Today's New International Version
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| Today's New International Version | |
|---|---|
| Full name: | Today's New International Version |
| Abbreviation: | TNIV |
| NT published: | 2002 |
| Complete Bible published: | 2005 |
| Translation type: | contemporary |
| Version Revised: | New International Version (NIV) |
| Publisher: | Zondervan |
| Copyright status: | 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 committee of biblical scholars that translated the popular New International Version (NIV) in the 1970s.
The TNIV is a revision, but not a replacement, of the NIV. The TNIV New Testament was published in March 2002. The first complete Bible was published in February 2005. The rights to the text are owned by the International Bible Society (IBS). Zondervan, an evangelical Christian communications company, publishes the TNIV in North America. Hodder & Stoughton publishes the TNIV in the UK and European Union.
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[edit] Differences between TNIV and NIV
There are a number of differences between the TNIV and the NIV. Most commonly, changes were made in an effort to enhance overall clarity – that is, making the text easier to understand. For example, in Matthew 1:18, the NIV says that Mary was “with child.” The TNIV simply says Mary was “pregnant.”
Another example is the phrase “fourth watch of the night,” which the TNIV translates “shortly before dawn” (Luke 12:38).
On the other hand, 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.
[edit] Gender Inclusive Language and the TNIV
Among the most frequently discussed (and debated) changes in the TNIV are those involving the use of gender inclusive language to refer to humanity. This approach is often described by proponents as "gender accurate" and by detractors as "gender neutral."
For example, in the TNIV, Genesis 1:27 reads: “So God created human beings in his own image” – instead of the more traditional “man”. Matthew 5:9 reads: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” – instead of “son.” (Interestingly, the King James Version uses “children” here too.) And Romans 3:28 reads: “A person is justified by faith” – instead of “a man is justified by faith.”
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 are grammatically masculine in the original languages. (In Greek and Hebrew – as in Spanish – nouns and pronouns have grammatical gender. English nouns and pronouns do not have grammatical gender.) The two main criticisms of gender inclusive language are:
(1) It obscures male nuances of meaning present in the text.
(2) It caters to a feminist, politically correct agenda.
Proponents argue that the critics of inclusive language confuse grammar for meaning — 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:
(1) No such male nuances of meaning exist in passages translated with inclusive language; therefore translations like the TNIV more accurately communicate the meaning of the text.
(2) 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.
By some accounts, approximately 30% of the changes found in the TNIV involve the use of gender inclusive language[1].
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) and the Contemporary English Version (CEV).
[edit] The TNIV and hoi ioudaioi
In the TNIV some original Greek text references to hoi ioudaioi (literally, the Jews), are translated as referring to Jewish leaders of Jesus' day. For example, in the gospel of John (e.g. John 18:36), the TNIV translators and a number of other biblical scholars believe the context indicates that hoi ioudaioi refers to "Jewish leaders," not to the Jews as a whole. Although this change was motivated by biblical scholarship[2] [3] [4], one result is that the TNIV sounds less anti-Semitic than English versions which retain the literal translation of "the Jews." The TNIV is not alone[5] among English Bible versions in following recent biblical scholarship on this matter. Some have criticized this change from "the Jews" as being untrue to the biblical languages source texts. Others, however, regard this change as bringing the translation closer to the intent of those source texts.
[edit] The TNIV Launch and Ensuing Controversy
When TNIV was launched first in 2002, its publication caused considerable controversy, especially among American fundamentalist Protestants. Some claimed the publication of a gender-inclusive bible was a betrayal because the International Bible Society said in a 1997 press release that it would "[abandon] all plans for gender-related changes in future editions of the New International Version (NIV)." TNIV was, in fact, published as a separate translation, and the NIV was left unchanged.
In spite of the fact that its word choices are much more conservative than many other Biblical translations, the TNIV has received much more attention than other comparable projects, mainly because the original NIV has been the best-selling English Bible version in the United States for over 20 years.
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. A media frenzy ensued, beginning with a story in USA Today, and two weeks later, Rolling Stone reversed its position and eventually ran the ad.
The full TNIV Bible was launched in February 2005.
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.
Also in 2006, Zondervan launched the TNIV Study Bible with updated study notes (based on the NIV Study Bible) and a 700-page topical index.
[edit] Critics and Supporters of the TNIV
In 2002, a number of prominent evangelical leaders and scholars expressed their opposition to the TNIV. These include 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 [7].
Additionally, both the Presbyterian Church in America and the Southern Baptist Convention have passed resolutions ([8], [9]) denouncing the translation.
Other scholars and leaders have openly supported the TNIV, including Rob Bell, Craig Blomberg, Darrell Bock, Don Carson, Jim Cymbala, Peter Furler, Bill Hybels, Tremper Longman, Erwin McManus, John Ortberg, John Stott, Philip Yancey, and others [10].
In 2006, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) officially recognized the TNIV as an acceptable translation for use in its churches. The TNIV has also gained widespread use within the Evangelical Covenant Church.
[edit] External links
- Official TNIV website
- Zondervan's TNIV website
- TNIV: The Untold Story of a Good Translation by Craig Blomberg
- Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood's TNIV Resource Center
- TNIV links
- The Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy
- BBC news story on the launch of the TNIV New Testament
- USA Today story on the TNIV
