Articles > Where's The Beef?

Where's the Beef?

 

by Michael Ilardo

 

Many years ago, I remember a then-famous Wendy's hamburger commercial.  An old lady walks up to a hamburger from a rival chain, lifts off the bun, and sees a patty the size of a silver dollar.  She cries out in an old-lady voice, "WHERRRRRE''S THE BEEFFFFFFFFFFFFFF????"

 

There are many parallels with these modern bible versions.  When you look at the covers, you will see "HOLY BIBLE" on both an NIV and the King James.  However, when you look under the "bun", by opening the cover, you will soon too ask, "Where's the Beef?"

 

The bottom line summary is this: the new bible versions are GOOD translations of the WRONG manuscripts. The King James is the only one that uses the correct manuscripts---they were carefully copied over and over from the original writings.  These originals were long since destroyed, but they weren't necessary once the careful copies were made. In the 1500's when they were translating the bible to english, they found 5,000 of these preserved manuscript copies, and collected them.  They agreed in every detail except for small areas, like spelling of names and punctuation, and these manuscripts were called the Textus Receptus, the received text.

 

Meanwhile, down in egypt, Origin was the leader of this jehovah witness like cult. They had strange beliefs, and they changed the manuscripts to support their own view, altering words, etc.  From these manuscripts the Catholic bible was made, and in the 1800's two occultists named Westcort and Hort convinced a translating board that "older meant better".  The older "originals" in Egypt, the ones true Bible believers always knew were wrong, were the ones they used for the new revision. 

 

All new bibles ever since use the "older, yet polluted" Egyptian manuscripts. Bible colleges pour out graduates praising the new versions, because they are taught that the original greek is where the word of God is---and they'll use the original greek from the WRONG manuscripts to "correct" the King James. It's part of the reason the church is in the mess that it's in.  The Bible version issue is also a key contributor to not only the great falling away, but the returning to Rome as well.

 

(Thanks to Kent Hovind's Question and Answer Series for much of the information stated above). 

 

So, it's a big deal, but when you see the two paths, and when you start comparing versions, it is crystal clear that the KJV is the preserved Word of God. The rest are counterfeits.  If you work with phony money all day, you won't be able to tell that there is anything wrong with the money.  However, if you handle the real thing day in and day out, you'll be able to spot a phony.  Once you immerse yourself in the King James Bible, you will be able to easily tell the corrupted words of God.   Let this booklet serve as a wake up call.  If you have not spent time with the authentic word of God, you will not be able to see anything wrong with the false versions out there.  Therefore, I urge you to suspend your unbelief a second, and see what someone who's diligently studied both out has to say.  

 

Evangelist Sam Gipp stated it this way---Inspiration without preservation is a divine waste of Time.  The Bible says God overcame man's sinful nature to pen his words.  Nothing is too hard for God, and man was the instrument God choose to write his very words just like this computer is the instrument I choose to type my words.  Why couldn't God overcome man's fallen nature in also preserving his words?  Why would God go to all that trouble to end up with a perfect book that gives the directions to Heaven, how to please God, how to know God, and more, and THEN allow it to get lost?  If God is a one way God (one God, one way to heaven, one people in the Old Testament (the Jews), one line to preserve the Messiah (The Jewish People), one Christ, one Word that became Flesh, one sacrifice once and for all, one Book, etc, why would he suddenly say, "multiple versions that say different things are ok by me."???  God is a one way God.  One preserved Bible version in the language of today based on pure manuscripts from the time that the English language was at it's purest form makes sense.  It fits the character of God.  It also fits the King James Bible.

2Ti 2:9  Wherein1722, 3739 I suffer trouble,2553 as5613 an evil doer,2557 even unto3360 bonds;1199 but235 the3588 word3056 of God2316 is not3756 bound.1210

 

 

The Bible also says you know a tree by it's fruit.  Look at the fruit of the King James.  It's the ultimate standard new Bibles compare themselves by.  The King James was used by the great men of God to start revivals, the great awakening, and more.  There is no fruit to these new Bibles---Jesus said the truth will make you free.  Yet, we have a church today that needs psychology, needs entertainment, needs AA type support groups, needs the newest and latest Christian gadget to keep them in the doors, and goes to other sources more than the Bible.  The majority don't tremble at God's word.  Most don't believe God's Word. Few treasure God's word.  Why??  A big reason is it's not God's Word.

