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THE NKJV (NEW KING JAMES VERSION)
The NKJV was originally
advertised as the fifth revision of the Authorized Version. The
publishers claim that the purpose of publishing the NKJV was to
preserve the authority and accuracy of the original King James
Bible while making it understandable to 20th Century readers by
updating the grammar, punctuation, archaic words, etc.
The finished work was said to be "beautifully clear" and "highly
readable." The publishers spent millions to convince the public
that the NKJV is the Bible of the present and the future. Let's
take a closer look and see if the claim to preserve the
authority and accuracy of the original King James Bible is true.
Matthew 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."
Worshipping and kneeling are two very different words.
Worshipping is directed toward God and is an attitude of the
heart. Kneeling is a physical act and attitude of the body, and
can be directed toward anyone. Worshipping and kneeling clearly
are not synonyms.
I Thess. 5:22
KJV - "Abstain from all appearance of evil"
NKJV - "Abstain from every form of evil"
The NKJV is weaker on separation here, because the word
"appearance" includes things that look wrong as well as are
wrong - whereas the word "form" tends to mean only those things
that are wrong.
II Tim. 2:15
KJV - "Study to show thyself approved unto God"
NKJV - "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God."
Since when has "study" and "diligent" meant the same thing? Try
telling college students to go home and be diligent. Again,
study and diligent are not synonyms.
II Cor. 2:17
KJV - "For we are not as many, which corrupt the word
of God"
NKJV - "For we are not, as so many, peddling the Word of God"
Corrupt means to make impure; peddle means to sell. I'm sorry,
English hasn't changed that much! They are right about one thing
though, they are not peddling the word of God!
James 5:16
KJV - "Confess your faults one to another"
NKJV - "Confess your trespasses to one another"
This comes close to the Roman Catholic reading "Confess your
sins." All Christians have faults, these are not necessarily
sins or trespasses.
Philippians 2:6
KJV - "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God."
NKJV - "Who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality
with God something to be grasped."
The reversal of words here is significant.
I Tim. 6:5
KJV - "supposing that gain is godliness"
NKJV - "who suppose that godliness is a means of gain"
Both of the two above examples are clear reversals of meaning.
Hebrews 10:14
KJV - "For by one offering he hath perfected forever
them that are sanctified."
NKJV - "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who
are being sanctified."
" Are sanctified" - it is done - completed.
" Being sanctified" is in the process of becoming ….it is not
yet completed! Clearly, two different meanings.
Jude 24
KJV - "Now unto him that is able to keep you from
falling"
NKJV - "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling"
Again, stumbling and falling are not synonyms. To say he has
fallen down or he has fallen away is completely different than
saying he stumbled. As a Christian, I have and will stumble in
my walk with God but, I have not fallen from God. In the
spiritual sense, as what is clearly being taught here, it is two
very different teachings.
I Thess. 5:23
KJV - "be preserved blameless unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ"
NKJV - "be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ."
The prepositions "unto" and "at" indicate different time
sequences.
I Cor. 16:2
KJV - "Upon the first day of the week let every one of
you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him,"
NKJV - "On the first day of the week let each one of you lay
something aside, storing up as he may prosper,"
This clearly demotes and
downgrades God as being the one who blesses as well as
storehouse tithing.
If the NKJV is simply an
updated KJV then an honest comparison of the two ought to give
rise to no changed meanings, no reversed meanings, and no
additions and omissions. |
