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Q: What is the TNIV?
A: The TNIV is “Today’s
New International Version”;
an uncompromisingly accurate Bible translation in today’s
language from the translators of the most trusted Bible
translation, the NIV. The TNIV is at the heart of Zondervan
and IBS’s mission to share God’s word with those in
need in ways they can understand.
One group especially in need are 18- to 34-year-olds.
Barna Research Group estimates that 8 million 18- to
34-year-olds are on the verge of leaving the church.
But there is hope. Thom Rainer’s research shows that
18- to 34-year-olds are the most spiritually open age
demographic.
With advancements in biblical scholarship, clarity
and gender accuracy, the TNIV is a new translation
that will engage today’s younger generations with God’s
word. To further Bible engagement, the TNIV will be
published in innovative formats to help 18- to 34-year
olds experience the mystery and wonder of the Bible.
Q: Who translated the text?
A: The Committee
on Bible Translation,
or CBT, translated the TNIV. The CBT—a group of leading
evangelical scholars from around the world—is the
same body that translated the NIV, the most read,
most trusted modern English translation on the planet.
CBT members come from some of the most-renowned evangelical
Christian colleges and seminaries in the world, including
Wheaton Graduate School and Westmont College. The
CBT is completely independent and its members represent
a wide array of evangelical denominations.
 Learn
more by watching a video about the CBT. Listen to
some of the CBT members. Select your choice of media
players:
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Q: What
is the relationship between Zondervan and IBS?
A: IBS is the copyright holder of the NIV and TNIV,
while Zondervan is the commercial publishing partner,
holding exclusive North American publishing rights
to the NIV and TNIV. IBS produces scripture and scripture
resources for ministries only.
TNIV vs. NIV
Q:
Will this text replace the NIV?
A: No. The TNIV offers a new choice in translations
with contemporary language, but in no way diminishes
the need for the NIV. Because of its tremendous following,
Zondervan and IBS will continue to publish the NIV
without change. The NIV is the leading modern English
translation in the world. With more than 215 million
NIV Bibles sold or distributed, the NIV will continue
to be the translation of choice for millions.
Q: How does the TNIV differ from the NIV?
A: The TNIV updates language and reflects advances
in biblical scholarship.
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Word changes that more precisely render the meaning
of the original text. For example, “Christ”
is changed to “Messiah” when the underlying Greek
functions as a title.
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Word changes that reflect a better understanding
of the meaning of certain terms in the original
Greek and Hebrew. References to “the Jews” are
described more specifically, such as “the Jews
there” or “the Jewish leaders,” when the context
indicates a more precise group of people.
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Changes that clarify the meaning of language
for today’s reader. For example Mary is said to
be “pregnant” rather than “with child.” Or “the
third watch of the night” is changed to the more
understandable, “shortly before dawn.”
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Changes made in paragraph structure, sentence
structure, word order, punctuation, spelling and
capitalization as well as word changes based on
contemporary English style.
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Generic language is used where the meaning of
the text was intended to include both men and women.
For example, when it is clear the original
text never intended any exclusive male gender reference,
“sons of God” becomes “children of God,” and “brothers”
becomes “brothers and sisters”.
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All gender-related changes in the TNIV are made
to update masculine terminology that has
generic intent and is often misunderstood by today’s
generations. References
originally intended to be masculine remain masculine
in the TNIV.
- Learn
more about this and other examples of what has
been translated in the TNIV Bible. Select your
choice of media players:
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Q: Is
the TNIV more accurate than the NIV?
A: The best way to judge whether a text is accurate
is to determine whether the translation accurately
transfers the intended meaningof
the text to the reader.
The TNIV is the most accurate translation
for 18- to 34-year-olds because it is written in
today’s language. As Dr. Ronald Youngblood,
longtime CBT member, says, “English is always changing.
As a result, we must continue the work of translation
to guarantee that the Bible is accurately communicated
in the language of the day.” So how do you understand
the language of the day? How does someone twenty
years younger understand language?
Both the NIV and TNIV are extremely accurate translations
for their intended audiences. However, the TNIV is
more precise in its language, creating a highly readable
Bible for today’s generations that reflects the most
recent advances in biblical scholarship.
Q: Does this text pander to any social
agenda?
A: Absolutely not. Social agenda must never be a
component of Bible translation. The overriding concern
with any translation is to produce a version that
is accurate and understandable. All social and cultural
biases must be discarded in the interest of accuracy
and clarity.
The CBT draws from a wide-ranging body of evangelical
scholars from different institutions and denominations.
As an independently functioning body, no interest
group, Bible society, or publisher dictates its translation
policy.
Gender-Accurate Language
Q:
Is the TNIV gender neutral?
A: The TNIV is not gender neutral; it is in fact “gender
accurate.” Gender neutrality suggests the removal of
specific male or female attributes. The TNIV does not
remove these attributes or “neuter” any passages of
Scripture. The TNIV uses generic language only where
the meaning of the text was intended to include both
men and women. These changes reflect a more precise
rendering of Greek and Hebrew words.
Half of all major Bible translations use some gender-accurate
language, especially translations like the NLT (Tyndale)
and the NCV (Nelson). But even translations like the
the NKJV and the Holman Christian
Standard Bible use
gender-accurate language.
- The TNIV and Gender Accurate Language
- TNIV Advanced Bible
Research Center (third party
articles explore this issue in greater detail).
- Sample passages with the rationale behind the translation of some of the most
frequently asked about passages in the TNIV.
- Learn
more about this and other examples of what has been translated in the TNIV Bible.
Select your choice of media players:
Real
Player | Windows
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Q: Would this translation refer to God
by using such terminology as “she” or “our Father-Mother”?