 

The rest of this article looks at the tip of the iceberg in comparing Bible versions.  I don't have all the examples out there, but this should begin your own personal research project. I hope you will see a pattern, and I hope you will see i'm not just trying to push my agenda here.

 

So let's ask Where's the BEEF?

 

Know I can't convince you.  You have to compare "burgers", you have to look under the bun, and you can't look away while you do so.  I can't open your eyes.

 

However, Beloved, I will ask, do you want the truth no matter what it costs or do you want to be right? I'm not saying this arrogantly----I just don't want to waste your time here or God's time-----I need you to agree with God that you will go wherever the truth leads. Saying that doesn't declare "I am right", it's just that if this is right, and you are closed to it, it won't matter what information i give you from the Bible or elsewhere. Friend, do you want to please God over anything else?

 

I will lay it on the table, i have looked at both sides, i have been in both camps, and in my limited knowledge and wisdom, i am convinced that i have discovered the truth.  Opinion doesn't mount to a hill of beans.  Truth matters and God's word is truth. Truth always divides, and there's no division if I tell you, "Look, God doesn't care what version you read.".    I love you through Christ, so I have to be honest as well.  If it doesn't click now, by the grace of God, someday, I believe you will understand. Therefore, I urge you to please open your heart, please cry out to God, and please ask him to show you if this is true.

 

The Bible version is a big deal.  In my life, before I was saved, Jesus being the one way to heaven wasn't a big deal. I looked at those who were evangelical Christians, like myself now, as dividing my family or shoving a personal religion down my throat.  Likewise, before I knew about the King James issue, I looked at the people who are like me now, as judgmental condemning people shoving a personal conviction down my throat.   If you are anti-King James, you likely look at people like me as dividing the church.  My prayer is that you will see through that smokescreen.  Yes, there's hypocrites in all camps, yes, there's those lacking compassion in both camps.  Yes, we need to balance spirit and truth.  We could do better on both sides, and my prayer is when you become a King James Bible Believer, you will have new convictions while keeping your compassion.  It's the same idea when you get saved----the ones you "left' behind are blind.  When you come to the light of the truth in God's Word, there will be those in the dark who don't understand.  It's a spiritual battle--and have compassion on them, don't just come with guns blazing.   It's a lesson that took me a year to learn, and I'm still learning.

 

The common misconception is that those who hold the King James Conviction are dividing the Church.   Look for a second at the fallacy of that argument.  If we all read the same bible version, we'd all be in agreement! if you ever heard 15 different people read Psalm 23 with their own version it's chaos---but when everyone reads the KJV it's unity.  Every version is confusion,and God is not the author of confusion.

 

Please pray before you begin.

 

And now, Here's the Beef.

 

This list isn't exhaustive. However, i'm going to give several categories of comparison.

 

A) missing verses

B) missing words

C) changed words

D) contradictions

E) mistranslations/deceiftul translations

 

Before i begin, i gave you a bit of background on the manuscript issue for review. Again, the modern versions will always state ....."some late manuscripts....." in their footnotes.  The "late manuscripts" they are talking about are the ones from the textus receptus. These are the 5,000 copies that agreed nearly in all ways (spelling of cities and people's names, for example, were about the only major differences) and they were well used, well accepted, etc----again, while the originals that the textus receptus were copied from were long gone, the originals were not necessary.

 

The "old manuscripts" the new versions talk about are the handful of ones from Egypt from the 4th and 5th centuries that were ignored by true christians.  One of these is called Sinaiticus, found in St. Catharine's Monastery in the Sinai desert in February 1859 in a wastebasket!!!  The other big one is called Vaticanus, and it's first existence was known in 1841.  It omits many portions of scripture, including everything in Hebrews after Hebrews 9:14 (meaning everything about the uselessness of the "Mass" is removed!) as well as the "Great Whore" of Revelation. I don't have the exact numbers, but the two main texts, Vaticanus and Sinaiticus disagree with each other over 30,000 times. They don't even agree with each other. The simple fact that they are "older" has led to the mantra that they are better. They were written on fancy material that made them hold up, and since Christians didn't read them, they did not get worn out like unaltered ones.