Let's do a comparison study that makes a BIG DIFFERENCE in our doctrinal understanding of the Sabbath being the Sabbath of Gentiles as well as the Jews.
KJV
Acts 13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
13:43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
13:44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
NIV
42. As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.
43. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
45. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.
46. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
Now let's list the outright differences
KJV.................................NIV....................................R.T GREEK................V.GREEK
42. The Jews...............Paul and Silas................... Ioudaios(Jew)............autos(they/he)
42. The Gentiles...........the people...................... ethnos(Gentiles)........ ( -x-x- omitted)
42. These words...........further ...........................tauta rhema...............houtos rhema
The rest has only minor changes, but it is verse 42 that completely changes the meaning of the story.
The KJV (based on the RT) gives the following picture:
We realize Paul and Silas were preaching to the Jews and Gentile proselytes in their synagogue on Sabbath. Then the Jews go out, and the Gentiles come up to Paul and beg him to come preach the SAME words to them (to the Gentiles) the NEXT SABBATH.
A week goes by and Paul honors there request by NOT going into a synagogue but going where the Gentiles have gathered and preaches to them – the whole city practically coming to listen.
In this picture it becomes clear that Paul doesn’t say to the Gentiles – hey, tomorrow is the Gentile’s day to celebrate the resurrection, we’ll honor the Gentile Sabbath tomorrow, Paul is holding the Gentiles to the same Sabbath. For the NEXT SABBATH he speaks to the Gentiles. The Jews are jealous.....
In the NIV this emphases on the Sabbath for the Gentiles is lost.
In the NIV the picture is as follows:
Paul and Silas were preaching to the Jews and Gentile proselytes, Paul and Silas leave the synagogue the people invite him to come back next Sabbath and speak further to them. Apparently a huge crowd gathered at the synagogue the next Sabbath and Jews were jealous....
But you see in this version Paul is still catering to the Jews and meeting with them in their synagogue to which many from the city had gathered. It isn’t till verse 46 that Paul himself goes to the Gentiles and the impact of the Sabbath for the Gentiles has been wiped out from scripture.
