Transcript
Page 1: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

Truly an international English translation serving the global church and world Christianity.

Page 2: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

The NIV was envisioned to provide an

alternative translation to the nearly

500-year-old King James Version (KJV), which

in 1960’s America, many found challenging to

read and understand due to the changes that

had occurred in language usage over the

previous five centuries --“thou art” and “ye shall”

was no longer how people talked.

The original vision for the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible arose out of a desire to create a Bible translation written in modern English that could be easily read and understood, making God’s Word accessible to present and future generations.

Hear the Word the way it was written

Understand the Word the way it was meant

The NIV distinctive:

Page 3: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

In 1965, the NIV translation project was initiated by the signing of the

NIV charter and the formation of the Committee on Bible Translation

(CBT). The CBT was formed to create a modern English Bible translation

from the oldest and most reliable biblical manuscripts available,

providing the best possible blend of transparency to the original

documents and ease of understanding in every verse.

The CBT is accountable for honoring the NIV charter and meets annually

to monitor developments in biblical scholarship and English usage and to

reflect these developments in periodic updates to the text.

The CBT represents the very best in evangelical biblical scholarship. The

members – a self-perpetuating, independent body of 15 – are

drawn from various denominations and some of the finest academic

institutions in the world.

Formation of the Committee on Bible Translation

Page 4: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

The CBT began the

translation process for the NIV

in 1965, working from the

original Greek, Hebrew and

Aramaic texts.

to the right.

Every verse was discussed

and debated to ensure it was

being translated to achieve

the optimum combination of

transparency to the original

documents and ease of

understanding.  

Their translation work took

more than 10 years and in

1975, the New Testament of

the NIV was released and in

1978 the entire Bible was

completed and published.

1965 1966 1975 1978

Translation process begins

1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974

Entire Bible published

1976 1977

New Testamentpublished

Page 5: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

Since its release in 1978, the NIV has become the world’s best-selling Bible translation with

more than 450 million copies in print worldwide.

 

Today, the NIV is available in many languages and countries around the globe and in a variety

of formats for young children through all ages and stages of life. The most popular is the NIV

Study Bible. The NIV is the translation of choice for millions of people around the world who

want to read and understand Scripture in today’s language. It has made God’s Word accessible

to today’s generation of Christians and seekers alike.

The NIV was quickly embraced by millions of readers who were grateful to have a Bible they could easily understand.

Page 6: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

The release of the NIV in 1978 did not mean the

work of the CBT was complete.

The NIV charter calls for the CBT to meet

annually and conduct regular monitoring of

developments in biblical scholarship and English

usage.

The reflection of these developments in periodic

updates to the text ensures that the NIV

translation continues to offer readers an

experience that mirrors that of the original

audience.

Updated versions

of the NIV were

released in

1984

2011

Page 7: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

Highlight with

to the right.

IMAGEThe 2011 NIV update represents

the CBT’s latest effort as a

committee to articulate God’s

unchanging Word in the way the

original authors might have said it if

they had been speaking in English

to the

English-speaking audience today.

The chief goal of every update to the NIV

is to ensure that the text reflects the

latest and best biblical scholarship and

established shifts in English idiom and

usage.

This is the reading experience that

the NIV seeks to recreate.

Page 8: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

Changes to the text are not made easily.

to the right.

During the translation update process,

members of the committee work individually

– each in their own particular areas of

specialty – as well as in small groups and as

a full committee. In addition to considering

proposals from within the committee, the

CBT also solicits and receives input from

Bible scholars, ministers, missionaries and

lay-people.

Every proposal is evaluated with many

leading to revisions to the text, while others

are tabled for discussion at future meetings

for potential inclusion in later updates.

At least 70 percent of the committee

members present at the time of the voting

are required to agree before the text can be

altered. This ensures that no individual,

indeed not even a large group of individuals,

can hold sway in the committee.

Page 9: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

With callout

1 2For the 2011 update, the CBT initiated a relationship with Collins Dictionaries to use the Collins Bank of

English, one of the world’s foremost English language research tools. The database of more than 4.4

billion English words provides objective, statistically significant data on the state of written and spoken

English at any given point in the history of the language. Working with some of the world’s leading

experts in computational linguistics and using cutting-edge techniques developed specifically for the

updated NIV, the CBT gained an unprecedented and authoritative perspective on contemporary

linguistic norms.

