Ephesians 6:18

 

(KJV) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

(1611 KJV) Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseuerance, and supplication for all Saints,

(1568 Bishop’s Bible) Praying alwayes in all prayer and supplication in the spirite, and watche thervnto with all instaunce and supplication, for all saintes,

 

Counterfeit Versions

(NIV) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

(AMP) Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people).

(NCV) Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God's people.

(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) while with every form of prayer and supplication YOU carry on prayer on every occasion in spirit. And to that end keep awake with all constancy and with supplication in behalf of all the holy ones,

 

Textus Receptus

- Traditional Text

dia pashV proseuchV kai dehsewV proseucomenoi en panti kairw en pneumati kai eiV auto touto agrupnounteV en pash proskarterhsei kai dehsei peri pantwn twn agiwn

 

Hort-Westcott

- Critical Text

dia pashV proseuchV kai dehsewV proseucomenoi en panti kairw en pneumati kai eiV auto agrupnounteV en pash proskarterhsei kai dehsei peri pantwn twn agiwn

 

Corrupted Manuscripts

None

 

Affected Teaching

Here is another case of the translators creating confusion and portraying the wrong message. In the King James, the phrase “all prayer” is singular and not plural. It points to the fact that Christians pray with singleness of purpose. The four modern versions that pervert this verse expand this phrase to a plural one and add a very dangerous word. The NIV and NCV add “kinds.” The Amp inserts “manner of.” The NWT inserts “every form.” The reason these additions are very dangerous because they open the door for different types of false prayers and types of praying. Do you remember the contest on Mt. Carmel between Elijah and the prophets of Baal? For many hours they called upon their false god to answer them and then we read this verse. (1 Ki 18:28 KJV) And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. They began to cut themselves in their praying until they bled. Now let us bring this up to today. Praying the Rosary is a form of prayer! Praying with beads is a form of prayer! Vain repetitions is a manner of prayer! The modern versions leave open the capacity for someone in a false gospel to pray anyway they like and think that God hears their prayer. This is why it is dangerous to take a singular word and translate it in a plural form because you make praying some type of all inclusive system whereby any prayer is acceptable when that is biblically incorrect and can lead to catastrophic events when a person believes they are right with God when they are not. Ephesians 6:18 tells us that we are to pray in the Spirit, which means that those who are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, the redeemed of God, are the ones that God hears. Religion based prayers by the unsaved are an abomination unto God. (Prov 28:9 KJV) He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. The modern versions make the unsaved comfortable in their religion and allow them to set the method of prayer and worship. That is a very dangerous scenario.

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