📜 I. Underlying Manuscripts

The Critical Text is the Greek text that scholars have compiled as closest to the original autograph (manuscripts). The Textus Receptus and it’s derived KJV are largely influenced by Catholicism and partly Calvinism. Erasmus was a Catholic priest who felt that the doctrine of Faith Alone was not supported in the bible in the simplistic way Luther proposed; and King James, while being raised Calvinist, became part Catholic (Anglicanism). According to Metzger, the KJV translators relied heavily on the Calvinist Geneva Bible, some estimate 20% of the KJV came from the GB.

  • Points 1 - 6

    1. The Textus Receptus was not historically received by all or even by Erasmus himself. There are 27 different and conflicting Textus Receptus’.

      Textus Receptus is the Greek text that stands behind the King James Bible. Contrary to what its name suggests, it is not the text received by all. Even Erasmus wasn’t pleased … — Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies (Ph.D., Dallas Theological Seminary)

    2. Erasmus only used around 3 manuscripts to produce the severely anemic Textus Receptus. There are approximately 5000 mss of the Byzantine MT. So it’s not actually a Majority text bible by methodology.

      … the NT has about 5,600 extant copies in Greek alone, … 10,000 in latin, several thousand copies … several hundred thousand patristic quotations … — Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies (Ph.D., Dallas Theological Seminary) paraphrased.

      If you could stack up all handwritten manuscripts of the New Testament—Greek, Syriac, Latin, Coptic, all languages—how tall would the stack be? … I have said in many lectures that it would be the equivalent of c. 4 & 1/2 Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other. — Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies (Ph.D., Dallas Theological Seminary)

    3. Erasmus lacked the last leaf of Revelation, back translated from a defective copy of the Latin Vulgate, and created 20 errors that don’t exist in any Greek mss, botching the last 6 verses of revelation.

      The problem with Erasmus was that he only used really three manuscripts. In fact, the manuscript Erasmus used for the book of Revelation lacked the last leaf. He was in a rush to get his Greek New Testament published, because he knew there were others trying to get their editions out. Consequently, he back translated from his defective copy of the Latin Vulgate into Greek for the last six verses of Revelation. In the process, he created twenty new textual variants that have not been found in any other manuscripts … — Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies (Ph.D., Dallas Theological Seminary)

    4. The Masoretic Text is insufficient, by itself, to translate the book of Job correctly without Ugaritic and other cognate languages. In fact there’s evidence that the translators were guessing.

      I will never trust it [The KJV] again in Job. … The KJV translators had no access to that [Ugaritic], nor did they have access to other cognate languages for the same purpose (like Akkadian), or the Dead Sea Scrolls. They did the best they could and did it well, but in books like Job, it is easy for someone like me to know they are just simply guessing in places. — Dr. Michael S. Heiser (created Logos Bible Software Interlinears for KJV, NIV, and NKJV)

    5. Israel Wasn’t Even In Existence When the Most High Divided The Nations! The fact that Israel didn’t even exist at this point in Gen. 11:1-9, as referenced by Deut. 32:8 KJV, proves that the much older Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) & Septuagint (LXX) are crucial in solving complex issues in the Masoretic Text (MT).

      The only versions of the Bible that survived my previous litmus tests, that also have the correct “sons of God” or “heavenly assembly / court” translation are the: ESV, NET, and NLT — The Dead Sea Scrolls And Septuagint Solve A Mystery In The Masoretic Text.

    6. The mss that Erasmus had access to are among the youngest and most error prone mss from the 12th to 16th century as opposed to those in the Critical Text which are mere decades from the crucifixion.

🖋️ II. Translation

See IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX from my article “A Thorough Examination On Bible Versions.”

  • Points 7 - 13

    • Jehovah or Yahweh? The KJV uses a fake pronunciation of the Hebrew tetragrammaton several times like the cults do: Ge 22:14; Ex 6:3; Ex 17:15; Jg 6:24; Ps 83:18; Isa 12:2; Isa 26:4.

      The Jewish Encyclopedia: “Jehovah” — a mispronunciation of the Hebrew YHWH the name of God. This pronunciation is grammatically impossible. The form ‘Jehovah’ is a philological impossibility.”

      Encyclopedia Judaica: “the true pronunciation of the tetragrammaton YHWH was never lost. The name was pronounced Yahweh. It was regularly pronounced this way at least until 586 B.C., as is clear from the Lachish Letters written shortly before this date.”

      The New Jewish Encyclopedia: “It is clear that the word Jehovah is an artificial composite.”

  • Points 14 - 18

    • “Come” or “Come and see”?

      Revelation 6:1 tc The addition of “and see” (καὶ ἴδε or καὶ βλέπε [kai ide or kai blepe]) to “come” (ἔρχου, erchou) in 6:1, 3-5, 7 is a gloss directed to John, i.e., “come and look at the seals and the horsemen!” But the command ἔρχου is better interpreted as directed to each of the horsemen. The shorter reading also has the support of the better witnesses. — NET Translators’ Notes

    • Book Of Life or Tree Of Life?