A: Absolutely not. It is the commitment and firm belief
of the CBT that masculine terminology remains masculine
when the original texts use the masculine form.
Q: Why has the issue of the gender translation
surfaced in recent years?
A: The English language keeps on changing. In 2003
when Merriam-Webster updated its collegiate dictionary,
lexicographers made more than 100,000 changes and added
more than 10,000 new words and phrases that did not
appear in 1993. Even school and college textbooks have
changed over the years, as “men” rarely refers to both
men and women today.
Now consider the fact that the NIV was first published
more than 30 years ago.
Q: Are there any other gender-accurate
Bible translations on the market?
A: Yes, in fact half of all major Bible translations
include some gender-accurate language, especially translations
like the NLT (Tyndale) the NCV (Nelson) and the ESV
(Crossway).
Q: If I wanted to know more about the
language issue, where might I turn?
A: Here are two books written by leading scholars
that discuss the language issue in a balanced way.
Both books have been published independently of the
International Bible Society, the CBT, or Zondervan.
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The Inclusive Language Debate: A Plea for Realism (By
D.A. Carson, Baker)
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Distorting Scripture? The Challenge of Bible
Translation & Gender Accuracy (By
Mark L. Strauss, InterVarsity Press)
General Questions
Q:
Will IBS continue to update the TNIV?
A: Yes, just as all major translations
undergo updates, so too will the TNIV. It is the ongoing
mission of the CBT to provide the most accurate translation
possible, faithfully communicating the original meaning
of the texts. It was always intended to be an evergreen
translation.
Q: Why are IBS and Zondervan willing
to risk another controversy by releasing this
text? Do you expect the same level of controversy
as the New Testament launch?
A: Controversy is not important; it’s about obedience
and evangelism. Zondervan and IBS want to share God’s
word in ways that people can understand. The TNIV
does exactly this by speaking the language of spiritually-intrigued
18- to 34-year-olds.
But we don’t expect the same level of controversy
because we know there is an overwhelming need to
reach spiritually-intrigued 18- to 34-year-olds with
the Bible. And our research shows that 18- to 34-year-olds
overwhelmingly support the TNIV. In fact, more than
700 people of all ages have already endorsed the
TNIV as a great translation; so too have many well-known
pastors, authors, professors, and theologians.
Q: There are dozens of English translations.
Why do we need another one?
A: Research has shown that there is an alarming increase
in the number of 18- to 34-year-olds on the verge of
disengaging from the church. We need to find ways to
reach them with the timeless truth of God’s word in
today’s language. In addition to reaching 18- to 34-year-olds
with the Bible, we also know that English usage is
changing and that discoveries by scholars continue
to enhance our understanding of ancient biblical texts.
A variety of translations are useful in helping readers
better understand Scriptures.
- Why the TNIV Bible is needed.
Q. What are your plans
to respond to the critics?
A: Clearly, the TNIV is not the translation for everyone;
no Bible translation is. But TNIV critics are not in
the 18- to 34-year-old audience that the TNIV speaks
to. Our research shows that 18- to 34-year-olds are
overwhelmingly supportive of the TNIV and are interested
in using it for personal study. We also know that other
translations like the NLT and NCV use gender-accurate
language and have been widely accepted by evangelicals
of all ages.
But our primary focus is on the fact that there is
an overwhelming need to reach 18- to 34-year-olds with
the Bible. According to research, 40% of children who
grow up in church no longer attend church as adults.
It is tough to argue with an accurate translation that
is overwhelmingly supported by a group of people who
desperately need to be re-engaged, or engaged for the
first time, with the Bible.
Q. What
can you tell me about IBS and the Colorado Springs
Guidelines?
A: In 1997, the Colorado Springs Guidelines were
signed at a very difficult time when the primary
concern of IBS leadership was to prevent further
dissension within the Christian community. In retrospect
we realized it was a mistake to sign the CSG. We
reached this conclusion after thorough consultation
and review of the guidelines with several respected
translation experts from around the world. This review
revealed the proposed guidelines were in many cases
inconsistent, unduly restrictive, and would actually
inhibit the ability of the CBT, and IBS to perform
our missions—to accurately translate the meaning
of the original texts—and to provide God’s Word to
the next generation.
Simply stated, the CSG, although
well-meaning, does not conform to sound translation
methodology widely accepted by a significant majority
of evangelical linguists, translators, and scholars.
Following this revelation, it would have been inconsistent
for IBS to remain an endorser of the CSG while
publishing a text that did not strictly conform
to the agreement’s flawed guidelines. As a result
we withdrew our endorsement to the CSG. To ensure
we operated with the highest degree of integrity
on this matter, our current president set the issue
before our Board of Directors in 2001, which in
turn, unanimously supported our withdrawal from
the CSG.
As further evidence of our commitment to integrity,
IBS and Zondervan have made certain there will
never be changes to the 1984 NIV text, realizing
some in the evangelical community prefer it as
is. We respect their choice of text, realizing
that the TNIV provides another option for those
desiring a more contemporary text. Regardless of
choice, both the NIV and the TNIV are the result
of our unequivocal commitment to accuracy, excellence
in Biblical scholarship and sound translation principles.
Q. Will the New Testament text be different
than what’s available today? Did you change any
of the controversial verses or language based on
feedback from your critics?
A: Yes, the text contains some changes from the current
New Testament. The CBT has been working on this translation
for more than 10 years and will continue to scrutinize
their own work while seeking input from over 50 additional
evangelical scholars and linguists to ensure the best
translation result. As the CBT has said, the work of
translation never ends.
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