The New King James Version
Is It the Word of God?
The NKJV Condemns Itself as a Fraud
The Bible is not only the word of God; it is also the words of God. Every word of God is pure, and every word of God is necessary to grow spiritually (Ps 12:6-7; Prov 30:5; Luke 4:4; John 14:23). Corrupt or take away one word from Scripture, and you destroy the internal integrity of God’s perfect masterpiece.
The Bible declares about itself that it is internally consistent without any contradictions, making it more sure than God’s voice from heaven (Prov 8:8-9; 22:17-21; John 10:35; II Peter 1:16-21; I John 2:21). If you find internal contradictions that are obviously wrong, then you know a book is not the word of God.
Jesus and Paul both argued important doctrine from single words, verb voices and tenses, and even a single letter (Matt 22:31-33; 22:41-46; John 8:58; 10:33-36; Galatians 3:16; 4:9; Heb 8:13; 12:26-27). If translators or publishers lightly or wickedly change words, then such authority is lost from a Bible.
Satan’s primary device has been to overthrow the words of God. He did it to Eve in Eden, and Paul feared he would do it at Corinth (Gen 3:1-6; II Cor 11:1-4). Questioning and altering God’s words have been widespread from the beginning (Jer 23:22,30; 36:20-24; II Cor 2:17; 4:2; II Tim 3:6-7; 4:3-4).
Comments | New King James | Old King James |
| Paul taught the promises to Abraham and his seed were to a singular seed, which meant Jesus, not the Jews. But the NKJV changed the Old Testament to "descendants," contradicting Paul's argument, making salvation by race rather than grace, and declaring its own Old Testament is not Scripture. The promises to Abraham and his seed are in Gen 12:7; 13:15-16; 15:5,13,18; 17:8-10,19; 21:12; 22:17-18; and 24:7. This one case of heresy and contradiction is sufficient to condemn the NKJV. | Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. Genesis 22:17 Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. | Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Genesis 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; |
| Paul taught that not all Israelites from Egypt died in the wilderness, due to the exceptions of Joshua and Caleb. The NKJV denies Old Testament history that they entered Canaan and charges them instead with rebellion! And they call this a KJV Bible! | Hebrews 3:16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? | Hebrews 3:16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. |
| Pharaoh Necho of Egypt fought against Assyria during the days of Josiah. King Josiah was killed in a battle at Megiddo, when he went against Pharaoh unadvisedly. But the NKJV changes the history to make Pharaoh Necho an ally of Assyria in one place to deny the inspired history and to contradict itself in another place. If the account in Kings is true in the NKJV, then what of Chronicles in the NKJV? How many lies can a Bible have and still be called God’s word? The NKJV is a mess! | II Kings 23:29 In his days Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went to the aid of the king of Assyria, to the River Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him. And Pharaoh Necho killed him at Megiddo when he confronted him. II Chron 35:20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him. | I Kings 23:29 In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him. II Chron 35:20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. |
| The NKJV stole glory from God and Jesus in various ways; here it did so by praising Israel for their goodness and beauty instead of God for His. See Zec 9:16-17. By their fruits ye shall know them! | Zechariah 9:17 For how great is their goodness and how great their beauty! Grain shall make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women. | Zechariah 9:17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids. |
| The NKJV, missing the Hebrew parallelism, encourages ruthlessness, denies the truth about oppression, and discourages disciplined men (Job 27:16-17; Prov 1:10-19; 13:22; 15:27; 28:8). The dark saying of Solomon was too much for them. | Proverbs 11:16 A gracious woman retains honor, but ruthless men retain riches. | Proverbs 11:16 A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches. |
| The NKJV added quotation marks around what it guessed were spoken words to help improve God’s word. By putting them around Job 32:15-16, a narrative insertion by Elihu describing a scene, they destroyed the sense and removed proof that Elihu wrote Job. What scholars did the NKJV use? | Job 32:15-16 "They are dismayed and answer no more; words escape them. And I have waited, because they did not speak, because they stood still and answered no more." | Job 32:15-16 They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking. When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;) |
| The NKJV removed the thee’s and thou’s, which are crucial to show the singular, second person pronouns of the Hebrew and Greek. The NKJV lies when it says the NKJV is more accurate. They lie when they say it is closer to the originals. | Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." | Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. |
| Paul taught that Jesus Christ was incarnated in humanity rather than the nature of angels, but the NKJV totally corrupts the verse, loses the sense, violates the context, and denies Scripture (I Tim 5:21). Who signed off on this version? | Hebrews 2:16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. | Hebrews 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. |
| Man’s heart is depraved (Jer 17:9). Man cannot improve it; God must do it for Him (Pr 21:1; Jer 10:23; Phil 2:13; Rev 17:17). The NKJV is heresy! | Proverbs 16:1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. | Proverbs 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. |