Page 10: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

At least 95 percent of the text of the 2011 NIV remains exactly the same as the 1984 NIV it replaced.

All the changes in the

updated text are attributable

to one – and in some cases,

to more than one – of the

following reasons:

changes in English

progress in scholarship

concern for clarity

Progress in Scholarship

“[Christ Jesus] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped”

“[Christ Jesus] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage”

NIV 1984

Updated NIV

NIV 1984

Updated NIV“I am a foreigner and stranger among you . . . ”

Concern for Clarity

NIV 1984

Updated NIV

“If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both.”

“If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together.”

95%

remains the same

Changes in English

“I am an alien and a stranger among you . . . ”

Page 11: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

“When God spoke through the text of the Bible, he said exactly what he

wanted to say in the language of everyday people. Two thousand years

later, we have sought to give the world a Bible translation that reflects

those same priorities: Hear God’s Word the way it was written and

understand it the way it was meant! Take it, read it, listen to it, pray over

it, enjoy it and use it to grow in Christian maturity!”

— The Committee on Bible Translation, August, 2010

Page 12: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

With callout

1How has the NIV been rigorously cultivated and nurtured?

The New International Version of

the Bible continues to honor its

charter from the evangelical

community.

The ministry of the NIV will

continue to flourish because of

the faithful, ongoing work of the

Committee on Bible Translation.

The only entity that can influence the text itself is the Committee on Bible Translation. Every update is a matter of integrity for the CBT who is solely responsible for every “jot and tittle” of the NIV text.

Given the CBT’s commitment to rigorous attention to the original languages (What does the text mean?) and the targeted contemporary English language (How can we render that meaning so it is best understood as intended?), periodic updates are necessary. So based on the original charter and commitment of the CBT, the latest edition of the NIV reflects the most accurate and most readable text.

The only thing that drives the Committee on Bible Translation is their charter and

philosophy of equal rigor to both the original languages and the target,

contemporary English language.

True to its charter, the CBT has met faithfully every year since it was formed in 1965 and has produced several revisions when they discerned it was necessary in order to maintain the integrity of the text.

Page 13: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

With callout

1How are gender related issues handled?

Nowhere in the NIV is there even the remotest hint of any inclusive language for God. The revisions solely surround inclusive language for mankind.

“Man” (“men”)

Avoid it when the text is inclusive (referring to a person, or people, of indeterminate or mixed gender)Rom. 3:28: “a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law”

Use it when the text is exclusiveMark 9:41: “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”

“He” (“him,” “his,” “himself”)

Usually avoid it when the text is inclusiveInstead of “he,” we prefer to use distributive “they”

Mark 8:36: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

Why? Because it is how people are actually speaking and writing!

—The Collins Report

The mandate under the NIV

charter is to maintain the NIV as

an articulation of God’s

unchanging Word in

contemporary English.  To the

extent that gender-inclusive

language is an established part

of contemporary English and

that its use enhances

comprehension for readers, it

clearly was an important factor

in the decisions made.

Page 14: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

With callout

1Are there verses missing from the NIV translation?

Most of these manuscripts were not located until after the King James Version of the Bible published in 1611 was first translated.  

When those verses could not be verified by the more reliable or older manuscripts, the NIV translators moved them to a footnote to reflect greater accuracy.

People who grew up with the King James Version might feel that something has been taken out.

The real question is not why these verses were left out, but more of who added them later.

Check the footnotes of your NIV

Bible on the page where there

is a verse “missing”. It is likely

the verse you seek is printed in

these notes. During the New International Version translation process some verses were found not to be included in the oldest or more reliable manuscripts the NIV translators had available to use.

The real question is not why verses were left out, but more of who added them later.

The reason some verses appear with a footnote and others in a footnote is based on the level of certainty on the part of the translators on which the verse in question comes from the original text. If the scholars were more certain that the verse was not in the original text, the verse is placed in the footnote. If the scholars were less certain, the verse was placed within the text with an explanatory footnote added. It was all done to achieve maximum accuracy and readability.

