I have been preaching out of the NIV for almost twenty years. A few people anywhere I go don't like it, however, it became popular when I started reading Scripture on my own and I found it much easier to read. It is not, nor is any other translation but NKJV, a renovation of KJV. Most translations are translated directly off of the Greek and Hebrew. NIV took the freedom to move phrases around in sentences if it flowed better in English when translated without changing the meaning. KJV is more 'wooden' and translates directly word for word instead of phrase by phrase. The New American Standard (NAS) is probably the most accurate but it is harder to read than NIV yet easier than KJV. The thought is that NIV is written on a 7th grade level. NAS- 10th grade. KJV-12th grade. With a burden to get people in the Word with less excuses and a favoritism toward the version, I choose to preach out of NIV for almost all my preaching ministry. I am no longer.
About a year ago I started preaching out of the English Standard Version. It is a new version with a great combination of readability and accuracy. More than the version, I like the ESV Study Bible. I found it to be the best study Bible I have ever used or seen (by far). My daily use of it led me to become familiar with the version enough to change the text from which I preach. I also had received some indications about something that was about to go down that I did not want to be in the middle of. In the 2004 Zondervan Publishing attempted to improve their version, NIV, by coming out with the TNIV. It was not taken well at all in the states. Europe embraced it a little better. The problem: it was focused on taking masculine pronouns and making them gender inclusive when they felt appropriate. i.e. 'the sons of God' into 'the children of God'. At times this may be an appropriate 'understanding' but in translation, just translate it. They made other decisions that made it confusing as well. The NIV continued to be sold alongside the TNIV in the stores that choose to sale the new version. Many did not like the new one (TNIV).
Things are changing though. The publisher has now decided that a new improved version (with the same difficulties) will replace both the NIV (1984) and the TNIV and will be called the NIV. Confused yet? You are supposed to be. Maybe you won't notice: that was part of their plan. Well, I have noticed and I am warning people that the NIV you buy tomorrow (or some time soon) will be different and less accurate. My encouragement is to keep what you have but if you are replacing a Bible, don't replace it with an NIV. Try the Holman Christian Standard (the Lifeway Version), the New American Standard, the English Standard Version (the Crossway version), the NKJV or the KJV, but just don't get the NIV mixed up with what it used to be. The only reason I say so much about it is because my encouragement led many people to buy it and I do not regret it. It has been a wonderful version. It is no more. I also say that because I always put a link on my blog to the reading (www.lifejournal.cc) and that site always defaults to the NIV- the new one. However, you can select any you want and each morning I select the ESV (an unpaid recommendation). Hope all this helps.
If not, read the following article that helped me: http://www.gofbw.com/blog.asp?ID=13090 .
Enough of that!! I was blessed today by Psalm 84:10- For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness. I hope you will be in church tomorrow. Not only will you be blessed, but you will be a blessing.
No comments:
Post a Comment