1. What version of Bible should you use?
Something that is different is not the same
Versions of Bible say different things about same event (2 Sam 21:19)
Therefore if Bibles say different things and the Bible is perfect, preserved, true, and from God then only one version can be correct
All bible manuscripts are from 2 origins (antioch & Alexandria)
Antioch: Majority Texts
95%+ of 5,000+ existing manuscripts
All have high level of agreement (e.g., differences w/ name spelling)
Alexandria: Minority Texts
~5% of 5,000+ existing manuscripts
Really 2 primary manuscripts (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus)
They have a high level of disagreement (Over 3,000 times in gospels alone – Matt 656, Mark 567, Luke 791, John 1,022)
What does the bible say about antioch & Alexandria
Antioch: Appeared 18 times in the Bible
Acts 11:26 - believers were first called Christians
Acts 11: many people were added to the Lord
Acts 13:49 - word published there
Alexandria: Appeared 4 times in the Bible
Acts 6:9 - Alexandrians argued with and stoned Stephen - early Christian martyr
Acts 18:24 - Apollos only knew baptism of John
Acts 27:6; Acts 28:11 - Paul sent to be executed by 2 ships each from Alexandria
Egypt in general: Abraham was worried about being killed & they would take his wife, Egypt enslaved millions of Jews, God called it a house of bondage (Ex 20:2)
Additional information
Origen: Central figure at church in Alexandria; celebrated philosopher to this day; believed in pre-existence of souls, and that everyone (including devil) would be saved.
Sinaiticus manuscript was found being ready to be burned in monastery (was effectively in a garbage can)
There are 64,576 fewer words in NIV than KJV (8% of Bible or 30 books)
Research shows KJV is easiest Bible to read (average grade level of 5.8 vs. NIV at 8.4); KJV easier to read than USA Today & avg. children’s book!
God warns us to keep his word perfect and not affected
Deu 4:2
Luke 4:4 which is a cross-reference of Deu 8:3 (every word of God is removed in NIV in Luke 4:4)
Luke 8:12 – devil will aim to take away Word from man
Comparison of king James (kjv) & New international (NIV)
NIV deletes verses:
Acts 8:37 – “I believe that Jesus Christ is Son of God”
Mark 16:9-20 – Gospel of Mark ends with everyone is afraid
Mat 18:11 “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost”
NIV corrupts verses:
Isa 14:12 (Lucifer as morning star which is name for Jesus -Rev 22:16)
Hos 11:12 (KJV: "but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.“; NIV: "and Judah is unruly against God, even against the faithful Holy One.“)
Dan 3:25 (KJV – Son of God; NIV – Son of the gods)
NIV makes Jesus a liar:
KJV - Matt 26:29- "But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
KJV - Matt 27:48 - "And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.“
NIV - Matt 26:29 - " I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
NIV - Matt 27:48 - " Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink."
NIV perverts Jesus:
1 Timothy 3:16 - God to He
Luke 2:33 - call Jesus’ father Joseph and not God
Col 1:14 - removes through his blood
John 3:16 - one and only vs. begotten (Jesus is not only son of God; Adam – Luke 3:38, Saved people - Rom 8:14, Phl 2:15
NIV is incorrect: 2 Sam 21:19
Source: Berean Research Institute, Flesch-Kincaid Reading Tests, Ecclesia.com.