The Correct Reading of John 9:4

The King James Bible Research Council, Inc.

A Council of Fundamental Bible Believers with A Passion For Promoting The King James Bible and Other Traditional Texts In A Sound and Sensible Way

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President – Dr. David L. Brown                                              Vice President – Dr. Phil Stringer

Volume 1                                                                                                                        Number003

Which Reading of John 9:4 Is Correct?

by David L. Brown, Ph.D.

Recently I was asked a question concerning John 9:4, which reads like this in the King James Bible – “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” The question was, why the different reading in other versions. I want to briefly answer that question and tell you why it makes a BIG difference?

The NIV reads – ^“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”

NASB reads – “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.”

ESV reads – “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

The New King James reads -   ^“I^[a] must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” However, in the footnotes undercut the reading by saying ^[a] the NU (Nestles-United Bible Society) reads We.

The New Living Bible reads - “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us.”

Let me say, that the overwhelming majority of Greek Manuscript Evidence supports the King James Bible reading - – “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

Scrivner Greek New Testament reads - John 9:4  εμε (eme = I, me ) δει εργαζεσθαι…

Byzantine Greek New Testament reads - John 9:4  εμε(eme = I, me)  δει  εργαζεσθαι…

The corruption occurs, as you might guess in Westcott-Hort Greek New Testament, which the Nestles and United Bible Society Greek New Testaments follow. John 9:4 reads this way in them -  ημας (hemas=us, we)  δει  εργαζεσθαι…

Where did Westcott & Hort come up with that reading? The corrupt reading occurs in Sinaiticus, Vaticanus P66 and P75. But there is more. Instead of “him that sent ME” which is even the reading of Vaticanus (and so in the NASB, NIV & ESV), Sinaiticus, P66 and 75 actually say “of him that sent US.” This reading is beginning to appear in the modern versions, such as the New Living Translation.

These changes corrupt doctrine! - When “I must work the works of him that sent me” is changed to "We must work the works of him that sent us." The uniqueness of Christ as the Sent One of the Father is destroyed and He is placed equally with the disciples as sent from God to do the work of God. This is an attack on the Person and Work of Christ . Jesus was sent by the Father and the disciples were sent by Jesus, "as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."

The correct reading is “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

This is just one example of many showing how the Word of God is being undermined today.