      Revelation 22:19 tc … The most notorious of these is this reading. It is thus decidedly inauthentic, while “the tree” of life, found in the best and virtually all Greek mss, is clearly authentic. … — NET Translators’ Notes

    • Wash their robes or Do His commandments?

      ‘Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life,’ carries us back to the old law… I might almost say it is ‘making the Cross of Christ of none effect.’ … Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by His mercy. He saved us.’ — MacLaren’s Expositions (Rev. 22:14)

    • The word Lucifer (Is 14:12 KJV) is not a proper name, but the Latin word for ‘morning star,’ (Is 14:12 ESV) which literally referred to Venus in the Latin Vulgate. The KJV translators duplicated the word used in the Latin Vulgate instead of translating it.

      … the KJV translators were not sure what to make of it, and simply duplicated the word used in the Latin Vulgate … Lucifer. It is not a proper name but the Latin word for ‘morning star.’ — Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies (Ph.D., Dallas Theological Seminary)

    • Does God create evil (Is 45:7 KJV) or calamity (Is 45:7 ESV)?

      The word translated “evil” is from a Hebrew word that means “adversity, affliction, calamity, distress, misery.” Modern scholarship in conjunction with our oldest and best manuscripts which predate those used in the TR by over a thousand years, reflect this sentiment. It is without a doubt, calamity. — Point IX, A Thorough Examination On Bible Versions

  • Points 19 - 20

    • The importance of Jude 5 and how it demonstrates the interaction between the personages of the Trinity in Gen. 19:24 LEB proving that Jesus is Yahweh God yet again (1Co 10:4-5,9 Hosea 13:4 LEB). See NET Notes.

      Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. — Jude 1:5 ESV (English Standard Version)

    • The very potent John 1:18 that further showcases that Jesus is God made manifest in the flesh. This is from Papyrus 75 (𝔓75) “The most significant” papyrus of the New Testament to be discovered so far.” as well as 𝔓66.

      No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[a] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. — NIV, Parallel

      No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,[a] who is close to the Father’s heart,[b] who has made him known. — NRSV, Parallel

🏫 III. Scholarship

  • The ESV Study Bible has over 200+ biblical scholars (100+ ESV; 95 Study); 9 countries, 20 denominations, 50 seminaries, colleges, and universities, including Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, London, Japan, California, MIT, Duke, Westminister, Dallas, etc. 20,000 study notes, 80,000 cross-references, 200+ charts, 50+ articles, 240 full-color maps and illustrations. Textual Basis: Masoretic Text BHS ‘83, DSS, LXX, SP, S, Vg; UBS5, NA28. Many distinguished scholars.

  • The NET Bible: Full Notes Edition is a completely new, non-sectarian and “inter-denominational,” translation of the Bible with 60,932 translators’ notes, completed by more than 25+ of the world’s foremost biblical scholars from Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Sheffield, Columbia, Dallas, etc. This is the largest set of translators’ notes ever created. Textual Basis: Masoretic Text BHS [B19A(L)], DSS; NA28, UBS4. Many distinguished scholars.

  • The NLT Filament Study Bible has over 90+ Scholars in translation from Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Columbia, Westminster, Dallas, etc. The study brings even more to the table. In addition to the NLT being the most readable Bible version on earth according to quantitative linguistic comparison of Bible translations using computerized statistical analysis, many distinguished scholars.

  • Points 21 - 23

    • Remember, that it is the “untaught” that ultimately end up twisting scripture and forming cults. Scholars are doing the Lord’s work, what they say has value. This is the primary reason everything I say is accompanied by heavy citation.

      As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. — 2 Peter 3:16 KJV

    • We are required to study and rightly divide the word of truth, or as some translations say “Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately.”

      Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. — 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

    • God said knowledge would increase; ergo, modern translations should be more accurate. We know for a fact that as time progresses, knowledge will increase, and so will the accuracy of Bible versions.

      But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. — Daniel 12:4 KJV

👨‍💻 III. Quantitative Linguistic Comparison and Computerized Statistical Analysis

  • Point 24

    • According to quantitative linguistic comparison of Bible translations using computerized statistical analysis the English Standard Version (ESV) is the most literal formal equivalent bible version on Earth.

    • He who wins souls is wise (Pr 11:30 NET). How much easier would it be to convey a message to someone with a high reading comprehension score? Especially considering that each of these versions are 99.8% textually pure.

Version Readability Literalness
NLT 70.08% 39.90%
NIV 67.20% 53.10%
CSB 66.75% 64.83%
NET 66.28% 53.94%
NRSV 63.08% 60.51%
ESV 62.36% 68.74%
NASB 61.65% 67.99%
NKJV 60.32% 65.21%
KJV 48.83% 66.58%

Recommended Bibles

Please see article Litmus Test.