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Hi Kenny, There is a long-held and heated debate over which translations are best. I’m keeping my answers simple – maybe oversimplified - so as to give an overview. You asked, “Why these subtractions in NIV and Good News?” The reason is that they are translated from different groups of texts. About 95% of manuscripts fall into the first group containing the “Majority Text” and “Received Text” – often called “Byzantine”. The remaining 5% of Bible manuscripts contain ‘other’ texts and are generally called “Alexandrian”. Most modern translations are derived from a standardised version of Alexandrian manuscripts. At the time of inception, they were believed by some to be more legitimate because the oldest known manuscript fragments were Alexandrian. “Who are the culprits” There are theories that scribes in Egypt changed parts they didn’t like – resulting in the earliest Alexandrian texts. In the late 1800s, two ministers, Westcott and Hort, published a standardised version of the Alexandrian texts. Because the Alexandrian manuscripts had the oldest known fragments at the time, many Bible publishers were convinced to use this standard version as the basis for their translations. “How do we rectify it?” Some of these translations have “Revised Editions” that fix the most obvious discrepancies, and others have notes that point out the differences. We can be aware (and teach our people) that the content of these modern versions dilutes certain doctrines (by-&-large, the changes represent omissions of information rather than doctrinal alterations – so what is there is still predominantly the Word of God; just not all of God’s word). “What should we do as christians” If you are concerned, stick to a Byzantine translation such as the KJV or NKJV.

The good news is that it's more confirmation that we are indeed in the last days (as if we needed more confirmation), and that Jesus is coming very soon! And that should be a wake up call for Christians to put away all sin and unholiness, as well as the things of this world, and prepare to meet our Groom. There's work to be done... in ourselves, spreading the gospel, and completing the work the Holy Spirit has given each of us to do.

Matthew 24:23-31 23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. 29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

In the past year or so, I've been catching myself in and out of my relationship with God. I know he's my savior and the true God, but every time I go to a service or just have one on one worship with him, I can never get that "flame" of passion for him. I get so distracted during worship and I can never stay focused on God. I have no idea why, but I feel no connection with him. Every Sunday and Wednesday when I would worship him, I would fall on my knees crying, but now I'm lucky if I can even raise my hands.. Do any of you get like this?

I've recently rebuked a false pastor in our area calling again for for his repentance. He has been aberrant and heretical for years. He recently told his congregation that he has a new divine revelation from God. The revelation? He is jesus christ... Thank God a few left. 2000 years ago they had "many antichrist." Today, it would seem we have many more... 1Jo 2:18-19 (18) Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (19) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 2Pe 2:17-19 (17) These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; (a storm of extreme violence) to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. (Hell ) (18) For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. (19) While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

But in that movie, God was not viewed with disrespect as He was in noah.

We are in the End Times.I can see this happening.Along with the new Samsung televisions where they can hear your conversations and the Smart Phones that are capable of that as well.

When was the last time congress did the right thing?

1. There are over 50 translation of the Bible into English (alone)...I just looked it up...knowing there were plenty, so that should keep us busy...Good News is one of the worst BTW 2. There is a list of the translators in front of each Bible version. That's a start 3. Perhaps a crusade? Or pull them from library shelves? Mind you, even the very best of the best translations may not be perfect; which is one reason someone else always assumes they could do better 4. Nothing. It's too late. They have gone out into all the world. However, if one accepts Christ as their Savior, and believes they are reconciled to God through Him, we are assured we have salvation...one office of the Holy Spirit is to lead us into all truth, so no matter what version...whether added or subracted to...we can trust God to keep us. Bibles do not save us. The only One who saves us, is the One who has revealed Himself to us in the Bible.

