Liberty Bible Study Course - New International Version Part 2

Bible Study Course

Examining The New International Version

Part 2

Welcome to Book 4 in the Examining Bible Translations series of the Liberty Bible Course. This booklet deals with Part 2 of the examination of the New International Version (NIV). This study is written to be used with the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, otherwise your answers are going to be incorrect. Please get your Bible, and begin another exciting study in God’s Word, that just might change your life!

Chapter 1

B. Some verses are partially missing from the NIV (continued).

#2 — 1 John 5:7

KJV (King James Version) - “For there are __________ that bear record in heaven, the ____________, the ________, and the ________ __________: and these three are ______.”

NIV (New International Version) - “For there are three that testify.”

NWT (New World Translation — Jehovah’s Witnesses) - “For there are three witness bearers.”

Note: Did the translators of the NIV think that the Jehovah’s Witnesses did a more accurate translation of the Bible than did the KJV translators? Why did the NIV translators follow the Jehovah’s Witnesses so closely in their changes? We know why the Jehovah’s Witnesses made this change, because they do not believe in the Trinity (that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all God, and yet One). What was really behind the translation of the NIV?

This change erases one of the strongest verses dealing with the Trinity.

We know that the devil does not want people to believe in the Trinity,

because he knows that if he can get people to think that Jesus is not God,

then he has deceived them, and they will be cast into hell one day.

    1. Jesus said in John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall ______ in your ________: for if ye believe not that I am ____, ye shall die in your sins.”
    2. Go back to verse 19 of that same chapter, and you will see more about the “he.” “Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known ____, ye should have known my ____________ also.”
    3. Further information is seen in John 14:7, “If ye had known ____, ye should have known my ____________ also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have ________ him.”
    4. Philip is a little confused about what Jesus has said, so Jesus makes it very clear in John 14:8-9, “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen ____ hath seen the ____________; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

Many people say that Jesus was a good man or a good prophet, but they do not

believe that Jesus is God. The Bible makes it clear that no one is good, except God.

5. Matthew 19:16-17 says, “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is ________ ________ but ______, that is, ______: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Note: The Jewish leaders certainly understood that Jesus was not just making Himself out to be a good man or a prophet. They understood clearly that Jesus was saying that He was God.

6. John 10:32-33 says, “Jesus answered them, Many ________ __________ have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for __________________; and because that thou, being a ______, makest thyself ______.”

Note: So the NIV translators removed a very key portion of this verse, proving that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are three, and yet One.

C. Some verses are denied as authentic in the NIV.

#1 — Mark 16:9-20

Note: Strangely, the NIV translators left these verses in the text — while at the same time strongly urging people that they should not be there! After doing such, what reader would take heed to what is written? The following note by the translators is found right between verses 8 and 9, with wide spaces, thus making sure that all readers see it clearly before going on to verse 9.

In the 1978 edition of the NIV, it says:

“The two most reliable early manuscripts
do not have Mark 16:9-20.”
The Holy Bible, New International Version,
© 1978, International Bible Society

In the 1984 edition of the NIV it says:

“The earliest manuscripts and some other
ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20.”
The Holy Bible, New International Version,
International Bible Society © 1984

These notes are not little side notes in the margin, or at the bottom of the page. These notes are right in between the verses, so that as you are reading the verses, you have to read these notes. Who would believe the following 12 verses after reading such bold notes?

1. Is this not exactly what Satan did in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:1? “Now the ______________ was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, ________ God ________…?”

If these 12 verses were left out of the Bible, as the NIV

translators recommend, look how the Book of Mark would end.

2. Mark 16:8 says, “And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they ________________ and were amazed: neither ________ they ______ __________ to any man; for they were ____________.”

Note: Can you imagine a Book of the Bible ending in a such a way, leaving the disciples in a state of fear and disobedience? Compare that to the Scriptural ending of the Book.

3. Mark 16:19-20 says, “So then after the ________ had ____________ unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and ________________ __________ __________, the Lord ______________ ________ ________, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

Note: What a contrast the endings are! The NIV translators suggested that the disciples were left in fear and disobedience — afraid to say anything to anyone about the Lord. How would the church have ever grown with such disobedience? But note how the Bible (KJV) really ends the Book of Mark — with the Lord speaking to His disciples, and then they going forth preaching the Word of God everywhere, and seeing the Lord work with them and confirm the truth of His Word. What a contrast between the NIV and the KJV!

