Does the NIV imply that Jesus is a liar in John 7:8?
A textual variant adds the word “yet” to erase the apparent contradiction between Jesus’ assertion that “I am not going up to this festival” (7:8) and the fact that he did, in fact, go to it (v. 10). The variant appears in the “majority text” and so is included in the KJV. But modern textual critics are unanimous that the variant is a late addition to solve the problem. No modern English Bible has the “yet” (although NIV does note it in a footnote). As most commentators recognize, the problem cannot be solved by adopting unlikely variants. Rather (as the ZNIVSB notes), Jesus in v. 8 refuses to go up to the festival on the terms of his disciple; but later decides to go on his own terms.