A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

BIBLE QUESTION DOSSIER

Why are some verses missing from modern Bible translations?

Short answer

Modern translations have not simply “deleted” verses at random. The New Testament survives in thousands of manuscripts with variants. Some familiar passages are absent from the earliest or strongest manuscript witnesses, so modern critical editions mark them, bracket them or place them in footnotes while translations based more closely on the Textus Receptus retain them in the main text.

The question is textual criticism: which wording most likely reflects the earliest recoverable text? The differences are usually small, but a few passages—such as Mark 16:9-20, John 7:53–8:11 and the Comma Johanneum—are substantial and deserve transparent explanation.

1. What do the English translations actually say?

The five translations below are stored locally on Born Again Daily, so you can see the wording before anyone tells you what to think about it.

Mark 16:9-20

The longer ending of Mark is absent from some of the earliest major Greek manuscripts and is marked in many modern Bibles.

KJV

9 Now when [Jesus] was risen early the first [day] of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10 [And] she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13 And they went and told [it] unto the residue: neither believed they them. 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

BSB

9 Early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had driven out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, who were mourning and weeping. 11 And when they heard that Jesus was alive and she had seen Him, they did not believe it. 12 After this, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them as they walked along in the country. 13 And they went back and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. 14 Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it.

WEB

9 Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved. 12 After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country. 13 They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either. 14 Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen. 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19 So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.

ASV

9 Now when he was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, disbelieved. 12 And after these things he was manifested in another form unto two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country. 13 And they went away and told it unto the rest: neither believed they them. 14 And afterward he was manifested unto the eleven themselves as they sat at meat; and he upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them that had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. 17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken unto them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.

YLT

9 And he, having risen in the morning of the first of the sabbaths, did appear first to Mary the Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven demons; 10 she having gone, told those who had been with him, mourning and weeping; 11 and they, having heard that he is alive, and was seen by her, did not believe. 12 And after these things, to two of them, as they are going into a field, walking, he was manifested in another form, 13 and they having gone, told to the rest; not even them did they believe. 14 Afterwards, as they are reclining (at meat), he was manifested to the eleven, and did reproach their unbelief and stiffness of heart, because they believed not those having seen him being raised; 15 and he said to them, ‘Having gone to all the world, proclaim the good news to all the creation; 16 he who hath believed, and hath been baptized, shall be saved; and he who hath not believed, shall be condemned. 17 ‘And signs shall accompany those believing these things; in my name demons they shall cast out; with new tongues they shall speak; 18 serpents they shall take up; and if any deadly thing they may drink, it shall not hurt them; on the ailing they shall lay hands, and they shall be well.’ 19 The Lord, then, indeed, after speaking to them, was received up to the heaven, and sat on the right hand of God; 20 and they, having gone forth, did preach everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word, through the signs following. Amen.

John 7:53-8:11

The woman caught in adultery is absent from the earliest witnesses and appears at different locations in some manuscripts.

1 John 5:7-8

The expanded Trinitarian wording in later Textus Receptus editions has very weak Greek manuscript support.

KJV

7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

BSB

7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement.

WEB

7 For there are three who testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one.

ASV

7 And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 8 For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one.

YLT

7 because three are who are testifying in the heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these—the three—are one; 8 and three are who are testifying in the earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and the three are into the one.

Acts 8:37

A baptismal confession present in later witnesses but absent from many early manuscripts.

KJV

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.

BSB

WEB

ASV

YLT

And Philip said, ‘If thou dost believe out of all the heart, it is lawful;’ and he answering said, ‘I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God;’

2. What do the Hebrew and Greek words say?

Important: a lexicon gives a word’s possible senses and usage; it does not magically choose the correct sense without context. “The true meaning” of a biblical word is the meaning it carries in its actual sentence and historical usage.

3. Where interpretation begins

Textus Receptus / KJV priority

Some Christians trust the later printed Greek tradition behind the KJV and regard many modern omissions with suspicion.

Modern critical-text approach

Most contemporary textual critics compare the full manuscript tradition and generally prefer readings that best explain the development of the surviving variants.

Transparency principle

A responsible Bible should tell readers when a passage has important manuscript variation rather than quietly pretending the evidence is uniform.

4. A careful conclusion

Manuscript differences are real, but the existence of variants is not evidence of a secret modern project to erase Christianity. The major disputed passages are openly documented in critical editions and translation footnotes, and the core Christian narrative does not depend on one disputed verse.

Further study

Compare historical commentaries on Mark 16:9-20 →

Search the Early Church Fathers for this subject →