Page 15: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

Today’s Committee on Bible Translation

Douglas J. Moo is Blanchard Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, where he teaches and mentors students in the masters and doctoral programs. He is a graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.Div.) and the University of St. Andrews (Ph.D.). He was previously a faculty member at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (1977-2000). He has written commentaries on several New Testament books (Romans, James, Colossians, and 2 Peter-Jude) and co-written a New Testament Introduction (with D. A. Carson). Dr. Moo has been a member of CBT since 1996.

Dr. Kenneth Barker is an author and speaker living in Lewisville, Texas. He holds a PhD from the Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning and a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary. Until his retirement from the International Bible Society (IBS) in 1996, he was Executive Director of the IBS NIV Translation Center. He is one of the original translators of the NIV and a regular spokesperson for the CBT. He has served as Academic Dean of Capital Bible Seminary, Professor of Old Testament at three theological seminaries, and Visiting Professor at two others. He also is an author of commentaries on the books of Micah and Zechariah, general editor of the NIV Study Bible, and was also involved in the creation of the New International Reader’s Version. He was appointed to CBT in 1974 and for many years served as secretary of the Committe

Dr. Craig Blomberg is Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary in Littleton, Colorado. He holds his PhD in New Testament from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and his MA from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of twelve books and has co-authored or co-edited seven more, along with dozens of journal articles and chapters in multi-author works. His books include three on the historical reliability and interpretation of the gospels (one on John), two on interpreting and preaching the parables, and three commentaries (on Matthew, 1 Corinthians and James). Dr. Blomberg has been a member of CBT since 2008.

Dr. Jeannine Brown is Professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota where she also completed her M.Div in 1991. She has a Ph.D. in New Testament from Luther Seminary. Dr. Brown has consulted to two major Bible translation projects (Common English Bible and New Century Version) and has published a large number of scholarly articles. In 2007 she published a major introduction to Biblical hermeneutics. She has also made contributions to three other published books including a section on Matthew’s gospel in The Evangelical One-Volume Commentary on the Bible (rev.). Dr. Brown joined CBT in 2009

Read full bio Read full bio

Read full bio Read full bio

Chairman

Page 16: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

Today’s Committee on Bible Translation

Dr. Gordon Fee is a leading expert in pneumatology and also in the textual criticism of the New Testament. He received a PhD in New Testament studies from the University of Southern California and MA degrees from Seattle Pacific University. He is Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has taught at Wheaton College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has written books on Biblical exegesis, including the popular introductory works, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, How to Read the Bible, Book by Book (co-authored with Douglas Stuart), How to Choose a Translation for all its Worth (co-authored with Mark L. Strauss) and a major commentary on 1 Corinthians as well as numerous other commentaries on various books in the New Testament. He joined CBT in 1991.

Rev. Dr. David Instone-Brewer, a British Baptist minister, was educated in Cambridge (PhD) and Cardiff (BD). After a decade as a pastor in Wales, he now holds an academic post at Tyndale House, Cambridge. His two research specialties are the Jewish background of the New Testament and software for Biblical studies. He has written books on divorce and other New Testament teachings which are illuminated by ancient Jewish documents. Dr. Instone-Brewer has been on the CBT since 2005.

Dr. Richard T. France is a New Testament scholar and a minister in the Anglican church. He was educated at Bradford Grammar School and Balliol College, Oxford (MA). He earned his BD at the University of London and his PhD at the University of Bristol. He worked in the 1970s as a lecturer in religious studies at the University of Ife in Nigeria. From 1981 to 1988 he taught at London Bible College in New Testament studies, and from 1989 to 1995 he was Principal of Wycliffe Hall at Oxford University. He was a parish minister in England and Wales from 1995 until his retirement in 1999. He has served for two periods on the CBT, from 1990 to 1995 and from 1999 to the present. Currently, he leads the UK delegation and is involved in Anglicizing the text for readers in the UK and the British Commonwealth.

