Bibliology for Today

05/05/2026

Why I will not use a modern Bible version?

Today the Church is flooded with many types of modern versions of the Bible. Modern translations they are called, but are they really accurate? Are they authentic and true to the original text? Such does not matter to the so called experts of text criticism of our day, so why should that really matter to the 21 century Christian? Words like inerrancy, inspiration, and infallibility when it comes to Bible translations in our day are not on the top of the list of the average Christian, as important, but, lets take some time to consider the importance of this issue, and see where this leads us.
Behind every translation there are two important factors we must consider: #1- the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts used, and #2 – the method of translation.
Let’s consider the first item. In modern textual criticism there is a general consensus today that the original Autographs of the first written books of the New Testament have been lost and are unable to be recovered or to be determined. So what manuscripts one uses for any new translation is not a major factor. As long as the Received Text is not used – the text that the KJV translation is based upon, everyone in the textual critic world is happy!
Of course, the textural critics of our day want to be considered orthodox and scholarly, but their method of determining which text is authentic is based on an eclectic method. This method takes into account all possible information sources concerning the text or variant and then a majority vote determines the outcome. A very subjective way of doing things! Such a subjectivism is based on the translator’s biases, theology, and morality. And some of these translators do not even confess to be Christians. The modernistic Critical Text of the 18th century is the foundation work which all modern translation are built upon with the addition of eclectic method mention above. This is, in a nut shell, the method that modern “scholars” use to determine the authenticity of the Scriptures – they even have the gall to call it a very scientific method!
Next item #2 - the method of translation. There are two basic methods of translating that translators use today: 1. formal equivalency and 2. dynamic equivalency. Actually, there is only one now – dynamic equivalency.
Lets define this method of translation. In one word it is called paraphrasing! It is not a word for word equivalent from the Greek or Hebrew manuscripts to English or any receptor language, but it is the translator’s commentary on the verse. It is what he or she believes the verse means and then they translate the verse as they believe into words that convey the translator’s meaning and thoughts. The translator is not concern with being true to the source language, but only cares about how they can make their translation relevant to receptor’s language. They are only cultural minded! They are concern with only readability, not accuracy! You can see now how words like inerrancy, inspiration, and infallibility mean nothing to these modern experts. In fact such words hinder, in their way of thinking, true translation work.
In this method of translation, they – the translators in fact bring the Scriptures down to the level of the unregenerate sinner. Most translators are unsaved so called experts that deny the total depravity of the sinner. They believe the unconverted sinner can understand the Gospel story without first being “born again” of the Spirit of God. I am reminded of 1Co 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”. The main problem with these translators is that they are unregenerate and being so their theology is all missed up – liberal, humanistic, and ungodly. And because their theology is so man centered – free will, human ability, corrupted by human psychology, etc. their translation work does more harm than good. Such is true of them – “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Rom 1:22). It is a lost blinded religious expert trying to give the Light of Life to the lost blinded sinner! It is impossible!
So there is my answer to “Why I will not use a modern Bible version?” These modern versions of corruption only promote double and unbelief. They are the brain child of the Devil. The Devil speaks loud and clear from these perversions - “And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said…” (Gen. 3:1). “Hath God said…”? Why so many different translations and versions? God is not confused about His Word - Psa 119:89 “LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven”. So why should we?
What should you do with your modern, corrupt version? Burn it! Do like the Ephesian’s saints did -
“And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed”(Act 19:18-20).
To radical for you? It is called repentance unto life!
Rev. Thomas J Newton May 4, 2026

12/25/2025

Who is a Christian?

In Acts 11:26 we have this definition: “…. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch”. So a Christian is a “disciple” of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. The word “disciple” means a learner, a student, and a follower. The Lord Jesus Christ says in one place –“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”(Luke 6:46). So we can say that these ones who said “Lord, Lord” were not really disciples at all. May be in name only, but does that count? What about you and I, are we really disciples, and are we Christians then? The proof is simple – do we obey the Word of God as we are led into a Christ like life by God Holy Spirit? The Apostle John says it this way – “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1Jn 3:18).
Is there enough real Christian evidence displayed in your life to convict you in a court of law of being a Christian? In the Western society that we live in many names the name of Christ and go about to blatantly deny major essential doctrines of the Word of God. Can one deny the deity of Christ, the literal resurrection of Christ, and the saving work of His atonement and still be called a Christian? Most Christians have no concept of what it means to be saved by grace alone, through faith alone. Works religion abounds and human achievement is what most so called Christians believe and trust in as their hope that secures a place for them in Heaven. But don’t you think, at some point in time, that the indwelling Christ would teach these professors of faith something about real experiential religion, as the old Puritans would call it? Consider this long portion of Scripture from The Word of God and see how it declares such is the case -
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another (Eph. 4:17-25).

