This comes from a book entitled, "King James Version Ditches Blind Guides" in which Gail Riplinger, the author is doing rebuttals to those who have written lies about her and her book, "New Age Bible Versions". That book is shaking the religious world in a negative sense and the Christian world in a positive sense. Get it and read it, you will be glad that you did.


The Researcher (a now defunct newsletter promoting the work of Bob Morey) printed a critique of New Age Bible Versions. Hunt, the Christian and Missionary Alliance churches and others have leaned heavily on this rubber crutch. After publishing his error and sophistry laden 'critique', Morey lost the financial backers for his newsletter and lost 13 of the 14 stations on which his program was aired. Morey's mordacious tone must shock the air waves like Webster's "voracious" moray eel. Floods of callers to the widely syndicated radio program, Crosstalk, protested his fierce, unchristian tone and slanderous remarks about the KJV and New Age Bible Versions, forcing the stations to cancel the scheduled replaying of his interview. A similar incident on WIXL in Texas prompted the station to permanently cancel the sponsoring program.

Morey has not devoted years of his career to a full collation of new versions, but has written books discussing unrelated topics like Freemasonry and the Muslim religion. As a result, his review interlaces pseudo-scholarship with lies - a pattern often used by the cults to "deceive the hearts of the simple." Morey's beliefs, and those of the book's other critic, Jim White, are that of the reformed school. It denies truths held by most Christians, such as 1.) one must, by an act of free will, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved and 2.) bible prophecy points to a time of tribulation, a coming antichrist, followed by the second coming of Christ and the millennial kingdom. Books like New Age Bible Versions, which affirm such beliefs, are bound to receive a biased review.

Morey's Lie #1:
"[H]er so-called documentation is incomplete, erroneous,
or misleading... one clear example is found on page 2 where she
quotes from Dr. Ed Palmer (n.2) and from Dr. Ken Baker [sic]
(n.3) but then attributes both quotes to Palmer... Ken Baker [sic]
is correct when he says that there are only a few verses in
the New Testament which directly state that Jesus is God."

Truth:
Morey is lying and has apparently never seen the reference books under question, both quotes ARE from Edwin Palmer (n.2 & n.3). Dr. Ken Barker (whom Morey called Baker) never said the quote Morey attributes to him. Palmer said it in chapter 14, p. 143 of The NIV: The Making of a Contemporary Translation, just as my footnotes indicate. Ken Barker was the book's editor; Morey evidently didn't get much past the cover. His "clear" example of "erroneous" documentation is 100% FALSE. His newsletter, The Researcher, was misnamed, to say the least.

New Age Bible Versions documents scores of places in which new versions deny that Jesus is God. Palmer's NIV does it dozens of times. Had he rendered these verses as strongly as the KJV does, he could not say there were "few and decisive texts that declare that Jesus is God." (I Tim. 3:16 is just one of many examples.) Palmer thinks John 1:18 is "one of those few clear and decisive texts that declare that Jesus is God," but only if the verse is rendered "begotten God" (NASB) or "One and Only" (NIV). Actually, the NASB presents an inferior, created "God," not co-eternal with the Father. The NIV says nothing about Jesus Christ here. Only the KJV's "begotten Son" presents Jesus Christ as "equal with God" as stated in John 5:17-26.
When Morey's footnotes are checked, they seldom prove his point at all.

Morey's Lie #2:
"Erasmus was into the occult."(4)
(Colin Wilson, The Occult, (New York:
Random House, 1971), p. 242)

Truth:
Page 242 of The Occult never mentions Erasmus, or any occult involvement by him. It is about the occultism of Peracelus, a medical doctor!

Morey's Misrepresentation #1:
"Erasmus started liberalism. Erasmus' religion was
New Age." (The Encyclopedia of Philosophy,
New York: Macmillian, 1972) 111:42)

Truth:
The Encyclopedia of Philosophy describes Michael Servetus as "liberal," not Erasmus. In fact, it actually says, "Thus Erasmus, who was essentially conservative by nature..." It never uses the term "New Age" to describe Erasmus, nor does it equate any New Age-like philosophies to him. The quote Morey contrived to imply this - when seen in its entirety - gives the distinct impression that Erasmus was a devout Christian.

Morey's Misrepresentation
"his philosophy of Christ...was nondoctrinal religion, a religion
without theology...This outlook had a great impact on the most
liberal reformers and the nondoctrinal mystics."

