Luke 12:31
 
Luke 12:31
(KJV) But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
(1611 KJV) But rather seeke yee the kingdome of God, and all these things shall be added vnto you.
(1526 Tyndale) Wherfore seke ye after the kyngedome of God and all these thinges shalbe ministred vnto you.
(1382 Wycliffe) Netheles seke ye first the kyngdom of God, and alle these thingis schulen be caste to you.
 
Counterfeit Versions
(CSB) “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.
(NIV) But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
(NASV) "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
(ESV) Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
(1901 ASV) Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you.
(HCSB) "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.
(RSV) Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) Nevertheless, seek continually his kingdom, and these things will be added to YOU.
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
plhn zhteite thn basileian tou qeou kai tauta panta prosteqhsetai umin
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
plhn zhteite thn basileian autou kai tauta prosteqhsetai umin
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
D 05 - Bezae Cantabrigiensis - Fifth century (original)
L 019 - Eighth century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
D 05 - Bezae Cantabrigiensis - Fifth century (corrected)
K 017 - Ninth century
Q 026 - Fifth century
W 032 - Fourth/fifth century
Gamma 036 - Ninth or Tenth century
Delta 037 - Ninth century
Theta 038 - Ninth century
1 (Minuscule) - Seventh century
13 (Minuscule) - Eighth century
P 45 - Third Century
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Read “his kingdom” instead of “the kingdom of God”
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902
 
Affected Teaching
One of the major characteristics of the modern versions is that they tend to go from the specific to the general. In this week’s verse, we are told to seek the Kingdom of God but in the modern versions, we are told to seek “his” kingdom. The problem is that when you reduce the meaning of something from a specific to the nebulous, it always engenders questions. What kingdom are we to seek? There are two spiritual kingdoms on this earth, one is the Kingdom of God and the other is the kingdom of Satan. Within the kingdom of Satan, there are many sub-kingdoms and we find them in the New Age, false religions, false teachings, etc. Each cult is their own little kingdom. All the cults together are a kingdom. Some years ago Walter Martin wrote book called “Kingdom of the Cults” which was a fitting title since each false religion has its own set of teachings and rules, especially in the area of salvation. Each one will define their own method of salvation. This is why it is absolutely crucial for the words of the Bible to be left in specifics, as God wrote it, and not turned to generalizations. Recently I just went on medication for high blood pressure. My doctor told me that there are many blood pressure medications on the market. Can you imagine me giving a prescription to the pharmacist and written on the prescription was “Blood Pressure Medication?” Which one would he give me out of the many that are out there? Do you see the importance of being specific? I gave the prescription with the name of the drug to the pharmacist and got the proper medication. Specifics to generalizations are a degenerative property of the modern versions.
 
An Aside
Since I was speaking of my medication, I just wanted to offer a suggestion concerning the use of drugs as a sign of the last days. When we think of drugs we normally think of the use of illegal street drugs like Meth-Amphetomine or Crack, etc. However, they are not the only drugs that we need to look at. Have you noticed that the drug companies have almost taken over the advertising time on the TV networks? I can almost guarantee, that if you take your remote control and flip through every channel you have, you will probably come across at least one drug commercial at any time. I am sure that everyone on this list gets drug ads in their e-mail box. Is it for Crack? No it is for prescription drugs.
 
The Greek word for drug is “Pharmakeia” where we get our word “Pharmacy” from. When we go into the local pharmacy, do we buy street drugs or do we buy prescription drugs? We are a medicated society and I don’t think I know anyone who is not taking some type of drug for some type of ailment. The word “pharmakeia” is used in the following three verses:
 
(Gal 5:20 KJV) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
(Rev 9:21 KJV) Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
(Rev 18:23 KJV) And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
 
Now I am not saying that anyone who uses prescription drugs is guilty of sorceries or witchcraft, but I think that it is an interesting parallel to see the exponential rise in the use of prescription drugs in concert with the times we live in. Surely the Lord’s return is very soon.

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