Most of you will recall the controversy over the Today's New International Version (TNIV), the new Bible translation that Zondervan is releasing, when Rolling Stone magazine accepted an ad promoting it, then rejected it and finally accepted it. Lifeway bookstores, as we noted, has refused to carry the book, and many have criticized it, for its gender-neutral translation policy. Well, here are some verses for comparison:
GENDER CHANGES
I Timothy 2:3-4
KJV: "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."
NIV: "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
TNIV: "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
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Genesis 1:27
KJV: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
NIV: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
TNIV: "So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
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BETTER CLARITY
Matthew 1:18
KJV: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."
NIV: "His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit."
TNIV: "His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit."
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Matthew 14:25
KJV: "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea."
NIV: "During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake."
TNIV: "Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake."
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MORE PRECISE WORD MEANING
2 Kings 4:2
KJV: "And Elisha said unto her, 'What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house?' And she said, 'Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil."'
NIV: "Elisha replied to her, 'How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?' 'Your servant has nothing there at all,' she said, 'except a little oil."'
TNIV: "Elisha replied to her, 'How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?' 'Your servant has nothing there at all,' she said, 'except a little olive oil."'
Obviously the gender translation is the real red flag here. The problem is that you're approaching the translation process with an agenda of making it more palatable to a modern audience. While I am a firm supporter of modern translations that use better base texts and eschew archaic language, when we start trying to make the Bible's content more acceptable to the culture at large we miss the point. It is the radical no-compromise counter-cultural message that makes the Bible stand as a beacon to a lost and dying world. When we water down the Bible's distinctiveness from the world at large, we are doing nothing but quenching the Holy Spirit.
2 comments:
I can heartily agree that the Bible's "radical no-compromise counter-cultural message" ought not be watered down, but I can't see how the gender change examples here do that. Substituting "people" or "human beings" for "man" in these passages doesn't seem to change their meaning or the biblical message in any way. The use of "man" seems more like a cultural artifact on the order "fourth watch" rather than a key part of the meaning of the passage. This seems like the kind of translation decision that can remove a stumbling block from a sincere person's path to salvation.
As someone who winces at some of the gender neutral versions of hymns ("God Rest ye Merry Gentlefolk" my eye!) I'll reject gender neutrality changes that actually affect the message as quickly as anyone. But if these are the worst that can be found, the Zondervan team hasn't done so badly.
It looks like you're saying that when you compare the NIV and the TNIV, the differences really aren't that significant. Well try doing the same sort of comparison at Mark 1:1 and 1:41.
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