I just don’t understand it. Two people hold in their hands different versions of the Bible that flatly contradict each other (70 vs. 72, Luke 10:1) and then they speak to their neighbor about having the very Word of God –speaking boldly about its trustworthiness, claiming it is without error. But even a first-grader is smart enough to know that both cannot be right.
The Bible is either perfect or it isn’t. If it is truly God’s Word it is without error. If it has errors it isn’t God’s Word. If the “Bible” you hold in your hands is wrong in one place it is less than perfect, and if you can’t trust it in one place how can you trust it in another.
The unbelievers must be laughing at us Christians, and who can blame them? They can clearly see the inconsistencies of our claims. Even they are smart enough to know that the NIV and the KJV cannot both be right. Yet we keep right on quoting the modern versions as though they are infallible, without any regard for what others think. Most of the people who tout the new versions do so because they like how they are written, as opposed to the old English of the KJV. They claim they are easier to read and understand–which isn’t true. They boldly assert their belief that their favorite version is indeed the very Word of God, although they have never studied the facts. They just like it and use it, but they have no evidence that it’s true. Corner them about it and they couldn’t debate their way out of a wet paper bag to prove their assertions if their life depended on it. They have made up their mind and no amount of facts will change them. They seem totally unconcerned about how foolish they look in the eyes of their neighbor, or what God thinks.
For people like this, personal preference is more important than truth. They feel comfortable with their belief and refused to be challenged by the facts. They feel even more confident in their error when some modern “preacher” is in agreement with them. They reason that if ” Dr. Know it all” agrees with them they must be right. But they are wrong more often than not. The most dangerous people on earth are not unbelievers, but those who claim to be God’s messengers and aren’t. They deceive folks into embracing error. Be careful who you follow!
Another thing I find strange is that folks who claim the NIV, etc. is the Word of God get incensed when someone points out the error of their ways. They act as though you have no right to use the KJV. They get fighting mad when someone suggests that the KJV is the most accurate translation of the Bible in the English language—never stopping to think, “Where was the Word of God to the English speaking world before the modern versions came along? They act as though it did not exist until their pet version came along, which is nonsense! If the KJV was God’s Word before the new versions existed it still is and if it is the modern versions aren’t. Think about it!