I emphasize verses twenty and twenty one –“ But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus”. “Learned” is the base of our word disciple. So if I am not living as a disciple, I have not really “heard” the call to salvation, which declares I am still lost in my sins! I am not talking about perfectionism. The Apostle Paul puts it this way – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2Co 5:17). I hope this is true of you dear reader. Amen!

12/06/2025

09/14/2025

What killed Charlie Kirk?

Well, everyone would say an autograph bullet, right? But what really killed Charlie was hatred! Hatred that came from a young man’s depraved heart. We can try to ban guns and suchlike, but how does one remove hate from hearts? It can’t be done humanly speaking.

Hatred in the heart is the core problem with all of us. I say this from a Biblical perspective. Humanistic psychology, philosophy, and all man made religions discount and devalue the core heart issue of hatred. Usually the worldly mindset speaks this way – “All humans are basically good”. “Everyone has some good in them”, don’t they? Wrong!
Let me at this point give you the Biblical perspective on human depravity. The Holy Scriptures declare – Rom 3:10-18 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes”.
These verses set forth what is called in Theology – the doctrine of total depravity. All are born as sinners with only the ability to sin. Our innate hatred is not something we acquire by environmental, social, or even religious factors, but by the fact we are all fallen sinners, and we hate God. From the very core of our being we hate God, therefore it is no small wonder that we hate one another. The following verse supports the depraved, inward hatred of all sinners towards God - “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom 8:7). Note it is the “carnal mind” – the mind set of the sinner, ancient or modern, that hates God and is at war with God. Therefore the sinner will say in defiance of God and His Word – “I will hate, kill, destroy anyone whom I will. I don’t fear God, nor do I believe that there is a God to be reckoned with. What a fool! The testimony of the Scriptures is true - Psa 53:1 “To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good”.

But you will protest this whole doctrine of total depravity, don’t you? There is those that do good! There is the evidence of goodness in our society not because there is innate goodness in our hearts, but because God so restrains the potential wickedness of the human heart that we are not as bad as we could be. It is called common grace. Some universal benefits of the Cross of Christ. This grace won’t save you, but it will keep your wicked heart in check, so that there is some decency left in this world today.

Reflect for a moment how depraved humanity really is– when the perfect Son of God came to live among us some two thousand years. He came feeding the poor, healing the sick, raising the dead, delivering those opposed of the Devil, and much, much more, as the four Gospels declare. So what happen to Him? How did fallen humanity of His day showed their love, their appreciation, and thankfulness? We assassinated Him! We murdered Him. It was our innate hatred that put Him on the Cross! Not surprising that we, as fallen depraved sinners, would today treat each other with the same kind of hatred. We are all descendents of Cain – who murdered his brother. “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous (Jn 3:11-12).

Back to my original question in closing - We can try to ban guns and suchlike, but how does one remove hate from hearts? It can’t be done humanly speaking. Take the most pious religious person that you can think of – Saul of Tarus. Before his conversion to Christianity, he was instrumental in the putting to death of many in his day that were followers of the Risen Christ. Just take time to read the first nine chapters of the book of Acts and you will come to understand how much Saul of Tarus hated Christians. Then all that changed! How? Acts chapter nine records his conversion to Christianity – to Christ. From that day on, he loved God, he loved the Lord Jesus Christ, he loved his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. What brought about this change of heart? The Scriptures tells us – the instrumental cause “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom 5:5). “The fruit of the Spirit is love…” (Gal.5:22). The Apostle Paul’s own testimony – “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (1Ti 1:12-14). Love like light will dispel the darkness of hatred!

Saul of Tarus was “born from above”. He was quickened by the Holy Spirit according to God the Father’s will and on the account of the grace purchased in salvation that is in Christ Jesus. Saul believed the good news of the Gospel! Consider the following verses “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1Jn 4:7-10).

We can try to ban guns and suchlike, but how does one remove hate from hearts? It can’t be done humanly speaking. What is impossible for man to do, God can easily do!

08/31/2025

What is your reason for using modern versions of the Bible? To many readability is on the top of their list of reasons for the Bible they choose to read. It is not the doctrine of inspiration, nor inerrancy, or even sufficiency of the Scriptures that motivate their choice. To many the Bible should be as easy to read as the morning newspaper, or even the Sunday comic page. Is this acceptable?

But wasn’t readability the goal of the Reformers in the 1500’s for their work in translations? One writes of the Reformers goal - “A main tenet of the Reformation is that Scripture is clear enough for the simplest person to live by. Because of their belief in the perspicuity of Scripture, men like John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, Myles Coverdale, Thomas Matthew, and Pierre Olivétan went to great lengths to translate the Bible into the vernacular” . (see web site of Got Questions).

