I was looking up something when this post appeared in Google. The classic Means of Grace passage in Romans 10 has been butchered by Murdoch's New NIV. WELS is telling people not to associate Murdoch with the NNIV, so I am keen on reminding everyone.
I was looking at the NNIV today, on Romans 3. We are far beyond the point where people translate the Bible. Now they are using Biblical words to promote their agenda. The lupine maws of the Mequon professors are slavering to have their way.
I use Bible Gateway, which defaults to the New NIV. The old one is there, plus many other translations. The more they produce new ones, the more I like the KJV.
Romans 10, NNIV -
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile —the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Romans 10, KJV -
KJV Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the
word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture
saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and
the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and
how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that
preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the
gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.
Karl Barth, Anti-Means of Grace Wording
Some people try to knock the KJV, saying, "That came from a bunch of Calvinists." The KJV is a version of the Tyndale, somewhat like using the AAT but removing it from the stigma of Herman Otten. And who was Tyndale? - a man who enrolled at Wittenberg to study under Luther and Melanchthon, to do a better job at translating. I call the KJV Luther's Bible in English. Tyndale and Luther established their languages by the power of their translations.
Karl Barth was a Marxist and an open adulterer. He is also the official theologian of Fuller Seminary, thanks to the Fuller founder's son studying there. A WELS graduate of Fuller confirmed that fact for me.
Barth, as an apostate, taught that the Bible contains the Word of God but is not the Word of God. Notice how the wording of the NNIV waters down the actual meaning of Romans 10 to turn God's Word into man's message.
Paul clearly means: the Word is what God has revealed - the efficacious Truth, not a message. Faith comes by hearing means - faith comes by hearing the preached Word. The "report" of verse 16 is not a bad translation, because a report is factual. The NNIV has "message," which has the modern meaning of "This is what it means to me."
The Jackson Living Bible translates "report" as sermon preached (see Hebrews 4:2). Galatians 3:2 has "the hearing of faith." These are more than words. They are pictures of the Apostolic Church, which grew from the eyewitness preaching of the Gospel. This is our report. This is what we saw, heard, and experienced. 1 John 1. Meditating on this picture of the apostolic preaching induces goose-bumps.
People believed in Christ because of this report. "Message" is so Methodist, so vague and non-threatening, so easily styled to meet the demandss of itching ears.
Another indication of the butchering by the NNIV is Romans 10:6.
The righteousness of faith in the KJV (and Formula of Concord) is
NNIV But the righteousness that is by faith says...
That is in harmony with the intent of UOJ - faith being acceptance of the world's absolution.
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| Karl Barth's DNA is all over the NNIV. |
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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Butchering the Means of Grace.WELS NNIV at Work Su...":
Pastor Jackson - I took the time to quickly compare the Roman's passage in both the NNIV [English] and the KJV [English] to understand what you were saying about the "butchering process." Here's what I found. And, I think it is noteworthy. I have to conclude that with this particular (English) comparison of Romans 10 (without consulting the Greek), the NNIV conveys a type of narcissistic bent, whereas the KJV places the emphasis on God coming to man, rather than man reaching out to God.
Verse 8:
NNIV - ".....that is, the message concerning faith...."
KJV - "......that is, the word of faith,......."
Major difference - NNIV'S "message concerning faith" is not the same as, the KJV'S "word of faith."
Verse 9:
NNIV - ".....If you declare with your mouth,......."
KJV - ".......That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth....."
Major difference - "Declaring" (NNIV) is different than "confessing" (KJV).
Verse 10:
NNIV - ".....with your heart that you believe....." - "....with your mouth that you profess your faith...."
KJV - ".....with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;..... - "....with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Major difference - Notice in the NNIV, the subjective emphasis - "your, you, your, you" - whereas the KJV says: "....the heart...." - "....the mouth."
Skipping to Verse 16:
NNIV - "......not all the Israelites accepted the good news....."
KJV - "......they have not all obeyed the gospel...."
Major difference - NNIV - "accepted" has the connotation of subjective acquiescence; - Whereas with the KJV, "obeyed" implies more than a subjective receiving. It implies not only belief but also a "carrying through," - joining that belief with the fruit of Godly actions as is illustrated in the Epistle of James and Matthew 7.
NNIV - "....our message....." is different than the KJV - ".....our report....."
Major difference - There is a big difference in someone saying: "We've got [our] 'message' for you," [NNIV] - rather than them saying: "We've got our 'report' for you." [KJV]
Note that "our message" implies something more of a subjective nature; whereas, "our 'report'" is in line with 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 - the Gospel of history devoid of any private interpretation. [2 Peter 1:20]
Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel
www.thechristianmessage.org
www.moralmatters.org
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GJ - That is an excellent analysis of the differences, Pastor Bickel. It does not matter how much Greek someone knows if the English is not clear.
