The Eternal Christ

 

The Eternal Christ: Modern Relevance and the Integrity of His Portrait

Introduction

Two thousand years after he walked the dusty roads of Galilee, the question Jesus posed to his disciples remains the most pivotal inquiry of human existence: "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). In a modern world driven by secularism and scientific advancement, Jesus Christ remains a figure of inescapable gravity. He is at once a historical anchor, a moral compass, and for millions, the living Son of God. This essay explores who Jesus is to men and women today, what he means to us personally, and whether the varying translations of the Bible—specifically the King James Version (KJV) versus modern counterparts like the NIV, ESV, and NLT—present us with the same Savior.

Part I: Who is Jesus to Men and Women Today?

To the modern world, Jesus is often fragmented into different roles: the Revolutionary, the Teacher, or the Prophet. However, for believers, his identity offers specific and profound meaning shaped by gender and experience.

To Women: The Liberator and Restorer of Dignity

For women in modern times, Jesus is frequently seen as a radical liberator. In the first-century context, where women were often property and their testimony inadmissible in court, Jesus shattered societal norms. He revealed his messianic identity to a Samaritan woman (John 4), allowed Mary of Bethany to sit at his feet in the posture of a disciple (Luke 10), and entrusted the first news of his resurrection to women.

Today, many women view Jesus not merely as a distant deity but as the one who validates their intrinsic worth against cultures of objectification. He is the defender who stood between the adulterous woman and her accusers, offering grace instead of stones. To the modern woman, Jesus is the ultimate affirmation that she is seen, heard, and valued equal to any man in the Kingdom of God.

To Men: The Model of Servant Leadership

For men, often burdened by societal pressures of dominance, success, and emotional stoicism, Jesus offers a paradoxical model of manhood: strength through surrender. He is the carpenter who washed feet, the King who rode a donkey, and the Warrior who conquered death by dying.

In a modern era struggling with "toxic masculinity," Jesus represents the perfect balance of meekness (strength under control) and courage. He allows men to embrace vulnerability ("Jesus wept") while calling them to the highest standard of responsibility—sacrificial love. To the modern man, Jesus is the definition of true masculinity: one who lays down his life for his friends.

Part II: Who is Jesus to Us Personally?

Moving beyond gender, who is Jesus to us—the collective body of believers?

Personally, Jesus is the Mediator. He bridges the infinite gap between a holy God and imperfect humanity. In our moments of failure, he is the Advocate who pleads our case. In our moments of loneliness, he is the "Friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24).

He is also the Incarnation of Empathy. Because he suffered hunger, betrayal, physical pain, and death, we know we do not pray to a God who is aloof. When we suffer, we know he understands not just intellectually, but experientially. To us personally, Jesus is the anchor of hope that death is not the end, and that justice will one day roll down like waters.

Part III: The Textual Debate – KJV vs. NIV, ESV, and NLT

A common and heated question among students of Scripture is whether different Bible translations present a different Jesus. This debate largely centers on the manuscripts underlying the translations. The KJV relies on the Textus Receptus (a compilation of later Greek manuscripts), while modern versions like the NIV, ESV, and NLT rely on the Critical Text (based on older, but fewer, manuscripts like the Codex Vaticanus and Sinaiticus).

This difference leads to distinct variations in how Jesus is depicted in specific verses.

1. The Fourth Man in the Fire (Daniel 3:25)

• KJV: "...the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

• NIV/ESV: "...the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

• Difference: The KJV explicitly identifies the figure as the pre-incarnate Christ. Modern translations, translating the Aramaic bar-elahin more literally from the perspective of the pagan King Nebuchadnezzar, render it "son of the gods" (or an angelic being). Critics argue the modern rendering obscures a Christophany (an appearance of Christ), while proponents argue it accurately reflects what a Babylonian king would have actually said and understood.

2. God Manifest in the Flesh (1 Timothy 3:16)

• KJV: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh..."

• NIV/ESV: "Beyond all question, the mystery... is great: He appeared in the flesh..."

• Difference: The KJV contains one of the strongest explicit statements of Christ's deity in Scripture. Modern versions read "He" (referring to Christ) because older Greek manuscripts read hos (who/he) rather than theos (God). While modern versions still clearly teach the incarnation, the explicit word "God" is absent in this specific verse, leading some to feel the deity of Christ is being softened.

3. The Eunuch’s Confession (Acts 8:37)

• 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."

• NIV/ESV/NLT: [Omitted] (Often found in footnotes).

• Difference: This entire verse, detailing the Ethiopian eunuch's confession of faith prior to baptism, is missing in the oldest manuscripts. Modern translators omit it to remain faithful to the earliest text, while KJV supporters argue its removal deletes a crucial requirement for salvation and baptism.

4. The Eternal Origins (Micah 5:2)

• KJV: "...whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

• NIV: "...whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

• Difference: The KJV "from everlasting" strongly supports the eternal pre-existence of Jesus. The NIV's "ancient times" can be interpreted as merely "a long time ago," which some argue leaves room for the heresy that Jesus was a created being (though the NIV clarifies Jesus' eternal nature elsewhere).

Part IV: Is it the Same Jesus?

Do these differences mean we are reading about two different saviors? Theologically, the answer is no.

While it is true that the KJV often renders specific verses with a more explicit reference to Christ’s deity, modern translations (NIV, ESV, NLT) do not deny these doctrines; they simply derive them from different texts.

For every verse where the deity of Christ seems "softened" in a modern translation (like 1 Timothy 3:16), there are others where it is powerfully affirmed. For example, the NIV and ESV are unmistakably clear in John 1:1 ("the Word was God"), Colossians 1:15-20, and Hebrews 1:8 ("About the Son he says, 'Your throne, O God, will last for ever'").

The "Jesus" of the KJV is the Eternal Son of God, born of a virgin, crucified for sins, and raised on the third day. The "Jesus" of the NIV, ESV, and NLT is the exact same person. The difference lies not in who he is, but in the textual "resolution" of certain passages. The KJV offers a traditional, majestic uniformity, while modern versions offer a scholarly reconstruction of the oldest available witnesses.

Conclusion

To men and women of the modern age, Jesus remains the ultimate answer to the human condition—the restorer of dignity and the model of sacrificial love. To us personally, he is the Savior who knows our frame. And regarding the Bible we hold in our hands: whether we read the majestic Elizabethan English of the King James or the accessible language of the NLT, we encounter the same Christ. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the one who was, and is, and is to come—regardless of the translation we use to seek him.