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TNIV
& THE LORD JESUS
Terry
Watkins
www.av1611.org
And they were filled
with madness;
and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
Luke 6:11
The cornerstone of the
Christian faith is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not His
teachings, not His morals, not His miracles, not His example – but
HIM.
John 14:6 says:
Jesus saith unto him, I AM the way,
the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but BY
ME.
If there's one doctrine that Christians
should guard and protect it surely is the deity of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The FACT that Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh is the
foundation of the Christian faith.
For years the new Bible versions have
been continually chipping away at the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 3:16 is the clearest verse in
the Bible proclaiming Jesus Christ as "God manifest in the
flesh". In 1 Timothy 3:16, the King James Bible is unmistakable –
"God was manifest in the flesh".
And without controversy great is the
mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified
in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on
in the world, received up into glory.
1 Timothy 3:16, KJB
In 1 Timothy 3:16, virtually every new
version replaces the clear, emphatic "God" with the generic
"he".
The "original" NIV reads in 1
Timothy 3:16:
Beyond all question, the mystery of
godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by
the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was
believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
1 Timothy 3:16, NIV
The NIV [and the other versions] changes "God"
to "he". "HE appeared in a body"? So What?
Everyone has "appeared in a body". "He" is a pronoun
that refers to a noun or antecedent. There is no antecedent in the
context. The statement does NOT even make sense. The NIV distorts I
Timothy 3:16 into grammatical nonsense. Of course, daughter TNIV reads
as mommy NIV, "He appeared in a body."
I find it ironic and very disturbing,
that the TNIV (and the new versions) invent ways and mis-translations to
remove the "generic he" in hundreds of places to appease the
feminist – and yet, they insert the "generic he" in 1
Timothy 3:16 when the reference is the clearest reference to the deity
of the Lord Jesus Christ in all the Bible! That's curious. . . Who is
REALLY writing these new versions?
Make no mistake about it – there is an
attack on the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Much more could be documented on the
attack upon the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ by the new versions.
But what about the TNIV?
On the TNIV website, they make the
following, definite statement:
"Without exception, the TNIV
retains gender-accurate, masculine terminology for references to
God. This is a theological understanding and commitment that the
Committee on Bible Translation, standing in concert with the Church
throughout the ages, considers inviolable."
(TNIV: Clarity in Contemporary English, www.tniv.info/story/clarity.php)
That's pretty plain. . . "Without
exception, the TNIV retains gender-accurate, masculine
terminology for references to God. . ."
Let's look at a few very, very,
enlightening verses in the TNIV.
Open your eyes real wide
– because what you're about to read is alarming – to say the least.
The King James Bible, in Philippians
2:5-8, clearly confirms that Jesus Christ is God, ". . . thought it
not robbery to be equal with God. . ." Again, the deity of
our Lord Jesus is openly and clearly affirmed. And again the new
versions attack the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:5-8
Philippians 2:5-8, KJV
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also
in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal
with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a
servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8, NIV
5 Your attitude should be the same as that
of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being
made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient to death – even death on a cross!
The "original" NIV [as do all
the new versions] completely re-word the verse to DENY the deity of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
And the TNIV goes even further. . .
Remember the emphatic words from the TNIV
website, "Without exception, the TNIV retains
gender-accurate, masculine terminology for references to God. .
."
Notice, the KJV, correctly, use the
"masculine terminology"- "man" when referring
the Lord Jesus Christ in Philippians 2.
Philippians 2:5-8, KJV
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also
in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal
with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a
servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
The TNIV changes the "masculine
terminology" of Philippians 2 while referring to the Lord Jesus.
They change the masculine "man" to the neuter "human
being".
Philippians 2:5-8, TNIV
5 In your relationships with one another,
have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a human being, he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
1 Corinthians 15:21, is another
"masculine" [man] reference to the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22, KJB
For since by man came death, by man
[Jesus] came also the resurrection of the dead
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made
alive.
Again, the TNIV change the
"masculine" [man] to the neuter "human being".
1 Corinthians 15:21-22, TNIV
For since death came through a human
being, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a human
being [Jesus].
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
And they do this many times! They replace
the masculine "man" with the "gender-blender"
"human being". And the reference is, without question, to
God – the Male, Masculine, Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember the emphatic words from the TNIV
site, "Without exception, the TNIV retains
gender-accurate, masculine terminology for references to God. .
."
