Four Great 3:16’s in the New Testament

Dr. James Sightler and Wife

(1937-2019)

There are four great Chapter 3, verse 16’s in the New Testament. The KJV is the only Bible that has all four translated correctly.

John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (NKJV puts believes)

John 3:16 (NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NRSV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

In the Appartamento Borgia of the Vatican, in the room of the Sibyls, Hermes Trismegistus is shown with the Zodiac, and in the room of the Saints Hermes is painted with an enthroned Isis, on Isis’ right, with Moses seated at her left hand.[1] During Alexander’s reign, about 1485, there was installed, in the entrance to the famous Cathedral of Siena, a mosaic pavement showing Hermes and the Sibyls with a suppliant Moses bowing before Hermes. Moses holds a book, which is also held by Hermes, on which is written TAKE UP THY LETTERS AND LAWS O EGYPTIANS. The left hand of Hermes rests on a tablet, supported by sphinxes (the sphinx is the key to the Zodiac), on which is written a passage from the Corpus Hermeticum as quoted from the Greek by the church father Lactantius, which that church father, who tended to gnosticism, emphasized for its mention of the Son of God:

“The Lord and Creator of all things, whom we have the right to call God, since he made the second God visible and sensible...Since, therefore, he made him first, and alone, and one only, he appeared to him beautiful, and most full of good things; and he hallowed him and altogether loved him as his own Son.”[2]

The Arian tone of this passage is obvious, and the one and only of the NIV in John 3:16 and 1:18 is chillingly close to the term “one only” used in the cathedral mosaic. Dr. Gail Riplinger points out that the editors of the NIV appeal to ancient Greek and gnostic literature, to Parmenides in particular, to justify the substitution of one and only for only begotten, and also shows that the term “one only” was a title given to Satan in the Babylonian mystery religion.[3] Monogenes in Greek must be translated as only begotten, because the Lord Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in time. Changing it to one and only obscures a great doctrinal truth.

I Timothy 3:16 KJV And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (NKJV puts manifested, seen by angels, preached among, and in glory)

I Timothy 3:16 NIV Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

I Timothy 3:16 NRSV Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.

II Timothy 3:16 KJV All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (NKJV is the same)

Latin Vulgate of Jerome from 382 A.D. Omnis scriptura divinitus inspirata et utilis. Jerome here omits the verb to be, which is implied in the structure of the Greek and must be supplied by the translator.

Rheims-Douay of 1609 (Catholic) All scripture inspired of God is profitable

English Revised Version text and NASV footnote - Every scripture inspired by God is also profitable.

These last three versions insert the verb to be in the wrong place. This allows the claim that only some, but not all, scripture is inspired, a claim which was made by Coleridge and his Broad church disciples in the Anglican Church, Maurice, Westcott, and Hort.

I John 3:16 KJV Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

I John 3:16 NKJV By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.

I John 3:16 NIV This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

I John 3:16 NRSV We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us--and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.

The NKJV, NASV, NIV, and NRSV all omit the words “of God” and in so doing obscure the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was God. They display an anti-Trinitarian or Unitarian, if you will, bias. The KJV is the only Bible available that is correct in all four of these great verses.

[1] Yates, Frances A., Giordano Bruno And The Hermetic Tradition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1964) p. 113-15.

[2] ibid., p. 42-3.

[3] Riplinger, G. A., New Age Bible Versions (Munroe Falls, Ohio: A. V. Publications, 1993) pp. 83, 342-3.