Would you take a magic marker to your Bible and cross out words from passages?
This chart illustrates what was done when the text used by Christianity for 1800 years was replaced with a text assembled by Westcott and Hort in the nineteenth century and used as the basis for the English Revised Version, which nearly all modern translations closely follow.
The text shown here is the King James Version. Words, sentences, or entire verses in strikethrough illustrate portions that have been removed from the text underlying the KJV New Testament. Not all modern versions are the same. Sometimes the NASB will include a word the NIV doesn't, or the NRSV might omit a phrase the NIV and NASB both retain, etc... but for the most part, the examples below represent nearly all of the popular modern versions. (Psudeo-KJV versions such as the NKJV are far more subtle and are a different case. See the articles section for NKJV examinations.)
I have often wandered why no one involved in writing about Westcott and Hort removals and additions to the scriptures don’t reference Mark 1:2,3. When compared with the KJV the errors are very distinct. The KJV in vers 2 says “As it is written in the prophets”. The NIV and most of the translations that folow Westcott and Hort say ” It is written in Isaiah the prophet”. Note that KJV says “prophets” which is plural and NIV says “Isaiah” singular. The point I am making is that the following passages are quotes from the Old Testament Prophets. KJV Mark 1:2 says: “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
NIV(Westcot & Hort) Mark 1:2 says: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”. Not much difference in these passages but the NIV states it is from “Isaiah the prophet”, whereas the KJV(Textus Receptus) states “prophets”. The passage mentioned is not from Isaiah but from Malichi. This is aganst the doctrine of bible infalibility. NIV 2Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, KJV Mark 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: Also Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; So if this is Gods word and God cannot lie how can the text of the NIV (Westcott & Hort) state that the passegin Mark 2 is from Isaiah when it clearly is not. Also Mark 1:3 is another quote from the old testament prophets. it is from Isaiah so you have a passage from Malichi and a passage from Isaiah which the KJV says “prophets” plural and the NIV says “Isaiah” which is singular. I contend that the NIV and all translations that follow Westcott & Hort are not the word of God because God would not tell you to look one place in the bible for a specific passage and it be somewhere else in the bible. Not profitable for doctrine or training.
They did put in the footnotes of the NIV where to find the passage but the lie is in the text not the footnotes.
Pastor Nick Womble