| By mercy and truth men can purge, or cleanse, themselves from practical sins (II Cor 7:1); but they cannot provide an atonement for sin, which is God’s work in Jesus Christ alone (Rom 5:11). | Proverbs 16:6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil. | Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. |
| The NKJV, appalled by Solomon’s severity, joined the PTA by removing God’s precept to spank children without regard for their crying. A generation of spoiled children is the result. | Proverbs 19:18 Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction. | Proverbs 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. |
| Whether “the faith of Jesus Christ” is Jesus Christ’s faith in God or His religion, the NKJV changed the words. Jesus did obey for justification, as it is stated elsewhere (Rom 3:22; Gal 3:22) and taught in other words (Is 53:11; Matt 27:43; Rom 5:15-19; Heb 10:9). Justification by Jesus Christ’s obedience or by your obedience is a very big difference! | Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. | Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. |
| Solomon wrote some proverbs as ideals for civil rulers, but he never proposed that kings should use witchcraft (Deut 18:10)! Divination is not even close to giving God’s sentence in judgment! | Proverbs 16:10 Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment. | Proverbs 16:10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. |
| The NKJV, an important part of the seeker sensitive and mega-church growth movements, removed Paul’s condemnation of those who think gain is evidence of godliness. Can you guess what spirit and type of men are behind such alterations? | I Timothy 6:5 Useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. | I Timothy 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. |
| To protect a generation of Christians that hold the truth but live unrighteous lives, they changed the word “hold” to “suppress.” Where did they get this change? Not from the Textus Receptus! | Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, | Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; |
| No wonder the NKJV replaced “corrupt” with “peddling,” for their consciences convicted them about their many corruptions. “Corrupt” hit too close, even if they do peddle the NKJV! What is it called to copyright a public domain work? | II Cor 2:17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. | II Cor 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. |
| No wonder the NKJV got rid of “study” in II Tim 2:15, because the version shows little of it, as shown above. How should a minister “be diligent” to obey the NKJV and please God? Should he strive for a good public image as in Matt 7:22? | II Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. | II Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. |
| Peter and John never read this corruption. They were never scholars and never wanted to be scholars (Acts 4:13; Matt 11:25-27; I Cor 1:19-20; 3:19-20). God’s pastors are not scholars! | Eccl 12:11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. | Eccl 12:11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. |
| The problem with the wicked is not their inability to know good, but their refusal to do what is good and right! Solomon’s dark sayings hurt the NKJV! | Proverbs 29:7 The righteous considers the cause of the poor, But the wicked does not understand such knowledge. | Proverbs 29:7 The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it. |
| Solomon never saw men as a rule angered by backbiting; in fact, they often enjoy it. He taught that an angry hearer will silence a backbiting tongue. The metaphor requires wind rejecting rain. | Proverbs 25:23 The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance. | Proverbs 25:23 The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. |
| Why did the NKJV change verb tenses dealing with salvation? What is this Catholic process of “being saved” and “being sanctified”? Only those already regenerated, or saved, ever receive the gospel as the power of God. Only those already regenerated respond positively to the gospel to be a sweet savour to God. Jesus paid the full price for those God had already chosen to be holy before the world began. Salvation is not a process, but an act! An act of a sovereign and successful God! | I Cor 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. II Cor 2:15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. | I Cor 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. II Cor 2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. |
| How was Jesus raised “because of our justification”? Does our justification depend on His resurrection, or does His resurrection depend on our justification? Not even the NIV goes this far! | Romans 4:25 Who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. | Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. |
| God warned His saints that false brethren would hate and reject them in the name of the Lord. But the NKJV, trying to help God out, put the quotation marks around too much of the verse, destroying the sense and proving their Bible ignorance. | Isaiah 66:5 Hear the word of the LORD, You who tremble at His word: “Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My name's sake, said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, That we may see your joy.' But they shall be ashamed." | Isaiah 66:5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. |
