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Bible Translation Test

In recent history, printing bibles has become a business.  As time goes on we see the shifts in public opinion and cultural norms sway some of the bible translations.  Here we will list 6 verses that are an easy test.  When scanning through what ever bible translations you have you can see if your bible has the subtle changes from the original texts.  These six verses relate to the Divinity of Jesus, the uniqueness of Jesus, and cultural changes like gender neutrality and sexual issues. 

1.  Philippians 2:9

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name"
πᾶν ὄνομα - every name
πᾶς - individually - each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything.

This verse and its wording is very important. Either Jesus is above everyone, or not. If he is not above everyone, like God is, than he is not God. But the greek word for 'every' is there, therefore it states that he is above every name, like God. The New World Translation fails here.

2. John 1:1

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
εἰμί eimi - to be, to exist, to happen, to be present

It is clear that The Word is to be, to exist as, to happen to be, and the presently be God. The Word is singular and God is singular. These two singular thing are stated to coexist as the same thing. NWT adds the wording and idea that The Word (Jesus) is A god and not THE God. The Message adds what is NOT in any biblical manuscript "in readiness for God from day one." For The Word to BE God, it would not have a "day one" for The Word would be eternally with God.

3. Acts 20:28

“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."
ἴδιος idios - pertaining to one's self, one's own, belonging to one's self

The person being talked about in the context is God. and He, God, purchased the Church with the blood pertaining to himself, his own, blood belonging to himself. THAT MEANS that when Christ died on the cross and shed his blood on the cross, he was (still is) God.

The bad translations add something that is not there that effects the deepest meaning of the verse and of Christianity itself. Some added "his own SON's blood" or something of the sort to infer that God did not shed his own blood but his son's blood which is not literally his own. The author of Acts CHOSE not to include the notion of God's Son and mention of any sort of family or children a part from himself. The IDEA of the Son being in this passage is NOT there. Thus, the author purposefully meant that God himself purchased the church with HIS OWN blood.

4. 1 Corinthians 6:9 

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,"
"ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ἄδικοι θεοῦ βασιλείαν οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν μὴ πλανᾶσθε οὔτε πόρνοι οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι οὔτε μοιχοὶ οὔτε μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται"
ἀρσενοκοίτης arsenokoitēs - one who lies with a male as with a female, sodomite, homosexual

It is important to note there is no verb or word proceeding ἀρσενοκοίτης just as there are no verbs proceeding the other 4 listed desires.

Notice these five mindsets are all sexual desires. Some are different actions that are manifested by the same internal desire which is all unrighteous. Thus the issue is not each and every behavior but of the internal sexual desires that deem the desire-er to be unrighteous.

Some translations will add the word "practicing" before ἀρσενοκοίτης. But in the texts, that word is NOT there. This begins to allude to the idea that this desire is okay until it is put into practice. That takes away from the internal unrighteousness that is manifested by the behavior or practice. Besides adding a word that is not there and potentially adding an idea that is not being presented; other translations will go even farther to blur what exactly is being stated. Some will say "abusers of..." which is not stated. Others will add the word "perverts" as if ἀρσενοκοίτης is not a perversion within itself. The MSG translation even avoids it all together.

The question then becomes, when the words "practicing" and "perverts" are added, why are they not added to each of the 5 desires? What about practicing adulterers? Or adulterous perverts? Clear picking and choosing of which sexual desire to dilute is obvious.

5. Hebrews 2:6

"But one has testified somewhere, saying,
“WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM?
OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?"

First it is important to note that the author of Hebrews is quoting OT scripture (Ps 8:4-6) and using OT symbolisms. Second notice the contrast of man and THE son of man. This is making a direct link to The Son of Man, Jesus Christ.

υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ὅτι - The Son of Man

ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos - a human being, whether male or female

Removing the Son of Man breaks the connection to Jesus Christ and his humanity and relation with us. Changing the words to say "human beings" removes the title Son of Man that Jesus claimed he is from the prophecy by David.


6. John 19:12

"As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”
Ἰουδαῖος Ioudaios - The Jews

Notice that earlier in John 18:35 the author already noted that the leaders AND people were behind the crucifixion of Jesus. He also chooses to distinguish between the two. In this verse the author had the options to specify if it was just the leadership alone but he does not. The author chooses to say the Jewish people instead of the Jewish leadership.

Some translations took it upon themselves to add a word that is not there to specify what the author did not say. The word "leaders" was added. This is NOT in the biblical manuscripts. The author was making known that it was not just Jewish leaders but also the Jewish people who was calling for this. That Jesus' own people, wanted his death.

Verse
Transla.









NASB
ESV
ASV
HCSB
NIV
TNIV
CEB
MSG
KJV
 Jn 1:1
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
Good
 Poor
 Good
 Ac 20:28
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Bad
 Poor
 Good
 1 Cor 6:9
 Good
 Bad
 Poor
 Bad
 Poor
 Bad
 Bad
 Bad
 Poor
 Heb 2:6
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Bad
 Bad
 Good
 Good
 Phil 2:9
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Jn 19:12
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Bad
 Good
 Bad
 Good
 Good
 

Verse
Transla.









RSV
NWT
NET
NCV
GNT
AMP
NLT
NRSV

 Jn 1:1
 Good
 Bad
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Good

 Ac 20:28
 Bad
 Bad
 Bad
 Bad
 Bad
 Good
 Good
 Bad

 1 Cor 6:9
 Poor
 Bad
 Bad
 Bad
 Bad
 Bad
 Bad
 Good

Heb 2:6
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Bad
 Bad
 Good
 Good
 Bad

 Phil 2:9
 Good
 Bad
 Good
 Bad
 Bad
 Good
 Bad
 Good

 Jn 19:12
 Good
 Good
 Bad
 Good
 Good
 Good
 Bad
 Good



THE MOST RELIABLE (no more than one issue):
  • NASB
  • ESV
  • ASV
  • HCSB
  • KJV
  • AMP
THE WORST (more than one issue):
  • CEB
  • MSG
  • RSV
  • NWT
  • NET
  • NCV
  • GNT
  • NLT
  • NRSV
  • NIV
  • TNIV
Translations that fail to accurately convey the Person of Jesus as God:
  • MSG
  • NWT
  • CEB
  • RSV
  • NET
  • NCV
  • GNT
  • NRSV
 Translations that drastically cave to social pressures:
  • CEB
  • NET
  • NCV
  • GNT
  • NLT
  • NWT
  • NIV
  • TNIV

 Useful illistration of how the English Bible translations came about:


 

 

 

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