Seems like the N.I.V. people are caving to modern culture and have decided to go with a "gender neutral" Bible despite objections from conservative evangelical groups inluding James Dobson and the Southern Baptists.

Just one more reason I have NEVER been a fan of the N.I.V.

Here's the link to the story....

http://member.compuserve.com/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-1110&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20020128%

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Answers

To get to the story....go to the link....then look on the left side for the headline.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Darrell....

I was aware of that. However.....with the "stature" of the N.I.V.....the concern over the impact of such a version is what caught my attention.

John...hmmmmmm. Unfortunately.....the article is copyrighted as well.....therefore I can't cut and paste.

Let me see what else I can do.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Mark.....

Yes they did. However....intense scrutiny from conservative evangelicals, including James Dobson.....forced them to put it off.

Evidently....they think they have the support now.

Sounds like a good opportunity to boycott all related N.I.V. products????

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Bill....

Unequivically.....the NASB is the most accurate translation available today....and I have taken both Greek and Hebrew.

Dr. Smith was asked to serve on the NIV translation team. He refused....and I think the reason that he gave to the committee still stands.

He stated....(and I quote)..."Why do we need it??"

Mark is correct about the cost. (Oh that money thing!!!) About 10 years ago....the owners of the copyright on the NASB....(The Lockman Foundation) raised their cost for those who wanted the rights to publish to an amount that caused most publishers to say...."Forget you!!"

In the last 6 months I have had two older people who wanted NASB Study Bibles in large print edition. There appears, at this time, to be no such critter.

But...again Bill....directly to your question.....it is a superior translation.

-- Anonymous, February 03, 2002

This certainly won't be the first gender neutral Bible. One is "The New Testament and Pslams: An Inclusive Version" published by Oxford Press. Not only do they go gender neutral with regards to God, "child" is used for Son when refering to Christ ... "The Human One" is used for The Son of Man ... "Dominion" for Kingdom (Get's rid of the male King thing) ... the use of Dark, Darken or Darkness, when used as a metaphor for sin, evil, etc. is changed, so as to not reflect on people of "dark" skin ... the use of Master is replaced by "Teacher" ... etc. etc.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

BTW -- did ya'll know that the original NIV translated Acts 2:38 "... Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ SO THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE FORGIVEN ... (emphasis added). This from a copy I have printed in January 1981.

Sometime following that date, after great preassure from denom's of a "faith only" nature, they changed Acts 2:38 to read: "... Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS. ..." (emphasis added). Thus, the continued "discussions" of what FOR means.

Not making this another "baptisim" issue, just a note on the NIV as a translation.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Danny;

I went to the link and it wants me to log on to Compuserve.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Didn't they go through this exact same thing about 2 years ago?

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Here's a link: http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/books/01/28/new.bible.ap/index.html

They're calling it Today's NIV (TNIV), but they ought to call it the PC-NIV.

Interesting that CNN put this under Entertainment ...

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

HELP!!

Aside from my own translation of which I am very weak in Hebrew, what translations are good out there from y'all's POV? I have liked the NIV, but I don't like this new turn of events and as I need a new "preaching bible" am looking for something better.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2002

I understand the NASV is probably the most accurate on the market. And I'm no preacher, but for sheer modern-day readability, the one I prefer is the CEV (Contemporary English Version).

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2002

Bill,

As far as I'm concerned the NASB (New American Standard Bible) is the best translation on the market right now. It is a good word for word translation that reads easier than the old "King Jimmy" and yet, when they add extra words for grammar's sake, they italisize them so that you know that they were not in the origainal texts.

The NASB usually costs a little more and there are fewer versions on the market than most, as it seems the Translation Team for it keep pretty tight wraps on their work. In light of what the NIV is trying to do again, such control exercised by the NASB Team is probably in everyones' best interest.

-- Anonymous, February 02, 2002

My Inductive Study Bible (NASB) is a large print version - though it is about 6 years old now. However, I did buy Ivy a different large print version last year - they are out there, but you have to find a store that is willing to stock them (or go on-line for them).

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2002

I always thought one of the principles of an accurate translation was to translate into the modern vernacular? I don't think the TNIV is being politically correct at all. They only translate in gender neutral terms where it is obvious from the context that both genders are included. They never change he to she or change the gender when referring to the Godhead. This is the same principle, even the KJV translators, used in some places.

Consider the following passage:

(Matt 5:9, KJV) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Literally, "children" is "sons". Sounds like the KJV translators made an interpretive choice here, just like the translators of the new NIV, NLT, etc....! This is actually more accurate, since it reflects the meaning of the original authors.

BTW, if you want a free copy of the TNIV CLICK HERE

-- Anonymous, February 09, 2002

Barry -- teh New Living Translation does the same thing ... men to people ... brothers to brothers and sisters (where applicable). Makes reading better I would think.

It's when they make "God-talk" like that I have a problem.

Thanks for the link.

-- Anonymous, February 09, 2002

Motivation Barry....it gets back to motivation. Why are these people doing this?? You want to think they are honorable....that's fine.

I see it more as the continuning feminization of our culture and churches.

I'll make a bold prediction Darrell. (Really...it ain't that bold...just a historical observation.)

Within 15 years....they will have God talking like that....(whoever she is).

-- Anonymous, February 09, 2002

I found an interesting page about this new bible here: http://www.cbmw.org/tniv/

-- Anonymous, February 10, 2002

John....

Great resource!!! Thanks!

-- Anonymous, February 10, 2002

Danny,

I think the motivation is more money-based than PC. I could be wrong, though.

But I do find it somewhat disingenuous when they pull James Dobson out to denounce these things. He knows more about psychology than I ever will, but he is hardly a scholar when it comes to biblical languages and translation.

-- Anonymous, February 10, 2002

Barry....

And PC......SELLS!!!! :)

You are correct about Dobson. I wouldn't go across the street on my day off to hear him speak doctrinally about anything.

Great family resource (most of the time)......terrible biblical resource....(all the time).

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2002

Of course the motivation is money-based. Zondervan is NOT a Christian publishing company. It's owned by Rupert Murdock, the same guy who runs the National Enquirer. He could care less about the truth, he's just after the buck.

I heard Dr. Bob Morey on the radio last night talking about this - he said the reason why the former Christian publishing houses, colleges, etc. are being taken over by liberals and pagans is because Christians have gone from being evangelical to being evan-jellyfish. LOL!

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2002

Maybe the 9/11 attacks were God's judgment on this "gay-lesbian" laden society of ours after all! hhhhmmm...

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2002