Sola which Scriptura
The KJV vs. NKJV
The reason this is so intriguing should be obvious, one of the two pillars of Protestantism is "scripture alone" yet these two bibles do not agree. If two bibles disagree, which one is wrong, are both wrong? Both claim that you cannot add to or take from the word of the Lord, yet they differ. Why? Which one is right? How much do they differ? Does it affect doctrine? Who changed it? Some of the verses are total opposites, other verses are simply not saying the same thing.
For example in the NKJV compared with the (old) KJV there are 66 omissions of the word "Lord", 51 omissions of "God", 44 omissions of "repent", 50 omissions of "heaven", 23 omissions of "blood", and the terms "devils", "damnation", "Jehovah", and "new testament" are completely omitted.
How about that "hell". The NKJV removes the word "hell" 23 times. By replacing "hell" with "Hades" and "Sheol"! The Jehovahs Witness "Bible" does this as well and the New International Version is guilty of the same stratagem. Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines Hades: "the underground abode of the dead in Greek MYTHOLOGY". By making it "much clearer" - Do they turn Hell into MYTHOLOGY? But the should be nothing new to the readers of the KJV with nine refeances to unicorns and over 30 to dragons mythology is standerd reading . It must be noted, Hades is not always a place of torment or terror! The Assyrian Hades is an abode of blessedness with silver skies called "Happy Fields". In the satanic New Age Movement, Hades is an intermediate state of purification!
Who in their right mind would think "Hades" or "Sheol" is "up-to-date" and "much clearer" than "hell"? The NKJV makes over 100,000 word changes from the old 1611 KJV. There are 2,922 fewer words in the New Testament of the NKJV. Thus, the NKJV is shorter (In The New Testament) than that of the King James Bible by about the total number of words contained in I and II Peter combined!
Matthew 16:18KJV: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
NKJV: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."
Luke 16:23
KJV: "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."
NKJV: "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."Hell is removed in 2 Sam. 22:6, Job 11:8, 26:6, Psalm 16:10, 18:5, 86:13, 116:3, Isaiah 5:14, 14:15, 28:15,18, 57:9, Jonah 2:2, Matt. 11:23, 16:18, Luke 10:15, 16:23, Acts 2:27, 31, Rev. 1:18, 6:8, 20:13,14.
Then the NKJV decides that maybe "Hades" should be "grave"! So the NKJV makes 1 Corinthians 15:55
The NKJV also deals rather questionably with the Lord Jesus Christ. Following are some examples:
Matt. 8:19
KJV: And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
NKJV: Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."
Matt. 19:16
KJV: And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
NKJV: Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
Matt. 20:20
KJV: Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
NKJV: Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.
Acts 3:13
KJV: The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
NKJV: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.
Acts 3:26
KJV: Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
NKJV: To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities." Note: I wonder where they got the idea to change "Son" to "Servant"? How about the NIV, NASV, NRSV, et al.
Acts 4:27
KJV: For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people
NKJV: "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together
Acts 4:30
KJV: By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
NKJV: by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."
Matt. 7:14
KJV: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
NKJV: Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
I Cor. 1:18
KJV: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
NKJV: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Note: In II Cor. 2:15 they change "in them that are saved" to "among those who are being saved".
Heb. 10:14
KJV: For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
NKJV: For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
Acts 12:4
KJV: And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
NKJV: So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
Gal. 2:20
KJV: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
NKJV: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
They omit the words in bold type --- "nevertheless I live".
II Tim. 2:15
KJV: Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
NKJV: Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
II Cor. 2:17
KJV: For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
NKJV: For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.