Today's New International Version

Today's New International Version
Cover of an TNIV NT, 2002
Full name	Today's New International Version
Abbreviation	TNIV
NT published	2002
Complete Bible published	2005
Translation type	contemporary
Version revision	New International Version (NIV)
Publisher	Zondervan
Copyright	Copyright 2005 International Bible Society
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Today's New International Version is an English translation of the Bible developed by the Committee on Bible Translation, or CBT. The CBT is the same organization that translated the New International Version (NIV) in the 1970s. The TNIV is a new translation based on the NIV. It is explicitly Protestant like its predecessor; the deuterocanonical books are not part of the translation. The TNIV New Testament was published in March 2002. The complete Bible was published in February 2005. The rights to the text are owned by the International Bible Society (IBS), a nonprofit ministry that uses revenue gained from bible sales to translate and distribute bibles in indigenous languages all over the world. Zondervan, an evangelical Christian communications company, publishes the TNIV in North America. Hodder & Stoughton publish the TNIV in the UK and European Union.

The translation took more than ten years to complete. Thirteen evangelical scholars were dedicated to doing the translation; Dr. Ronald Youngblood, Dr. Kenneth Barker, Professor John H. Stek, Dr. Donald H. Madvig, Dr. Richard T. France, Dr. Gordon Fee, Dr. Karen H. Jobes, Dr. Walter Liefeld, Dr. Douglas J. Moo, Dr. Bruce K. Waltke, Dr. Larry L. Walker, Dr. Herbert M. Wolf and Dr. Martin Selman. Forty other scholars, many of them experts on specific books of the Bible, reviewed the translations teams work. They all came from a range of conservative and complementarian denominational backgrounds.

Translation Philosophy

It was felt that many passages in older translations are misleading to contemporary readers. The intent of the TNIV translators was to produce an accurate and readable translation in contemporary language. The Committee on Bible Translation (CBT) wanted to build a new version on the heritage of the NIV and make it a balanced, mediating version, one that would fall in-between the most literal translation and a paraphrase. For translation a wide range of manuscripts were reviewed. The Masoretic text, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Greek Septuagint or (LXX), the Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion, the Latin Vulgate, the Syriac Peshitta, the Aramaic Targums, and for the Psalms the Juxta Hebraica of Jerome were all consulted for the Old Testament. The Dead Sea Scrolls were occasionally followed where the Masoretic Text seemed inconsistent. The United Bible Societies Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament text was used for the New Testament.

TNIV Differences

There are a number of changed in the TNIV.

Matthew 1:18 where the NIV says that Mary was “with child.” The TNIV simply says Mary was “pregnant.”

Luke 12:38, the phrase “fourth watch of the night” employed in the NIV is changed in the TNIV to “shortly before dawn” (Luke 12:38).

The TNIV translators have, at times, opted for more traditional Anglo-Saxon or poetic renderings than those found in the NIV. For example, “the heavens” is sometimes chosen to replace the “the sky,” as is the case in Isaiah 50:3: "I clothe the heavens with darkness and make sackcloth its covering."

At times the TNIV offers a different or nuanced understanding of a passage. For example, in the NIV, Psalm 26:3 reads, “For your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.” The TNIV reads, “For I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.”

There are a number of changes in this one verse, but of special note is the TNIV’s translation of the Hebrew word ’emet. The TNIV translators took this word to mean more than simple honesty in Psalm 26:3, referring more specifically to reliability or trustworthiness.

Examples of other changes are “truly I tell you” becomes “I tell you the truth”; “fellow workers” becomes “coworkers”; “the Jews,” particularly in John's Gospel, often becomes “Jewish leaders” when the context makes makes it apparent what the statements real meaning is; “miracles,” especially in John, become the more literal “signs,” “miraculous signs,” or “works.” The word for “spirit,” where there is a good chance it means the Holy Spirit, is now capitalized, “Peter” is rendered “Cephas” when the Greek merely transliterates the Hebrew name.

Other notable changes are “Christ” has regularly been rendered as “Messiah,” “saints” has often been replaced with more meaningful terms such as “God's people” or “believers.

