Gender-Sensitive Bible Versions

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Gender-Sensitive Bible Versions</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id269.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How To Deal With Difficult Passages"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="21"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Gender-Sensitive Bible Versions</B></div> <div> <B>How to Understand the Bible, Part 10, </B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, March 24, 2002 (pm)</B></div> <div> <B>(Updated April 8, 2003)</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>1. General Translation Principles</B></div> <div> a. What comes to your mind when you hear "gender-sensitive" Bibles? You may be thinking of neuter references to God (God the Father-Mother, that sort of thing). In reality, gender-sensitive Bibles in the evangelical world say they seek to be accurate regarding the intended gender of humans in Scripture, and they do not mess around with gender-neutral references to God. He is still "God the Father."</div> <div> b. Language changes. What has happened in the English language over the last several years regarding gender? "He" is no longer assumed to mean either "he or she." "Him" is no longer assumed to mean "him or her."</div> <div> c. Translation always involves interpretation to some degree. Trying to translate the Bible in gender-accurate terms (deciding if the original author was referring just to men or to men and women, etc.) is a matter of interpretation, and scholars and readers will not always agree. Such is the nature of Bible translation.</div> <bR> <div> <B>2. Two Theories of Translation</B></div> <div> a. Formal or Complete Equivalence (King James Version, New King James Version, New American Standard Version)</div> <div> - As literal and word-for-word as much as possible.</div> <div> - Less interpretative, harder to understand.</div> <div> b. Functional or Dynamic Equivalence (New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation)</div> <div> - More thought for thought; translating the meaning is more important than translating the individual words.</div> <div> - More interpretive, easier to understand.</div> <div> c. These represent ranges or a spectrum.</div> <div> d. Gender issues are a part of <I>functional equivalence</I> theory.</div> <bR> <div> <B>3. Gender Issues - A Spectrum</B></div> <div> a. Idealogical Concerns. This is characterized by the agenda to neuter-ize everything, including the Bible, including God.</div> <div> b. Translational Concerns. This is characterized by the desire to be accurate according to what the author intended (men or women or both). The debate about gender-sensitive Bibles in the evangelical world is basically one of translational concerns.</div> <div> c. Three ways of describing gender sensitivity (the distinctions between these terms are often fuzzy.):</div> <div> - Gender-inclusive</div> <div> - Gender-accurate</div> <div> - Gender-neutral</div> <div> - Today's New International Version, Contemporary English Version, NRSV, and NLT are gender-sensitive.</div> <bR> <div> <B>4. Gender Issues Between Old and New Testaments</B></div> <div> The NT sometimes quotes the OT in a "gender-inclusive" way: Of course, translators do not have the same liberties with the text as the original writers themselves. These are included just for the curiosity factor.</div> <div> - Romans 10:15 of Isaiah 52:7 ("those" replaces "him").</div> <div> - Romans 3:10, 18 of Psalm 36:1 ("their" replaces "his")</div> <div> - Romans 4:6-7 of Psalm 32:1 ("they" replaces "he")</div> <div> - 2 Corinthians 6:18 of 2 Samuel 7:8, 14 ("you" replaces "him;" "sons and daughters" replaces "son")</div> <div> <B>5. Summary of lines of argument</B></div> <div> A. Lines of argument against gender-neutral translations:</div> <div> 1. Converting singulars to plurals obscures the individual nature / meaning of certain verses (Matt 16:24:25, Rev 3:20, John 14:23).</div> <div> 2. Generic "he" has been normal English.</div> <div> 3. The words themselves are important (plenary, verbal).</div> <div> 4. Slippery slope - where does it end? "God the Father" becomes "God the Parent" (in the interests of not "offending" people)?</div> <bR> <div> B. Lines of argument in favor about gender-neutral translations:</div> <div> 1. The point is to communicate the words and meaning accurately in a changing language.</div> <div> 2. The translations do not suggest a feminist, egalitarian agenda (1 Tim 2:11-12, Eph 5:22-23).</div> <div> 3. Changing singulars to plurals to generalize gender does not change the meaning. It is a normal option in our culture: "Everyone wants coffee, doesn't he / don't they?" (1 John 5:12, Rev 3:20; Matthew 5:6, the plural "Blessed are those" is original).</div> <div> 4. There is a range of ways various Greek (and Hebrew) words can be translated:</div> <div> <I>Anthropos</I> can and does refer to people, not just men (Matt 12:36; Rom 3:28).</div> <div> <I>Pateres</I>can refer to "fathers," "parents" or "ancestors" (Heb 3:9).</div> <div> <I>Adelphoi</I>is "brothers" or "brothers and sisters."</div> <div> <I>Uios</I>: Matt 5:9, KJV <I>uios</I> is "children," NIV is "sons," TNIV is "children."</div> <div>      Proper translation of these and other Greek words has so much to do with the context!