Well, if one is going to view scripture as philosophy 101, I can understand the circling around the point and never quite arriving at the destination, which in this case is understanding what perfection means from a Christian perspective, and that, based on what the Bible says it is...rather than some circling of the campfire without ever getting close enough to warm one's hands. Sorry, but my first thought is 'oh baloney'. Shades of mysticism is what came to mind next. Would you happen to be able to source your quote? It is a quote after all The only heart that is perfect in the eyes of God is the one that has submitted itself to Christ and allowed for His perfection and God's grace as the only attainable perfection we have offered to us freely. No hoops to jump through, no coals of fire to walk on, and really, far far more then respect or admiration. The only works that God approves of, are the ones enacted through His Spirit in obedience to Him. The Bible says the heart is desperately wicked....and deceitful above all things and I would suggest that the actual author of the quote above, has perhaps reflected too long on his own state and too little on the state of his life hidden in Christ. Well, the perfection of Christ does not transform the soul. Our souls are never made perfect. Our life is hid with Christ in God. What that means, is that God does not see our sins... He sees the perfect sacrifice of His Son in our place...in other words, we are redeemed. Further, we are redeemed at the very moment of salvation. NOTHING we do makes us better in God's eyes then what we receive when we accept Christ, when we admit we are a sinner and that God's only Son died in our place. The rest, is, to put it colloquially, hogwash. It appears the op may have strayed from the truth and obtained a one way pass with a leave of absence granted by his strange doctrine.

Yes - primarily a hobby forum and FB. I usually spend no more than five minutes on FB. I used to post frequently on a credit forum, but it's been a good while - a year or two. I came to Worthy from another "Christian" forum. However, it was common for people to put others down on the forum. There's one particular individual that posts frequently. He seems to be very immature in the faith. However, he's been to Bible college and has a street preaching ministry. He is stubborn about some of his views. Often when he posts, he gets viciously attacked by others. They make fun of him frequently. Yes, he needs to mature in his faith, but in the forum, it's like he swims with piranhas, rather than being lovingly and gently corrected. I've pointed this out of the forum, and they only tried to justify their attitudes and behaviors toward him. That's not the only example of toxic behavior on the forum, but I found myself - not depressed, but...maybe feeling like I needed to take a shower afterward. Sort of like walking through a sewer. Worthy has such a different atmosphere. Occasionally, there are posts that I feel are dogmatic and sometimes belittling, but that's not the overall environment of Worthy. It's mostly encouraging and refreshing to be here.

You actually start with a common mistake. That passage only refers to revelation. It does not refer to the entire bible. We need to remember how the bible came about. It was not complete when revelation was written. 1. Why the subtractions? That is rather simple. There are various choices of manuscripts available to use for translation purposes. There are different arguments to support the use of each one. Generally people have a pre-formed opinion and side with the argument that supports that view. Also the Good News version is designed to be easily read by children and as a result some compromises are made. 3. Do we need to rectify it? Who is right and who is wrong? Can one really answer that question without being biased? There are different methods of translation. Some do word for word which sound like a good idea but the drawback is that they can lose the actual meaning of the passage. So the solution was to look at the meaning of the passage and translate it. Of course there are problems with that too. 4. As christians we should read the bible and ask for the spirit to guide us into truth. The bible is a useful tool but it is not God. I think we often forget that. 2. You can look for people to blame if you really want but I think it is a waste of time. I think if one looks at any translation of the bible accepted by all mainstream denominations then I am confident that all the translators had the best intentions and were not trying to come up with a con job.

GREAT news!!! thank you for sharing!!! YAAAAAAAA GOD!!!

I am glad for you and your mom...however. I must make a comment on your J.C. And Satan. I am curious as to why you did not say Jesus but chose to say J.C. Yet for Satan you use his whole name. Jesus name is so very Holy that though this is a post, the name of the Son of God should be revered not short firmed to JC. It indicates a lack of respect. This is personal to me alone perhaps but Jesus helped you, honour Him.

