We have Reason To Be For And Against The 2011 New International Version

By Pastor Bruce Oyen

E-mail: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

      This posting is about the 2011 NIV (New International Version). In it, I will present some facts about what this new edition teaches on some key doctrines of the Christian faith, and some facts about its gender-neutralism. The conclusion I have come to is that we have reason to be for it and against it.

      Gender-neutralism is what has gotten the 2011 NIV so much attention among us who are conservative, Bible-believing Christians. This is understandable, because we don't want anyone altering the Bible, for we know it is the Holy Word of God. We don't want anyone changing it to fit in with cultural trends. We want the Bible to be able to speak for itself, to say what it authors wrote, even if that means many persons reject its truths. Therefore, we will look at some evidence of the new NIV's gender-neutralism. This evidence gives many of  us reason to be against it.

    But before we do that, we need to consider something else regarding the 2011 NIV. That is, the 2011 NIV affirms key doctrines of the Christian faith. The evidence of this gives us reason to be for it.

THE 2011 NIV AFFIRMS KEY BIBLE DOCTRINES: A REASON TO BE FOR IT

       I am opposed to gender-neutralism in Bible translations, though it might be found to some degree in all translations. However, it must be said that the 2011 NIV affirms key doctrines of the Christian faith. I have proved this by looking up verses on these subjects in my own copy of the new NIV. In other words, on these matters it lets the Bible speak for itself, to say what its authors wrote. And for that we should be very grateful!

     Consider, then, some of the key doctrines affirmed by the 2011 NIV.

1. It clearly affirms the doctrine of the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. It does so in Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23. In both verses the word "virgin" is found.

2. It clearly affirms the doctrine of the deity of Jesus Christ. It does so in many verses. For example, it is affirmed in John 1:1-3,18; 5:18; 8:58; 10:33; and  20:28; in Romans 9:5; in Philippians 2:5 - 11; in Colossians 1:15 - 18; in Colossians 2:9; in Hebrews 1:6 - 13.

3. It clearly affirms the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit. For example, his personality is affirmed in John 14 and 16, where he is called "he" and "him." His personality is affirmed in Acts 5:3, in which we read that Ananias and Sapphira were told they had lied to the Holy Spirit. And his deity is affirmed in Acts 5:5, where we read they were told, "You have not lied just to human beings but to God." His personality and deity are also affirmed in 1 Corinthians 12, in which we read of him as the sovereign giver of spiritual gifts.

4. It clearly affirms the doctrine of salvation by the grace of God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by human effort. For example, it is affirmed in Acts 15:11(which refers to salvation by the grace of the Lord Jesus, thus affirming his deity); 16:30, 31; Romans 3- 5; Ephesians 2:1 - 10; and Titus 3:3 - 5. Verse 5 says this: "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit."

5. It clearly affirms the the divine origin of the Bible. That is, it clearly affirms the inspiration of the Bible. For example, it is affirmed in 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17, which says this: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." And it is affirmed in 2 Peter 1:20 and 21, which says this: "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
6. It clearly affirms the importance of the blood of Jesus Christ by its many references to it. For example, it is referred to in Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; John 6:53 - 56; Acts 20:28; Romans 3:25 and 5:9; 1 Corinthians 10:16 and 11:25 - 27; Ephesians 1:7 and 2:13; Colossians 1:20; Hebrews 2:14; 9:11 - 14, & 22; 10:19 - 22 & 29; 12:24; and 13:12 & 20; 1 Peter 1:1,2, 18 & 19; 1 John 1:7; 5:6 & 8; Revelation 1:5; 5:9; 7:14; 12:11; and maybe 19:13.
     This last verse could refer to the Lord's own blood, or to the blood of his enemies. In a few of these references to his blood, I gave the context in which the subject is found.
     The 2011 NIV does not have the word "blood" in Colossians 1:14 simply because it is not in the Greek text from which the translation was made. But it is obvious from its many other references to the Lord's blood that the translators had no agenda to remove the subject from the New Testament.
     I am pleased by the way the 2011 NIV words Acts 20:28. Here it is in red: 
"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood."

    Therefore, because the new NIV affirms these doctrines, we cannot reject it completely. It would be foolish to do so. We can read it with discernment and caution, and be blessed by it. We could use it to teach new Christians several important doctrines of the Christian faith. And  Christians of long-standing can have their faith strengthened in these doctrines by it. Therefore, it cannot be "the devil's Bible," as some might call it.
THE 2011 NIV IS GENDER-NEUTRAL IN MANY PLACES: A REASON TO BE AGAINST IT 

     Now it is time to consider the fact that the 2011 NIV is gender-neutral in many places, and this should be of concern to us. The reason we should be concerned is the fact that to use gender-neutralism when translating requires departing from, at least to some degree, what originally was written. Sometimes this does not make much difference, and sometimes it makes a big difference. It makes a big difference when the departure from the original results in a wrong interpretation by a reader. And that is exactly why conservative Bible-readers want translators to let  the Bible say what its authors wrote, even if doing so presents to them greater challenges when attempting to interpret what they read.

