One thing that I've often noticed about modern Bible versions is that they have very strong
Calvinist leanings. Now, if you don't know what Calvinism is, one of the five points
of Calvinism basically teaches that Jesus Christ did not die for everyone. It's called
limited atonement. Of course, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus Christ died for every
man. He died for all people on this earth. But Calvinism teaches that he only died for
certain people and that God basically predetermines who goes to heaven and who goes to hell just
based upon his own will, not based on anything that we would do or say or believe or a choice
that we make. They don't believe that we have free will. They basically believe everything's
just predetermined by God and he only died for certain people and they're the only ones
that are going to be saved and there's nothing we can do to change that at all. Of course,
it's a very wicked doctrine. It's completely contrary to Scripture. But I've noticed that
these new versions lean very Calvinistic in their doctrine. For example, a Calvinist buzzword
is the word sovereign. You know, whenever you're talking to someone who's a Calvinist,
they always start out, well, you know, we know that God is sovereign or do you believe
that God is sovereign? And that's their buzzword. Well, the word sovereign is found zero times
in the King James Bible. It never occurs. In the NIV, the word sovereign is found 297
times. In the New Living Translation, 291 times, you'll find the Calvinist buzzword
sovereign. Listen to what they do to Luke 2.14. I'm going to read it for you from the
King James. It's a very familiar verse. Luke 2.14 says, "'Glory to God in the highest and
on earth peace, good will toward men.'" Listen to what the NIV does to Luke 2.14. And again,
that's a scripture that says that God has good will toward men. Because why? Jesus Christ
is coming to be the savior of all men, to die on the cross for all men. God so loved
the world. Listen to the NIV. "'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on
whom his favor rests.'" So now, it's not good will toward men in general, it's on earth
peace to men on whom his favor rests. Only a select few, like Calvinism teaches. Listen
to what the New Living Translation does with Luke 2.14. "'Glory to God in highest heaven
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.'" Whereas in the King James
Bible, again, we have the famous verse, "'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace,
good will toward men.'" The Bible's clear. Jesus Christ died for everybody. He tasted
death for every man. He's the savior of all men and he has good will here toward all men
because Jesus Christ's coming, which is what the discussion is about here in Luke 2, is
something that is good news for all people. Because, "'Whosoever believeth in him shall
not perish but have eternal life.'"