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: This was attempted four or five years ago and called the Readers NIV. It was stopped in it's tracks by the outcry of the various denominations. The Readers NIV evidently came out without gender changes. However there was British version that did contain the gender neutral changes. I believe there was even a promise that they would stop and not continue any work on a gender neutral Bible. Promise broken? I personally never cared for the NIV because of it’s treatment of the personage of the Holy Spirit. Many passages could be construed to make the Holy Spirit an “it” rather than a person and third part of the Trinity. When I wanted a paraphrase I turned to NLT published by Tyndale, which to me was superior to NIV in all aspects. While the NIV holds little interest for me, I see this as another attempt to reach a new market rather than producing something meaningful. The NRSV which was gender neutral was never received and that fact became a major reason for the ESV. EdB |