Y o u
Can't
Judge
  a Bible
by its
Cover
[cantjudg.jpg]

MANY professing Christians are under
       the assumption that the New
       International Version (NIV) of the
Bible is an improvement over the King James
Version (KJV).   Moreover, the average person
who decides to use the NIV never took the time
to judge for themselves if indeed the claims
surrounding the NIV are true.   So, for the benefit
of those who have never compared the two
versions, we've taken the time to compile just
a few examples of how they compare.   What
you are about to read may surprise you!

ASSUMPTION: The NIV uses words that
are easier to understand.
Judge for yourself . . .

KJV, Matt. 27:27: "the soldiers of the governor
took Jesus into the common hall...."
NIV, Matt. 27:27: "the governor's soldiers took
Jesus into THE PRAETORIUM . . ."

KJV, John 10:23: "Jesus walked in the temple
in Solomon's porch."
NIV, John 10:23: "Jesus was in the temple area
walking in SOLOMON'S COLONNADE . . ."

KJV, Rom. 11:29: "For the gifts and calling of
God are without repentance."
NIV, Rom. 11:29: "for God's gifts and his call are
IRREVOCABLE."

KJV, 2 Chron. 2:2: "And Solomon told...."
NIV, 2 Chron. 2:2: "He CONSCRIPTED . . ."

KJV, Lev. 11:30: "And the ferret, and the
chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and
the mole."
NIV, Lev. 11:30: "THE GECKO, the monitor
lizard, the wall lizard, THE SKINK and the
chameleon . . ."   (Where's the mole?   Is it now
the extra lizard?)

KJV, Acts 17:22: "Then Paul stood in the midst
of Mars' hill...."
NIV, Acts 17:22: "Paul then stood up in the
meeting of the AREOPAGUS . . ."

ASSUMPTION: The NIV is concise;
not as "wordy" as the KJV.
Judge for yourself . . .

KJV, Matt. 26:4: "And consulted that they might
take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him."
NIV, Matt. 26:4: "and they plotted to arrest
Jesus IN SOME SLY WAY and kill him . . ."

KJV, Heb. 5:7: "and was heard in that he
feared;"
NIV, Heb. 5:7: "and he was heard because of his
REVERENT SUBMISSION . . ."

KJV, Acts 27:17: "fearing lest they should fall
into the quicksands...."
NIV, Acts 27:17: "Fearing that they would run
aground on THE SANDBARS OF SYRTIS . . ."

KJV, Exodus 32:6: "the people sat down to eat
and to drink, and rose up to play."
NIV, Exodus 32:6: "they sat down to eat and
drink and got up to INDULGE IN REVELRY."

KJV, Rom. 1:28: "And even as they did not
like to retain God in their knowledge..."
NIV, Rom. 1:28: "Furthermore, since they did
not THINK IT WORTHWHILE to retain the
knowledge of God . . ."

ASSUMPTION: The NIV makes greater
sense of obscure passages found in the
KJV--without changing the meaning.
Judge for yourself . . .

KJV, Rev. 22:14: "Blessed are they that do his
commandments...."
NIV, Rev. 22:14: "Blessed are those who WASH
THEIR ROBES . . ."

KJV, Prov. 21:4: "An high look, and a proud
heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin."
NIV, Prov. 21:4: "Haughty eyes and a proud
heart, the LAMP of the wicked, are sin!"

(It gets even worse!)
Judge for yourself . . .

ASSUMPTION: The NIV is, historically, more accurate
than the "outdated" KJV.   Judge for yourself . . .

KJV, 2 Sam. 21:19: "And there was again a battle in Gob with
the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a
Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite,
the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam."
NIV, 2 Sam. 21:19: "In another battle with the Philistines at
Gob, Elhanan son of JAARE-OREGIM THE BETHLEHEMITE
KILLED GOLIATH the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft
like a weaver's rod . . ."

Jesus Christ is recorded as saying . . .
KJV, Mark 1:2: "As it is written in the prophets,
Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall
prepare thy way before thee."
NIV, Mark 1:2: "It is WRITTEN IN ISAIAH the prophet: 'I will
send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your
way'"
   An unsuspecting reader may assume that the NIV's mention
of "Isaiah" is more accurate, providing greater detailed
information, than the KJV's general term: "the prophets."
However, there is a good reason why the KJV says prophets
and not Isaiah--THE QUOTE IS NOT FOUND IN ISAIAH!
   THE NIV says "It is written in Isaiah the prophet," which is
simply NOT TRUE.   The quote in question is written in
MALACHI, one of "the prophets".   Here's the passage Jesus
quoted: KJV, Malachi 3:1: "Behold, I will send my messenger,
and he shall prepare the way before me...."
NIV, Malachi 3:1: "See, I will send my messenger, who will
prepare the way before me . . ."

ASSUMPTION: The NIV can be used to clarify the
KJV; complementing the KJV during Bible study.
(But, "Can two walk together, except they be
agreed?" Amos 3:3)   Judge for yourself . . .

KJV, Jude 1:19 "These be they who separate
themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit."
NIV, Jude 1:19 "These are the men who DIVIDE YOU, who
follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit."

KJV, Phil. 2:6 "Who, being in the form of God, thought it
not robbery to be equal with God:"
NIV, Phil. 2:6 "Who, being in very nature God, DID NOT
CONSIDER EQUALITY WITH GOD SOMETHING TO BE
GRASPED,"

KJV, Ecclesiastes 9:2 "All things come alike to all:
there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked;"
NIV, Ecclesiastes 9:2 "ALL SHARE A COMMON DESTINY--the
righteous and the wicked."   A destiny may be an
event, but an event is not necessarily a destiny.

