Actually, it is quite the exaggeration.

Are there variants? Well, of course there are, and exegetical scholars over the years have diligently worked to try to determine if there are scribal edits, additions (like 1 John 5:7 in the Textus Receptus) to determine authenticity.

Bruce Metzger’s “A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament” outlines what variants were accepted or rejected by the Editorial Committee of the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament. Most are inconsequential scribal mistakes or explanations.

Most published Bibles even include these variants in their footnotes. This is not big conspiratorial secret held by “The Church”—whatever entity you have in mind.

Popular culture thinks “The Church” was this gigantic institution or shadowy entity that sought to manipulate the Bible to control the world. That is no where near reality. May I suggest a college course in New Testament Introduction or the History of Biblical Development?

Or pick up a solid piece of historical literature like N. T. Wright & Michael Bird’s *The New Testament in its World*.