Bible scholars quickly begin debate of new gender-neutral NIV revision
Jan. 30, 2002 -- NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The accuracy of the new "Today's New International Version" revision of the popular New International Version has quickly become a topic of debate among Bible scholars.
"Accuracy and clarity are prime with us," said Larry Lincoln, communications director for the International Bible Society, copyright holder of both the new TNIV and the 1984 NIV.
On the other side of the debate, Randy Stinson, executive director of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, said the TNIV contains "absolute mistranslations."

TNIV counters with evangelical praise
It may be difficult for critics to gain much traction against the new translation, consider the weight of conservative-evangelicals arrayed in its favor – including the popular author Philip Yancey and the noted academic John Stott. Dr. Stott, a highly regarded evangelical preacher and author, contributed the following endorsement:
"It has never been easy to distinguish between a 'translation' and a 'paraphrase'. Translations tend to go for contemporary scholarship at the expense of contemporary language, whereas paraphrases tend to sacrifice accuracy for relevance. Today's New International Version is highly successful in combining both scholarly accuracy and linguistic relevance." 
More from Today's New International Version

Even USA Today took note...
"A new 'gender accurate' translation of the New Testament is creating a furor among believers who see every sacred word as a cobblestone on the path to Jesus and salvation," begins a length feature in the March 27, 2002 edition.

...and we shouldn't be surprised, says Martin Marty
"Through much of Christian history church leaders worked on their own and with civil authorities to burn translations, translators, or both," he writes. "Those who observe the battle over the Zondervan publication might think 'they' still do."

God inspired the original, but it may lose something in the translation
"The Gospel of Christ and, in general, the Holy Bible are written with the inspiration of God. The Prophets and the Apostles have recorded in written form a portion of the oral teaching of the Old Testament in Hebrew and Aramaic as well as the New Testament in Greek. These are the original languages of the Holy Bible from which all the translations have been derived. God's inspiration is confined to the original languages and utterances, not the many translations."

-- In this major essay, The Bible; It's Original Languages and English Translations, the Rev. George Mastrontonis discusses The Original Languages of the Inspired Word of God; The Translations of the Bible; The Need to Know the Original Languages; The Translation of the Bible into English; The Revised Standard Version; The Finding of Ancient Manuscripts in Original Languages; and The Need of a Common English Version.

Debate highlights opposing viewpoints 
on new "gender neutral" bible translation
A controversial Bible translation is the subject of a debate to be streamed on FaithandValues.com.

The gender neutral Today’s New International Version (TNIV) of the Bible has been a source of heated disagreement in parts of the Christian church. Some say it's long overdue to correct bias in earlier translations; others suspect it as political tampering with the word of God.

Theologians Wayne A. Grudem, who opposes the new translation, and Mark Strauss, who is in favor of it, will present their viewpoints and debate their differences in an event entitled, “The TNIV – A Bible Translation For Today or Political Movement for Tomorrow.”

The event is the third in a series of free “Questions of Controversy” debates presented by KKLA 99.5 FM and 95.9 The Fish, Los Angeles.

Dr. Wayne A. Grudem 
After teaching at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for the last 20 years, Dr. Wayne A. Grudem brings his international reputation and theological expertise to Phoenix Seminary where he recently assumed the position of Research Professor of Theology and Bible. Dr. Grudem formerly served as president of the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and as president of the Evangelical Theological Society (1999). He has written more than 60 articles for both popular and academic journals, and his books include: Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today, and The First Epistle of Peter (TNTC). He also co-edited Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism and edited Are Miraculous Gifts for Today?: Four Views. Dr. Grudem holds a Research Professor of Theology and Bible B.A. from Harvard University, a M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Mark Strauss
Dr. Mark Strauss currently serves as Associate Professor of New Testament at Bethel School of Theology Seminary. Strauss taught at Biola University, Christian Heritage College, and Talbot before joining the Bethel Seminary faculty in 1993. He is the author of The Davidic Messiah in Luke-Acts and Distorting Scripture? and The Challenge of Bible Translation and Gender Accuracy. Dr. Strauss holds a B.A. from Westmont College, an M. Div. and Th.M. from the Talbot School of Theology, and a Ph.D. from the University of Aberdeen.

The Spirit of Los Angeles, KKLA 99.5 FM and 95.9 The Fish present “The TNIV – A Bible Translation For Today or Political Movement For Tomorrow.” Sponsors include StudyTruth.com, The English Standard Version, Books on the Path.com and FaithandValues.com. The event takes place at Concordia University, 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, off the 405 or 5 Freeways at the Jeffrey South exit.