I spoke Friday with Dr. Douglas Moo, Blanchard Professor of New Testament at Wheaton and Chair of the Committee on Bible Translation. The focus of our conversation was the controversy surrounding some aspects of the New NIV 2011 as it relates to “gender neutrality.”
I quoted for Dr. Moo from Dr. Albert Mohler’s blog in September of 2009:
“As many of us made clear at the time of the TNIV’s announcement and release, the issues with this translation had to do with translation decisions that we were convinced did not produce “gender accuracy,” but lamentable inaccuracy. The rigorous application of these decisions produced a translation that was not only problematic in terms of direct and indirect gender references, but also in its confusion of crucial texts with messianic significance.”
Dr. Moo’s response:
“The problem, of course, you know, and I think that maybe Al Mohler’s blog is hinting at that, is that he doesn’t think that some of the decisions we made reflect, perhaps, his English.”
The complete audio of our conversation is linked here:
If you are looking for a translation that is accurate, readable, and without the gender problems and other issues of the 2011 NIV, I suggest you consider the HCSB. I have bought and studied several copies as well as its audio CDs, and it is a very accurate and readible translation for English speakers. It is a little more academic — higher level English than the NIV, but it is conservative, and seems to maintain the gender issue with a balanced integrity.
I am using the NIV Bible since I am a bible school student in early 1980’s and until now I become a Pastor here in the Philiipines. I always recommended this translation to all my church members because I always use this Bible in all of my sermons. Many of my christian friends who are KJV followers told me that NIV was Satan’s translations. But I always defend the NIV aginst this kind of creticism. But when I purchased a NIV 2011 edition for my children then read it and compared to my NIV 1984 edition I believed now and concluded that it become now a Satan’s version. If they will not anymore published the NIV 1984 edition my decision will be is to use the ESV or NASV bible.
With all due respect to Dr. Douglas Moo this is only what I can say to NIV 2011: “REJECT THE NIV 2011 AND BRING BACK THE NIV 1984 EDITION.
The NIV 2011 still leaves sarx as “sinful nature” in Romans…this issue was not raised at all, but the gender thing gets all the play?
Boo!
Paul,
A profound inquiry of Dr Moo you make. (but age old) ” Have we reached a saturation point ….at what point do we say enough?” 450 and counting! Perhaps when the Greeks cease to exist and when the itching ears have been satisfactorily scratched.
“Unfortunately” indeed, a well chosen word Dr. Moo.. How did we ever get this far without an error free bible? Finally we now have one we can assuredly rely upon as the Word of GOD. Too serious of an issue at stake here to be at question.