The Reformers goal was undergirded by correct manuscripts, literal translations, and the faithful transmission and preservation of the Scriptures by God. Such is not the case today when it comes to modern transitions of the Bible. Readability and marketability are the two main goals of most, if not all, Bible societies and Bible companies of our day. You can’t sell something that is not readable to the ignorant, unlearned, and uneducated masses of society! It is not we should raise the standard of literacy, or keep it high; it is lower the standard in order to dumb down the Scriptures in order to make them readable to the illiterate.

Remember the Roman Catholic Church back in the Reformers day did not want the masses to have or to read the Scriptures for themselves. It is the same in our day – dumb down, dilute, corrupt the Holy Scriptures to the point that what Satan said in the garden to Eve, he says on every page of these adulterated copies of corruption – “Yea, hath God said…”(Gen. 3:1). Modern versions with their missing verses, their many misleading subnotes, their loose translations, their corrupt manuscripts, their method of paraphrasing in translations does not engender or build up faith, but only produces unbelief!

The goal of readability must be rejected because it undermines the Bible doctrine of total depravity. Can the sinner understand the Scriptures savingly apart from first being born of the Spirit? First must come the illumining work of God Holy Spirit. The sinner is spiritually dead and blind – the Scriptures refers to us as “darkness” (John 3:3-5: Eph. 2:1-3; 5:8; 1Cor. 2:14). Also, how can the sinner overcome the satanic blindness which he or she is engulfed in? The Apostle Paul states the case clearly -“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them”. (2Cor. 4:3-4) Again the Apostle Paul hits the nail on the head –“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate” (Titus 1:15-16). Make your modern translations as readable as you want, but remember one thing – God Holy Spirit will not bless a lie!

08/10/2025

Maranatha August 2025 Bible Conference

Download and stream 2025-08-07_1100_Newton_FaithPreservation by Rev TJ Newton for free on audio.com. High-quality audio available for both streaming and download. Listen now.

06/16/2025

How did God preserve His Word for us today?

First of all God promised to keep His inspired Word intact for all generations. Intact has the idea of infallible, errant, and incorruptible. For example the Lord Jesus says this in Mat 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled". Also the Apostle Peter writes 1Pe 1:25 "But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you". The biggest issue is not with God giving us inspired originals - autographs, but the transmission of copies of these inspired records by sinful man.

Yes, good verses (Ps 119:89, Mt 24:35) on the promise of the preservation of His Word. But how did He do that? The analogy is like this the Lord Jesus had two natures - divine and sinless human. The Word of God has two sources: Divine and human. How did God keep the human side of transmission from being corrupted by Israel - Rom 3:2 "Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God", and by us as believer priests in the Church (local)? There are two main ideas on how this preservation was accomplished. One is by the so called science of textual criticism by the intellectual experts of our day, and the other is what is called faith promise preservation.

Faith promise preservation is summed up this way: God as the Sovereign Lord of the universe is able to preserved His Word and keep His promises to do so as He providentially oversees all aspects of the copying and transmission of the original autographs. Think about this!
How did God preserve His Word for us today? Explaining faith promise preservation. Consider these verses:
“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows”(Luke 12:6-7).
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”(Rom 8:28).
“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3).
What do these verses show us? It shows us God’s sovereign providential control of all things. All life both in creation and in salvation, and in all of the natural world God controls, He orchestrates His will and purpose. God speaks and it is done. God sends out His Word and it is done. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isa 55:11).
All the atoms keep their place and course because God makes it so! Consider Jer 5:22 “Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?” We might want to explain away this perpetual decree by some natural law, but all nature laws do not operate on their own power. Order is sustained and maintained by God’s sovereign will and power. The Law of gravity is a phenomena that we can experience and observe, but it works because God see to that it works – 24/7.
Here is one definition of providential care - “In a biblical context, “providential” refers to God’s divine guidance and care in the unfolding of events in life, demonstrating His sovereignty and purpose. It underscores the belief that God orchestrates circumstances for His divine plan, often leading to the fulfillment of His promises (Romans 8:28)”. How can God keep His promises? To you, to me, to all of Israel – to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? How can God see that what He has revealed in Bible prophecy comes to pass? All the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of Messiah Jesus revealed and completed just as it was “Written” –
“Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (Mat 26:52 – 54). And don’t forget that there are numerous prophecies yet to be fulfilled concerning the 2nd Coming of Christ!
Does God work on a hit and miss program? Consider the following statement: “The Bible often teaches and illustrates the doctrine of God’s providence (I will give a definition later), and it should be a source of great comfort and instruction for every believer. It means that God is not distant, passive, or unconcerned with the daily events in our lives. Rather, as our loving and caring Heavenly Father, He actively governs the daily events of our lives, usually behind the scenes, without in any way robbing us of the duty of making responsible choices”. The definition they wrote of: God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them; (2) cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do; and (3) directs them to fulfill his purposes.
Now apply all this as it pertains to the copies of the original autographs of Old and New Testament Scriptures we have today. From the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 1: "The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and, by his singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical...". This is explained in this way: “I have always understood the phrase "by his singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages" to mean that the Westminster theologians believed that God had preserved His Word through time as would be found in the Textus Receptus, the collection of the Greek Text the Church has always used. Meaning, that God has so preserved His word such that what was immediately inspired by God...has been kept pure and entire to this day so that we can trust the Word we have to truly be God's Word”.
“…. are therefore authentical…” What does authentical, authentic mean? We have the authentic Holy Scriptures for us today. Just as God promised! More to come!

