Bible Version Discrepancies #7 - DEFILEMENT COMES FROM WITHIN
For most of my life I have been afraid of the "King James Version" of the Bible. I always thought that it would be like reading Shakespeare - well, it's not. Most of the time on my Sunday blog posts I referenced the N.I.V. (New International Version) but recently, when I need clarification, I refer to the K.J.V. (King James Version) and the N.K.J.V. (New King James Version). In making this small switch I discovered that there are many serious discrepancies between NIV & The King James versions. I also found out that the Bible "scholars" who compiled NIV were members of secret societies. Whether or not there was anything nefarious behind the NIV translation does not affect the goal that I have for this series. We are going to use our God-given common sense to compare these versions and come to our own conclusions.
It is important to note that the King James Version was first published in 1611 and it wasn't until 1978 that the New International Version was first published.
Even if we find serious discrepancies by comparing these two versions, I want you to know that I believe God has still been able to get His message across to us - He is not fazed by "misinterpretation". His Truth fills our heart and that is why we are able to objectively study and compare these versions without losing God's meaning.
In this series we are going to really dive deep into God's Word.
We continue our comparison study with
"Mark 7:1-23".
In this Scripture passage the subtitle is similar between the two versions but I feel that N.I.V. really waters down the meaning:
"That Which Defiles"
"Defilement Comes From Within"
(this can be seen in the first picture seen below).
The first is N.I.V. and it is very vague. N.K.J.V. however, is very specific and describes perfectly the meaning of this passage.
Color code meaning in the pictures below:
Highlighted in yellow means that those words/sentences do not appear in one of the versions (including when references to God or Jesus appear in lower case rather than upper case)
Highlighted in orange means that the meaning of the word comparison was very different
Highlighted in green means that the meaning of the word comparison was similar or the same.
Next, let's focus on the words that I felt had different meanings between the versions:
teachers vs scribes
Teacher - one who instructs
vs
Scribe - writer or journalist
It makes much more sense that the New King James Version would be more accurate. What politician walks around with teachers? - it's the media that they always have by their side because they want recognition and fame. The scribe would have been like our media today.
"human rules" vs "doctrines"
Rules - a prescribed guide for conduct or action
vs
Doctrine - a principle or position or system of belief
Here again, the word "rules" is very vague - "doctrine" on the other hand is more applicable to the situation in this passage.
Notice in the picture above that the sentence: "the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do" is missing from N.I.V. This describes the "tradition of men" that these verses were referencing. N.I.V. again makes God's Word "wishy-washy" by removing such detail.
One of the first shocking differences I noticed was the grammar in N.I.V. - it is very disrespectful. Many words describing or referring to God or Jesus are NOT capitalized in the N.I.V. (those letters are underlined in yellow in the two pictures below - NIV being on the left). Modern grammar rules have become relaxed in everyday life but that does not mean that this should apply to the Holy Bible!!
"setting aside" vs "reject"
Set Aside - something that is set aside for a specific purpose
vs
Reject - to refuse to accept, consider or use
Wow!! What a gigantic difference in meaning!! Rejecting the commandment of God is so obviously more serious than just setting it aside. "Set aside" could mean that God's commandment is going to be taken seriously but at a later time. Rejecting is an absolute "no".
In this second portion, we need to define the word "Corban."
Corban - an offering or gift consecrated to God (usually having to do with a vow to God)
The final phrase of the NKJV above is totally missing from NIV but it so very important. It's like saying - PAY ATTENTION!!! This is so very important!! ("If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"). The importance of the meaning of this message is also reflected in the difference of title (as discussed above).
You can look up the definitions of the following comparisons, except we'll go over the last one together.
"dull" vs "without understanding"
"greed" vs "covetousness"
"malice" vs "wickedness"
"envy" vs "evil eye"
"slander" vs "blasphemy"
Slander - a false statement or report about somebody
vs
Blasphemy - the act of insulting or showing contempt for God
Another Wow!! Another massive difference in meaning!! Slander is a walk in the park compared to the meaning of "blasphemy".
I pray that you will continue to reflect on these differences this week and never stop digging deep into God's Word.
Other Version Discrepancy posts:
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