Bible Question:
Did you know? "Today's New International Version" - gender-neutral version America's best-selling modern Bible is being issued in a gender-neutral version BIRMINGHAM, January 28 -- The International Bible Society says it will update America's best-selling modern language Bible to make fewer gender distinctions. Biblical conservatives including the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention have criticized the idea. References to God and Jesus won't be changed. An example given was changing Matthew chapter 5, verse 9 to "children of God" instead of "sons of God." The New Testament of the latest version goes on sale in April with the full Bible including Old Testament books expected by 2005. The society said Monday its original "New International Version," first published in 1978, will remain on the market. That translation has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide. The new Bible will be called "Today's New International Version." Publisher Zondervan of Grand Rapid, Michigan, holds North American rights to both versions. (http://www1.msnbc.com/local/wvtm/nbcat8911wc.asp) |
Bible Answer: Greetings again, Kalos, My question is, will the TNIV be any different from the New International Version, Inclusive Language Edition (NIVI, 1995)? The NIVI was released in Britian but it was taken off the shelves in the U.S. due to the widespread reaction of outrage from evangelicals. Two excellent books that I would like to recommend that deal with the Inclusive Language Debate are: 1) "Distorting Scripture: The challenge of Bible Translation and Gender Accuracy" by Mark L. Strauss 2) "The Inclusive-Language Debate" by D.A. Carson Both books are available through InterVarsity Press. I own both of them, and they are sitting here on my desk, next to my King James Version Only Debate books.. To define what a gender-inclusive version is, it is a translation that seeks to avoid masculine terminology when the original author was referring to members of both sexes. The New Revised Standard Version is widely accepted and adheres to this translation philosophy. However, I feel most comfortable reading from translations that specifically do not take such measures into account. Blessings to you, Makarios |