A new Bible translation in England is so radical that it would not be worth mentioning if it were not being promoted by high Anglican officials. It is produced by an organization dedicated to the basic principles of the New Age: diversity, a sustainable earth, justice, peace, and tolerance.

Titled "Good as New," it is the work of a former Baptist minister, John Henson. The present archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, head of the worldwide Anglican and Episcopalian denomination, describes it as a book of "extraordinary power."

Henson abandons all pretense at literalism, nicknaming Peter "Rocky," Mary Magdalene as "Maggie," and Barabbas as "Barry." Salvation becomes "healing" or "completeness" and heaven is "the world beyond time and space."

Demon possession becomes "mental illness," parables are "riddles" and Son of Man is now "the Complete Person." When Jesus said "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" He now tells them to "Take a running jump, Holy Joes, humbugs!" Where Paul says to the Corinthians that "it is better to marry than to burn," Henson advises: "If you know you have strong needs, get yourself a partner. Better than being frustrated."

Williams describes "Good as New" as "a vehicle for thinking and worshipping that is fully earthed, recognizably about our humanity."

A decade ago, author Gail Riplinger identified the beginning infiltration of New Age concepts into the new Bible translations. In the introduction to her book, New Age Bible Versions she says, "The New Age movement's expressed goal of infiltrating the evangelical church and gradually changing the Bible to conform to its One World Religion is evident in the current new versions."

She proceeds to fill nearly 700 pages with thousands of verse comparisons and quotes from New Age literature showing the trend away from sound doctrine to teachings blending the Bible with eastern mysticism and secular humanism. Her research is documented with 40 pages of footnotes.

She shows how this began with the Greek text constructed by Westcott and Hort who disbelieved much of the Bible's teachings and dabbled in Spiritualism. Riplinger exposes "A 'new' Christianity [that] is emerging from the new versions which substitute riches for righteousness, a crown for a cross, and an imitation for a new creation."

After six years of research, Riplinger concluded, "The changes, additions and omissions discovered in the new versions have affected the health of the body of Christ and taken it step by step away from the image of God."

Author David Daniels points out that every Christian must decide where God kept His promises in Psalms 12: 6-7 Matt 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33. Is Jesus right that "my words shall not pass away?" Notice in these scriptures, it is "my words" not just "word."

If God kept these promises, then somewhere in the world God has preserved a copy of His Words. In Answers to Your Bible Version Questions, Daniels shows how the King James Version is the only version that qualifies. Backed by over 5000 manuscripts preserved from significant disagreements, the KJV comes from a different stream of history than the new versions based on a few polluted and mutilated Roman Catholic manuscripts.