Actual Quote
"In place of the philosophical and theological systems of
the time, Erasmus set forth his 'philosophy of Christ,' to be
arrived by pious study rather than disputations. This
'philosophy' was supposed to represent the simple message of
Christianity in its spirit rather than its letter; it was a
message to be lived, not to be formulated in abstract systems.
It was a nondoctrinal religion, a religion without theology,
which could be approached through the early Church Fathers and
the morality of the New Testament but not through the morass of
distinctions, terminology, and theory built up in the Middle
Ages. This outlook had a great impact on the most liberal
reformers and nondoctrinal mystics." (p. 43)

Morey also claims Erasmus "was opposed to evangelical Christianity," yet his own reference, The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, actually describes Erasmus' "appeal to return to the simple spirit of Christianity."

Morey says Erasmus "was a Roman Catholic," yet neglects to inform his readers that, like Luther, he died outside of the Catholic church (Schaff History) and wrote "biting and satirical attacks on the church." These put books on the Catholic Index of Forbidden Books. "Erasmus saw the Church of Rome as fossilized," adds the Encyclopedia. Morey says Erasmus "had a bad character," yet his own reference book actually calls Erasmus "pius".

The Encyclopedia Britannica (1958) which Morey pretends presents Erasmus as a man consumed with "magic," actually says, "In the mind of Erasmus there were no metaphysical inclinations;" his writing was "a plea for a return to the source of Christianity in its primitive simplicity...he would return to the Bible..." The current 15th edition of the Britannica quotes Erasmus as saying, "If the Gospel were truly preached, the Christian people would be spared many wars." (p. 490) In Erasmus' Handbook of a Christian Knight, he urged readers to "inject into the vitals" the teachings of Christ by studying and meditating on the Scriptures." (p. 489) Please read the Encyclopedia Britannica for yourself and compare it to the picture Morey paints of Erasmus.

Not only does Morey misrepresent his own sources on Erasmus, but the parallels he establishes to disprove New Age Bible Versions rely heavily on sophistic arguments devoid of logic and truth. Note some of the invalid parallels he tries to create:

A lesbian was involved in the
production of the NIV. It is
therefore a "queer" Bible.
King James was a homosexual,
the KJV is thus a "queer" Bible.
Some modern translators were
members of a non-Christian church.
King James was a crypto-Roman
Catholic.

Such comparisons are invalid for the following reasons.
1.) King James was not a translator!
2.) Morey cites no primary sources (i.e. quotes from James himself) to prove that he was a homosexual; Morey gives no examples of a pro-homosexual imprint on the KJV.
3.) New Age Bible Versions cites numerous verses where new versions omit the censure of homosexual acts. The book documents the homosexuality of NIV Consultant Virginia Mollenknott, using her own books.
4.) Morey invents rude phrases like "queer" Bible, a term which New Age Bible Versions never uses.
5.) History proves King James I was anything but a homosexual or a secret Roman Catholic. The Roman Catholic Church controlled England through Mary I who "became known as 'Bloody Mary' because of the bitter persecution she caused Protestants." Her predecessors, Elizabeth I and King James I, were responsible for "freeing it from Roman Catholic control." (World Book Encyclopedia, 1961, Vol. 5, p. 187, Vol. 12, p. 192, Vol. 10, p. 21) Because of James' anti-Catholic stance, Jesuit Henry Garnet and seven co-conspirators tried to kill him, hiding thirty-six barrels of gunpowder in the basement of Parliament. Because this "Gunpowder Plot of 1605" failed to return the throne to Catholic control, the typical slander campaign followed. Twenty-five years after the death of James, Anthony Weldon, whom James had removed from the court, swore vengeance. Dr. Samuel Gipp, author of the recent book Reading and Understanding the Variations Between the Critical Apparatuses of Nestles' 25th and 26th Editions of the Novum Testamentum Graece writes,

The KJV Dedication, written by the King James translators and printed in the front pages of many current editions of the KJV, shows the high regard Christians had for King James. It refers to him as "defender of the faith" whose "very name is precious among them." It refers to "the zeal of your majesty toward the house of God...[his] writing in defense of the truth...frequenting the house of God, by hearing the Word preached, by cherishing the teachers thereof, by caring for the Church as a most tender and loving nursing father."

The false notion that James was favorable to Roman Catholicism is dissolved by the Dedication. It says that King James and his "defense of the truth" was "such a blow to the Man of Sin [the Pope] as will not be healed." (Incidently the Reformers always used the term 'Man of Sin' to identify the Catholic Pope. Recent printings of the Dedication by Zondervan and other publishers have fraudulently misrepresented the translator's text and no longer print 'Man of Sin' as a proper name.)

