The NIV and Me (by Mark Stevens)

Last updated on: July 27, 2015 at 9:47 am by Scot McKnight

The NIV and Me (by Mark Stevens) 2015-07-22T14:49:42-05:00 Scot McKnight

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Used by permission: By Mark Stevens, a pastor friend in Australia

The NIV and Me

2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the New International Translation of the Bible. Below are my own thoughts and reflections on this translation that has changed the way many Christians read the Bible.

60 years ago a major shift began to take place in English Bible translation. The 17th century crafting of the King James Bible had become irrelevant to the modern person, to the extent to which those who read it were no longer hearing it. In 1955 an engineer by the name of Howard Long set out to create an English translation of the Bible that would connect with modern day people. Eventually his denomination and other groups embraced his vision for such a translation and so began the journey of the New International Version.

50 years ago a team of Evangelical scholars began the process of translating what we now know as the NIV. In 1969 the translation committee completed the Gospel of John and then in 1978 Zondervan published the full text of the NIV. It would go on to become the Bible most evangelical Christians grew up reading. It is to our generation what the King James was to many before. By 1996 it was the highest selling English translation, and for good reason; it connected with every day people. Long’s vision had been achieved.

When I first became a Christian in 1991 I was handed a New King James Version of the Bible by my youth leader. I read that translation for the next decade. Upon entering seminary I was shunted across to the NRSV as it was seen as a more ‘scholarly’ translation. It is a great translation to read and study however, when I became a pastor I found myself looking for a good, solid translation of the Bible that connected with people and was easier to read. I found the NRSV to be disjointed and wooden in parts. But where would I turn? I never connected with the original NIV. I found it to be clunky and clumsy. The Psalms were translated well but elements of Paul’s theology were not well translated.

Not long after I becoming a pastor I heard New Testament Scholar and author Ben Witherington speak highly of the TNIV. Its gender inclusive language and updated text were appealing to me. I liked what I read so I ordered a copy. From the day the postman arrived at my door with my TNIV (Renaissance Leather Edition), the TNIV and subsequently the NIV2011 has been my go-to English translation. For me, and many others, it feels like home.

It wasn’t long after I switched to the TNIV that I heard that the Committee for Bible Translation were in the processes of completely revising the NIV text. They revisited some of the more ‘controversial’ gender inclusive passages as well as updating the overall language of the NIV text because the NIV 2011 would be released as a completely new transition and not just an update. The committee considered the criticisms of both the 1984 and TNIV editions. They held firm on certain renderings and made concessions in other areas. I can only imagine how robust the CBT meetings in which these changes were discussed might have been!

The NIV has not been without its detractors. Over the years I have heard a number of people attack the NIV however, it has been my observation that many of the attacks are based ideological objections or what we call the ‘tall poppy syndrome’. Very few have entered into a rigorous and critical appraisal of the translation itself. Any translation of the scriptures should be critiqued but criticising the NIV, NLT, or the NRSV unfairly is, unjust. The NIV will never be the translation choice of mainline denominations or complementarian churches; and that is okay however, their criticisms are, I feel, ill informed and prejudiced.

In 2012 I was in Sydney to hear New Testament scholar and Chairman of the Committee for Bible Translation Douglas Moo. During his time he fielded questions about the TNIV and NIV. With dignity and poise he explained the committee’s case for each translation decision that was questioned. It was obvious that the committee had made decisions after critical consideration and appraisal of the original language texts. Any translator of the Bible translates between two worlds – That of the text in its original context and that of its readers. In my opinion the CBT has done well to strike a faithful balance.

The NIV 2011 is the best selling English translation of the Bible. However, like any translation, it isn’t perfect – but it does what it any good translation is supposed to do: It helps the people of God to hear the story of God and the Word of God and is at the forefront of the formation of God’s people in the ways of Jesus.

There are many great translations of the Bible in English but there is a reason why the NIV stands out above the crowd (and it isn’t just marketing). The NIV text has been crafted by a team of exceptional scholars and pastors many of who are or have been pastors as well as scholars. Over 50 years the committee has translated the text, revised it, returned to it, and revised it again. The committee have listened to the wider scholarly community and taken on board fair and reasonable criticism to enable the Bible I read to become the NIV of today: A truly noble and great translation of the Bible.

We all have our favourite translations of the scriptures. A good translation is like a warm and comfortable home. They are inviting and comfortable places in which we dwell with God in his revealed word. In these homes we hear the word of God, we are summoned to discipleship, and we are comforted in our times of need. For me that home is the NIV.

Mark Stevens

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