Updated September 4, 1999 (first published July 29, 1999) (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org) – Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network has joined Tyndale House Publishers in launching a $7 million advertising campaign to promote "The Book," an edition of the The New Living Bible. Called the largest, most expensive book promotion in the history of America (Christian News, July 26, 1999), the ad campaign will use prime-time television commercials, billboards, Internet promotions, and celebrity endorsements.

Robertson said, "We want to make Bible reading cool in America." The worldly philosophy of popular Charismatics and New-Evangelicals is foolish and unscriptural. The holy God of the Bible and His holy truth has never been "cool" in this wicked world. God’s Word requires that sinners repent of their sin and that Christians "love not the world," and that certainly is not cool in the eyes of unsaved worldlings!

The ads for "The Book" will feature hiphop (rap) and country-western music. One advertising jingle has Smokey Robinson and Andrae Crouch singing, "Rock me, shock me, turn me, change me, set me free, show me what it has for me, take me to The Book." This is a mockery of the things of God. Those who turn to "God" through such worldly methodology and message turn to a false god and a false Christianity. The God of the Bible is not worldly cool and does not "dig" wicked rock music.

Ads will also feature such worldly comedians and musicians as Sinbad, Charlie Daniels, Chaka Khan, and Naomi Judd. Sinbad is completely at home with the wicked Las Vegas crowd and then promotes the Bible. What confusion! Country/bluegrass musician Charlie Daniels has produced 29 albums, two of them "Christian." An interview with Daniels in the July 31 Huntsville [Alabama] Times quoted him using profanity.

The New Living Bible is one of the most perverted English translations. Consider two examples:

MATTHEW 7:21

KJV: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

NLT: "Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven."

The NLT claims to be an accurate translation. It claims to be more than a mere paraphrase. That is a deception. In my estimation, it is NOTHING MORE than a paraphrase, and it is not even an accurate paraphrase. In this one verse, the NLT translators have added an entire sentence that is not in the Word of God--"Not all people who sound religious are really godly." That is an addition to what Christ said. The NLT changes "every one" to "all people" and "he" to "they," thus making the passage much more general and less personal than it was intended to be. The NLT subtracts one "Lord," thus lessening the impact of the verse. The "Lord, Lord" is addressed to Christ, but the NLT translators claim it merely refers to Christ. Further, the NLT adds the words "the decisive issue." The New Living Translation is NOT the Word of God.

ROMANS 11:6

KJV: "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

NLT: "And if they are saved by God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s wonderful kindness would not be what it really is--free and undeserved."

This powerful, momentous passage has been horribly mutilated in the New Living Translation. Translating the Greek word "charis" (grace) in reference to salvation as "God’s kindness" is weak and inaccurate. The grace offered in Jesus Christ to the needy sinner is much more than God’s kindness. It is, as Webster so wisely defined it, the "unmerited love and favor of God" which is given to us because of the atonement purchased by the blood and death of Jesus Christ. Romans 11:6 is the very Scripture that Webster used in his 1828 masterpiece to illustrate the definition of grace. One of the most serious doctrinal battles that have raged for 2,000 years is that surrounding the term grace. Is salvation by grace or by works? Is it by grace plus works? Is it by grace alone without works? If by grace, what does grace mean? In today’s confused ecumenical climate, this battle has reached fever pitch. Consider the document "Evangelicals & Catholics Together," which insisted that evangelicals and Catholics should find common spiritual ground and stated that the former doctrinal barriers are no longer necessary. The biblical definition of grace destroys this ecumenical gesture. Biblical justification is by Christ’s grace alone through faith alone. Rome’s justification redefines "grace" to require sacraments. Rome’s doctrine of justification is not grace without works; it is grace with works.

This kind of error cannot be effectively defeated with a weak Bible translation, and we are convinced that one of the reasons for the doctrinal weakness among supposed evangelical churches in this present hour is the multiplicity of corrupt translations. The reader of the NLT cannot even find the honorable English term "grace" in his Bible. After a few decades, those who are reared on "dynamic equivalency" versions will not even be familiar with the great doctrinal terms such as grace, propitiation, and justification. [For a study on "Dynamic Equivalency," see the book Myths about Modern Bible Versions, David Cloud, 1999, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org]

A generation that cares little for the purity of the Bible itself certainly will care little for the purity of doctrine based upon that Bible.

Worldly ecumenical campaigns like this which feature corrupt translations of the Bible, while having the semblance of a zeal for Christ, are actually helping to build the end times apostate "church" by presenting a watered-down, repentance-less message masquerading as the gospel of Jesus Christ.