     But what is gender-neutralism? It is stating things in a way that is neither masculine nor feminine, or in a way that includes both genders. For example, we could say "All men are created equal." That statement is not gender-neutral, or so we are told in contemporary culture. Or we could say, "All persons are created equal." That is a gender-neutral statement. Or we could say,"All males and all females are created equal." That is a gender-inclusive statement.

     Conservative, Bible-believing translators often do not use gender-inclusive language in their translations. They know that is taking too much liberty with the original languages of the Bible. But some of them use gender-neutral language in their translations. This is much better than using gender-inclusive language, but it still is objectionable to many other of us conservative Christians because it results in a departure from what the original languages of the Bible say. This, in turn, opens the door for an even further departure from the Bible's teachings when we read gender-neutral translations. If the original language says "man," many of us want a translation to say it, too. If it says "woman," we want a translation to say it, too. If it says "brothers," we want a translation to say so. If it says "sisters," let the translation/s say it.

     Proof the 2011 NIV is often gender-neutral. It is one thing to say this about the new NIV, but can it be proven? Yes, very easily.

1. Proof from Psalm 1. This is one of the most well-known Psalms, and it is a great one to read and meditate on. What follows reveals how the 2011 NIV differs from the 1984 NIV, the difference being the result of using gender-neutral language in the new NIV. The differences pertinent to this subject are in red.

Psalm 1 from the 1984 edition of the NIV:

¹ Blessed is the man

   who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

   or sit in the seat of mockers.

² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

   and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

   which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

   Whatever he does prospers.

 ⁴ Not so the wicked!

   They are like chaff

   that the wind blows away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

   nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

 ⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

   but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1 from the 2011 edition of the NIV:

¹ Blessed is the one    who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

   or sit in the company of mockers,

² but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,

   and who meditates on his law day and night.

³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

   which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

   whatever they do prospers.

 ⁴ Not so the wicked!

   They are like chaff

   that the wind blows away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

   nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

 ⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

   but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

The changes in Psalm 1 seem minor. So, what is the problem?

    That is a valid point. First, we need to remember that some gender-neutralism doesn't amount to much, at least in its practical outworking. In the case of Psalm 1, everyone IS included. In other words,  Psalm 1 IS applicable to anyone who follows the Word of God. Therefore, second, the problem is of another nature. That is, if the Hebrew word means "man," though in an inclusive way like the statement, "all men are created equal," let it be put into English as "man." Most of us have enough intelligence to understand what it means, just like we understand what "all men are created equal" means. Third, and most importantly, we have no right to alter the Bible. If we believe the Bible was/is verbally inspired in its original languages, translators need to be careful not to depart from that fact when putting those languages into other languages.

2. Proof from Acts 15.

     I chose to use  Acts 15 as an example of gender-neutralism of a more serious nature than what we saw in Psalm 1. This chapter was chosen because of its many examples of Christians being called "brothers" in the 1984 NIV, in contrast to what they are called in the 2011 NIV. The differences between the two editions are in red. The quotes of Acts 15 are long, but may be necessary to see things in their context. The key words are in verses 1, 3, 22, 32, 33, 36,and 40.

     Here are the facts in summary form:

Verse 1:

The 1984 NIV has the words "some men," but the 2011 edition has the words "certain people."

The 1984 NIV has the word "brothers," but the 2011 edition has the word "believers."

Verse 3:

The 1984 NIV has the word "brothers," but the 2011 edition has the word "believers."

Verse 22:

The 1984 NIV has the word "brothers," but the 2011 edition has the word "believers."

Verse 32:

The 1984 NIV has the word "brothers," but the 2011 edition has the word "believers."

Verse 33:

The 1984 NIV has the word "brothers," but the 2011 edition has the word "believers."

Verse 36:

The 1984 NIV has the word "brothers," but the 2011 edition has the word "believers."

Verse 40:

The 1984 NIV has the word "brothers," but the 2011 edition has the word "believers."

       Readers might understandably wonder if the difference between the two words is cause for much concern. Well, it is and it isn't. It is true that every Christian is both a believer and a brother. But the two words are not synonymous.  And since the Greek text uses a word that means "brother," we have no right to say it means "believer," or to translate it that way.

