The TNIV was released in controversy. Several organizations lambasted the version as inaccurate in use of gender neutral language. Unfortunately, the controversy has inhibited the popularity of this excellent translation. I personally still prefer the NRSV, as the language used matches my own style. However, I believe that most Americans will appreciate the style and language of the TNIV. Because this is the newest translation on the market, it does benefit from more recent scholarship and the discovery and availability of more source materials.

Why was there controversy? First, the TNIV has modernized archaic forms including the "generic" "he" and "man". For instance, in Genesis instead of "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over the creatures that move along the ground'" the TNIV reads, "Then God said, 'Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over the creatures that move along the ground.'" At one time, readers understood "man" to include everyone; modern readers tend to understand "man" to mean "male" (Gen 1:26). Yet, some have pointed out that modern authors sometimes use "man" to mean "all humans". However, what is the purpose of a Biblical translation? Do we translate Biblical texts for restricted audiences which might understand more obscure language, or to share the Gospel with the whole world?

The next "problem" with the TNIV is change from singular to plural to reflect modern usage. For instance, "For none of us lives to himself along, none of us dies to himself alone" has become "For we do not live to ourselves alone and we do not die to ourselves alone." Perhaps because I am a woman I feel more included by the TNIV version. More, the context the passage is about unity in the church.

Most of the complaints about the TNIV are founded in a theological belief that women are secondary and that because women are secondary the language of the Bible must reflect underlying preference of God for males. Fortunately, the translators of the TNIV, translators who reflect a wide range of theological view point, chose to convey the Word of God in a form that is easily understood by everyone.

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