The Missing Verse: Matthew 18:11

The Missing Verse: Matthew 18:11

Is Matthew 18:11 in Your Bible?

The King James Bible says:

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”— Matthew 18:11

Now compare that with Luke 19:10:

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The similarity is obvious.

And here's what makes Matthew 18:11 particularly interesting:

Many modern versions retain Luke 19:10 while leaving Matthew 18:11 out of the main text.

In other words, the words haven't suddenly become false.

They're already in the Bible.

So why are they treated differently in Matthew?

Read the Two Verses

Look at them side by side:

Matthew 18:11 — KJB

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”

Luke 19:10 — KJB

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The central statement is unmistakable:

Jesus Christ came to save the lost.

There is no question about whether that truth belongs in Scripture.

Modern versions agree.

They keep Luke 19:10.

So the question isn't whether the words are true.

Since the words are true, why were they removed from Matthew?

What Do the Modern Versions Say?

When you look at many modern versions, Matthew 18:11 is absent from the main text or placed in a footnote.

The explanation commonly given is that certain manuscripts do not contain the verse.

But notice what that means.

A decision was made to treat Matthew 18:11 differently even though the same essential words remain in Luke 19:10.

That should make us stop and think.

A Question Worth Asking

Matthew 18:11 is also found in the overwhelming majority of Greek manuscripts.

So now we have something worth considering:

The verse is in the KJB.

The same essential words are retained in Luke 19:10, even in modern versions.

And Matthew 18:11 is found in the overwhelming majority of Greek manuscripts.

So:

Since the words are true, why remove them from Matthew—and risk confusing people or causing doubt?

Unless, of course, causing doubt and confusion was the goal of someone who did not believe God in the first place.

We don't have to know men's hearts to recognize the effect of this decision.

Compare the Result

Think about what happens to a Christian who encounters this for the first time.

He reads Matthew 18 in the KJB and sees verse 11.

Then he opens another version and discovers that the verse is gone.

He asks why.

He is told:

“Some of the oldest manuscripts don't contain it.”

Now he has another question:

Can I trust the Bible I am reading?

That is where VBI believes the danger begins.

Not because the truth disappeared.

The truth is still sitting in Luke 19:10.

The danger comes when we begin to believe that God's Word itself is uncertain.

You Can Trust God's Word

This is where Matthew 18:11 should leave us—not confused, but encouraged.

The verse has not vanished from God's Word.

The truth it teaches is still there.

And VBI believes the reason it is preserved in the KJB is because God keeps His promises.

God did not leave us without His Word.

He did not ask us to guess what He said.

He preserved His Word.

The Bible says:

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”— Matthew 24:35

God did not promise to preserve only the general idea of Scripture.

He promised to preserve His words.

That is why VBI believes the King James Bible can be trusted completely.

You do not have to live in uncertainty about whether God preserved His Word.

You do not have to wonder whether the Bible you hold is filled with errors and mistakes.

And you do not have to place your confidence in the constantly changing conclusions of men.

God is faithful.

He preserved His Word.

And He preserved it in the King James Bible.

Look at Matthew 18:11 Again

Read Matthew 18:11 in the KJB.

Then read Luke 19:10.

Compare the words.

Notice what your version does with Matthew 18:11.

Then ask:

Since these words are true, why remove them from Matthew—and risk confusing people or causing doubt?

At VBI, we believe the answer points us back to something far more important than a disagreement among critics:

God can be trusted.

His Word can be trusted.

And His preserved Word is available to us in the King James Bible.

Because Every Word Matters.

vbionline.org.