       I consulted Vine's Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words, Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, The New Analytical Greek Lexicon, Strongest Strong's Concordance/Dictionary, and Expository Dictionary Of Bible Words by Lawrence O. Richards, and not one of them said the Greek word in question means "believer."

      Here is what Lawrence O. Richard wrote about the word "brother": "The choice of the word 'brother,' carrying with it the image of the family, is important theologically and practically. Within the family of brothers and sisters an exciting pattern of shared life emerges to define the way we Christians are to live with one another." To which I say, that, obviously, is a lot different from the meaning of the word "believer."

     A unique point about verse 23 in both editions:

     Here is a unique point both editions of the NIV have in common in verse 23: they have the word "believers," but the King James Version, the Holman Christian Standard Bible, the New King James Version, the English Standard Version, and the updated (1995) edition of the New American Standard Bible  have the words "brethren," or "brothers." I put the word "believers" in verse 23 in blue so you can easily see it and distinguish it from the words in red.

Acts 15 from the 1984 edition of the NIV.

¹ Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. ³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

 ⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”

 ⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

 ¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. ¹³ When they finished, James spoke up: “Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon^[a] has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. ¹⁵ The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

 ¹⁶ “‘After this I will return

   and rebuild David’s fallen tent.

Its ruins I will rebuild,

   and I will restore it,

¹⁷ that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,

   and all the Gentiles who bear my name,

says the Lord, who does these things’^[b]

 ¹⁸ that have been known for ages.^[c]

 ¹⁹ “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. ²¹ For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

 ²² Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. ²³ With them they sent the following letter:

   The apostles and elders, your brothers,

   To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

   Greetings.

 ²⁴ We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. ²⁵ So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— ²⁶ men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸ It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: ²⁹ You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

   Farewell.

 ³⁰ The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³² Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. ³³ After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them.^{[d] 35} But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

 ³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 15:14 Greek Simeon, a variant of Simon; that is, Peter
2. Acts 15:17 Amos 9:11,12
3. Acts 15:18 Some manuscripts things’— / 18 known to the Lord for ages is his work
4. Acts 15:33 Some manuscripts them, 34 but Silas decided to remain there

 Acts 15 from the 2011 edition of the NIV

 ¹ Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. ³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

 ⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”

 ⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

 ¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. ¹³ When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon^[a] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. ¹⁵ The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

 ¹⁶ “‘After this I will return

   and rebuild David’s fallen tent.

Its ruins I will rebuild,

   and I will restore it,

¹⁷ that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,

   even all the Gentiles who bear my name,

says the Lord, who does these things’^[b]—

 ¹⁸ things known from long ago.^[c]

 ¹⁹ “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. ²¹ For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

 ²² Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. ²³ With them they sent the following letter:

   The apostles and elders, your brothers,

   To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

   Greetings.

 ²⁴ We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. ²⁵ So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— ²⁶ men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸ It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: ²⁹ You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

   Farewell.

 ³⁰ So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³² Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. ³³ After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. ^{[34] [d] 35} But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

 ³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 15:14 Greek Simeon, a variant of Simon; that is, Peter
2. Acts 15:17 Amos 9:11,12 (see Septuagint)
3. Acts 15:18 Some manuscripts things’— / the Lord’s work is known to him from long ago
4. Acts 15:34 Some manuscripts include here But Silas decided to remain there.

  Some conclusions to make from this study:

1. All translations have their faults, to greater or lesser degrees. Do you know that the King James Version has the word "Jesus" in Matthew 9:10, even though it is not in the Greek text from which it translated?  That is why some translations use the word "He" instead of the word "Jesus." Strongest Strong's Concordance verifies this to be true. And  my own copy of the Greek text of the New Testament upon which the King James Version is based verifies this to be true..

2. Although we need to stay away from gender-neutralism, its use does not mean we should condemn completely the 2011 NIV or some other translation that uses gender-neutralism. We simply need to use caution and discernment.

3. Knowing that gender-neutralism is common in the 2011 NIV, it would be better to use a different translation as our primary Bible for reading, study, teaching, and preaching.

4. There are certain translations that are known as more-literal translations than others. They are the King James Version, the New King James Version, the updated (1995) New American Standard Bible, and the English Standard Version. The Holman Christian Standard Bible might not be as literal as these translations, but it does not use gender-inclusive language nearly as much as the 2011 NIV, if at all.

5. If one feels compelled to stick with the NIV, it would be better to use the 1984 edition than the 2011 edition.

   

    The quotations of Psalm 1 and Acts 15 from the 1984 and the 2011 editions of the NIV were taken from the following website: http://www.biblegateway.com/ So were some shorter quotes from it.

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