| Consistent with the effeminate Christianity of the perilous times of the last days, the NKJV replaced “repent” with “relent,” implying that the hellish sinners among the Jews had a pressing desire to believe on Christ. Relenting is not repenting! And there are none that seek after God (Rom 3:11)! | Matthew 21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him. | Matthew 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. |
| Talebearing, or gossiping, is a sin that God hates, as taught clearly in the Bible (Lev 19:16). But the NKJV compares talebearing to tasty trifles! Is this wisdom? Where is the condemnation of gossiping? | Proverbs 18:8 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body. | Proverbs 18:8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. |
| Why does the NKJV fear to use “whore” and “sodomite”? Why avoid connecting sodomite and dog in this text? A “perverted one” can mean anything. But a sodomite dog is a plain description of men having sex with men. The perilous times describe so-called Christians compromising with those “without natural affection” (II Tim 3:3). | Deut 23:17-18 There shall be no ritual harlot of the daughters of Israel, or a perverted one of the sons of Israel. You shall not bring the wages of a harlot or the price of a dog to the house of the LORD your God for any vowed offering, for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God. | Deut 23:17-18 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God. |
| The NKJV removed the sin of effeminacy, which includes perversions short of sodomy (Deut 22:5). Jesus taught the least commandments (Matt 5:19), and this is not one of them! Did the NKJV protect effeminate ministers preying on women (II Tim 3:6-7)? Why delete a sin and repeat another? | I Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, | I Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, |
| Effeminate Christians want peace at any cost. They will tolerate heresy, but not division. God expects saints to divide from heretics (Rom 16:17-18). | Titus 3:10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, | Titus 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; |
| The philosophers of Athens were ignorant fools. Only proud men in love with man’s wisdom would flatter the pagan fools of Athens. The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God, not religious! | Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; | Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. |
| To capture silly women as part of effeminate Christianity, the NKJV flattered them by describing their creation as being comparable to Adam, denying the truth of I Pet 3:7 and I Tim 2:13-14. | Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." | Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. |
| Since the NKJV teaches the heresy that Eve was made comparable to Adam, it is no wonder that wives need only respect their husbands! Here is more evidence of “perilous times” Christianity. | Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. | Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. |
| By now, you can see why the NKJV replaced “dishonesty” with “shame” in the matter of how the word of God is treated. Since they dishonestly altered the text for a moneymaking project, they removed the word. They may avoid their shame by hiding, but they cannot hide their dishonesty! | II Cor 4:2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. | II Cor 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. |
A Few Other Reasons the NKJV Is False
1. The Bible version issue is as simple as faith, fruit, and fools. God promised to preserve His inspired words (Ps 12:6-7; Isaiah 30:8; Matt 5:18; I Pet 1:25). He promised they would bear spiritual fruit and have certain traits (Pr 8:8; Jer 23:28-29; John 10:35; I Thess 2:13). And He said He would not use scholars (fools) to assist the truth (Matt 11:25-27; I Cor 1:19-20; 3:19-20; I Tim 6:3-5,20-21). Saints simply believe these matters by faith without regard for scholars or booksellers. Men who believe God trust Him entirely by faith and ignore the questions of skeptics or their own souls (Rom 4:17-22). This method is exactly how the canon of 66 books came to be – by faith and fruit, without any scientific basis and ignoring the suggestions or conclusions of church councils and fathers (fools).
Thomas Nelson Publishers operates in the very opposite direction and manner of this faith, fruit, and fools approach to Scripture. They have no faith in preserved Scripture (they sell Catholic Bibles with the apocryphal books in the Old Testament). They sell Bibles for financial gain (why copyright a public domain Bible?). They depend on fools (scholars and textual critics and liberal denominations) for their information. And they practice fraud by falsely professing faith in Scripture and claiming the NKJV is something that it clearly is not. Since these four marks, or fruits, are all faithless evidences of a work of man, the NKJV or other Bibles of Thomas Nelson cannot be God’s word.
2. Jesus said false prophets were to be judged by their fruits (Matt 7:15-20). The NKJV is responsible, along with other modern Bible versions, for an effeminate and illiterate generation of compromising and worldly Christians, who have turned away from the truth to fables (Is 30:8-13; Amos 8:11-12; I Thess 2:13; II Tim 3:1-7; 4:3-4). Why would anyone go to the NKJV as the word of God, since its readers generally lack the spiritual character and fruit of those reading God’s words? The lack of spiritual fruit in holy living, powerful preaching, and condemning authority reveal it as a work of man. This test is infallible to men of faith, for fruit is the prescribed test of a prophet or Bible. Furthermore, the word of God must be judged by its internal accuracy and integrity, where the NKJV fails by its casual use of words and compromise with other manuscript families and versions.
