Would you take a magic marker to your Bible
and cross out words from passages?
Matthew 18:11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
Welcome to the Amazing Westcott and Hort Magic Marker Binge!
The chart below illustrates what was done when the text used by Christianity for 1800 years was replaced with a text assembled by Brook Foss Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort in the nineteenth century and used as the basis for the English Revised Version, which nearly all modern translations closely follow.
The text shown here is the King James Version. Words, sentences, or entire verses in strikethrough illustrate portions that have been removed from the traditional text underlying the KJV New Testament to make the modern critical text. Not all modern versions are the same. Sometimes the ESV will include a word the NIV doesn’t, or the NASB might omit a phrase the NIV and NRSV both retain, etc… but for the most part, the examples below represent nearly all of the popular modern versions. (Psudeo-KJV versions such as the NKJV are far more subtle and are a different case. See the articles section for NKJV examinations.)
Compare your modern version and see what the KJV has that yours doesn’t. This list is not comprehensive, it is just a sample! The modern critical text that forms the basis for nearly all modern versions omits the equivalent of the entire books of 1st and 2nd Peter.
A note before we get started…
Critics commonly charge that the traditional Bible text used by believers for 1800 years adds material, and that we should be thankful for Westcott and Hort who came along in the 19th century to restore the text of the New Testament that had been corrupt for 1800 years and during the entire reformation. This charge is of course made against evidence to the contrary, as you will find if you research the text lines (read other articles on this website). Further, it is interesting to note that one of these verses is this:
Romans 13:9: For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
The phrase “thou shalt not bear false witness” is missing from the modern critical text (and therefor most modern versions). Now I ask you: is it reasonable to assume that a scribe added a self-incriminating phrase to the passage? Isn’t it more likely that “those who corrupt the word of God” (2 Cor. 2:17, KJV) removed the phrase which indicted them?
Now on to Westcott and Hort’s Magic Marker Binge!
(Part 1: Matthew – John)
Matthew | |
1:25 | And knew her not till she had brought forth her |
5:44 | But I say unto you, Love your enemies, |
6:13 | And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: |
6:33 | But seek ye first the kingdom |
8:29 | And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, |
9:13 | But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners |
12:35 | A good man out of the good treasure |
13:51 | |
15:8 | This people |
16:3 | And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. |
16:20 | Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was |
17:21 | |
18:11 | |
19:9 | And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: |
19:17 | And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, |
20:7 | They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; |
20:16 | So the last shall be first, and the first last: |
20:22 | But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, |
23:14 | |
25:13 | Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour |
27:35 | And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: |
28:9 | And |
Mark | |
1:14 | Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel |
1:31 | And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and |
2:17 | When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners |
6:11 | And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. |
6:16 | But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen |
7:8 | For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, |
7:16 | |
9:24 | And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, |
9:42 | And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe |
9:44 | |
9:46 | |
9:49 | For every one shall be salted with fire, |
10:21 | Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, |
11:10 | Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh |
13:14 | But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, |
13:33 | Take ye heed, watch |
14:68 | But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; |
15:28 | |
16:9-20
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Luke | |
1:28 | And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: |
4:4 | And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, |
4:8 | And Jesus answered and said unto him, |
4:41 | And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art |
7:31 | |
9:54-56 | And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, |
11:2-4 | And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father |
11:29 | And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas |
17:36 | |
21:4 | For all these have of their abundance |
22:31 | |
22:64 | And when they had blindfolded him, |
23:17 | |
23:38 | And a superscription also was written over him in |
23:42 | And he said unto Jesus, |
24:6 | |
24:40 | |
24:49 | And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city |
24:51 | And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, |
John | |
1:14 | And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only |
1:27 | He it is, who coming after me is |
3:13 | And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man |
3:15 | That whosoever believeth in him |
4:42 | And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed |
5:3-4 | In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, |
6:47 | Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth |
6:69 | And we believe and are sure that thou art |
11:41 | Then they took away the stone from the place |
16:16 | A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, |
17:12 | While I was with them |