Comparison Study
Acts 8:35-38
Originally Posted 23 September 2020
Updated: 10 February 2021
Jesus Christ IS the Son of God! He was sent by Almighty God into this world to save those who would love, trust, and believe in Him, and His great sacrifice, when He gave His life on the cross at Calvary for the remission of sins. The eternal truth that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the living God is what separates all other beliefs from true Christianity.
God’s word has been under attack from the very beginning! The serpent said to the woman, “Yea, hath God said…” which cast doubt in her mind as to what God requires, and caused her to sin against Him. Considering the great “falling away” taking place in our day, Satan continues to be quite successful in deceiving unsuspecting people through the use of corrupted manuscripts. There’s much debate about “modern versions” of the Bible, and I pray that you will seriously consider the evidence that I Am presenting so that you can form your own conclusions on this vital topic.
It is my sincere hope and prayer that you have a great love for Almighty God and His Truth, as that will surely affect your views about God and His Holy Word.
May God be with you as you read this comparison study of one of the most foundational passages in all of Scripture! And may you have “eyes to see” the truth!
King James Version
Acts 8:35-38
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture (Isaiah 53), and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain (Originally published 1611)
Revised Version
Acts 8:35-38
35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, [here is ]water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:36 Some ancient authorities insert, wholly or in part, verse 37, And Philip said, “If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
The Revised Version (RV) or English Revised Version (ERV) of the Bible is a late 19th-century British revision of the King James Version. It was the first and remains the only officially authorised and recognised revision of the King James Version in Britain. The work was entrusted to over 50 scholars from various denominations in Britain. American scholars were invited to co-operate, by correspondence.[1] The New Testament was published in 1881, the Old Testament in 1885, and the Apocrypha in 1894.[1] The best known of the translation committee members were Brooke Foss Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort; their fiercest critic of that period was John William Burgon.
American Standard Version
Acts 8:35-38
35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, [a]preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?[b] 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:35 See marginal note on 5:42.
- Acts 8:36 Some ancient authorities insert, wholly or in part, verse 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
American Standard Version (ASV) Public Domain (Originally published 1901)
The American Standard Version (ASV) is rooted in the work that was done with the Revised Version (RV) (a late 19th-century British revision of the King James Version of 1611).
Revised Standard Version
Acts 8:35-38
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture he told him the good news of Jesus. 36 And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?”[a] 38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:36 Other ancient authorities add all or most of verse 37, And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible
Acts 8:35-38
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 37 [[a]And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38And he ordered that the [a]chariot stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:37 Early mss do not contain this v
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
The Living Bible
Acts 8:35-38
35 So Philip began with this same Scripture and then used many others to tell him about Jesus.
36 As they rode along, they came to a small body of water, and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! Why can’t I be baptized?”
37 [a]“You can,” Philip answered, “if you believe with all your heart.”
And the eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38And he stopped the chariot, and they went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:37 Many ancient manuscripts omit v. 37 wholly or in part.
The Living Bible (TLB)
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version
Acts 8:35-38
35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] [a]
38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:37 Some manuscripts include here Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New King James Version
Acts 8:35-38
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
37 [a]Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:37 NU, M omit v. 37. It is found in Western texts, including the Latin tradition.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version
Acts 8:35-38
- 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”[a] 38He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip[a] baptized him.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:36 Other ancient authorities add all or most of verse 37, And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
New Revised Standard Version
Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Good News Translation
Acts 8:35-38
35 Then Philip began to speak; starting from this passage of scripture, he told him the Good News about Jesus. 36 As they traveled down the road, they came to a place where there was some water, and the official said, “Here is some water. What is to keep me from being baptized?” 37 [a] 38The official ordered the carriage to stop, and both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:37 Some manuscripts add verse 37: Philip said to him, “You may be baptized if you believe with all your heart.” “I do,” he answered; “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Good News Translation (GNT) Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society
New Living Translation
Acts 8:35-38
35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.
36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”[a] 38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
Footnotes
- 8:36 Some manuscripts add verse 37, “You can,” Philip answered, “if you believe with all your heart.” And the eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New English Translation
Acts 8:35-38
35 So Philip started speaking,[a] and beginning with this scripture[b] proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 36 Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water! What is to stop me[c] from being baptized?”[d] 38So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water,[a] and Philip baptized[b] him.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:35 tn Grk “opening his mouth” (a Semitic idiom for beginning to speak in a somewhat formal manner). The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 8:35 sn Beginning with this scripture. The discussion likely included many of the scriptures Acts has already noted for the reader in earlier speeches. At the least, readers of Acts would know what other scriptures might be meant.