3. When Jesus spoke, there was obvious and significant authority (Matt 7:28-29); but the NKJV has helped form the present generation of powerless, pleasure-obsessed Christians that have only a form of godliness, questioning and rejecting the words of God (Gen 3:1; Jer 23:28-29; Matt 7:28-29; II Tim 3:1-7; 4:3-4). They love sound bites much more than the carefully studied sense of words. Jesus and Paul argued from individual words, verb voices and tenses, and even a single letter. Any Bible or its readers that treats words lightly is not a Bible endorsed by God, for He has shown that every word is important and the basis for true doctrine, even if the word be for cross-reference purposes (Prov 30:5; Luke 4:4). God’s ministers “preach the word,” not ten to twenty different versions of it!
4. The KJV originated in the dying words of William Tyndale in 1536, when he was burned at the stake by Anglican Catholics for translating and printing the Bible in the English language. Prior to expiring in the flames, he cried out, “Lord, open the eyes of the king of England.” By the grace of God, King James I of England called for a new version in English in 1604. The saints with the testimony of Jesus and the commandments of God have always been the despised and persecuted enemies of pagan and papal Rome. Their crime? Possessing the word of God (Rev 6:9; 12:11,17; 14:12; 20:4)! Read the preface of the King James Version. The translators of the NKJV would have trouble even reading the wonderful document, and they would not understand the holy reverence for the word of God and the holy hatred for Catholicism and self conceited scholarship! Read how the translators affirmed that the Pope is the man of sin and how they foretold the certainty that popish persons and self conceited scholars would both surely malign their efforts.
But the NKJV originated in the financial plans of Thomas Nelson Publishers, not the hearts of men loving the pure words of God and willing to lay down their lives for it (I Tim 6:10; Titus 1:9-11). They sell Catholic Bibles right beside the KJV and NKJV versions, because they have no more faith or commitment to the word of God than the number of dollars it can generate in various versions, editions, styles, covers, boxes, colors, etc. Their public relations efforts to convince the gullible with signed statements of belief in the inspiration of the originals is pure tomfoolery, for they sell Bibles including the apocryphal books and based on entirely different families of manuscripts.
5. The NKJV was copyrighted as a moneymaking scheme of Thomas Nelson Publishers. They stole the name of a king and a Bible in the public domain, plagiarizing work previously done, and copyrighted it for their financial advantage and perpetual income. If they had hearts for the truth even a fraction of Tyndale and the KJV translators, they would give the Bibles away or, in the worst case, sell them at cost. But they sell it for a profit right along with the NCV, the NAB, the NRSV, and the ICB.
6. The NKJV is not the King James Bible, nor is it anything comparable to any of the editions of the King James Bible. In many places where it differs from the KJV, it agrees with the Alexandrian family of texts and those modern versions following that textual family. Yet they marketed and promoted the NKJV as just another revision in the line of editions of the KJV. Regarding the editions of the Authorized Version of 1611, the revision committee of the American Bible Society said in 1852, “The English Bible as left by the translators has come down to us unaltered in respect to its text.” The NKJV altered the text of the KJV whenever it felt like it, which it had to do in order to get a copyright for a new Bible, but which they did not admit openly to the public!
7. Where can a person find the word of God and the words of God? By looking for the Bible version bearing the spiritual fruit of God’s elect and having the internal integrity necessary to be the word of God. Where is this Bible found? It is generally found in the old-fashioned churches and homes of sobriety and godliness, rather than in the newfangled churches and homes of frivolity and worldliness. It is found with dogmatic men that have no regard for scholarship, rather than with effeminate men that use a plethora of versions to provide pleasant sound bites. It is found with men that earnestly contend for the apostolic faith, rather than with men making the gospel palatable for modern man (II Tim 2:2; 3:14; Jude 1:3).
Thomas Nelson Publishers renamed their KJV the New KJV, because they needed a new name for copyright purposes, and they were pandering to a generation that wants new religion rather than the old paths (Jer 6:16; Acts 17:21). Their version is certainly new; it has new words with new doctrines and new emphases for a new kind of Christian, the kind Paul warned would arise in the perilous times of the last days (II Tim 3:1-7; 4:3-4). It is a mongrel version from the manuscripts the KJV translators used and the manuscripts they refused to use! It is found in contemporary Christian churches promoting casual worship and compromising doctrine and practice. It is very rarely found among those men and churches fully dedicated to the apostolic faith and old paths of Scripture.