In the majestic opening of John’s Gospel, “the glory he has from the Father as only Son of the Father” becomes “the glory as of a parent’s only child.” (John 1:14)
The Lord’s prayer now begins like this: “Father-Mother, hallowed be your name. May your dominion come.” (Luke 11:2)
Jesus’ own self-understanding as God’s only son is generalized to: “No one knows the Child except the Father-Mother and no one knows the Father-Mother except the Child …” (Matt. 11:27)
Avoiding another traditional phrase. “Son of Man,” the Oxford text reads: “Then they will see the Human One’s coming in clouds with great power and glory.” (Mark 13:26)
The editors do not claim that Jesus spoke in gender-neutral language. But they obviously think he should have. The changes they have made are not merely cosmetic. They represent a fundamental reinterpretation of what the New Testament says–and how it says it. The King James Bible never looked so good.