Dr. Karen H. Jobes is the Gerald F. Hawthorne Professor of New Testament Greek and Exegesis at Wheaton College and Graduate School. She holds a PhD in Biblical Hermeneutics from Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia). She has written commentaries on 1 Peter and Esther and an introduction to the Septuagint (with Moisés Silva). Dr. Jobes participates in various academic organizations to stay current in her field, but finds the most refreshment from her work through regular worship at Church. She has been a member of the CBT since 1996.

Read full bio Read full bio

Read full bio Read full bio

Secretary

Page 17: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

Today’s Committee on Bible Translation

Bill Mounce specializes in the Greek language and has written a number of Greek language textbooks, including the bestselling, Basics of Biblical Greek, and many other resources. He is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen (PhD) and Fuller Theological Seminary (MA). He is the Vice President of Content and Learning at Olive Tree Bible Software and the president of Biblical Training.org, a non-profit organization offering world-class educational resources for discipleship in the local church. Formerly he was a full-time Preaching Pastor, a professor of New Testament and Director of the Greek Language Program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a professor of New Testament at Azusa Pacific University. He served as the New Testament chair of the translation team for the English Standard Version of the Bible. Dr. Mounce joined the CBT in 2009.

The Rev. Dr. Paul Swarup is a minister with the Church of North India in the Diocese of Delhi, presently pastoring at Christ Church, Noida. He holds a PhD in OT Theology/Dead Sea Scrolls from the University of Cambridge, UK. He is a visiting faculty at the Jesuit Seminary, Vidyajyoti College of Theology, Delhi and the Marthoma Seminary, Dharamjyoti Vidya Peet, Faridabad., Haryana. He was appointed to CBT in 2008.

Mark L. Strauss has a Ph.D. in New Testament from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and is professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego, where he has served for 15 years. Dr. Strauss is a frequent preacher at San Diego area churches and has served in three interim pastorates. He is the author of many books and articles and is a frequent speaker in churches and conferences. Dr. Strauss has served on the Committee for Bible Translation since 2005.

Dr. Larry L. Walker holds a PhD from Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning. He is Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis. He has taught Hebrew and other ancient languages (such as Aramaic, Akkadian, and Ugaritic) at the seminary level for 30 years. Dr. Walker also served on the International Council of Biblical Inerrancy that drafted the “Chicago Statement on Inerrancy.” He joined the CBT in 1968.

Read full bio Read full bio

Read full bio Read full bio

Vice Chair

Page 18: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

Today’s Committee on Bible Translation

Dr. Bruce Waltke is Emeritus Professor of Old Testament Studies at Regent College, Vancouver, and also taught for many years at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. He received a PhD from Harvard University and a ThD and ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary. Waltke has travelled widely as a Bible expositor, as an Area Supervisor for excavations at Gezer, Israel, and as Director of field study trips to the Middle East and the Classical World. He is the author of many books and commentaries. He has served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society, was on the translation committee of the New American Standard Bible and the New International Version, joining the CBT in 1980.

Dr. Ronald Youngblood became an NIV translator in 1970 and a member of the CBT 10 years later. He received his PhD from Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning and is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary (BD). He has served as professor of Old Testament at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Wheaton Graduate School, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Bethel Seminary in San Diego. His translation experience during the past 30 years has included extensive work on all parts of the NIV as well as more limited tasks related to the recently launched Spanish and Portuguese NVI translations. He is also the executive editor of the NIrV, which is designed especially for younger readers and those for whom English is a second language. As an associate editor of the NIV Study Bible, he has been contacted by countless readers who have been helped and blessed by its text and notes. After teaching full-time for 40 years, he is now retired from his position as professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Bethel Theological Seminary in San Diego, California.

Dr. Michael Williams is Professor of Old Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary, where he teaches classes in Hebrew, Old Testament, and ancient Near-Eastern history and culture. He holds his PhD in Biblical Studies from the University of Pennsylvania (1999) and his MA in Religion from Westminster Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 2000 in the Christian Reformed Church. Dr. Williams has taught courses at Westminster Theological Seminary, the University of Pennsylvania, and in Kenya, Ukraine, and Poland. Michael is gifted in his capacity for languages. He is proficient in seven Ancient and Medieval Languages (Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, Akkadian, Ugaritic, Sumerian, Arabic and Greek), and reads French, German and Modern Hebrew. He is the author of several books and articles and joined the CBT in 2005.