Gender Accuracy and the TNIV

Among other changes made are those involving the use of inclusive language to refer to people. Various terms for this are "gender accurate", "gender neutral", or "gender inclusive". For example, in the TNIV, Genesis 1:27 reads: "So God created human beings in his own image." Older translations use the word "man" to translate the word 'adam' employed in the original Hebrew--the same word used as the proper name of the first man married to the first woman, Eve. Matthew 5:9 reads: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called *children* of God." Here the word 'sons' found in older Scripture versions as the translation of the Greek word 'huioi' is changed to "children". Contrary to recent translations that are more liberal in the theological commitment such as the NRSV, masculine references to God (e.g. "Father", "Son", etc) are not modified in the TNIV.

Opponents of this approach point out that many of the terms in question carry male denotations and/or connotations in the original Hebrew and Greek. Some Bible translators argue that, while there are passages in the text that lend themselves to inclusive language, other changes are unfaithful to the original Hebrew and Greek. Critics of inclusive language claim that, in order to achieve its aims, inclusive language can force an incorrect translation onto the text. For example, they claim:

• Translators substitute plural nominative pronouns for masculine singular pronouns in order to remove the "man" and the "he" pronoun, as in the case of Psalm 1:1: "Blessed are those who do not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers". In the original text, this verse highlights the struggle some might claim of the individual against the wicked masses. Other examples of this are Revelation 3:20: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me." and John 6:44; "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day"..

Proponents of inclusive language translations of Scripture argue that the grammatical gender of a word has no bearing on its meaning. (For example, in Spanish the word for table, mesa, is grammatically feminine, but that does not mean tables are female.) The two main arguments in favor of inclusive language are:

• It is believed that no such male nuances of meaning exist in many passages; therefore translations like the TNIV more accurately communicate the meaning of the text. For example words like "adelphoi" previously translated "brothers", could be understood as gender inclusive and was (dependent upon context) comprehended in New Testament times as inclusive. With the shift of time and customs, "brothers" has become understood as an inaccurate use to denote a mixed-sex group. It is right therefore in a large number of passages to use "brothers and sisters" to avoid such miscommunication.

• Traditional forms of English (in which terms like "man" and "he" applied to both genders) are falling out of everyday use and are likely to be misinterpreted, especially by younger readers. Also it is argued that use of what is claimed as the singular they does not obscure the individual application of passages like Revelation 3:20, because such use is increasingly common in the English language and is understood by most readers.

Less than 30% of the changes in the TNIV's involve the use of inclusive language. The TNIV's approach to gender inclusive language is similar to that of the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), the New Living Translation (NLT), the New Century Version (NCV), the Contemporary English Version (CEV), and the English Standard Version (ESV).[1]

The TNIV and hoi ioudaioi

In the TNIV some original Greek text references to hoi ioudaioi (literally, the Jews), are changed from the original English translation of "the Jews" to "Jewish leaders", or simply "they." For example, in the gospel of John (e.g. John 18:36), the TNIV translators changed the translation of the Greek words, hoi ioudaioi, from "the Jews" to "Jewish leaders." This change has been called for by Jewish leaders as a way of avoiding wording in the Gospel of John being misunderstood and a number of evangelical scholars agree with this change [2] [3] [4]. The TNIV is not alone [5] among English Bible versions in following recent biblical scholarship on this matter.

The TNIV Launch

In 2002, Zondervan published the TNIV New Testament.

In 2005, Zondervan planned to advertise the TNIV in Rolling Stone as part of its campaign to launch the full TNIV Bible to “spiritually intrigued 18 to 34 year olds” [6]. Just weeks before the ad’s scheduled run date, Rolling Stone pulled the ad, citing a policy against religious advertisements in its magazine. Beginning with a story in USA Today, media frenzy ensued and two weeks later, Rolling Stone reversed its position and published the ad.

In 2006, Zondervan announced the production of The Bible Experience, an audio recording of the TNIV featuring performances by Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Blair Underwood, Denzel Washington and several other leading celebrities. The Bible Experience New Testament was released in October 2006. It has since become a best seller[7]. The planned launch for the complete TNIV audio bible is October 2007.