I'd say that pretty well sums up the TNIV
and company's beliefs about the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Either
that, or they haven't got the slightest idea what they are talking
about. Either way, they have no business publishing the words of God!
And may I remind you, once again. . . these are the same people, same
beliefs and according to their own words – the same methodology used
to publish the New International Version (NIV).
The Greek text, without any doubt,
affirms the KJB masculine translation.
1 Timothy 2:5 is one of the greatest
verses in the Bible. It tells of our mediator between God and men - the
"God-man" – the Lord Jesus Christ.
The King James correctly, contains the
masculine terminology [man] of the God-inspired Greek text.
1 Timothy 2:5, KJB
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus;
And again, the TNIV drops the masculine
[man] for the sexless, neuter "human beings" and
"human".
1 Timothy 2:5, TNIV
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and human
beings, Christ Jesus, himself human,
"Without exception, the TNIV
retains gender-accurate, masculine terminology for references to God.
. ."
Here's some other verses where the TNIV
drops the "masculine terminology" when referring to God the
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 9:6-8, KJB (again a clear
reference to the Lord Jesus)
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man
hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the
palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
7 And he arose, and departed to his house.
8 But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God,
which had given such power unto men.
Matthew 9:6-8, TNIV
6 But I want you to know that the Son of
Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the
paralyzed man, "Get up, take your mat and go home."
7 Then the man got up and went home.
8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised
God, who had given such authority to human beings
John 15:13, KJB (clearly referring to the
Lord Jesus and Calvary)
Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13, TNIV
Greater love has no one than this: to lay
down one’s life for one’s friends.
Matthew 13:57, KJB
And they were offended in him. But
Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his
own country, and in his own house.
Matthew 13:57, TNIV (see also Luke 4:24)
And they took offense at him. But Jesus
said to them, "Only in their own towns and in their
own homes are prophets without honor."
John 6:33, KJB (a clear reference to the
Lord Jesus Christ)
For the bread of God is he which
cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
John 6:33, TNIV
For the bread of God is that which
comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
THE ANDROGYNOUS JESUS. . .
In Hebrews 2:17, the TNIV starts wading
in some very treacherous water. Some very treacherous and very polluted
water.
Hebrews 2:16-17, describes how the Lord
Jesus physically came through the seed of Abraham. Verse 17 says that
the Lord Jesus, was physically ". . . made like his brethren [Jews].
. ." The TNIV translators, without any Greek evidence, in any
manuscript, inserts the female gender "sisters" into the
verse. This is a flagrant disregard for the Greek text and adding to
God’s Word. And it opens the door for some serious satanic feminist
and new age teaching. Namely, that Jesus Christ was androgynous – both
male and female.
Hebrews 2:16-17, KJB
For verily he took not on him the nature
of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his
brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest
in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of
the people.
Hebrews 2:16-17, TNIV
For surely it is not angels he helps, but
Abraham’s descendants.
"For this reason he had to be made like his brothers
and sisters in every way, in order that he might become a merciful
and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make
atonement for the sins of the people"
". . . made like his
brothers and sisters IN EVERY WAY. . ."
Notice the TNIV translators addition of
"IN EVERY WAY". Why in the world did they "add" the
words "in EVERY way"? What in the world do they mean "in
EVERY way"?
That’s opening the door for some
serious false doctrine. Serious. . . Wicked. . . Blasphemous. . .
Errors.
In the popular new-age book, The
Coming of the Cosmic Christ, author Matthew Fox, writes of this,
"made like his brothers and sisters in every way",
Christ the TNIV translators have tapped into.
"The Cosmic Christ can be both
female and male, . . ."
(Matthew Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ)
Feminist Rosemary Radford Ruether, in Sexism
and God-Talk, also describes this "made like his brothers and
sisters in every way" Christ. Ruether, says ". . .we can
encounter Christ in the form of our sister". That’s almost
identical to the perverted claims of the TNIV translators in Hebrews
2:17 – ". . . made like his brothers and sisters in every way.
. ."
"Christ is not necessarily male,
nor is the redeemed community only women, but a new humanity, female
and male. . . In the language of early Christian prophetism, we
can encounter Christ in the form of our sister"
(Rosemary Radford Ruether, Sexism and God-Talk)
Radical feminist and lesbian author,
Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, was stylistic consultant for the
"original" New International Version (NIV). Mollenkott is also
a major player in the push for gender-inclusive Bibles [such as the
TNIV]. In fact, Mollenkott was a team member of the very first gender
inclusive scriptures ever published, An Inclusive Language
Lectionary. Not surprising, Mollenkott, also promotes the
"male-female" Christ [". . .made like his brothers and
sisters in every way. . ."]