</div> <bR> <div> <B>6. Following are three examples comparing traditional and gender-sensitive translations:</B></div> <div> a. Revelation 3:20</div> <div> - NIV: I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.</div> <div> - TNIV: I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me.</div> <div> *Critical comment comparing the NIV and TNIV (keptthefaith.org): "The TNIV mistranslates the masculine singular pronoun <I>autos</I>, substituting plural pronouns, thus losing the teaching that Jesus has fellowship with the individual believer. This type of change was made frequently (e.g., Luke 9:23, John 14:23, Romans 14:7)."</div> <div> *It might be well to note the shift from singular male to plural in the above New Testament quotations. This seems to be OK. We often read the plural in an individual way; we do not always assume that the plural is referring just to a group and not to individuals within that group.</div> <div> - NAS: Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.</div> <div> - NLT: Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.</div> <bR> <div> b. 1 Timothy 2:5</div> <div> - NAS: For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men,the man Christ Jesus.</div> <div> - NIV: For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.</div> <div> - TNIV: For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, Christ Jesus, himself human.</div> <div> - NLT: For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus.</div> <bR> <div> c. 1 Timothy 3:2</div> <div> - NKJ: A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife...</div> <div> - NIV: Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife...</div> <div> - TNIV: Now the overseer must be above reproach, faithful to his wife..</div> <div> - NRS: Now a bishop must be above reproach, married only once...</div> <div> - NLT: For an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against. He must be faithful to his wife.</div> <bR> <div> <B>7. Conclusion</B></div> <div> a. Gender-sensitive Bibles are not <I>necessarily</I> wrong. The above examples suggest that in general, there are several appropriate ways to translate the same verses. There is not always one right way (though there may be many wrong ways). Translation of course always involves interpretation, which will yield differences of opinion of how to best translate a particular passage of Scripture. Where the Bible intends both genders, it is OK to translate it that way.</div> <div> b. The Bible must be translated based on what the author intended, not based on idealogical concerns. Accuracy in meaning, with great respect for the words themselves, is the goal, even in gender issues.</div> <div> c. No translation is perfect. And the basis for comparison is not the Bible version you use, but the Greek and Hebrew (except in the realm of <I>preference</I>).</div> <div> d. Let us be decent and charitable about how we approach the issue, especially with those you disagree with. Consider the King James Version Only debate and the ungodly tone it has taken in many camps. This issue is a debate among believers who say they desire to honor God and be faithful to his word. Just because someone does not agree with you on this particular issue does not make them a false teacher, and it does not prove that they have failed to keep the faith and guard the trust.</div> <bR> <div> <B>8. Resources For Further Study</B></div> <div> a. TNIV NT available in .pdf format at <A HREF="http://www.tniv.info" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info"><U>www.tniv.info</U></A>.</div> <div> b. <A HREF="http://www.keptthefaith.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.keptthefaith.org"><U>www.keptthefaith.org</U></A>, anti-TNIV (Dobson, Belz, etc.).</div> <div> c. <A HREF="http://www.cbmw.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.cbmw.org"><U>www.cbmw.org</U></A> (Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood). They offer  a download of the book <I>The Gender Neutral Bible Controversy</I> by Vern Poythress and Wayne Grudem (<A HREF="http://www.cbmw.org/resources/books/gnbc/gnbc.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.cbmw.org/resources/books/gnbc"><U>www.cbmw.org/resources/books/gnbc/gnbc.pdf</U></A>).</div> <div> d. Article on gender-sensitive Bibles by Darrell Bock. This material was useful in preparing the above study (<A HREF="http://www.bible.org/docs/soapbox/gender/genderb.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.bible.org/docs/soapbox/gender"><U>www.bible.org/docs/soapbox/gender/genderb.htm</U></A>).</div> <div> e. Debate at ChristianityToday.com (<A HREF="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/011/1.36.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002"><U>www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/011/1.36.html</U></A>).</div> <div> f. <I>The Inclusive Language Debate: A Plea For Realism</I>, Donald A. Carson, Baker Books, 1998. This book helps the reader understand the complex nature of translation.</div> <bR> <div>      Please note that this has not been a review or endorsement of the TNIV. It has merely addressed some of the basic issues involved in evaluating gender-sensitive Bible versions.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2002, 2003, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>