Almost every English translation of the Word of God done since the late 19th Century has been based upon the Westcott and Hort Greek translation. This translation used, in the phraseology of the New International Version (NIV), “the most reliable early manuscripts.” These “reliable” manuscripts include the Codex Sinaiticus, which was found in a waste basket in St. Catherine's Monastery by Constantin von Tischendorf in 1859.

The Codex Sinaiticus is not a perfect text, and therefore cannot be described as “reliable.” Tischendorf counted thousands of corrections to the text. Many times phrases or entire sentences are repeated. Sometimes a phrase was started a second time, and then scratched through. It is obvious that the scribes of this text were not as careful or as reverent toward the Word as they should have been.

The King James Version (KJV) was translated from the Textus Receptus (Received Text) which is a compilation of Greek New Testament texts done in 1516 by Desiderius Erasmus.

Here are some of the differences between the translations done from the Textus Receptus and the Codex Sinaiticus.

• “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” (Matthew 18:11 - KJV) In the NIV the whole verse is omitted.
  
• “...and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13 – KJV) In the NIV the entire phrase is omitted.
  
• “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:37 – KJV) In the NIV the whole verse is omitted.
  
• “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4 – KJV) In the NIV the previous underlined phrase is omitted. “Jesus answered, It is written: Man does not live on bread alone.”
  
• “...the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:” (Colossians 3:6 – KJV) In the NIV the previous underlined phrase is omitted. “...the wrath of God is coming.”
  
• “...she had brought forth her firstborn son....” (Matthew 1:25 – KJV) inferring that Mary was a virgin in fulfillment of prophecy. The NIV eliminates this and simply says, “...she gave birth to a son....”
  The last twelve verses of Mark chapter 16 were erased from the Codex Sinaiticus, ending the gospel with the women “trembling and bewildered.”

I understand the excitement of finding such an old version of the Bible as the Codex Sinaiticus, but I do not understand using its clearly faulty text as the basis for modern translations. It appears that the scribes at St. Catherine's Monastery had an agenda, perhaps Gnostic in nature, to denigrate the Word of God and the Divinity of Jesus. Do the modern translators have the same agenda?

The Word of God is holy, true and correct. The Lord Jesus said that not one jot (the smallest Hebrew letter) or one tittle (the pronunciation marks) would “pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18) I praise the Lord that, despite the efforts of men, we have received His Holy Word today, after thousands of years. May His name be praised forever!