What else is supposedly wrong in the Amplified? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.
It’s definitely a labor of love going through King James Onlyism. As always, the original source can be found here. Right now, we are looking at the KJV compared to the Amplified.
Matt. 18:11
KJV: “For the Son of Man IS come to save that which was lost.”
AMP: “For the Son of man came to save (from the penalty of eternal death) that which was lost.”
Comment: The AMP says Jesus Christ “came” to save that which was lost; a PAST TENSE statement. The AMP implies that ALL who were to be saved, HAVE BEEN saved. Not true. Anyone, TODAY, can be saved by Jesus Christ. The correct reading is PRESENT TENSE. This AMP corruption is very subtle but very important.
Unfortunately for Johnson, this is false. The Greek word here is ηλθεν. Anyone is welcome to look it up even in Blue Letter Bible and you will find it is in the aorist tense, which refers to the past. Hint Johnson. You don’t determine the tense of a word by just looking at what you think it should be. You look at it by studying the word itself.
Also, I really don’t see the Amplified implying this at all. Johnson wants it to say this. This is just a failure of the principle of charity when reading a text you disagree with.
Mark 1:2
KJV: “As it is written IN THE PROPHETS, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.”
AMP: “Just as it is written in the prophet Isaiah: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will make ready Your way;”
Comment: Sometimes verses in the New Testament requote the Old Testament. This is happening here. The verse being quoted is not in Isaiah, as the AMP says, it is from Malachi 3:1. Check it out! Not only does the AMP misquote the Word of God, it even mis-quotes itself. The KJV has the correct reading: “As it is written in the prophets …”, because Malachi was a prophet!
Verbatim what was said before. See my response here.
Luke 2:33
KJV: “And JOSEPH and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.”
AMP: “And His [legal] father and [His] mother were marvelling at what was said about Him;”
Comment: This is blasphemy! Contrary to what the AMP would say, Joseph WAS NOT Jesus’ father! God WAS Jesus’ father! Every Christian knows this! And contrary to the AMP, God was also Jesus’ LEGAL father. Think about what the AMP is saying: If Jesus’ had an earthly father, then He is just any man. If He is just any man, then we are still in our sins. If we are still in our sins, then we are not saved. If we are not saved, then we have a BIG PROBLEM.
Same thing again. See here.
John 3:13
KJV: “And NO MAN hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”
AMP: “And yet no one has ever gone up to heaven; but there is One Who has come down from heaven, the Son of man [Himself], Who is – dwells, Whose home is – in heaven.”
Comment: Not true AMP. There HAVE BEEN others who have gone up to heaven. Remember the angels of Jacob’s ladder? They were ascending and descending. The KJV has the correct reading which is: “… NO MAN hath ascended up to heaven …”
Johnson repeating himself again. See here.
Acts 12:4
KJV: “… after Easter …”
AMP: “… after the Passover …”
See here.
Acts 17:22
KJV: “Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are TOO SUPERSTITIOUS.”
AMP: “So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus [Mars Hill auditorium] said: Men of Athens, I perceive in every way – on every hand and with every turn I make – that you are most religious …”
Comment: Come on! Being “most religious” and “TOO SUPERSTITIOUS” are entirely different!
At least he makes my job very easy when he keeps repeating the same claims. See here.
1 Cor. 5:7b
KJV: “For even Christ our passover is sacrificed FOR US:”
AMP: “… for Christ, our Passover [Lamb], has been sacrificed.”
COMMENT: Leaving out “FOR US” misses the point entirely.
See here.
1 Cor. 16:22
KJV: “If any man love not the Lord JESUS CHRIST, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”
AMP: “If any one does not love the Lord … he shall be accursed … ”
COMMENT: Leaving out “JESUS CHRIST” leaves us guessing as to whom the AMP wants us to love.
And here.
2 Cor. 2:17
KJV: “For we are not as many, which CORRUPT the Word of God …”
AMP: “For we are not, like so many … peddling God’s Word …”
COMMENT: Peddling and corrupting are very different. ‘Modern’ bibles try and hide from the truth that they are ‘corrupting’ the Word of God.
See here.
Gal. 2:20
KJV: “I AM crucified with Christ …”
AMP: “I have been crucified with Christ …”
COMMENT: The AMP says their crucifixion is over! Not true. The believers crucifixion is an ongoing, PRESENT TENSE, transaction.
Same as above.
Eph. 5:1
KJV: “Therefore be FOLLOWERS of God …”
AMP: “Therefore be imitators of God …”
Comment: The AMP documents Satan’s position exactly. ONLY Satan tries to IMITATE God as Satan wants to be worshipped AS God. Born again believers cannot imitate God. We can’t rule the universe. We can only follow God. Remember Jesus DID NOT tell his “fishers of men” to imitate Him. Jesus said: “follow me …”.
Philipians 3:8
KJV: “… and do count them but DUNG, that I may win Christ,”
AMP: “… and consider it all to be mere rubbish …”
See here.
1 Tim. 3:16
KJV: “… God was MANIFEST in the flesh …”
AMP: “… He (God) was made visible in human flesh …”
COMMENT: God wasn’t just made visible, He was MANIFEST in the flesh. The image of the beast, in Revelation, is going to be made visible!
So at least we have something different this time. The terms however are pretty much identical in the original languages. The word lists definitions of both manifest and made visible.
1 Tim. 6:10
KJV: “For the love of money is THE root of all evil …”
AMP: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil …”
COMMENT: There is a big difference between AMP’s “a” root and the correct KJV reading of “THE” root.
See here.
1 Tim. 6:20
KJV: “… oppositions of SCIENCE falsely so called”
AMP: “… contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge”
Same.
1 Peter 2:2
KJV: “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk OF THE WORD, that ye may grow thereby:”
AMP: “Like new born babes … desire – the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may … grow unto [completed] salvation.”
COMMENT: The AMP leaves out “OF THE WORD“. It’s God’s Word that makes us grow. Also, unlike what the AMP says, we DO NOT grow to “[completed] salvation”. That says salvation is by works! That is heresy. Remember: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8-9).
See here.
Ultimately, part of the problem here is Johnson just repeats himself over and over again. How much research did he really do? Likely very little if any.
We will continue next time.
In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)