Like I stated before, your choice of English text is wrong if it teaches works for salvation, baptism saves, baptizing for the dead, and any other useless doctrine of men.
KJV-only advocates accuse the NKJV and other present English Bibles of teaching works for salvation.
A number of their accusations would apply to the Geneva Bible which has the same English renderings in several verses as the NKJV has.
Could you answer the KJV-only allegation that verses with obey in the Geneva Bible and the NKJV would supposedly teach obedience or works are necessary for salvation?
In her book, Gail Riplinger suggested that the rendering "disobedience" at Romans 15:31 and Hebrews 4:11 and the rendering "obey" at John 3:36 are doctrinal errors from the Jehovah Witness Bible (
New Age Bible Versions, p. 255). The 1560 Geneva Bible has "disobedience" at Hebrews 4:11 and "disobedient" at Romans 15:31, and the KJV translators even listed it in the margin of the 1611 as an acceptable translation. Were the KJV translators recommending a Jehovah Witnesses' reading as an acceptable alternative translation? Whittingham's New Testament also has "disobedient" at Romans 15:31 but has "stubbornness" at Hebrews 4:11.
At John 3:36, Whittingham's and Geneva Bible have "obeyeth not" where the KJV has "believeth not." KJV-only author Barry Burton claimed that the NASB rendering "does not obey the Son" at John 3:36 teaches "salvation is by obedience" (
Let's Weigh the Evidence, p. 30). KJV-only author Robert Baker implied that translations which have "disobedient" or similar words at Romans 11:30-32 and Hebrews 3:18 "change justification by faith to salvation through works" (
Another Bible, p. 9).
At Romans 11:30-31, the margin of the 1611 KJV has "Or, obeyed" as an acceptable alternative translation for "believed." At Hebrews 3:18, the Great and Bishops' Bibles have "that were not obedient" while Whittingham's and the Geneva Bible have "that obeyed not."
On the other hand, Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthew's, Coverdale's Duoglott, Great, and Bishops' Bibles have "believeth not" at Romans 10:21 while the Geneva and KJV have "disobedient." In addition, Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthew's, and Coverdale's Duoglott have "children of unbelief" at Colossians 3:6c while the KJV has "children of disobedience." "Children of unbelief" was also the rendering at Ephesians 2:2 in Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthew's and Great and the rendering at Ephesians 5:6 in Tyndale's, Coverdale's, and Matthew's. The KJV has "children of disobedience" at both verses. Wycliffe's Bible had "sons of unbelief" (Eph. 2:2, 5:6). Romans 15:31 and Romans 10:21 have the same Greek word while Hebrews 4:11, Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 5:6, Colossians 3:6 have the same Greek word with both of these words coming from the same Greek word. At Acts 5:37, Tyndale's, Matthew's, and Great Bibles have "believed" where the KJV has "obeyed." "Believe" is the rendering of Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthew's, Great, and Whittingham's at Galatians 3:1. "Obey" is the KJV's rendering for this verse. Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthew's, Great, and Bishops' Bibles have "believe not" at 1 Peter 2:7 while the KJV has "be disobedient." At 1 Peter 3:1, Tyndale's, Coverdale's, and Matthew's have "believe not" while the KJV has "obey not."
Would the claim of Riplinger consistently applied suggest that the Geneva Bible and the KJV may have changed the good renderings of the good earlier Bibles to Jehovah Witnesses' renderings at Romans 10:21, Ephesians 2:2, Colossians 3:6, 1 Peter 2:7, and other verses? Would Geneva Bible-only and KJV-only advocates claim that the Geneva Bible or the KJV teaches salvation by obedience in these verses?
Gail Riplinger claimed: "All new versions, in their attempt to present a 'works' based salvation mistranslate
pistis as 'faithfulness'" in Galatians 5:22 (
New Age Bible Versions, p. 257). Riplinger suggested or implied that the NKJV supported "works salvation" because of its rendering "faithfulness" at Galatians 5:22 (
Language of KJB, p. 149). Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthew's, and Great Bibles in the KJV-only view's line of good Bibles all had "faithfulness" at Galatians 5:22. Is Riplinger suggesting that William Tyndale, in effect the primary translator of the Geneva Bible and of the KJV, and Miles Coverdale were attempting to present a works-based salvation?
Were the Geneva Bible and the KJV a revision of earlier English Bibles that supported "works salvation?"