Morey pretends New Age Bible Versions' conclusions rest solely upon the discovered heresies and liberal theology held by the framers of the new versions. He neglects to tell his readers that to this, the book adds 600 pages of evidence proving that the KJV relies upon: 1.) earlier and better manuscripts, versions, and patristic evidence, 2.) stronger internal and external evidence, 3.) easier to read vocabulary, and 4.) readings which do not give support to humanistic, New Age, or cultic theologies, nor water down the distinctives of historic Christianity.


MOREY'S STORIES

Morey, like McMahon, must change, misquote, and misrepresent what the book says to make a case against it. Are these men liars or careless readers - Don Quixotes, mistaking windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies?

MISQUOTATION
ACTUAL QUOTE
"She even makes the absurd statement
that the five points of Calvinism
'form a Satanic pentagram'. Thus she
condemns all Calvinistic theologian,"
"Palmer devoted an entire chapter in his book,
The Five Points of Calvinism, to disprove the idea
that man still has the ability to ask God's help for
salvation." His "Five Points" form a Satanic pentagram.
His book is so irrational that he is periodically forced
to interrupt himself with comments like, '...as contradictory
as that may seem.'"

The phrase "His 'Five Points'" obviously refers to Palmer's book and his distorted interpretation of Calvin's theology. The sentence which precedes and follows it refers to "his book." The capitalization and quote marks for 'Five Points' is another indicator that the aforementioned book title is being referred to. How does one book's distorted hyper-Calvinistic interpretation condemn all Calvinists? Palmer asserts that "the mistake of a pianist while playing - even sin" is foreordained by God. (pp. 90,92)

This denial of free-will does put Palmer in agreement with Arjina in the Hindu Bhagvad-Gita, which sees man as "extremely passive." It does not put him in agreement with John Bunyan, Charles Spurgeon, and the other men Morey cites.

Morey pretends the book "viciously attacks" men as "heretics," citing its pp. 303, 608-609 as evidence. The word he cites in quotes - heretic - occurs no where on those pages. Those in disagreement with the author were identified on those pages as "friends...brethren" (p.303) and "Christians" (pp. 608-609). I challenge anyone to identify any 'vicious' usage on his cited pages.

MISQUOTATION
ACTUAL QUOTE
"heretics...pp. 303, 608-609""friends...brethren" (p. 303)
"Christians" (p. 608-609)


THE BLIND LEAD THE BLIND

Morey's Misrepresentation
"The words 'He', 'Him', 'His' and, in particular, 'One' reveals a New Age plot...The KJV
capitalizes the word 'One' dozens of times. (Ps. 16:10, etc.)

Truth:
New Age Bible Versions objects to new versions' substitution of impersonal, non-specific pronouns for the specific Christian personal names of Jesus, Christ and God - particularly since almost all Greek manuscripts read as the KJV does. Note the following examples.

NIV, NASB, et al.
KJV
I can do everything through Him
who strengthens me.
I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me. Phil. 4:13
He who was revealed in the flesh.God was manifest in the flesh. Tim. 3:16

Morey must hope his readers will never look up his example, Ps. 16:10 in a KJV; it refers to the 'Holy One'. (This criticism was discussed in the earlier analysis of McMahon's critque.) McMahon actually relied on Morey here, as evidenced by his use of identical wording and repetition of the same error.

Misrepresentation:
"All those who have worked on
modern translations...are part of a
New Age conspiracy...The goal of all
new translations is to replace Christ
with Anti-Christ."

Truth:
No where in the book does it state that ALL translators, or even MOST translators, are New Agers or a part of a conscious conspiracy. In fact, chapter 29 'The Scribes,' which introduces the section on new version editors, says they are "unconsciously" (p.393) involved. Westcott and Hort say their corrupt Greek text is being received by "rational men [who] are being unawares acted upon." Bold and italic type were used in the book to emphasize these words. Morey slanderously lumps all editors together, ignoring the book's admonition that some are indeed "good men", "Christians", and "saved." (p. 393) The handful, out of the thousands of new version editors, who are quoted and discussed in the charts and book, are never listed as "New Agers" or "Luciferians", but as "New Version Editors."
The goal of many translators was much like that of Uzzah - to help God out - "as though he needed anything" (Acts 17:25).

