I think you need to read the 2 books mentioned in this thread, and find out that sometimes the words are eliminated because they weren't there in the earliest manuscripts, which actually counts for a lot more than a bunch of messed up Byzantine manuscripts.
It's like I went into a classroom with 30 kids in grade 6. I wrote out the book of Philemon (or Jude) on the board because they were short, and the kids had to copy them in full. And in cursive writing, just because I am old school about that. However, I also went to a university, and had a classics or English major copy out the same passage, based on my handwriting. I put away the University student's copy, because it is basically perfect.
But to prove a point, I take the 30 copied manuscripts into 30 other classrooms and have them copy out the manuscripts. Now, my grade 6 class is smart, but there are a few with learning disabilities and tend to turn things around. A couple have ADD and ADHD, so they add or miss parts. Same with the second classroom.
Then I take the second classroom's 30 copies, along with the first classroom's 30 copies and give them to another 60 students. So now I have over 120 copies of Philemon at a grade 6 level. I could do it again a few times and end up with 240 or 480 copies of Philemon.
Then I get out the one copy by the university student and the 120 copies (or 480 etc) of Philemon and ask some scholars to evaluate which copy is closest to the original. Of course, he finds some trends, the more generations I passed it down to (that means moved them to the next level, not the generations of a genealogy!), and that mistakes have been copied and passed down.
Now the university student's copy may not be perfect either, but I'll bet it is a good bit closer to the original Philemon I copied on the board than that huge number of grade 6 students, bored with writing, not knowing grammar or spelling as well, plus multiplied mistakes.
The point being that when you are hand copying, the more times you make a mistake, the more times it is multiplied. The farther you are from the source, the more you increase the chances of multiple mistakes being passed on.
So majority is not necessarily better.
James White has so many examples of errors in the KJV, it is ridiculous how anyone could claim this is the inerrant Bible.
1. "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." James 3:2 KJV
"For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says,he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body." James 3:2 ESV
"We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check." James 3:2 NIV
King James states that Christians offend all people. Do Christians offend all people, or do they stumble in many ways?
2. "I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." Luke 18:12 KJV
"I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’" Luke 18:12 ESV
"I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ Luke 18:12 NIV
So did the Pharisees tithe on his possessions or his increase? The term in Greek means "to procure for oneself, acquire, get." KJV has the poor man giving 10% on all he owns, and I would imagine quite a few times a year. That would be a quick way to be reduced to poverty.
3. "And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, " 1 Chronicles 5:26a KJV
"So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, " 1 Chronicles 5:26a ESV
"So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pulking of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile" 1 Chron. 5:26 a NIV
KJV has the king of Assyria AND the spirit of Tiglath-pileser, taking away the Israelites. But the King of Assyria is merely the title of Tigathpileser. So ESV and esp NIV are the better translations, to say nothing of an error in the King's name. Tilgathpilneser is KJV and Tiglath-Pileser in every other single Bible
(Check out your Assyrian kings dynasties, to say nothing of other references to this Assyrian king)
4. "Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword." Isa. 13:15 KJV
"Whoever is found will be thrust through,
and whoever is caught will fall by the sword." Isa. 13:15 ESV
"Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
all who are caught will fall by the sword." Isa. 13:15 NIV
Note that "that is joined", is totally different than captured. This is because the Hebrew words are very similar, with capture having a het at the end, and "join" a chet at the end. So another copy mistake passed down in the later manuscripts.
I could do many more mistakes but let us leave it at this, for those who are unconvinced.