I wouldn't have a clue what it is to be perfect, I am so far from it. I only walk in the grace of my Heavenly Father knowing that my imperfections are covered by the blood of the Lord Jesus and I thank Him everyday for that. Because He Lives!! RustyAngeL

William You have more to protect than I do. God does not require us to study within an institution, but with a pure heart. God is no respecter of persons, therefore you should not use this as a defense, for the holy spirit is our teacher, and God chose the simple of this world. Psalms 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? Psalms 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. For the record, I have many sins I need forgiveness for. Loaded with sins, I have touched, tasted and dwelt with evil for many years until my eyes were opened, and mercy poured in. I have much to be thankful of, and realise I did not fully know the Lord until I met him through his Word. With a hungry heart for truth, I searched in the solitude of my own room, or whilst sitting in a park, on a train, at work lunch breaks, and where ever I took his word with me, and he fed me. I was not out to prove any doctrine wrong, because I did not know of all the doctrines that exist. I knew nothing, but became like a child, and depended solely on his Word for instruction. I have studied for nearly as long as you, yet I know that if one has a pure heart, he can be taught more truth in one week, than what some can learn in a lifetime. We can discuss the Word right here and right now, and test it to be true without personal recommendations, for we are handling the Word of life. Now to say I am adding words, when I have quoted those exact words in scripture, is not honest in my opinion. You need to address this brother. Is the book I am quoting from the KJV, having no relevance to our discussion as a form of proof in your eyes?. If so, then we can end our discussion right now, ...and if not I have plenty more to say on this subject, as we have only scratched the surface here. I will leave you with some of my favourite scriptures, to enlighten you spiritually for the best brother. Psalms 18:26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. Psalms 119:140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. Psalms 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Your Sister in Christ who loves you very much.

I am sure many have missed out on blessings because they gave up right before receiving them. I know I have. Patience - waiting on the Lord - builds faith!

I could tell you one to stay away from.

I have to say, being new to this forum and posting on them...I looked around at many Christian forums and this one seems to be the best. I noticed that on the other forums it was very common to call others names like 'stupid'and many other mean comments that seemed very childish when others had a different opinion. I see this site has people who are more mature in their approach to others and have the maturity to agree to disagree without hurting others feelings.

No surprise here, since Billionaire Democrat Warren Buffet owns the rail lines that transport the oil that the keystone pipeline would replace.

Seems like playing with words, or dancing with meanings of words, I think i understand what your getting at, but to me its simple, we are becoming more Christ-like in this life but will never reach perfection in this world.

Hi Katrina, You've been courageous in sharing these very personal issues with others on the forum, and should be commended for that. I feel for you and your mother and I will pray for you. I am also experiencing what you are. I hope someone who reads this has the heart and the means to provide you with some tangible help, which is what you are looking for. I can assure you that if I were in that position I would give you the help you need. The only way to understand God is to see what He does and says in Scripture, and lay hold on those passages which reflect our situation (especially in the Psalms). And don't forget that God did not explain Himself to Job, but eventually blessed him. Don't give up on your hopes and dreams. Make some serious plans, write them down, and present them to the Lord no matter what, and keep on persisting because sometimes persistence is what He wants to see. Perhaps He is testing both of your faiths as He did king David and many others (Jas 1:1-4; 1 Pet 1:6,7). God does not intend for you to suffer forever, and you will see that in the Psalms. If you both are members of a church, bring this to the attention of the pastors/elders and ask for their help in relocating to a Christian landlord they may know about. Perhaps your church should be praying for you, but be careful in what you share publicly. Keep requests more generic for your own safety and peace of mind, since those people know you personally. I know exactly what you're saying. Just keep in mind that there is really no one else to turn to, and that all we can do is keep on bringing these issues to the Lord and asking for a resoluton. Tell the Lord exactly how you feel about this wall of silence (even though He knows our thoughts). Just pour out your heart to Him, but begin with praise and worship, and follow the pattern Christ laid down in Mt 6:9-13. Because you decided to get serious about being a Christian, Satan decided to attack you seriously and bring you down. He also got you to get angry with God and blapheme Him. Satan wants to drive a wedge between God and His children, and he is frequently successful. Just tell the Lord you are unable to take any more of this pressure. The Lord has said He cares for us, so remind Him about those Scriptures (although, once again, He already knows). You've done the right things, so don't stop and don't back down. Perhaps you and your mother should determine if you both should simply fast and pray at this time, and wait on the Lord. Tell Him you will not let Him go unless He blesses you, as Jacob did with the Angel of the Lord, and Hannah did for Samuel. Sometimes this is what it will take. You can see Satan's hand in this. Don't give up and don't back down. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will lift you up eventually (Mt 7:7-11; Jas 4:5-10; 5:10,11). Here's where you will have to change your attitude, and ask the Lord to bless these evildoers and bring them to repentance and salvation (Mt 5:43-48). This is what the Lord wants, not your flesh. Don't focus on what God is doing or not doing for others. Focus on who you are in Christ -- that you are a child of God, an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ. And seek the help of fellow-Christians in terms of food on the table, etc. Christ came to give us life, abundant life, and eternal life. At the same time "All those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution". Just remember that with God all things are possible, and that He did not abandon Job, or Daniel, or many others. He delivered both Peter and Paul from prison. So pray for deliverance, and lift up the Psalms which ask for deliverance to the Lord.