"They shall not touch any holy thing" (Numbers 4:15), even if it looks like God needs help. The "holy scriptures" (2 Tim. 3:15) are not to be tampered with without judgement (Rev. 22:18,19). Uzzah "took" (2 Sam. 6:9), Eve "took" (Gen. 3:6) and new versions editors "take away from the words of the book" (Rev. 22:18). Uzzah's sin brought 'fear' (2 Sam. 6:9); Eve "was afraid" (Gen. 3:10) and Dr. Franklin Logsdon, author of the preface of the NASB, said, "I'm afraid." Uzzah dies, Eve dies, and Dr. Logsdon died. Their goals were good - in their eyes - the result was evil. The editor's seeds of pride have been blown into enemy territory by a gale force wind from the publishers' purse; these tares take root and grow in today's careless church which mistakes media for manna and good intentions for obedience and good results. The adage, 'Sin will take you farther than you want to go', describes the situation well. New version editors, desiring, like Eve, "to make one wise" have aided and abetted the adversary "the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil" (Rev. 20:2). Were they "consciously" trying to aid anti-Christ? Rev. 20:10 says, "The devil...DECEIVED them." How? "The pride of thine own heart hath deceived thee" (Obad. 3). Who is the 'king over all the children of pride? Job 41:34 identifies him as the fire breathing dragon. The final bible which will allow worship of the dragon (Rev. 13) will be the "bundle" of accumulated hay and stubble harvested from the multiplied seeds of pride and disobedience sown down through the centuries, "while men slept." (Matt. 13:25) Thine enemies shall be found liars. DEUT. 33:29


ARCHAIC SCHOLARSHIP

Morey's review is accompanied by an article entitled "How We Got Our Bible." It rings like a page out of his old college textbook. Whoops...It's his father's textbook! His footnote source is the 1937 General Biblical Introduction by H.S. Miller. In fact, all of his footnotes cite works which are at least 13 years old, the average date being 1955 - at least 40 years old. Because he has not remained current in his study of the recent papyrilogical collations or literature and theories in the field of textual criticism, he must repeat the out-dated ad homenium attacks on Erasmus or King James.
Let's look at the few samples of the out-dated information he is passing along.

Morey's Out-Of-Date Story:
"[There are] only 1,700 Old Testament
MS...Nearly all are quite late and date
from the Middle Ages (1000) A.D."

Morey missed the phenomenal 1990 discovery by Malachi Beit-- Arieh, Director of the National Jewish Archives, of an ADDITIONAL 2,500 codices in the Leningrad Museum, - all dating BEFORE 1100AD. James Sanders, Ph.D., founder of the Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center in Claremont, California, said, "It's a bit like discovering Qumram Cave 12. To me it's just astounding."
Morey missed the mark by several THOUSAND manuscripts.

Morey's Out-Of-Date Story:
"Only 13 errors happened."
Fact: Dr. Burrows, the man who orignally asserted that the 13 differences between the traditional Masoretic Text of Isaiah and the Dead Sea Scrolls were errors, has since RECANTED. He said the RSV should never have followed the Scrolls.

Morey's Out-Of-Date Story:
"Only about 50 readings are problematic
and all of them fit on one page."
A full collation of the Greek editions underlying most modern translations reveals that they differ from the Greek Text underlying the KJV in 9,970 of the 140,521 words. This 7% change would cover 45 pages of text - not as Morey claimed - 1 page. Of these differences nearly 3,600 are omissions; it's a much shorter Greek text. This includes the omission of 20 (Nestles 23rd) and 17 (UBS 3rd) whole verses. In another 3,146 places, a completely different Greek word is used (not just a difference in spelling).

In addition to the 7% difference in underlying Greek texts, new versions use 'Dynamic Equivalencies'. These are words changes which occur in NO Greek or Hebrew text. The NASB uses about 4,000 and the NKJV used about 2,000. The NIV uses 6,653. This amounts to almost 4% MORE

The NIV has 64,098 less words than the KJV. This omission of approximately 10% of the bible - reduces a typical 1,700 page bible by 170 pages, not 1 page.

The TOTAL alternations to the text by far and away exceed Morey's one page. New Age Bible Versions proves that the changes are "problematic".

Morey's Out-Of-Date Story:
"When in doubt about a text, we have a wealth of resources to consult."

When these sources are consulted (the manuscripts, the Fathers, the lectionaries, and the Versions), they agree with the readings in the Authorized King James Version. Morey, however, "consults" only his critical apparatus, which includes only 7% of the cursives, .02% of the lectionaries, 24% of the fathers, and 33% of the Versions. The critical apparatus in his Hodges- Farstad Majority Text is based on ONLY 414 MS of the over 5,000 MS.

Morey's favorite, the NASB, "does not reflect the impact of the latest available manuscripts." (Comfort, Early Manuscripts and Modern Translations of the New Testament, p. 195). For example, the NASB's reading in Luke 24:51, 52 omits the ascension and deity of Christ by dropping the critical words "and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him."

