Q
Earlier you were discussing the concordat that some prominent new evangelicals and charismatics made with some of the Catholic bishops, priests, and cardinals. There is an agreement concerning proselytizing, getting along, coming to a common definition of faith and understanding, and accepting each other as brothers in Christ. Of course, we know that the Catholic Church has always held that if you do not belong to the Catholic Church, under the pope’s authority, you are either on your way to “Purgatory,” or some other place. Could you discuss what is taking place here, and also about the Catholic readings in new versions of the bible?

A
This concord has taken place because the NIV and the NASB are so close to Roman Catholic doctrine. Twenty years of using these versions has convinced some evangelical and charismatic “leaders” that Rome is not as bad as Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and the Anabaptists had been saying for all these years. Second Thessalonians 2:3 warned, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”

The KJV translators capitalize “Man of Sin” in their dedication because they and their predecessors connected this name with the pope. Recent printings of KJVs misrepresent what the translators wrote and no longer capitalize it in the dedication. This is one of the many indications of the “falling away” being evidenced today.

The new versions follow the exact same Greek manuscripts the Catholic Church has used since Constantine (A.D. 330). The true church throughout history never used those Alexandrian-type manuscripts (B, Aleph, P75, et al.). They always knew they were corrupt. But now, in these last days of the prophesied “falling away,” these manuscripts have been resurrected to prod the fall and finally to usher in the one- world church.

Having been a Roman Catholic for twenty-six years, I recognized Roman Catholic theology and doctrine as I collated the new versions. (I was saved at the age of twenty-six, and the Lord led me out of this false church. Revelation 18:4 says, “Come out of her, my people,” so I came out.)

There are tons and tons of verses in the new versions that lend themselves to Roman Catholic theology. For instance, from reading Hebrews 1:3 we know that Jesus “by himself purged our sins.” There is no co-mediatrix. The NIV omits “by himself,” allowing for the co-mediatrix of the Roman Catholic Church — the “Virgin” Mary.

In Matthew 1:25 the King James says Jesus was “her firstborn son.” She did have other children, as other places in the bible indicate. The NIV and the NASB omit the word “firstborn,” giving heed to the Roman Catholic notion that Mary was a perpetual virgin. The NIV Old Testament capitalizes the word “Virgin,” implying that it is a title for her, indicating her perpetual virginity. The King James always says, “virgin” (lowercase “v”).

One of the strangest changes in new versions is in Revelation 2:15. There Jesus talks about the “doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.” The NIV and other new versions take out the phrase, “which thing I hate.” Nico means “conquer” and laity, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, means the people as distinguished from the clergy, those not of a certain profession. Jesus hates the doctrine which replaces the New Testament priesthood of all believers with a class of clergy or a class of professional scholars who attempt to “conquer” the common “people” with their credentials. Taking “which thing I hate” out of the Bible is just another move back to Rome.

In Luke 11:38, instead of saying “washed,” some new versions introduce the term “ceremonially washed,” a very Roman Catholic rendering. In Luke 21:5, instead of “gifts,” new versions add, “votive gifts,” a Roman Catholic rendering. In Acts 12:15 instead of “angel,” new versions have “guardian angel.” Romans 15:16 talks about “ministering the gospel of God.” New versions say, “ministering as a priest the gospel of God.” They did the same thing in Luke 1:23. Instead of saying “ministration,” they say “priestly service.”

Throughout the New Testament, new versions distort the linear verb tense that says “we are saved.” They changed this to “we are being saved.” This is identical to the suggestion in Catholic and Christian by Alan Schreck. If anyone asks him if he is saved, or if a born-again Christian asks a Catholic, “Are you saved?” they should say, “I am being saved.” In other words, “I was saved when I was baptized as an infant, and I am working my way to heaven now, so I am being saved.” The KJV is idiomatically correct. New versions give a very poor translation of the linear. Our salvation is not something that we work for; it is a gift from the Lord Jesus Christ. This Roman Catholic rendering in new versions, “are being saved,” supports the fallacious notion of progressive salvation.

In Matthew 12:4, instead of the “shewbread,” new versions have the “consecrated bread.” In John 6:33 the King James says, “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven.” They have changed that in some new versions to, “the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven,” This supports the notion of transubstantiation — believing that Jesus Christ is the host.

There are scores and scores of verses that are giving entrée to what has historically been considered the “Whore of Babylon” Church.

The following, by Bob Kasten, sums up the situation well.

Two Women & A Little House

Classical Chinese writing depicts the word WAR in a most descriptive way. It’s symbolic picture of a little house with two women inside is like a “last days” scenario. Abraham would agree with the Chinese illustration. The end-time house (church) has two warring women within. The Bride and the Whore, like the spirit and the flesh, are at enmity. The Virgin bride’s faithful love contrasts sharply with the false bride’s fickle lust. One desires to be filled full (EPH 5:18), the other to be fulfilled. MANY analogies could be cited, but just their attitude toward AUTHORITY will be contrasted. One woman willingly, joyfully, submits to the authority of Him whom her soul loveth—Jesus Christ, the living Word. The other expunges authority from her vocabulary, saying, “I will not have this man to rule over me.” Rejecting the Lordship of Christ, she seeks many false lovers. Sad! One embraces the time-tested, Christ-honoring King James Bible as her ultimate written authority. She is labeled devisive, narrow, dinosauric, and biblophobic. The other woman will acknowledge no ultimate written authority, but delights in many versions. The more the merrier and she loves the dancehall’s idea of “ladies choice.” Like most harlots, she is attractive to the flesh and is called progressive, contemporary, tolerant. This war can only intensify. But soon the voice of our Beloved will be heard (S. of S. 2:8). Glory! Till then—let’s press on. This trickle-down apostasy of our day hurts so many. A word should be said for another woman—the Widow. Through no fault of her own, she, in a manner of speaking, has lost her authority, Her home church has pronounced the King James archaic (dead) and taken it away. She’s lonely, for she will embrace no other lover. Pray for the widows.

IT STARTS WITH THE LEADERSHIP