Conspiracy theory that key quote has been 'cut from American Bibles' sees wild backlash

The Bible has been subject to countless revisions over its several-thousand-year history as language has changed dramatically, yet the content inside has seemingly never been altered until now.

Regardless of whether you believe it or not, the Bible and numerous other key religious books remain some of the world's most important historical texts to exist, as they have survived the passage of time in one form or another for thousands of years.

The core tenants and teachings of Christianity are sourced from this very texts and its various books from major religious figures John, Peter, and more, and key to their significance is the unchanging and evergreen nature of the parables found inside.

There are some that claim certain 'forbidden' texts have been omitted from the Bible over the years, with one key section relating to a new perspective of Jesus' death at the cross, but one new wild conspiracy theory currently spreading across social media like wildfire claims that another alteration has been made in new printings of the Bible.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Christians across both X and TikTok believe that a key quote from Jesus in the Book of Matthew – specifically Matthew 17:21 – has been removed by publishers for an unknown reason.

The passage itself reads: "But this kind does not go out expect by prayer and fasting," and people have found various copies of the Bible where it appears to be missing.

It relates to an explanation made by Jesus to his disciples as to why attempts to cast a demon out of the body of a boy had failed, and many have taken it's meaning over the years to praise the power of prayer and fasting when it comes to illness and ailments.

TikTok user Whitney Elaine (@thewhitneyelaine) appears to be one of the accounts that spread this conspiracy across social media, and she claims that the US government could even be at the heart of the issue.

Investigating the issue in her own personal Bible, she realized that her text goes from Matthew 17:20 to Matthew 17:22 with no sign of the famous passage. Looking in two of her older Bibles she found the quote, and it was highlighted in red, denoting words from Jesus himself.

"So Jesus literally tells us from day one, and this is how corrupt the government and the USA and everybody that's involved is, because Jesus literally tells us in his words, fast and pray and you will be healed from sickness and diseases," she claims. "The government don't want us to know that though, so they took it out [of] the Bible."

Many in the comments underneath her video have shared that their own personal Bibles are also missing the passage, but many other Christians have pushed back against claims that it comes from government intervention.

Instead, it's generally understood that the quote from Jesus in Matthew 17:21 wasn't actually part of the earliest and most reliable manuscripts of the Bible, therefore this 'removal' is likely just a correction in newer printings to a 'truer' version of the text.