Why, of all the English Bible translations, do I prefer and teach from the New King James Version (NKJV)?

First, a disclaimer…

“No translation of the Word of God can have an absolute or definitive status. The final appeal must always be to the original languages, in the traditional Hebrew and Greek texts.” [Trinitarian Bible Society Doctrine of Holy Scripture, pg 6, note 3]

The NKJV, along with the King James Version (KJV) / Authorized Version (AV), differs from most modern translations (ESV, NIV, NAS, RSV, TLB, etc) by using the Textus Receptus (Latin: “Received Text”) for its New Testament source.

• Textus Receptus does not have the omissions or edits found in the Alexandrian text edited by Westcott & Hort in 1881
• The Alexandrian text’s Codices (Vaticanus and Sinaiticus), believed to be “older and more reliable”, are thought by others to have been removed from use, literally shelved, due to textual corruption, explaining their survival over the centuries
• Omitted (but very familiar) verses from most modern translations include… Mt 17:21, 18:11, 23:14, Mk 11:26, 15:28, 16:9-20, Lk 17:36, Jn 7:53-8:11, Ac 8:37
• “List of Major Textual Variants in the New Testament” includes a partial list of omitted and edited verses related to most modern translations.

Further “practical” reasons for using NKJV:

• Easily understandable (non-archaic) English, yet stylistically similar to traditionally used KJV
• Formal Equivalence = literal, word-for-word translation
• Cross references easily with the KJV and associated study tools (eg Strong’s Concordance)
• Verse-number formatting, instead of paragraph formatting, maintains every verse is given individual prominence and won’t be “lost” in a paragraph. NOTE: Most modern translations are paragraph formatted. Consequently, omitted and edited verses become less noticeable and are only referenced in a footnote.

Concluding points:

• While the NKJV is the Bible translation I use, its use is not exclusive. I’ll regularly cross-reference other translations for additional perspectives and insights into a verse’s meaning. The goal, of course, is to understand the meaning of a verse so that it can be faithfully applied!
• We can be thankful for the general reliability of the English Bible translations available today. However, even if the translations were found to be unreliable, there’s no alibi for not understanding the Creator when He’s provided a Communication. In fact, the responsibility to understand His Word, even if the original languages are different from our own, rests squarely upon its recipients. Thank God that He’s a loving God and has broadcast His Word in a myriad of ways!

2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.