There once was an evil king who had a powerful and cunning army with which he conquered many lands. He ruled with oppression over his subjects and threw many into prison and slew others for his own pleasure showing no regard for mercy or justice. But there was a good man who was a great warrior and skilled swordsmith from another land who came to this kingdom and when he saw the oppression of the people he had compassion on them. He had fought and won many battles with a powerful sword he had fashioned out of a special metal and sharpened with a special stone which made it strong and sharp and it seemed to guide the hand of him who brandished it as if it were alive. And he secretly established an army of the people and set up skilled workmen to fashion swords after the fashion of his own design and showed them where and how to find the metal by which they were made and he trained the people and set other trainers over them to train them to use the sword. He was later called away and the people continued to mine for the special metal and fashioned many swords. But after some years after the swordsmith had left the king heard of what he had done and that he had set up the people against him and so had certain cunning men infiltrate the uprising to persuade the young and more impressionable men among them that the metal and the design of their sword was wrong and that they would attempt to restore it to its original state. And they brought in another metal and a different stone with which to fashion and sharpen their swords and remade them after a lesser design. And so when the time came to rise up in battle against the king and his army many of the swords of those which were fashioned and sharpened with the metal and stones that were brought in being dull and brittle were ineffectual and were shattered by the swords of the kings army and many of them fell in battle and were slain. But those who were not deceived and had fought and practiced with the swords fashioned and sharpened with the swordsmith's metal and stone were valiant and defeated the kings army and were victorious. And the swordsmith returned in the heat of the battle and slew the king that oppressed the people and was set to rule over all the realm.
This is a short parable I have written to illustrate the Bible version issue and why Christians should take it seriously. Before I explain it though I encourage you to read it over and consider it's meaning on your own.
The evil king represents Satan. The swordsmith and his sword are Jesus Christ and his word which is quick (alive) and powerful (See Hebrews 4:12). The skilled workmen who made swords after the swordsmith's design are the translators of the Authorized King James Version of the Bible. The trainers are the pastors and teachers of the word. Those who infiltrated the rebellion are those who have sought to corrupt and weaken the power of God’s word. The strong metal from which the swordsmith’s sword was fashioned is the manuscripts that underlie the King James Bible. And the metal of the dull and brittle swords are the manuscripts underlying the modern versions.
If Satan could dull the blade of our sword and make our Bible ineffective wouldn't he? Ephesians 6:12 tells us:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
And in Ephesians 6:17 one of the things we are told to do in order to battle this spiritual wickedness is to:
take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Satan obviously has an interest in corrupting our Bible. It's the first thing he would go after in order to take the power out of our fight. For example Jesus taught in Matthew 17:21 and Mark 9:29 that certain evil spirits can only be cast out by prayer and fasting, the implication is that fasting is a powerful weapon against Satan and his forces.
Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. (Matthew 17:21 KJV)
This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. (Mark 9:29 KJV)
In the NIV Matthew 17:21 is missing, it goes straight from verse 20 to 22. In Mark 9:29 in NIV the part about fasting is omitted simply reading:
He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer. ” (NIV)
Someone reading the NIV would not learn about the power of fasting over dark spiritual forces. And Satan surely doesn't want us Christians to know just what a powerful weapon against him fasting is. Do you want a Bible that removes verses and important biblical teachings on spiritual warfare? There are vast quantities of scripture removed and altered by modern versions but Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that:
It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God
Every word does not just mean every idea or concept it's not just referring to the gist of the meaning of God’s word, rather it means that every word of scripture has depth and substance to sustain us and keep us spiritually nourished and strong in Christ. If you are a Christian and believe that God's word is important then don't settle for a substandard and altered Bible that has missing words, phrases and verses, get yourself a fully complete King James Bible and read and study it regularly that you may be able to be fully nourished and prepared for spiritual battle through the power of Gods inerrant word. God bless.
Andrew
This is a short parable I have written to illustrate the Bible version issue and why Christians should take it seriously. Before I explain it though I encourage you to read it over and consider it's meaning on your own.
The evil king represents Satan. The swordsmith and his sword are Jesus Christ and his word which is quick (alive) and powerful (See Hebrews 4:12). The skilled workmen who made swords after the swordsmith's design are the translators of the Authorized King James Version of the Bible. The trainers are the pastors and teachers of the word. Those who infiltrated the rebellion are those who have sought to corrupt and weaken the power of God’s word. The strong metal from which the swordsmith’s sword was fashioned is the manuscripts that underlie the King James Bible. And the metal of the dull and brittle swords are the manuscripts underlying the modern versions.
If Satan could dull the blade of our sword and make our Bible ineffective wouldn't he? Ephesians 6:12 tells us:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
And in Ephesians 6:17 one of the things we are told to do in order to battle this spiritual wickedness is to:
take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Satan obviously has an interest in corrupting our Bible. It's the first thing he would go after in order to take the power out of our fight. For example Jesus taught in Matthew 17:21 and Mark 9:29 that certain evil spirits can only be cast out by prayer and fasting, the implication is that fasting is a powerful weapon against Satan and his forces.
Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. (Matthew 17:21 KJV)
This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. (Mark 9:29 KJV)
In the NIV Matthew 17:21 is missing, it goes straight from verse 20 to 22. In Mark 9:29 in NIV the part about fasting is omitted simply reading:
He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer. ” (NIV)
Someone reading the NIV would not learn about the power of fasting over dark spiritual forces. And Satan surely doesn't want us Christians to know just what a powerful weapon against him fasting is. Do you want a Bible that removes verses and important biblical teachings on spiritual warfare? There are vast quantities of scripture removed and altered by modern versions but Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that:
It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God
Every word does not just mean every idea or concept it's not just referring to the gist of the meaning of God’s word, rather it means that every word of scripture has depth and substance to sustain us and keep us spiritually nourished and strong in Christ. If you are a Christian and believe that God's word is important then don't settle for a substandard and altered Bible that has missing words, phrases and verses, get yourself a fully complete King James Bible and read and study it regularly that you may be able to be fully nourished and prepared for spiritual battle through the power of Gods inerrant word. God bless.
Andrew