The New International Version: A Perversion of God's Truth!

by Kent Bailey

The Bible is the plenary verbally inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:15-17). It is God's instructions to humanity constituting the scheme of Redemption wherein one can accept and obey God's conditions of pardon and thus be saved from sin both in this present life as well as in eternity. Not only are the scriptures plenary and verbally inspired of God, constituting God's divine revelation to us, they have also been providentially preserved as objective truth, whereby one may know with absolute certainty that one has been made free from the ravages of sin (John 17:17; 8:32). Ascertaining such knowledge one thus can, by obedience to God's truth, know that one continues to walk in such (2 John 1-2; 3 John 1-3):
The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of the earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever (Psalm 12:6-7).

For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89).

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35).

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever... The word of the Lord endureth for ever (1 Peter 1:23-25).

In consideration of the foundational truth of Biblical preservation, it is crucial that one understands that the inspired truth of the scriptures exists today. Such truth exists upon the basis of preservation. When the message of original manuscripts are preserved and translated into various languages divine inspiration continues to exist just as long as the translation correctly embodies the meaning of the words of the original.

The New International Version is a perversion of God's truth on the basis of two specific reasons:
  1. It was translated from a flawed text, and

  2. The basis of its translation was not that of material equivalence, but rather that of dynamic equivalence.

A flawed text serves as the basis of the New International Version.

While the Old Testament of the New International Version is based upon the Hebrew Masoretic Text (an acceptable underlying text). The text used as the basis for translating the New Testament is terribly flawed.

For some time following the fourth century AD, differing text-types were current in the East, however by the end Byzantine text-types had almost entirely displaced the rest. In comparison with ancient versions and historical records of the early church historians it was demonstrated that the Byzantine text-type manuscripts were consistently more pure as representing the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament.

By contrast, the Alexandrian text-type manuscripts included two particular manuscripts -- The Sinaiticus and Vaticanus that seriously differ with the majority of extant manuscripts. Whereas the Majority Greek text and the Textus Receptus Greek text use the Byzantine text-types (a far better family of texts); the Wescott-Hort, Nestle, and Aland Greek texts are based upon the inferior Alexandrian text- type manuscripts. The case being that the New International Version is based upon the Alexandrian text- types means that it was translated upon the basis of a flawed text. These flaws in the text are demonstrated to be obvious when one takes note of how many passages of scripture are either totally deleted from the text itself, or else have been placed within brackets calling the genuineness of such passages into question as to whether or not they should even be viewed as scripture.


The New International Version is based upon a false system of translation
that incorporates false doctrines into the text.

When one reads the preface to the New International Version one will take note that this version is based upon a method of translation that is known as dynamic equivalence. This approach to translation is totally subjective. This approach permits translators to interpret false doctrine into the text rather than translate objective truth.

  • The New International Version mistranslated Psalm 51:5 to teach the false doctrine of Total Depravity. The Bible does not affirm this false doctrine.

  • The New International Version in Romans 8 changes the term "flesh" to "sinful nature." By mistranslating this term the NIV translators shifted the meaning from an emphasis regarding physical make up to spiritual character. THIS IS NOT WHAT THE TEXT STATED!

  • The New International Version omits the word "begotten" from every New Testament text dealing with the Deity of Christ. This flagrant false translation calls into question the Deity of Christ. Note also John 1:14; Psalm 2:7, Acts 13:33, and Hebrews 1:5. One cannot accept the truth regarding the Deity of Christ and deny that he was begotten of God. While the NIV seeks to emphasize the uniqueness of Christ it seeks to de-emphasize his relationship to the Father.

  • The New International Version changes 1 Corinthians 1:6 from "the testimony of Christ" (the gospel) to "our testimony." The Greek term marturion is a neuter word meaning something evidential. Changing "the" to "our" removes the neuter sense of the term and makes it something of a personal nature. While the apostles did personally testify of Christ such personal activity was not the determining factor of truth. Such was contingent upon all the evidence provided by God.

  • The New International Version teaches false doctrine in advocating salvation from sin before New Testament baptism in 1 Peter 3:21. This false translation changes "answer" or "inquiry" to that of "pledge." The Greek term eperotema speaks regarding an inquiry made to God. The NIV has the text indicating falsely that baptism is a pledge one makes to God of salvation already obtained.

  • The New International Version omits both the statement of Philip on the condition of baptism and the Ethiopian's confession in Acts 8:37 and relegates it to nothing more than a marginal note.

  • The New International Version falsely translates Ephesians 1:13 to indicating that sinners are "included in Christ" at the point of hearing. There is nothing whatsoever in the scriptures anywhere that teaches alien sinners are saved from their past sins at the point of hearing. That would deny faith in Christ is essential.

  • The New International Version contradicts itself on salvation in Romans 10:10.

  • The NIV mis-translators have individuals justified at the very moment they believe and then state that one is saved at the point of confession of Christ. They cannot have it both ways. If one is justified the very moment one believes, then one cannot be saved at the point of confession due to the fact that one must believe before one confesses faith in Christ. All of this confusion and false doctrine has individuals justified before they are saved while in a lost condition, or else it falsely implies that faith and confession are one and the same act. Such is demonstrated to be false in consideration of John 12:42-43. Here we note that there were those during the earthly ministry of Christ who believed but refused to confess him. Such constitutes an example of unsaved believers.

  • The New International Version mistranslates Revelation 1:1 John, the apostle of Christ by the inspiration of God indicated that the revelation of Christ was "signified" (written in signs and symbols) to him. The mis-translators of the NIV stated that Christ "made it known" to John by his angel.

    There is a vast difference in making something known and signifying something. The NIV mis- translators wanted to water down the truth of God against the heresy of Pre-millennialism.

I detest and despise the attitude of these Bible correctors, who pervert the scriptures and seek to second-guess almighty God. May we rise up in defense of the word of God and oppose false teaching and false translations that will condemn individuals to the tortures and torments of an eternal Hell.
Top of Page