An International Bible Society statement has denied its new
gender-neutral “Todays New International Version” bows to political
correctness.
“There is an academic, linguistic rationale for the translation
of every passage – and political correctness is most certainly not one
of them,” an International Bible Society statement declares.
An International Bible Society statement has denied its new
gender-neutral “Todays New International Version” bows to political
correctness.
“There is an academic, linguistic rationale for the translation
of every passage – and political correctness is most certainly not one
of them,” an International Bible Society statement declares.
Nevertheless, eight of 12 evangelical leaders who signed 1997
Bible translation guidelines relating to gender have urged a halt in publication
of the new translation.
The translation in question is a gender-neutral revision of
the 1984 New International Version, for which the International Bible Society
is the copyright holder and Zondervan is the U.S. publisher.
Announcement of the revised version has drawn considerable
criticism, especially from evangelical leaders who stopped a similar translation
in 1997.
At the time, the leaders and Bible publishing officials signed
an agreement on how gender language should be handled in future translations.
In announcing the new translation, International Bible Society
and Zondervan leaders also announced they were withdrawing their endorsement
of the 1997 agreement.
They insisted the new translation represents just a 7 percent
change from the current New International Version.
They also characterized the new version as “gender accurate”
instead of the more commonly-used term “gender neutral.”
Critics responded that the changes represent a bow to political
correctness and that the updated New Testament – completed and sent to
pastors and leaders recently – contains inaccuracies.
International Bible Society leaders since had responded that
it consulted with conservative, evangelical scholars prior to release of the
revised New Testament this spring.
“These scholars have unequivocally confirmed the accuracy
and integrity of the (Todays New International Version).”
The society statement did not specify the scholars involved in its consultations.
However, it has listed a number of endorsers on its www.tniv.info
Web site.
The International Bible Society statement noted: “There
is room for differences of opinion on the translation complexities of Greek,
Hebrew and Aramaic (the languages of the Bible). However, differences of opinion
on linguistic issues should not be confused with feminist or social agenda.
“The (Committee on Bible Translation, which is responsible
for the New International Version text) has not mistranslated or diluted the
Holy Scriptures and such allegations are ill-founded and have no basis in fact,”
the statement adds.
“Critics have sadly confused matters of accuracy in translation
with dangerous social agendas. The two have no connection. Accusations that
the godly members of the (Committee on Bible Translation) have been influenced
by feminism or political correctness are false, damaging and simply absurd.
“(The International Bible Society) is hopeful that allegations
of social agenda could be replaced with reasoned dialogue on the matter of translation.”
Meanwhile, the eight evangelical leaders issued a statement,
calling on Bible translations to keep “their word and Gods.”
The leaders noted that the International Bible Society and
Zondervan said in 1997 that they had “abandoned all plans for gender-related
changes in future editions of the New International Version.”
The statement of the eight leaders insisted: “God has
entrusted the Church of Jesus Christ with the very words of Scripture, and all
those who disseminate that Word, whether from pulpits or printing presses, hold
a sacred trust. To change the text of Gods Word so that masculinity intended
by the authors of Scripture is muted and thus risk indirectly obscuring both
the archetypal fatherhood of God (as it is manifested in mans relations)
and the true identity of Jesus Christ is to violate the Word of God; to do so
after promising not to do so violates ones own word.”
The leaders then urged publishers to reverse their decision
and halt production of the new translation, due to be completed in 2005. The
current New International Version will continue to be published.
The leaders included James Dobson, founder of Focus on the
Family; Wayne Grudem, research professor of Bible and theology at Phoenix Seminary;
John Piper, senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis; and R.C.
Sproul, professor of systematic theology at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort
Lauderdale, Fla.
The leaders asserted, “Evangelical Christians confess the plenary, verbal
inspiration of Scripture. Plenary means every, verbal means word.
Thus God inspired each of the words of the original text of the Bible, not simply
the concepts behind those words.” (BP)