Section 5

As translation from one language to another tends to expand or contract the number of words, an accurate picture would not be gained by merely counting the English words in the KJB, NIV or NASV. It is necessary to go to the Greek texts underlying these versions to obtain such. Even this will not yield a completely accurate count since a version will usually not follow one of the standard Greek editions at every point. However, the matter may be simplified by the realization that there are really only two kinds of Greek New Testaments-the Received Text and the Modern Critical Text. The Authorized (King James) Bible and all other Reformation Bibles were based on the former and practically all modern Bibles on the latter. We will not here examine their relative merits, but will rather show book by book and chapter by chapter that the Critical Text is shorter.

The two most popular editions of the Critical Text are: The Nestle-Aland 26th Edition, and The United Bible Society - 3rd Edition. These have a different format but their text is identical. The most widely used edition of the Received Text was that prepared by Robert Stephanus in 1550. The KJB does not follow Stephanus in every instance, nor is the NIV text identical with the Nestle-Aland, but they are extremely close. Thus these two Greek Testaments provide a basis for comparison.

The following gives a chapter by chapter comparison of the Stephanus-1550 (number of words given first) and the Nestle-Aland 26th. Keep in mind that word omissions are only part of the story, there are also many word alterations in the modern version text.

MATTHEW