I was reading Acts 8:36-38 and I noticed that verse 37 is missing. I checked in my other NIVs and -- much to my surprise -- it was missing there as well. It's a mystery! I looked in the KJV and what do you know -- voilà! Do you know why that scripture (which in my opinion is such an essential response to hearing the good news) was left out of the NIV? The NIV footnotes say, “Some late manuscripts add verse 37: ‘Phillip said “If you believe with all your heart you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” ’ "
Answer: verse 37 does not appear in any of the ancient manuscripts. Moreover, the manuscripts the KJV was based on were from the 1400s and 1500s -- hence the hundreds of minor errors you find in the KJV. I think this verse has become part of church tradition. I can assure you it is not in the original Greek. It does not appear before the Middle Ages.
