The Missing Bible Verses

Below is a list of the Bible verses missing from most modern translations of the Bible.

They aren’t missing from Wycliffe’s Bible.  Or from Luther’s Bible.  Or from Tyndale’s Bible, or the Geneva Bible.  We can find them in the King James Version of 1611 and the New King James Version.

Textual Criticism

Wescott & Hort's Greek New TestamentThey disappeared around 1881, when Westcott and Hort developed a new source text for New Testament Bible translation called The New Testament in the Original Greek. 

Since then, the study of textual criticism of the Bible has been popular with theologians.

If my understanding is correct, proponents of Textual Criticism believe that they can discern words from the original Books of the New Testament by applying man-made rules by committee to ancient biblical manuscripts.

When I translated Luke into a desert language in Chad, I received a copy of the Novum Testamentum Graece to work from.  I also received a “Translation Handbook” for Luke.  The most prominent Bible Scholars in the world put these translation handbooks together.

The Intellectual reputation of the authors is indisputable.  However, the translation handbooks told me to leave out certain verses, a recommendation that is frustrating for me.  Especially since the language group I work with believes that scholars have corrupted the Bible over the years.

From 1885, the Novum Testamentum Graece became the basis for most Bible translations, starting with the American Standard Version.

Missing verses

These verses are missing, or are in the margins, of the following Bible translations:

  • The Revised Standard Version,
  • the New American Standard Bible,
  • the New International Version,
  • the Good News Bible,
  • the Living Bible,
  • the New Living Translation
  • and the Contemporary English Version.

Novum Testamentum Graece: the source text for most modern translations, yet verses are removedRecently, I opened up a modern translation and searched for these verses.  When I opened it, I became frustrated to discover that the verse numbers skipped the verses entirely.

We can find a more comprehensive list of Scriptures removed from the Bible by modern translations at The King James Bible Page

Thus I became motivated to translate the Bible from the first Bible in English, the Bible we know as the John Wycliffe Bible.

I also became frustrated when I saw that the only Bibles which use the earliest complete manuscripts require a university degree in Shakespearean English.

We need every verse

John Wycliffe's original Bible: verses from John 1In conclusion, I believe that Textual Criticism advocates are doing their best to understand what the original biblical texts originally looked like.

Furthermore, I believe that our spiritual enemy doesn’t want us to understand the Bible as God originally intended.  Thus, Christians become trapped.  They have to choose between Bibles with missing verses, or Bibles with language that is difficult to understand.

Mind you, the Textus Receptus has its challenges as a source text. To be sure, it is an amalgamation of several Greek texts. However, I stand beside it, because I am against a committee of men using man-made rules to edit the Word of God.

So now, translated in the spirit of John Wycliffe himself, we present to you some of the verses missing from modern translations… As found in the Modern English Translation of the Wycliffe New Testament.


The Bible Verses Missing From Modern Translations

The Gospel of Luke

Then he turned and warned them, saying, “You do not know whose spirits you belong to, because man’s son did not come to lose men’s souls, but to save them.” Then they went to another castle. – Luke 9:55-56

“Two will be in a field, one will be taken and the other one will stay behind.” – Luke 17:36

For he needed to release one of them on the feast day. – Luke 23:17

The Gospel of Matthew

“But this kind is not chased out except through prayers and fasting.” – Matthew 17:21

“For man’s son came to save that which is perishing.” – Matthew 18:11

“The one who will fall on this rock will be broken, but on whom it will fall, it will break him into pieces.” – Matthew 21:44

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who eat up widows’ houses and then pray with long prayers! You will receive greater judgment for doing this.” – Matthew 23:14

The Gospel of Mark

“If anyone has hearing ears, let them hear this.” – Mark 7:16

“… where their worm will not die and the fire is not quenched.” – Mark 9:44, 46

“If you do not forgive them, your father who is in the heavens will not forgive your sins either.” – Mark 11:26

The Scripture that said this was fulfilled: “He is considered to be one of the wicked.” – Mark 15:28

He said to them, “Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to each one God created. Whoever believes and is baptized will be safe, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will follow those who believe: They will chase out demons in my name. They will speak with new languages. They will pick up serpents. If they drink any venom, it will not make them suffer. They will place their hands on the sick, and they will become healthy.” – Mark 16:15-18

The Gospel of John

A large crowd of sick people lay on these porches, the blind, the crooked and the dry, all waiting for the moving of the water. For at certain times, the angel of the Lord came down to the water, and it was moved. And the first one who came down into the pool after the moving of the water became whole from whatever sickness which held them.” – John 5:3-4

one of the missing stories of many modern translations: John 8, verses 1 to 11Jesus raised himself up and said to her, “Woman, where are those who accused you? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said to her, “I will not condemn you either. Go, and from now on, do not sin anymore.” – John 8:10-11

Book of Acts

Philip said, “It is permitted, if you believe with your whole heart.” He answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.” – Acts 8:37

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