MV HALF-BAKED JESUS

My claim:

"the modern versions portray (Jesus) as a mere human with an inherited sin nature like the rest of us."

A modern version advocate response:

I have yet to see this in any evangelical modern version. Please give examples for the New American Standard as well as the New King James.

SAME ORIGIN

(KJV) Hebrews 2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

(RSV) For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one ORIGIN. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

(ESV) For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one ORIGIN. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Here's a subtle, but important difference there. Of course the serpent was the most subtle of all creatures, so we know where the subtle changes come from. We are one in Christ, but we do not have the same origin - Christ has no origin (except in the modern versions as we'll see). We have origins. The RSV and ESV have just brought Jesus Christ down to our mortal level. They have made a mere man out of Jesus, which means he NEEDS a Saviour himself - he certainly can't BE one.

ANCIENT ORIGINS

(KJV) Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose GOINGS FORTH have been from of old, from EVERLASTING.

This is a clear prophecy of Jesus Christ. Prophecy is one of the key proofs that the Bible is the Supernatural word of God. And this is one of the most stunning prophecies of Jesus Christ - it gives the very town He will be born in, what family He'll belong to, and some specific things about His life - all in one little verse written 700 years before Jesus was born. Let's see the daily horoscope try that! Surely no Bible version would mess up at such an important place.

(NIV) ... whose ORIGINS are from of old, from ANCIENT times.

What? Whose origins? From old, ancient times? Either that's not talking about Jesus, or they are making Jesus into a created god like the cults do.

(RSV) ... whose ORIGIN is from of old, from ANCIENT days.

Oh oh, same thing.

(NLT) ... one whose ORIGINS are from the DISTANT PAST.

(CEV) ... someone whose FAMILY goes back to ANCIENT times.

(ESV) ... whose ORIGIN is from of old, from ANCIENT days.

His origins are from the distant past. No, that's not better at all, it still strips Jesus Christ of His deity and makes Him a created false god. He is not the everlasting Word/Son of God.

How can a Christian convince an evolutionist from such versions? We're supposed to be apt to teach and able to convince the gainsayers of God's truth. How can we do that with a Bible version that says what they believe? And that's what they do say! That's why we call them per-versions. How can a Christian witness to a lost person and tell Him about Jesus when the lost evolutionist can grab almost any modern version and show that Jesus wasn't God, He had an origin, and He wasn't the Creator! The multi-version creationists have a different Creator than the King James Bible!

Those two verses should be enough to make any Christian with the brain waves of lime jello chuck his fake Bible and get the real one. 

CREATED BY WHO? WHEN?

(KJV) Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the BEGINNING of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things BY JESUS CHRIST:

Let's try the supposed 'best-seller', the 'conservative' NIV:

(NIV) ... which for AGES PAST was kept hidden in God, who created all things. [by nobody]

Ages past? What does that tell you? Not much. Not as much as "from the beginning" - that is specific, settled. And Somebody is missing from the verse. Who might that be? Only Jesus Christ - apparently nobody important if you want to have a Bible version with the "same message".

(NASB) ... which for AGES has been hidden in God who created all things; [by nobody]

Same problems.

(ASV) ... which for AGES hath been hid in God who created all things; [by nobody]

Same again - it's a conspiracy! Let's try the liberal versions.

(RSV) ... mystery hidden for AGES in God who created all things; [by nobody]

(ESV) ... mystery hidden for AGES in God who created all things, [by nobody]

(NLT) ... God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. [by nobody]

(CEV) God, who created everything [by nobody], wanted me to help everyone understand the mysterious plan that had always been hidden in his mind. 

Hey! Two versions (NLT & CEV) that got it half right! Except they left out Jesus too. What good are all these versions (seven, yeah eight of the most popular) that leave out Jesus? BTW, Jesus Christ is in the Greek Textus Receptus here. My Nestles Alexandrian Greek text omits Jesus Christ, but has a footnote, and the critical apparatus lists several Alexandrian texts that contain Jesus Christ. Why would a modern version want to take Jesus Christ out of the Bible? Who would be the inspiration for that?