It isn't possible to live without sin in these bodies. I don't know why you would state that; at least you recognize that is not you...not me either BTW I'm sorry Kan, but reading your responses (not just the one addressed to me) I find that you seem to vary your responses and are not consistent in what you state...maybe that is how I read them, but even in your response to me here, you seem to state one thing and then negate it with your next sentence...ie the quote above in which you state it IS possible to live without sinning but you admit you don't. Perfection in the sense it is being used in the op actually refers to completion...we are complete in Christ..His righteousness is our righteousness We really don't have to twist scripture into a pretzel to understand that That is certainly not my understanding For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. I cor. 13:12

My question would be, as believers, why wouldn't we pray for God's blessings over our food and thank Him for it each and every time? Is our belly our god, and our appetite a greater priority than thanking Him? I'm not boasting, but I never forget. At every meal, I can't help but remember His goodness and thank Him and ask Him to bless it. Yes I pray throughout the day, but that's no excuse to not follow our Lord's example and pray over meals.

I give thanks to God in prayer over all of my food - even just snacks or drinks. It keeps me in a grateful frame of mind.

Words that sound similar have similar meanings. Sit, sat and set for example. That said, giving thanks is alot like giving thinks. Thinks? Yes! Don't forget that the reprobate mind was given to them because they refused to keep God in all their thoughts. Neither were they thankful! So Think God always :-)

Hollywood will always be Hollywood. I'm not discouraged by their action. Rather, I feel sorry for them as they take a creative license while trying to make His history more attractive. At any point, many who will not read the bible will see the movie, where the thought begins. It is our responsibility to correct the errors Hollywood presents.

Do you think our idea of perfection is one that cannot be attained to? The Pharisees said "if we all could but live a day without sin, then the Messiah would come" In the mean time they created about a thousand laws from sneezing to breathing, so that no one even dreamed of perfection. I don't think Jesus would tell us to be perfect as His Father in heaven is perfect, if it was a difficult thing like the Pharisees put out. Perfection has to be simple and attainable by faith. Trusting as a child does. That's OK isn't it? even to the newby. So, like, how perfect are you? I don't think you quite understand the biblical injunction to be perfect...cause none of us can be perfect in the current suit we wear

I'm sure this question has been answered sufficiently, but I would also like to chime in. Christ was "perfect" as far as his nature, character, flawlessness from sin. When scripture says he was "made perfect", in context it is speaking of his mission. His sufferings as a man, his completion in obeying every objective that the Father set out for him. He finished his work, in human experience, and securing salvation for mankind. Christ could be tempted because he took on humanity, being fully man he was susceptible to the various weaknesses that men hold, but he could not sin, or should I say it was impossible for him to fail God(The Father). Scripture is clear that sin could find no place in him. Further more if he could have sinned it would have made the word of God a lie, because all the things Prophesied about him would have been wrong. In the mind of God Messiah's mission was accomplished before he laid the foundations of the world. Jesus fulfilled every last jot and tittle, confirming that he was the Messiah. Jesus was literally God in the flesh. The flesh itself, or the body is not sinful, it is the nature of man in Adam that is sinful. In salvation Christ actually shares his nature (Holy, Harmless, UNDEFILED) with us. We partake of his divine nature. Even though his humanity was weak, being the Holy one and creator of all things, he destroyed sin in the flesh. It could not overcome him.