"the combination of Wisdom/Christ
leads to a healthy blend of male and female imagery that empowers
everyone and works beautifully to symbolize the One God who is neither
male nor female yet both male and female".
(Mollenkott, Virginia Ramey. The Divine Feminine. P. 104).
"The creation story begins by
affirming that God is neither male nor female, but both. The
first chapter of Genesis emphasizes that both male and female are made
in the image of the creator God."
(Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Gender Diversity and the Christian
Community, www.theotherside.org/archive/may-jun01/mollenkott.html)
NIV member and homosexual activist,
Mollenkott, seems to have no respect for the Lord Jesus. As she even
perverts the Lord Jesus Christ into an effeminate,
"gender-bender", "fairy":
"Jesus, whom Paul refers to as the
second adam, also defied gender norms. He didn't marry,
although he had the religious obligation to do so at eighteen. He
performed acts like cooking or washing the feet of his disciples –
acts culturally assigned to wives or slaves, not to a free male, .
. ."
(Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Gender Diversity and the Christian
Community, www.theotherside.org/archive/may-jun01/mollenkott.html)
NIV consultant, Mollenkott also stated in
a news conference, that Jesus Christ was "chromosomally
female":
"You might be interested to know
that. . . Jesus remained chromosomally female throughout life."
(Virginia Mollenkott, National Council of Churches news conference,
cited in The Language of the King James Bible, Gail Riplinger, p. 114)
Researching the TNIV, I kept asking
myself, "What happened to the fear of the Lord?" How can the
TNIV translators (CBT), publisher (Zondervan) and copyright holder (IBS)
intentionally add, delete, change and distort the words of God? How can
they intentionally add words that clearly pervert the Lord Jesus Christ?
Where is the fear of God?
Where is the "trembling at his
words"?
". . . but to this man will I
look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth
at my word."
Isaiah 66:2
Are these new version translators and
publishers not aware of the serious warnings, the Lord gives on
tampering, adding and taking away from His words?
"Ye shall not add unto the word
which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it,
that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command
you."
Deuteronomy 4:2
"Add thou not unto his words,
lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
Proverbs 30:6
God’s last warning is in Revelation
22:18,19:
For I testify unto every man that
heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall
add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are
written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life,
and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in
this book.
Revelation 22:18,19
I would not be the people behind these
new Bible versions for all the money, wealth, fame and fortune in the
whole world. They have a lot, and I mean A LOT, to answer for
when they meet the Lord, whether they are saved or lost. It’s not
going to be pretty.
No wonder, WorldNetDaily referred to the
TNIV as "Today's New International Perversion" and a
World magazine's headline called it "The NIV's Twisted Sister"(www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/004/10.30.html
THE DAMAGE DONE. . .
Even if these Bibles never sell a single
copy, the damage done to the authority and trustworthy of the words of
God is insurmountable. CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, newscast after newscast,
reported on the confusing changes in the TNIV Inclusive Bible. All this
does is add more doubt, more confusion, more excuses for the lost world
to doubt the accuracy of the words of God – ". . . yea, hath God
said. . .?"
And he [Satan] said unto the woman, Yea,
hath God said,. . .?"
Genesis 3:1
What’s the next step?
The ultra-liberal, pro-feminist,
pro-homosexual and VERY popular, author John Spong, writes of this new
inclusive Christianity. Spong says the inclusive Church, ". . .
must unite Christ with Antichrist, Jesus with Judas, male
with female, heterosexual with homosexual. . . "
"[The Church of tomorrow must]
incorporate all or our reality. It must be able to allow God and
Satan to come together in each of us. . . . It must unite Christ
with Antichrist, Jesus with Judas, male with female,
heterosexual with homosexual."
(John Shelby Spong, A New Christianity for a New World, p. 167)
The super-inclusive ". . . God with
Satan. . . Christ with Antichrist. . . Jesus with Judas. . ." –
is this the next step in the "inclusive Bibles"? Is this the
New Inclusive Christianity that is emerging that as Spong describes?
Don’t be too sure. . .
Who would have dreamed 20 years ago,
Bible translators and publishers would be doing what they are doing
today?
And they were filled
with madness;
and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
Luke 6:11
. . . he that
cometh preacheth another Jesus,. . .
2 Corinthians 11:4
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