THE GIDEONS AND MODERN BIBLE VERSIONS

Updated September 16, 2002 (first published September 10, 2001) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article)

From time to time I am asked whether the Gideons distribute modern Bible versions. I looked into this some years ago and learned the following facts from my own research and from a phone conversation on July 2, 1997, with W.W. Vardell, Special Services Manager for the Gideons.

1. The Gideons published the Revised Berkeley Version from 1974 to 1983. Mr. Vardell explained to me that the Revised Berkeley was selected because it is not as radical as many of the modern versions. This is true, but it is based generally on the same critical Greek text as that underlying most modern versions. For example, 1 Timothy 3:16, which reads "God was manifest in the flesh" in the King James Version, reads "He was revealed in the flesh" in the Revised Berkeley. The all important word "God" is entirely removed. This key verse is perverted in almost all of the modern versions, because they use a corrupted Greek text. The critical Greek text is significantly shorted than the Received Text underlying the King James Bible and other standard Reformation versions. I counted 144 portions of verses that are in the King James Bible but that are omitted in the Berkeley Version.

The New Testament of the Berkeley was copyrighted in 1945 by Gerrit Verkuyl and was assigned to the Zondervan Publishing House in 1958. The Old Testament appeared in 1959. The Revised Edition of the Berkeley was published by Zondervan in 1969.

The edition of the Revised Berkeley Version that I have in my library was published by The Gideons International in 1974. The copyright page gives this information: "Produced by agreement with copyright owner by National Bible Press for The Gideons International."

Following is the exact wording from the title page of these Bibles:

THE HOLY BIBLE CONTAINING THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
The Revised Berkeley Version in Modern English
A Completely New Translation from the Original Languages
The Gideons International
1974 Edition

There were at least a dozen copies of the Gideons Revised Berkeley at the county jail where I preached for many years in Island County, Washington. I have also seen the Gideons Berkeley version in many other places in my travels.

2. According to Mr. Vardell, the Gideons were not satisfied with the Revised Berkeley Version and they subsequently published the New International Version from 1983 to 1986. Mr. Vardell said the Gideons edition of the NIV contained 44 changes which were made to "more strongly emphasize the virgin birth, deity of Christ, and other cardinal doctrines." This reminds us of the fact that there are indeed doctrinal problems with the modern versions. As we have demonstrated in our book Myths about Modern Bible Versions, at the very least, they weaken some key doctrines. The Gideons stopped publishing the NIV in 1986 and, according to Mr. Vardell, "will never go back to it; will not touch it with a ten foot pole."

3. Today, the only "modern version" published by the Gideons is the New King James Version. Mr. Vardell said that they understand that the NKJV is "far from perfect," that it contains "discrepancies," that it is not as accurate and authoritative as the old King James Version.

4. I was told that the motivation for the Gideons to publish a "modern version" is the pressure from distribution channels. That was the answer I was given when I asked, "If the Gideons believe that the NKJV is not as accurate and authoritative as the old KJV, why, then, do you publish the NKJV?" Mr. Vardell also told me that THE CATHOLICS ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT ACCEPT THE OLD KING JAMES BIBLE. He said the Gideons have learned that if they promote the New King James as a "modern version" many of the Catholic organizations and personnel will accept it; whereas they refuse the old King James Version.

5. Mr. Vardell told me that the leadership of the Gideons hold the "conviction" that the Authorized Version is the most accurate English version textually. When I asked why the Gideons do not plainly state in print this "conviction" that the Received Text is the preserved Word of God and the King James Bible is the only accurate and dependable English version, Mr. Vardell gave me two reasons: (1) they don't want to be divisive, and (2) it is not the mission of the Gideons to enter into such doctrinal debates. I conclude, therefore, that Mr. Vardell is confusing "conviction" with "preference."

GIDEONS STILL DISTRIBUTE THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION

In spite of what Mr. Vardell said, recently I learned that the Gideons in England continue to distribute the New International Version. On September 8, 2002, I received the following e-mail:

"Just for your information, in Britain the Gideon's distribute thousands of copies of the NIV. In fact in my own experience I have never known them to distribute any other version. I remember back in my school days (20 something years ago) they came into my school and distributed copies of the NIV NT for all concerned. Also my brother who is a policeman says that they distribute the same to police stations for both prisoners and staff" (Ian Hunt, ianhunt77@hotmail.com).

Mr. Hunt possesses a copy of the NIV distributed by the Gideons in England. It has the following on the copyright page:

The Gideon's International in the British Isles.
Western House
George Street, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, LE17 4EE
Copyright 1973 by New York Bible SocietyInternational & 1979 by New York International Bible Society
Produced by Harper Collins Press, Glasgow for the Gideon's International in the British Isles.

THE GIDEONS' PARACHURCH ECUMENISM

We also reject the Gideons' unscriptural parachurch, ecumenical philosophy. No Christian organization has the privilege to ignore certain portions of the Word of God and certain duties of the Christian faith. The Gideons cannot escape such passages as Jude 3 and Romans 16:17. They do not have the right to avoid "doctrinal controversies" or to assign themselves a "mission" which allows them to ignore some of the responsibilities of the New Testament faith. The Gideon of old was a weak man in his own right, but he was willing to fight for the cause of Christ and God made him into a mighty warrior. Those who hold him as their namesake, though, draw back from the battle for the Bible which is raging in our day.

A foundational problem with the various parachurch organizations is that they have no Scriptural authority for their existence. The New Testament assembly is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). The truth, of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6) and His Word (John 17:17). The Apostles did not organize parachurch entities; they established sound churches, and it was the responsibility of those churches to carry on all aspects of the Great Commission. The New Testament church was given the Lord's mission and it was given everything needed to carry out that mission. In the New Testament Epistles it was given a simple and clear pattern for government and discipline. It was given a complete doctrinal position called "the faith once delivered to the saints" and was instructed to impart this exact faith to every subsequent generation and to earnestly contend for this faith against all false teachings. It was given power and authority to reproduce itself across the world from generation to generation. The New Testament church is perfectly sufficient for the great task which has been divinely assigned to it, and those who form parachurch entities to "assist the church" have no scriptural authority.

Another foundational problem with the Gideons is their ecumenism. They go to all sorts of unscriptural churches, including modernistic Protestant ones, such as United Methodist, Presbyterian Church USA, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, that are affiliated with the World Council of Churches, and to Pentecostal and Charismatic ones. Recently an independent Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, agreed to allow a representative of the Gideons to visit the church and give a challenge about Bible distribution, and some of the church members were later amazed to learn that the Gideons' speaker was Assemblies of God. This speaker told one of the fundamental Baptist church members that he does not accept the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer. What the Gideons are doing is no different than what Billy Graham has done for more than five decades. If it is right to mark and avoid Billy Graham, it is wrong to support the Gideons. Dr. John Ashbrook, author of New Neutralism II: Avoiding the Gray of Compromise, warns: "The Gideons are a good example of the [separation] problem. Putting Bibles in hotel rooms is a good cause. However, the Gideons usually want to be in the First Fundamental Church on Sunday evening after being in the First Modernistic Church on Sunday morning."

The Gideons have assigned themselves the task of distributing the Word of God, and we praise the Lord for every sound copy of Scripture they have sown across the world. God has promised that His Word will not return unto Him void, and we are confident that many wonderful blessings have flowed from this distribution. We would challenge them to go beyond this and to OBEY the Word of God and STAND FOR the Word of God.