The famous phrase which mentions receiving the kingdom of God while also referring to the state of being a child has been memorized by many people. It appears in Mark 10:15 and in Luke 18:17. Here are those verses as they appear in several translations. Note the subtle differences in translation.
Mark 10:15 : Verily I say vnto you, Whosoeuer shall not receiue the kingdome of God as a little childe, he shall not enter therein.
Luke 18:17 : Verely I say vnto you, Whosoeuer shall not receiue the kingdome of God as a litle child, shal in no wise enter therein.
Mark 10:15 : Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.
Luke 18:17 : (identical to Mark 10:15)
Mark 10:15 : I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
Luke 18:17 : (identical to Mark 10:15)
Mark 10:15 : Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.
Luke 18:17 : (identical to Mark 10:15)
Mark 10:15 : Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.
Luke 18:17 : (identical to Mark 10:15)
Mark 10:15 : Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.
Luke 18:17 : (identical to Mark 10:15)
Mark 10:15 : Amen I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter into it.
Luke 18:17 : Amen, I say to you: Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a child, shall not enter into it.
Mark 10:15 : I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God.
Luke 18:17 : (identical to Mark 10:15)
An important difference among the translations is the use of "as a child" versus "like a child". When "as a child" is used, the verses have two possible interpretations:
I believe that the second meaning is the correct rendition. If the first rendition is correct, then it would imply that non-Christian adults could not be saved, which is not likely the intended meaning.
The second meaning states that anyone accepting the kingdom of God must do so in the manner that a child does. A little child naturally trusts its parents without doubt and without question. If a child gets frightened or is troubled, the child naturally looks to its parents for help. Very young children trust the teachings and advice of their parents and teachers. These verses are saying that God wants that kind of trust and faith out of us toward Him. The verses are saying that if we are to believe in and accept God without doubt and without question, have faith in him, and trust in His Word. This meaning gives adults much more hope than the first meaning. God just wants us, as adults, to be His children, and it's a really beautiful thought.
Since the second meaning makes much more sense to me, I prefer the rendition "like a child" to "as a child" to remove the ambiguity in meaning. The New Internation Version, New American Standard Bible, and New American Bible use "like a child". The New Living Translation uses the second meaning, although it is reworded in a manner that requires knowledge of the context to get the full meaning.
Written by Evans A Criswell 2001/11/16