Bible Translation Debate: Complete TNIV Hits the Streets...Continued from page 3

Citing an article that appeared in the organization’s publication “Light Magazine,” WORLD’s Gene Edward Veith recently reported that IBS President Peter Bradley said translators had to “withdraw” from the Colorado Springs Guidelines because they conflicted with guidelines of the Forum of Bible Agencies, to which the IBS subscribes. In the wake of the release of the TNIV New Testament, more than 100 evangelical leaders, including many Southern Baptists, signed onto a public statement stating that “the TNIV Bible is not sufficiently trustworthy.”

In producing English Bibles, there essentially are two approaches to their translation. One is "formal equivalence" – sometimes referred to as a "literal" or "word-for-word" translation. Literal translations must paraphrase certain isolated texts, but the basis for the approach is to treat every word as inspired and thus important. The other approach is called "dynamic," which is occasionally referred to as a "paraphrase." Dynamic translations tend simply to maintain the concept of the verse, while not necessarily rendering an exact translation of the original text.

Dynamic equivalence translations include the NIV and variations of the Living Bible, among others. Formal equivalence translations include the New American Standard Bible (NASB), English Standard Version (ESV), Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), New King James Version (NKJV) and the venerable KJV.

So where does this discussion leave the discriminating pew-sitter in the local church? Stinson urges believers to select translations that are most literally congruent to the ancient biblical languages.

“Evangelicals should be encouraged to embrace translations that have adopted a word-for-word translation philosophy such as the ESV, NASB, NKJV, or HCSB, just to name a few,” he said. “People buying Bibles should have accuracy as their first concern. Even those in the 18-34 age group can understand the language in these translations.”

The TNIV is available online at www.tniv.com. The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood will be providing more extensive critiques of the TNIV at www.cbmw.org.
      

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