1. God's Blessing - https://godsbless.ing/definitions/
2.Bible org - https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-61
3. Wayne Grudem (ibid., p. 315, italics his) defines God’s providence
4. Puritan Board - https://puritanboard.com

The Puritan Board provides Christian discussion in a Confessionally Reformed Evangelical context. We are Evangelical because we protest the authority, truth claims and idolatry of the Roman Catholic Church. We are Reformed because we believe that men and women are dead in trespasses and it requires....

06/08/2025

Bibliology for Today

Article subject: Text used in New King James Version, part 1.

The editors of the New King James version (NKJV) declared/published that their work was a “new edition” of the Authorized Version – The King James Bible (KJB). Note what was advertized back in 1979 in the Moody Monthly – “The New King James Bible isn’t a new translation. It isn’t another version. It is a carefully researched new edition of the King James in which some of the words, punctuation, and grammar has been changed to make it more accurate and easier to read”. The main head line of this Moody article reads thus – “….making the King James even better”. Is that so? How can the NKJV make the KJB better, when in fact, a different Hebrew and Greek text manuscripts was used in the translation of the NKJV? This article will explore the different text manuscripts used for each translation involved.

Lets look at the Hebrew and Greek text in a general way, and then in a more detailed way. First of all, the Old Testament Hebrew text for the KJB is the Ben Chayyim Masoretic Text. The Greek New Testament text for the KJB is the Received Text or what is called The Textus Receptus. The Hebrew text for the NKJV is Ben Asher Masoretic text plus the Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, Dead Sea Scrolls, and other ancient versions (See Preface of NKJV). The Greek New Testament for the NKJV is the Textus Receptus with an eclertic method of translation. Eclertic means “Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles” (The American Heritage® Dictionary).

First - Old Testament Text in detail: different versions of the Masoretic Text are used for the KJB and the NKJV. One source writes this on the difference of these two Hebrew texts – “In addition to the various changes in the Hebrew text at the top of the page, the footnotes in Kittel’s BIBLIA HEBRAICA suggest from 20,000 to 30,000 changes throughout the whole Old Testament”. This Kittel’s BIBLIA HEBRAICA is what the NKJV Preface calls the Leningrad Manuscript B19a. From their the Preface writes –“For the NKJV the text used was the 1967/1977 Stuttgart edition of the BIBLIA HEBRAICA…”. So the Hebrew text used for the KJB and NKJV are totally different! In fact the Hebrew Text used for the NKJV is the same text underlining Westcott and Hort’s Critical Text, which is the text that is used in ALL modern translations.
Read it for yourselves – “For the New King James Version the text used was the 1967/1977 Stuttgart edition of the Biblia Hebraica, with frequent comparisons being made with the Bomberg edition of 1524-25. The Septuagint (Greek) Version of the Old Testament and the Latin Vulgate also were consulted. In addition to referring to a variety of ancient versions of the Hebrew Scriptures, the New King James Version draws on the resources of relevant manuscripts from the Dead Sea caves. In the few places were the Hebrew was so obscure that the 1611 King James was compelled to follow one of the versions, but where information is now available to resolve the problems, the New King James Version follows the Hebrew text. Significant variations are recorded in footnotes” (NKJV Preface). (Look for the up coming article about “recorded footnotes” used in NKJV).
To sum up the first point - Old Testament Text in detail: The NKJV translators believe the Bomberg/Ben Chayyim Masoretic Text is deficient, corrupt, and out of date. Hear what the experts/scholars have to say, again as recorded for us in the NKJV Preface – “This edition was based on the oldest dated manuscript of the ben Asher text, the Leningrad Manuscript B19a (A.D. 1008), which Kahle regarded as superior to that used by ben Chayyim”. SUPERIOR?

Remember the 1979 ad in Moody Monthly – “The New King James Bible isn’t a new translation. It isn’t another version. It is a carefully researched new edition of the King James in which some of the words, punctuation, and grammar has been changed to make it more accurate and easier to read” More accurate? “Some of the words,… has been changed…”? The NKJV is a whole new/man-made translation; where “thus sayeth man” is the foundation of its authority, not God.

Psa 119:89 “LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven”.

Next article - New Testament Text in detail.