4. Which ending is Scriptural according to 2 Timothy 1:7? “For ______ hath not given us the spirit of ________; but of __________, and of love, and of a __________ mind.”

#2 — John 7:53-8:11

Note: The translators did the same thing with this passage — they left it in, but then strongly urged that it should not be there! The following note is inserted right in the text between verses 52 and 53, with a wide space on each side of it, to make it impossible for the reader to miss.

In the 1978 edition of the NIV, it says:

“The earliest and most reliable manuscripts
do not have John 7:53-8:11.”
The Holy Bible, New International Version,
© 1978, International Bible Society

In the 1984 edition of the NIV it says:

“The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient
witnesses do not have John 7:53-8:11”
- The Holy Bible, New International Version,
International Bible Society © 1984

If the most reliable manuscripts did not have this passage in them, then why did the translators include it here in the text? Why did the translators totally remove other verses, but then handle this passage this way? Why did they not just put a note like this on every other verse that they removed? We do not know their personal reasoning in these matters, but we do know the reasoning of Satan.

1. Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole ____________ of God, that ye may be able to stand against the __________ of the devil.”

Note: The word wiles means “a trick or stratagem intended to ensnare or deceive; skill in outwitting.” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary)

The devil is very tricky. In some instances, he wants certain information totally removed

— so that people do not even contemplate such things (like that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God,

1 John 5:7; or that no one can be baptized until he/she is saved, Acts 8:37). In other instances,

though, the devil wants certain passages left in, but great doubt placed upon them. What is the purpose

of that? To place the idea in people’s minds that not all of what appears in the Bible is necessarily true.

Note: This passage is very important, because it teaches us how to properly make judgment calls when it seems that the worst culprits have successfully skirted the law, while leaving others to face the consequences.

2. John 8:4 says, “They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in ________________, in the very ______.”

Note: A person cannot commit adultery alone — so where was the man? Why was the man not also brought before Jesus for judgment? Because it is obvious that the whole thing was a set-up for the sole purpose of trapping Jesus.

3. Leviticus 20:10 says, “And the ______ that committeth ________________ with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the ________________ and the ____________________ shall surely be put to death.”
4. John 8:5-6 says, “Now Moses in the ______ commanded us, that such should be ___________: but what sayest ________? This they said, ________________ him, that they might have to ____________ him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.”

Note: Obviously the man was not brought because he was in on the whole scheme. These religious hypocrites were used to hiring people to commit sin for them.

4. Luke 20:19-20 says, “And the chief ______________ and the ____________ the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them. And they watched him, and sent forth __________, which should __________ themselves ________ men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.”

Note: The word feign means, “to give a false appearance.” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary) The word just means, “full, true, righteous.” (Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary) So these men were hired to pretend to be righteous. Even so, the men who had devised this whole scheme of adultery were really as wicked, or more so, than those who took part in it.

5. John 8:7 says, “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without ______ among you, let him __________ cast a __________ at her.”

Note: It was the responsibility of those who witnessed a crime to cast the first stones.

6. Deuteronomy 17:6-7 says, “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. The hands of the __________________ shall be __________ upon him to put him to __________, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.”

Note: These men, beginning at the oldest, realized that they were just as guilty for what had taken place as the woman (they had planned the whole thing and no doubt hired the man to commit the sin with her).

7. John 8:9 says, “And they which heard it, being __________________ by their own ____________________, went out one by one, beginning at the ____________, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.”
8. John 8:10-11 says, “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, __________ are those thine ________________? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and ______ ____ ________.”

This passage does not approve of sin, but teaches us an important principle

about using the Word of God to convict the real masterminds of the sin.

The woman was allowed to go freely, because the Law demanded at least two

witnesses for a person to be stoned, and none of the men were willing to

stay and testify, because they were just as guilty.

Note: Have you ever heard of a court case where it seemed that the real criminal was released, and the real victim was condemned? Yes, we have all heard of those situations. To remove this passage would be to remove great insight as to how to handle such situations.

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