OMIT: Luke 24:52
INCLUDE: LUKE 24:52
    D
P75, Aleph(C) (both earlier than
D), A,B,C,K,L,W,X, Delta, Pi,
Psi, 063, f1, f13, 28, 33, 565, 700,
892, 1009, 1010, 1071, 1079,1716,
1230, 1241, 1242, 1253, 1344, 1365,
1546, 1646, 2148, 2174. It is also in
Tatian's 2nd century Distessaron.
Additionally, Luke's opening statement
in Acts says he included the ascension
in his Gospel.

An examination of the "wealth of resources" reveals that Morey's NASB omitted "And they worshipped him" based on MS D, a late and notoriously corrupt manuscript. The KJV follows the earliest and greatest number of manuscripts.

Morey's Out-Of-Date Story:
"Since none of his [Erasmus] manuscripts had the last of Rev. 22,
he translated it from the Latin into Greek

Truth: Herman Hoskier, one of the few men who ever did a full collation of the manuscripts for Revelation, disputes Morey's claim, affirming that Erasmus used Greek MS 141 (2049). (See Hoskier, Herman, Concerning the Text of the Apocalypse, London: Quaritch, Vol. 1, pp. 474-77; Vol. 2, pp. 454, 635.)

Erasmus's text was the culmination of his lifelong laborious study of scripture citations from the early church fathers and versions. Because of his thorough study, time has proven his word choices to be correct. Even new versions copy his ending to Rev. 22 for the most part. The majority of Greek manuscripts now prove correct his choice of the words "Christ" (Rev. 22:21) and "that do his commandments" (Rev. 22:14).

Morey's Straw Man
"Some have argued that these originals still exist."

Fact:
Morey spends half a page tearing down an argument which no one holds. In eight years of researching this subject, I have never heard of anyone who holds this belief. He is misrepresenting those who believe in preservation. No one who believes in the preservation of scriptures (Ps. 12:5,6 et al.) believes the original manuscripts still exist somewhere. Those who believe in preservation hold the biblical view that "The grass withereth...But the word of the Lord endureth forever." (I Peter 1:25). The words are preserved - not the paper (papyri is grass!). Morey cannot present any convincing arguments against the scores of verses which say God will preserve his word. His only match is a straw opponent.

We are sad to report that since Morey began attacking the KJV and the book New Age Bible Versions, he has not only lost his newsletter and radio ministry, but exposure of "mismanagement of ministry funds and resources" and "a lawsuit" are bringing what Mr. Morey calls a "trial by fire." (Fall, 1994 letter to his mailing list). Let us pray for this man as the Lord chastens him in love.

MANY DECEIVE MANY
A monumental campaign of deception is underway, headed by
"Satan which deceiveth the whole world" (Rev. 12:9). The Lord
said "many deceivers" (2 John 2:7) "shall deceive many" (Matt.24:11)
"by good words and fair speeches" (Rom. 16:18). No doubt
many new versions advocates will feel compelled to defend their
use of new versions and will raise questions or say maligning
words about the Authorized King James Version or exposes like New
Age Bible Versions
. When the inevitable questions come (from the
serpent, inventor of the first question -- Gen. 3:1), deception
can be avoided by following the good Shepherd's guidelines. A
few include:

    1. "Let him ask God." (James 1:5) Pray for wisdom.
    2. "Prove all things." (I Thess. 5:21) Require proof and
    documentation from primary sources of any allegations. The
    "grievous complaints" and accusation leveled at Paul failed
    when proof was required (Acts 24:13, 25:7).
    3. "Let no man deceive you with vain words." (Eph. 5:6)
    Beware when critics draw attention away from actual
    scriptural comparisons (i.e. KJV vs. NIV)--the read issue--
    and on to tangiential side issues.
    4. "Deceive not with thy lips" (Prov. 24:28). "Whatsoever a
    man soweth that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). If a
    Christian has lied, he can expect to be lied to, unknowingly.
    "A liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue" (Prov.17:4).
    This sequence of events, "deceiving and being
    deceived," is described in 2 Tim. 3:13.
    5. "Keep yourself from idols" (I John 5:21). Ezekiel 14:1-11
    and II Chron. 18:18-22 reveal that God will allow his
    people to be deceived if they have "unrighteousness" or
    "idols in their hearts".

    Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their
    heart...should I be inquired of at all by them?...I the LORD
    have deceived that prophet. Ez. 14:3,9
    And for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion,
    that they should believe a lie: That they might be damned
    who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in
    unrighteousness. 2 Thess. 2:11,12; also see John 3:20,21

    A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips. Prov. 17:4

    For there must be also heresies among you, that they which
    are approved may be made manifest among you. I Cor. 11:19

G.A. Riplinger's Exposes Critics of KJV
"King James Version ditches Blind Guides"

A.V. Publications
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