Maybe the New KJV get is right. That's translated from the same manuscripts, they say.

(NKJV) ... which from the beginning of the AGES has been hidden in God who created all things THROUGH Jesus Christ;

Closer, but still not there. "Beginning of the ages" sounds like a compromise of a politically correct liberal politician. Even the NotKJV doesn't have Jesus Christ actually doing the creating. The Real King James has the creation done BY Him, but the New King James has the creation done "through" Him, which can mean almost anything. That sounds like a politically correct Catholic liberal politician.

Is removing Jesus Christ only a "minor" change that "doesn't affect any doctrine" and has the "same message"?

It is essential to specify Jesus Christ, God the Son, the Word of God made flesh, as the Creator. That's one of the great ways to prove that Jesus is deity, that He is God. The modern versions have diluted the doctrine of the deity of Christ - yet they claim they don't affect any major doctrine. Apparently the Godhood of Christ is not a major doctrine to modern version editors - and it isn't, if you read some of what they say.

How can you witness to a lost evolutionist (or any lost person), that Jesus Christ is the Creator, when they can take virtually ANY popular modern version and find Him stricken from this verse? Here's another similar passage:

ONLY BEGOTTEN WHO? WHAT?

(KJV) John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only BEGOTTEN SON, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

(NIV) No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

(ESV) No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

The NIV and ESV call the One at the Father's side, "God the One and Only" and "the only God". Does that mean the Father is not God? The verse doesn't even say that Jesus is God's Son at all here, it refers to THE Father. That doesn't even say He's Jesus' Father!

(NASB) No one has seen God at any time; the only BEGOTTEN GOD who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

(AMP) No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only BEGOTTEN GOD, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known].

The NASB and Amplified read along with the JWs NWT doctrine and makes Jesus a BEGOTTEN GOD, instead of a begotten SON. Yet, MVers will reject the NWT and accept the NASB or Amplified as "valid" Bibles, despite this BLATANT DAMNABLE HERESY of making Jesus a CREATED god. For this one horrific heresy alone, the NASB should be rejected by anyone with the spiritual discernment of a dried raison.

(RSV) No one has ever seen God; the ONLY SON, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

(NLT) No one has ever seen God. But his ONLY SON, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart; he has told us about him.

(CEV) No one has ever seen God. The ONLY SON, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like. 

The RSV, NLT, and CEV err in the other direction. Whereas the others omit the word "Son", these omit the word "begotten". So now we have Jesus being the ONLY Son of God. Batfeathers! ANY saved person is a Son of God! This is a doctrinal error.

No matter how you slice it, these all say DIFFERENT things. They do not say the same thing in different words. They do not have the same "message" or doctrine here.

FIRSTBORN *OF* EVERY CREATURE, OR FIRST CREATED?

(KJV) Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn OF every creature:

(NIV) ... firstborn over all creation.

(NASB) ... firstborn of all CREATION.

(AMP) ... Firstborn of all CREATION.

(ESV) ... firstborn of all CREATION.

(ASV) ... firstborn of all CREATION;

(CEV) ... He is the FIRST-BORN Son, superior to all creation.

The KJV refers to His family/genealogical status as progenitor of all. The modern versions, again, make Him a created creature. Jesus is part of the creation in these modern versions. If he is part of the creation, he's not the Creator and he's not God.

If the modern versions (in English or Greek) are right in these verses, we are wasting our time as Christians. We are following a created man with the same sin nature we have. If the modern versions are correct in these verses, we might as well go out and get drunk, because we have no Saviour and no hope.

You say they have the deity of Christ in other verses? What good is a Bible version that strips Jesus of His deity HALF the time, but has it in other places? I want more than a HALF-BAKED Jesus out of my Bible.