My faith in the accuracy of the Bible is actually increased by the errors that have been found. Let me explain! Some people express doubt in the Bible because they have heard there are errors. But the Bible is unique. It is the best-selling book in the history of the universe. (Sorry, Douglas Adams) And more scholars have studied it than any other book. And the darkest powers of the universe have done everything possible to undermine it. (Ephesians 6:12) But it has stood the test of time. Only a few errors have ever been found and only a few verses have been omitted from modern translations. And millions of Christians have staked their eternal lives on its truths.
Here’s a list of the most significant passages that appear in the KJV but are omitted (or relegated to footnotes) in virtually all modern translations because the earliest and best Greek manuscripts do not include them:
- Matthew 17:21 “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
- Matthew 18:11 “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”
- Matthew 23:14 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses…”
- “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” (both verses)
- Mark 11:26 “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
- Mark 15:28 “And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.”
- Mark 16:9–20 (the “Longer Ending” of Mark) Includes appearances of the risen Lord, the Great Commission, and the signs that follow believers.
- Luke 17:36 “Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”
- Luke 23:17 “(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)”
- John 5:3b–4 “An angel went down at a certain season into the pool…” (the angel-stirring-water story)
- John 7:53–8:11 (the Pericope Adulterae) The story of the woman caught in adultery.
- Acts 8:37 “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 15:34 “Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.”
- Acts 24:6b–8a Portions of Festus’s report about the Jews’ accusations against Paul.
- Acts 28:29 “And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.”
- Romans 8:1 (KJV reads) “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Modern translations omit the bolded clause because it is absent from the earliest manuscripts. - Romans 16:24 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
- 1 John 5:7–8 (the Johannine Comma) “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one…”
(Greek: “ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσὶν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὁ πατὴρ, ὁ λόγος, καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα· καὶ οὗτοι οἱ τρεῖς εἰς τὸ ἓν εἰσιν.”)
Why these were dropped
Textual critics compare thousands of Greek manuscripts. When a reading is absent from the earliest and most reliable witnesses (e.g., Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, P¹⁴, etc.) but appears in later, less reliable copies, especially those influenced by the Latin tradition, it’s almost certainly a later addition.
Verses affirming Scripture’s trustworthiness
To reassure us that God’s Word is preserved and sufficient (despite these later insertions), here are some “suggested other verses” you might study:
- 2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…”
- Psalms 12:6–7 “The words of the LORD are pure words… Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”
- Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
Feel free to look these passages up in an interlinear or a good, footnoted translation (e.g., the ESV, NIV, NASB, or NLT) to see textual notes on why they’re omitted or bracketed today.