wise to use tools like a Strong’s Concordance and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us when reading His word. He will reveal truth to those sincerely seeking it.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” - Mark 13:31

From Cover to Cover

A few days ago I finished reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This was the first time I had done so in my 25 years of following the Lord Jesus Christ. Previously I read through the New Testament in its entirety but knew I needed to do the same with the Old Testament. There have been people I witnessed to who asked if I read the entire Bible. (Until I had done so, I replied, “I’ve read enough to know I’m going to heaven when my life ends. How about you?”)

While conducting polls at his meetings, one well-known evangelist determined as many as 80% of believers never read the whole Bible. He pointed out the early Christians didn’t have a New Testament to read. The Bereans “…searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11) They studied Old Testament passages to verify that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah. There are many other truths we can learn from the saints of old. 1 Corinthians 10:11 says, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

So if you haven’t yet read the whole Bible, I exhort you to do so. Many times we find ourselves waiting in line at the bank or a restaurant. Lately I’ve used those times to read Scripture on my smartphone. I also always have a small Gideons Bible in my back pocket. Either of these tools can be used to help one fulfill the goal of reading God’s word from cover to cover.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” - 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

Giving Away God’s Word

Whenever I lead someone to the Lord, I usually take an extra minute to encourage the newborn believer to pray, read the Bible, and attend a good church. When I specifically talk about the Bible, I will ask if he (or she) has one at home. If he doesn’t, then I ask, “If I give you one, will you read it?” Sometimes people will answer, “Probably not.” In cases like that, my next question for them is, “What would happen if you stopped eating food?” They usually say they will get weak or die. I then point out the same thing can happen to them spiritually. Reading God’s word feeds a person’s spirit.

Don’t think someone’s salvation isn’t legitimate just because he doesn’t immediately get excited about reading the Bible. One reason may be this person thinks he has to read an older translation like the King James Version that can be hard to understand. Another reason might be some people think they are supposed to read the whole Bible like a regular book. Although that’s a good habit for any believer, it can be intimidating for someone not familiar with God’s word. 

A couple of times as a boy, I started reading the book of Genesis but soon lost interest when getting to the genealogies. Years later when my brother-in-law led me to the Lord, he gave me two bibles. One of them was in a comic-book format. For a while, I mostly read that one. The illustrations and the more conversational-like words spoken by the characters made it easy for me to understand Christian principles. 

Nowadays, I encourage new believers to begin reading the gospel of John to better understand what Jesus has done for them. For years I have mostly given away small New Testaments to people who don’t have a Bible. Then one afternoon I stopped at a Wal-Mart and ended up witnessing to a young man smoking in his car. After Jeremy prayed to receive salvation but wasn’t interested in receiving a bible from me, I remembered having gospels of John in my back pocket. Jeremy was more receptive to receiving one of those.

Of course, it’s important for every believer to eventually become familiar with all of God’s Word.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 
- 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)