- Acts 8:36 tn Or “What prevents me.” The rhetorical question means, “I should get baptized, right?”
- Acts 8:36 tc A few later mss (E 36 323 453 945 1739 1891) add, with minimal differences in wording, 8:37 “He said to him, ‘If you believe with your whole heart, you may.’ He replied, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’” Verse 37 is lacking in P45,74 א A B C 33 614 vg syp,h co. It is clearly not a part of the original text of Acts. The variant is significant in showing how some in the early church viewed the necessity of a confession of faith. The present translation follows NA28 in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
- Acts 8:38 tn Grk “and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch.” Since this is somewhat redundant in English, it was simplified to “and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water.”
- Acts 8:38 sn Philip baptized. Again, someone beyond the Twelve has ministered an ordinance of faith.
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com – All rights reserved.
The Message
Acts 8:35-39
34-35 The eunuch said, “Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?” Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him.
36-39 As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, “Here’s water. Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down to the water, and Philip baptized him on the spot. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he didn’t mind. He had what he’d come for and went on down the road as happy as he could be.
The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson (Peterson died 22 October 2018.)
I am absolutely repulsed by “The Message” of Eugene H. Peterson, which has been a popular perversion of God’s Word within the evangelical world, and the Southern Baptist Convention through Lifeway–the publishing arm of the SBC. The Serpent has been exposed, and as this article proves, there is a concerted effort to corrupt the Word of God in order to cast doubt on the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the only Savior of the world!
If you read a Bible version that outright deletes this verse (Acts 8:37), or uses brackets and footnotes, you are reading a corrupt version that was tainted by the work of Westcott and Hort, “scholars” who were members of the revision committee of the “Revised Version” that was first published in 1881, as noted above.
In closing, I want to share a short dialogue I had with a young man to emphasize that not only is it important to read from the pure Word of God, but we must be able to discern the Voice of the Holy Spirit, who was sent by God to lead and guide us into the truth. This man has a podcast that I sometimes listen to, and even though I disagree with him on some significant issues, I think he is a sincere Christian, and I enjoy listening to him.
It was the 27th anniversary of a very important date for me (2/28/2020), and I offered to send him “Walking With the Enemy,” as a gift. This is my first personal email encounter with Mr. Seth, and I have since discovered that he’s really offended by me. (Note the emphasis is mine.)
“Our little chat illuminated to me such an interesting “spiritual principle!”
We both read the same exact words, but came away with a totally different view.
You being the author knew exactly what you meant when you wrote: “I will PASS on the book.” Meaning you didn’t want it.
But I read your reply to me as meaning: “I will pass ON the book.” And figured you forgot to include your address…😶
In the same way, men can read the same exact words from the Word of God, but only the Holy Spirit, and those who are led by Him, can truly understand what God inspired Holy men of God to write down…
End of chat.
“Walking With the Enemy: A Testimony,” exposes the Wicked One, and the subtle way Satan seeks to lead God’s people away from Him. The Devil’s objective is to destroy your life by any means possible, and he uses (or should I say misuses) the word of God in order to accomplish it!
Sin is the doorway into the Darkness where the Devil resides, and pride—an extremely dangerous sin—will lead you there! How much more will the Serpent be able to deceive unsuspecting souls when they read and study from a version of the Bible that is tainted by the works of men, such as Westcott and Hort, who have corrupted the Word of God, and deny that you must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God!
Something To Think About!
My dearly Beloved Friend and fellow servant of the Most High God;
It is always a delight to read this defense of the Word of God from those who desire to mislead others to versions and translations that are used by the “enemy” to distract sincere seekers of the TRUTH!
It is also personally very timely for me as someone asked me why I take the KJB as my only authority in matters of faith and holiness. Indeed this comparison is something we need to think about!
May God continue to use you mightily for His glory and honor!
We never forget you in our hearts and PRAYERS.
Keep up and keep on keeping on my dearest Friend in Jesus.
Always keep yourself strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!