Read full bio Read full bio

Read full bio

Page 19: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

1 3Biblica is the worldwide translation sponsor of the NIV. For over 200 years, Biblica has been reaching people with God's Word through reliable, easy–to–read translations. Every Bible published by Biblica — from the NIV to Ethiopia's Amharic Bible — delivers accuracy through rigorous attention to both the original Bible manuscripts and the target language. Biblica offers a host of free Bible study tools, low-cost Bibles, and community reading experiences to help you engage God's Word. Join us for a life-changing journey at biblica.com.

Zondervan, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, is the exclusive North American publisher of the NIV and a provider of Christian communications. For more than 80 years, Zondervan has delivered transformational Christian experiences through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, academic resources and digital products. The company’s products are sold in multiple formats, worldwide in more than 60 countries, translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan offices are located in Grand Rapids, MI.

Hodder & Stoughton is the exclusive United Kingdom publisher of the NIV and a major publisher within Hachette UK, one of the UK’s biggest publishing groups. Hodder & Stoughton publishes a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles and are renowned for passion, quality and delivering bestselling commercial books in many different formats.

NIV Publishing Partnership

Page 20: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

With calloutEndorsements

"The New International Version follows in the same tradition as the King James Version, although it is tailor-made for the way English is spoken around the world today. The NIV is the most popular translation today because it remains faithful to the original Scriptures while being easy for people to understand. And when we're teaching and sharing God's Word with others, it is imperative that we consider the language people are speaking every day."

— Charles Stanley, Senior Pastor, First Baptist in Atlanta, GA and Founder of In Touch Ministries

“I have been using the NIV 2011 in my personal devotions and preaching. Where I have checked the translation updates, I have found them a real improvement, even superb!”

— Dr. Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Birmingham, AL

“The translators of the NIV Update have done for believers in the 21st century what the KJV translators did for believers in the 17th century: Both translations sought complete accuracy and the best of current English language usage, and both succeeded. The NIV will now continue to be at the forefront of modern English Bibles as the best translation for both public and private use. It combines accuracy and readability better than any other translation.” 

— Dr. Larry Hart, Professor of Theology, Graduate School of Theology and Ministry, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK

Page 21: The NIV Bible - Making God’s Word accessible to today’s generation of Christians and seekers

With callout

to the right. — Rev. Randy Frazee, Senior Minister of Oak Hills Church, San Antonio, TX

— Tremper Longman III – Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA

“The NIV is the authority for Evangelical Christians around the world.”

— Dr. Tony Campolo, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University, founder and president of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education 

Endorsements

“As a pastor who is passionate about communicating the Gospel, I'm thankful for the NIV and how the CBT carefully reviews and updates the translation to best reflect the language of this generation.”

— Rev. Craig Groeschel, founding and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, Edmond, OK

"NIV 2011 is a gift to the church. As a professor of Old Testament and a translator myself, I understand and appreciate this version’s fidelity to proper translation method. Its clear, readable English is accurate to the original languages, communicating the Bible’s rich message in a way that will reach people of all ages, education, and spiritual maturity. Produced by the leading evangelical biblical scholars of the day, this Bible is suitable for devotions, deep study, casual reading, group study, and in the pulpit."

— Tremper Longman III – Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA

"I enjoy reading and preaching from the NIV here in our ministry in New York City. After more than 25 years, it continues to be my favorite version of God's Word."

— Pastor Jim Cymbala, Senior Pastor, Brooklyn Tabernacle

"Nehemiah 8:12 tells us that the people were filled with great joy 'because they now understood the words that had been made know to them.' Over the twenty plus years I have had the privilege to teach God's Word to people I have used the NIV as my primary translation. In my estimation, the NIV provides the best translation to the original text while using a language style that is easier for contemporary folks to understand. I have started using the new NIV this year with the same confidence I have had all these years. I believe with all my heart that this translation will fill the lives of people today with great joy!"

— Rev. Randy Frazee, Senior Minister of Oak Hills Church, San Antonio, TX

“The NIV is the authority for Evangelical Christians around the world.”

— Dr. Tony Campolo, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University, founder and president of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education 


Top Related