LORD OR NO LORD?
The NIV has omitted or altered the word ‘Lord’ in the New Testament a great number of times. Proponents of this porno company-owned “Bible” like to make the foolish argument that this is not significant because his lordship is asserted elsewhere. They ignore the fact that people read, memorize, and quote verses out of context, and that leaving his lordship out of even one verse can be used to alter an entire theology.
They also ignore the fact that intentionally omitting even a single word is a violation of God’s warning against altering his book. Omitting or adding a word can often make a verse say the opposite of what it was intended to say, as I will point out in some future articles. Omitting the word ‘Lord’ can remove important doctrinal aspects of a verse. I certainly cannot take the space to outline all of the instances in which the NIV and other modern versions have removed the word ‘Lord’ from the text. I will concentrate on just three instances where it was crucially significant. In these examples the salvation experience is removed from the New Testament.
The first instance is in John 8:11 where the Bible has:
“She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
This, of course, refers to the event when Jesus stops the stoning of an adulterous woman. Every unrepentant sinner and degenerate pervert’s favorite verse is verse 7 of the same chapter: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Verse 11 is never quoted by the lost. The significance of the word ‘Lord’ in verse 11 is that the adulteress has accepted him as Lord. It is because of this that he does not condemn her and tells her to sin no more. The NIV not only omits Lord, but replaces it with ‘Sir’.
In other words, Jesus is just a man who rescued her from a stoning; he is not her Lord who offered her salvation based upon her repentance and acceptance of his lordship. This is what they think of our Lord? He is to be called Sir? Will future versions call him Mister? How about buddy, pal, bro, or homeboy? Or has it already been done?
A second example appears in Luke 23:42.
“And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
Here one of the criminals hanging on a cross next to Christ has rebuked the other criminal and has acknowledged Christ as God. In verse 42 he accepts him as Lord and shows repentance. The NIV and other perversions have completely removed the word ‘Lord’ and have removed the salvation message from the passage.
NIV: “Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
It should be noted that the so-called New King James Version does the exact same thing in a footnote. Why would the NKJV, which claims to be based upon the TR want to destroy this verse?
The third example that I will give is found in Acts. After Paul is knocked off his horse he learns that it is Jesus that has done so to him. He then submits, not just by his obedience, but by acknowledging him as Lord.
Acts 9:6 “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”
The NIV not only omits Lord, but the first half of the verse entirely. Paul has had no salvation experience in the NIV and its kindred dark spirits. There is no submission on the part of Paul and no fear of God is displayed.
NIV: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Scores of other example could be listed, but for brevity’s sake I will stop here. This blasphemous treatment of the word ‘Lord’ should be enough by itself to indict the NIV and other modern contortions of Scripture, even if there not hundreds of other types of perversions found in these versions. It is sad that we live in an age where so few professed Christians are bothered by such foul treatment of our Bible.
John Hinton, Ph.D.
Bible Restoration Ministry
A ministry seeking the translating and reprinting of KJV equivalent
Bibles in all the languages of the world.