Also in 2006, Zondervan launched the TNIV Study Bible with study notes and a 700 page topical index.

Supporters and Critics

Denominations supportive of the TNIV include the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), which officially endorsed the TNIV as an acceptable translation for use, the Evangelical Covenant Church and the Free Methodist Church of North America. Leading scholars from the Free Methodist Church of North America had a varied response from it "constitutes no threat" to "most accurate ever".

Evangelical scholars and pastoral leaders supportive of the TNIV are; Ronald F. Youngblood, Herbert M. Wolf, [Mark L. Strauss], Tremper Longman III, Alan Johnson, Dennis Okholm, Gilbert Bilezikian, Paul E. Koptak, Linda Belleville, John Ortberg, Philip Yancey, Robert C. Andringa, John Armstrong, Adam Hamilton, John Stek, Emeritus Bates, Donald H. Madvig, Kenneth L. Barker, Gordon Fee, Richard T. France, Karen H. Jobes, Walter Liefeld, Douglas Moo, Martin J. Selman, Rob Bell, Bruce K. Waltke, Craig Blomberg, Darrell Bock, Don Carson, Jim Cymbala, Peter Furler, Bill Hybels, Tremper Longman, Erwin McManus, John Ortberg, Ben Patterson, John Stott, Dr. Ben Witherington, III, Philip Yancey, Terry C. Muck and others.

However the Presbyterian Church in America and the Southern Baptist Convention passed resolutions ([8], [9]) opposing the TNIV and other inclusive language translations.

Evangelical scholars and pastoral leaders critical of the TNIV are; J. I. Packer, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Wayne Grudem, D. James Kennedy, Albert Mohler, John Piper, Dennis Rainey, Pat Robertson, R.C. Sproul, Joni Eareckson Tada, and others.

As a result of the inclusive language controversy, some Evangelicals made claims about preparations to ensure that a Bible more faithful to a literal text would be available. From this two new versions appeared as alternatives; The Holman Christian Standard Bible[10] and The English Standard Version[11] which was based on the Revised Standard Version.

Dr. Wayne Grudem, an English Standard Version translator and a Research Professor of Bible and Theology, is one of the most vocal critics of the TNIV. On May 21, 2002 at a debate held at Concordia University in Irvine, California, in one of his many misstatements about the TNIV, Dr. Grudem stated that "1 Timothy 3:11 says, In the same way, women who are deacons are to be worthy of respect..., says the TNIV. That's a debatable question exegetically, doubtful, but the TNIV puts it there and we have women deacons required, no longer debatable." However, the TNIV actually states for 1 Timothy 3:11, In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect....[12] The reference to women who are deacons was a footnote and not actually scripture. The footnotes reference to women as deacons was a possible meaning, whereas Dr. Grudem stated that that the TNIV said "we have women deacons required, no longer debatable", which is incorrect and not what the scripture or footnote states.

Dr. Wayne Grudem also stated at the Concordia University debate in Irvine, California that it was "preposterous" to state that the English Standard Version contained inclusive or gender neutral language. He also stated at the same debate that "the English Standard Version that I was part off removed the word man hundreds of times, where it was just referring to a person." Since its release, the English Standard Version has since been found to use inclusive language in a similar way the TNIV has, a way in which the TNIV has been criticized for.

Dr. Craig L. Blomberg, a New Testament Professor, states in regards to the TNIV, "It is a reasonable expectation, however, that its critics should treat it fairly. Why have they not commented on the scores of places in which the TNIV is more literal and/or more accurate than the NIV completely apart from the inclusive-language debate, especially since their criticisms rely so heavily on valuing highly literal translations?"[13]

See also

• New International Version
• New International Reader's Version
• New International Version Inclusive Language Edition (NIVI)

External links

• Official TNIV website
• Zondervan's TNIV website
• TNIV: The Untold Story of a Good Translation by Craig Blomberg
• TNIV links
• TNIV Truth blog
• The Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy
• BBC news story on the launch of the TNIV New Testament
• USA Today story on the TNIV
• Free Methodist Church of North America Response
• Literal Is Not More Accurate If It's Unintelligible
• What About the “Gender Accurate” TNIV?