The Committee on Bible Translation responded a few weeks back to the Southern Baptist resolution “banning” the use of the NIV:
A brief response from the Committee on Bible Translation to the resolution introduced on the floor of the Southern Baptist Convention regarding the updated New International Version
June 15, 2011
The Committee on Bible Translation (CBT) welcomes informed criticism of our work. No translation is perfect, and we are always working to improve our translation. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has recently adopted a resolution regarding the updated New International Version (NIV). We take this opportunity to offer a brief response.
First, we object strongly to the accusation that the NIV “alters the meaning of hundreds of verses, most significantly by erasing gender-specific details which appear in the original language.” Our concern is always, in every decision we make, to represent God’s unchanging Word accurately and naturally in modern English.
Secondly, we object strongly to the accusation that “the 2011 NIV has gone beyond acceptable translation standards.” In fact, the translation standards followed by CBT are exactly those followed by professional translators around the world. CBT employs those standards in combination with the best biblical and linguistic scholarship to render God’s eternal Word accurately into modern English. This mandate is what guides us in all our decisions — not any other agenda.
For additional information on the translation philosophy and scholarship of the New International Version, please see the NIV Translators’ Notes:
http://www.niv-cbt.org/niv-2011-overview/translators-notes/
For additional information on the evangelical scholars who make up the CBT, see:
http://www.niv-cbt.org/translators/
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