KJV, Matt. 19:17 "And he said unto him, Why callest
thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:"
NIV, Matt. 19:17 "'WHY DO YOU ASK ME ABOUT WHAT IS
GOOD?'   Jesus replied, 'There is only ONE who is good.'"

KJV, Job 33:27-29 "He [God] looketh upon men, and if
any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,
and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going
into the pit, and his life shall see the light.  Lo, all these things
worketh God oftentimes with man,"
NIV, Job 33:27-29 "THEN HE (God) COMES TO MEN AND
SAYS, 'I SINNED, and perverted what was right, but I DID
NOT GET WHAT I DESERVED.   He redeemed my soul from
going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.'   "God
does all these things to a man--TWICE, EVEN THREE TIMES."

KJV, 2 Tim. 2:24-25 "And the servant of the Lord must not
strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In
meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves..."
NIV, 2 Tim. 2:24-25 "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel;
instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not
resentful.   THOSE WHO OPPOSE HIM HE MUST GENTLY
INSTRUCT . . ."

KJV, Isaiah 12:2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust,
and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength
and my song; he also is become my salvation."
NIV, Isaiah 12:2 "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and

not be afraid.   THE LORD, THE LORD, is my strength and my
song; he has become my salvation."

KJV, Rev. 1:6 "And hath made us kings and priests unto
God and his Father;"
NIV, Rev. 1:6 "and has made us to be a KINGDOM AND
PRIESTS to serve his God and Father."   (Apples and Oranges?)

KJV, 2 Tim. 1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an
holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace..."
NIV, 2 Tim. 1:9 "Who has saved us and called us to a holy
life--NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING WE HAVE DONE but
because of his own purpose and grace . . ."

KJV, 2 Cor. 2:17 "For we are not as many, which corrupt
the word of God: but as of sincerity,"
NIV, 2 Cor. 2:17 "Unlike so many, we do not PEDDLE THE
WORD OF GOD FOR PROFIT."

KJV, Gal. 5:12 "I would they were even cut off which
trouble you."   ("cut off" refers to going away.)
NIV, Gal. 5:12 "As for those agitators, I wish they would go
the whole way and EMASCULATE THEMSELVES!"

KJV, 1 Cor. 9:27 "But I keep under my body, and bring
it into subjection: lest that by any means...."
NIV, 1 Cor. 9:27 "No, I BEAT MY BODY AND MAKE IT MY
SLAVE so that after I have preached to others . . ."

KJV, John 20:17 "Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for
I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren,
and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father...."
NIV, John 20:17 "Jesus said, "DO NOT HOLD ON TO ME, for
I have not yet returned to the Father.   Go instead to my
brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father . . .'"
   "Holding on" implies that He is already being touched.   In
the Old Testament, the high priest was not to be touched
prior to sprinkling the blood on the mercy seat.   If Christ, our
high priest, was on His way to Heaven's mercy seat, then
according to the NIV, He was touched, and thus we are still
in our sins.   (Read Lev. 16:25; Heb. 2:17; Heb. 9:18-28).

KJV, 2 Thess. 3:6 "Now we command you, brethren, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves
from every brother that walketh disorderly...."
NIV, 2 Thess. 3:6 "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we
command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother
who is IDLE . . ."   (Disorderly is not the same as lazy.)

KJV, Matt. 26:45 "Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith
unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold,
the hour is at hand...."   (A statement.)
NIV, Matt. 26:45 "Then he returned to the disciples and said
to them, 'ARE YOU STILL SLEEPING AND RESTING?   Look,
the hour is near . . ."   (A question.)

KJV, Mark 10:24 "And the disciples were astonished at his
words.   But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them,
Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches
to enter into the kingdom of God!"
NIV, Mark 10:24 "The disciples were amazed at his words.
But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the
kingdom of God!"   ("Them that trust in riches" is missing.)

Friend, before you decide to use the NIV . . .
   Please consider what you have read.   We have only
scratched the surface.   But as you can see, the NIV is not
necessarily easier to understand, so why not just stick with
the KJV?
   The KJV has proven itself as the version God has truly
blessed.   Consider all the revivals the KJV has seen.   Consider
how much longer the KJV has been used coupled with the
fact that Christ promised His Word would always be around
(Matt. 24:35).   (The NIV showed up as late as 1973!)

Are you willing to trust your eternity-bound soul to a "Johnny
come lately" version that, in many instances, is actually
harder to understand?   If you'd like more information
concerning the NIV please contact Send the Light ministries
at the P.O. Box 815, Fargo, ND.

   We will be happy to send you more material.   Thank you.

IF you were to die today, are you 100% SURE
you would go to Heaven?   The Bible says
YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13).

BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps you
from going to Heaven are your sins, because:
"...your iniquities [sins] have separated
between you and your God," Isaiah 59:2.
In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For
all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23.

SECONDLY, you must realize that there is
NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn
Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not of works, lest any
man should boast."   (Eph. 2:8-9)   Baptism, good
deeds, church membership, self-righteousness are
all examples of good works that cannot save you,
because, "Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he [Christ] saved
us," Titus 3:5.

THE ONLY WAY you can get saved is through
Jesus Christ.   He said: "I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me."   (John 14:6)   THAT'S
WHY: "...while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us."   Romans 5:8-9

THEREFORE: You must REPENT (change your
mind); admit that you are a Hell deserving sinner
and can't save yourself.   And call upon Christ, and
Him alone, to save you.   "if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [REPENT], and
shalt believe in thine heart [TRUST] that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved."   Romans 10:9

SEND THE LIGHT
P.O. Box 815   Fargo, ND 58107

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