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Is this the new Bible you recently recommending
Lance? This must be a real hybrid adding 45,000 more changes along with
the 64,098 words dropped in original NIV - definitely a non-inspired
version. jt
http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2005/04/21/faith.20050421-sbt-MIC
H-D4-New_Bible_provokes.sto April 21, 2005
New Bible provokes gender wars FAITH By RICHARD N. OSTLING
Associated Press Writer TNIV criticism:
www.cbmw.org/resources/tniv "Bible Gets a Bashing in Bid to Be PC." That headline in The Express newspaper announced the British publication of Today's New International Version, a Bible translation that has provoked a gender war among evangelical Protestants. Weeks before, Zondervan had introduced the U.S. edition with a $1 million advertising blitz. Today's NIV makes some 45,000 changes to update the best-selling New International Version (NIV), which remains on sale, unaltered. The rewrite aims to make Scripture accessible to those younger than 35 who have weak classical educations or seem indifferent toward church. Some rewordings cause little tumult. The churchy "saints" becomes "chosen people." "Stoned," which might imply use of controlled substances, is now "stoned to death." "Aliens" suggests extraterrestrials, so we get "foreigners." "Fourth watch of the night" is clarified as "shortly before dawn." Jesus is the "messiah," not "Christ." There's more debate about changing the Gospels' literal "the Jews" into
"Jewish leaders" to interpret who was involved in Jesus' crucifixion. The
biggest fuss involves the 30 percent of alterations that drop gender-specific
words. With nouns, for instance, the translators shun "man" in the generic
sense, add "sisters" to the literal "brothers" and replace "father" with
"parent." Plural pronouns frequently supplant generic uses of singular
pronouns.
Evangelicals who otherwise share biblical conservatism were taking sides on
this even before the 2002 publication of the New Testament portion of Today's
NIV. Two valuable analyses from prominent evangelical scholars were written
before this year's complete Bible with Old Testament: "The Inclusive Language
Debate" (Baker) by D.A. Carson favors cautious
inclusivity. "The TNIV and the Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy" (Broadman & Holman)
by Wayne Grudem and Vern Poythress attacks inclusive lingo. Promoters say
Today's NIV is "gender accurate" and uses inclusive terms only when the original
authors intended generic meanings. But Poythress says the translators are
"pandering to modern sensibilities," while Grudem protests, "They are changing a
historical document." Touchstone magazine attacked "egalitarian"
translations,
charging that they "systematically reflect doctrinal error." The first verse of the Book of Psalms gets at the key issue. The older NIV
said "blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked," while
Today's NIV says "blessed are those ..." Critics contend that plural pronouns
change not only what the literal Hebrew says but the passage's meaning and
force, in this instance shifting the focus from the individual facing temptation
to a fuzzier observation about people in general.
Isaiah 19:16 provides an illustrative feminist rewrite. The NIV said "the
Egyptians will be like women. They will shudder with fear," whereas Today's NIV
reads "the Egyptians will become weaklings ..." Some other contested passages in
the newly issued Old Testament portion:
Genesis 1:27. NIV: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of
God he created him; male and female he created them." Today's NIV: "So God
created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them ..."
Opponents say this rewrite undercuts biblical teaching on the human race's
unity.
Psalm 8:4. NIV: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man
that you care for him?" Today's NIV: "What are mere mortals that you are mindful
of them, human beings that you care for them?" This removes a
phrase Jesus used to describe himself. (A footnote suggests the alternate reading "son of man ... him.") Psalm 34:20. NIV: The Lord "protects all his bones, not one of them will be
broken." Today's NIV: The Lord "protects all their bones." This verse is quoted
as referring to a single individual, Jesus, in John's crucifixion account
(19:36).
Ezekiel 18:4. NIV: "Every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as
the son." Today's NIV: "Everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the
child." The Hebrew doesn't say this, critics complain, and the subsequent verses
clearly depict males.
Copyright � 1994-2005 South Bend Tribune
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