It's a JUNGLE Out There!

The Utmost Importance of Bible Versions

Due to a number of deeply concerning and eye-opening situations over the years (such as this one from the "King James Only" side, and this one from the "multi-version" perspective), we've increasingly been burdened to share truth when it comes to the multiplicity of Bible versions that are available today. Instead of beginning with a modern perspective and working backward, we're going to use Genesis as our starting point.

(For more in depth information on this issue,

check this link to classes on Textual Evaluation.)

First, let's look at some basics:

(I feel for folk who are learning English with all of its double meanings and illogical wording!)

Look at these signs and take note of the double (unintended) meaning!

What WERE the "words" to which Jesus was referring--and what were the languages? For starters, the Luke 24 passage originally was written by Luke in GREEK, one of THREE ancient languages that the Creator chose to use in communicating His Revelation to all mankind.

Second, Jesus specifically was referring back to the Old Testament which is comprised of ancient Hebrew with some parts in Aramaic.

Next, let's look at some reasons for this study...

We truly desire to pass along a...

Some years ago, our family was visiting Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. As I have distributed our creation cards for many years now, I recall offering one of our earlier ones to a gentleman which resulted in a brief conversation. His belief in evolution was behind the above response!

Truly, the issue of Bible translations is FAR from "simple" as it deals with literally THOUSANDS of years of Bible and linguistics history, and multitudes of fallible copyists of the ancient texts! But while it is no simple subject, what IS simple to realize from the Scripture is that God HAS provided us the reliable Revelation of His Word!

Every issue must be taken back to a foundational world view. The ideology of "evolution" is the basis for many notable evils in our culture, as illustrated below:

How could space exploration be connected to evolution? (See below.)

(Note the word "cause" and realize that it is the thinking that man is continuing to "evolve.")

(I like living on earth! Burrows is some kind of BOZO to think dinosaurs could have a "space program"!)

(There is absolutely NO Biblical basis for asserting that "leviathan" in Scripture "represents" anything!). We must beware whenever someone says "I believe..." in expressing their own opinion about the Word of God!

(Quote from the same missionary. See illustration below that contradicts the above statement!)

John Eldredge's book, "Wild at Heart" (now a movement with its own website!)

So...God, the Creator of all things..."rigged the world"?

See if you can catch the "gap theory" terminology below...

First red flag: the word "story" concerning actual the historical account of Scripture.

Someone reading this might wonder, "What's the 'gap theory'?" It's basically the idea that between the first two verses of Genesis 1 is a "gap" of an indeterminate amount of time. This idea allows for "millions of years" of an evolutionary worldview. It also places man in charge of determining what took place during that hypothetical stretch of time. And with the Creator supposedly making everything before the account of verses 2 and following, those verses would then concern God remaking everything with Satan already around to wreak havoc. What's more, He called the entire "wild enterprise" very "good." (!) As one can see, there are serious issues with this view of Scripture! Later in his book, the author refers to God's word coming to people in ways such as movies or music!

Extremely dangerous belief that "God's Word comes to me in many ways..." (!)

This idea places man in control of the revelation of God! Clearly, the "gap theory" affects one's view of the Bible and its doctrines.

Years ago, the above was said to me by the representative of a Baptist Camp. While the statement may sound fine on the surface, since we all should be reading our Bibles. But what if our understanding of the words we read is incorrect?

The eunuch in Acts 8 was indeed reading the Scriptures when Philip the evangelist asked him, "Understandest what thou readest?" To which he answered, "How can I except some man should guide me?"

In truth, we all need "some man" to help us to understand the Scriptures. Whether an individual in person, a proclaimer in an assembly, or a Bible software that is produced by people to help others to understand the Bible, we must NEVER think that reading the Bible is enough. We're explicitly instructed to "study" and "rightly divide" the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). (More on that later.)

Years ago, we were in a meeting at a large Baptist church in Utah. The Sunday morning of that meeting, I was speaking in the men's Sunday school class when I referred to a word in the ancient Biblical language. In response, a man in the class held out his Bible and blurted out: "You mean I can't trust what I hold in my hand?" I was caught off guard and I actually don't recall my answer, but that began a consternation among the men that caused the pastor to come by our RV home/office on the afternoon before I would be speaking that Wednesday night. The pastor referred to the conflict going on and asked me to "just mention the King James" that evening. I was glad to do so, though my presentation that evening had nothing to do with the text issue! However, it is sad and tragic that the KJO (King James Only) often say they hold to that version, but they don't hold to what it says! That same church and pastor not too many years later, went through a situation where the pastor and his wife divorced, and he (not long after) married another woman in the church...and (as of 7/17/25) he's still the pastor!