Discussion:
Ø
The
Bible contains many errors, contradictions, and difficulties.
Ø
The
Bible is full of contradictions and inconsistencies, e.g. discrepancies in the
genealogies of Jesus (in Matthew and Luke).
Ø
Even
if the original Bible is without errors, the translations that we use contain
lots of errors and are not reliable.
a. Original manuscripts: Any argument for inerrancy (the absence of errors in the Bible) applies only for the original manuscripts, none of them extant. Some copying errors were found in the Bible we have today and are all very minor.
b. Attitude of Jesus: Jesus affirmed the OT Scripture is true (Mt 5:17-18; Lk 24:25-27,44).
► The NT books were gradually recognized by the universal church as the Word of God until they were confirmed in AD 397.
C. No error is proved: Many atheists have tried to attack the Bible from different sides for many centuries. But even today, there is still no definitive proof that any part of the Bible is in error. Millions of conservative evangelical Christians and theologians still uphold the Bible as inerrant.
d. Inerrancy: For all practical purposes, the Bible is without error. More importantly, the teachings essential to our salvation is entirely true. Challenges to the inerrancy of the Bible can be overcome.
a. Attempt to explain: If difficulties or contradictions appear in the Bible, we should try to explain difficult passages and to harmonize apparent contradictions. We can read Bible commentaries and reference books or consult more mature Christians.
b. When no apparent solution: When no plausible solution or harmonization is apparent, it is not necessary to then declare that the Bible is in error since there may be solutions to the difficulties that we may find in the future. The proper attitude would be to leave the matter temporarily in suspense. Remember that the difficulties you encounter are most likely not new and there must be good explanations because many Christians still believe that the Bible is inerrant.
c. Today’s main problem: Today, one of the main problem among Christians is the denial of the inerrancy of the Scriptures. This leads to the loss of faith or unsolvable doubt that cause many to leave the church. Once you accept that some verses in the Bible are erroneous, you open the possibility of accepting any other parts of the Bible as erroneous, including even the most important parts. Then this will gradually undermine your whole foundation of faith.
A. Hebrew Old Testament Bible:
(1) Copies: The OT we have today is called the “Masoretic text” because vowel points were added and the text was standardized by Masoretes (Jewish scribes) during 5th to 10th century. There are only 7 ancient manuscripts left.
(2) Confirmation of the Dead Sea Scrolls: The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in 1947, were dated from 2nd century BC to 1st century AD. These scrolls prove to be word for word identical with our Hebrew Bible in more than 95% of the text. The 5% variations consist chiefly of slips of the pen and variations in spelling. None of the variations affect doctrinal matters. This proves the reliability of the Old Testament.
(3) Other support for reliability:
The accuracy of the OT copies is extremely high because of the reverence the
Jews demonstrated in copying their Scriptures. The witness of other manuscript
families supports the reliability of our present OT Bible, such as the Greek
Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate.
B. Greek New Testament Bible:
(1) Copies: There are over 5000 existing Greek
manuscripts from 2nd to 15th century. The standard text derived from the
comparison of manuscripts assures us a reliable New Testament practically the
same as the original manuscripts.
(2) History: Many of these manuscripts are close
in time to the original autographs. Forty of the Greek manuscripts date back to
before AD 300, with several dating to the second century. The Bodmer and
Chester Beatty Papyri contain most of the NT and are dated about 100-150 years
after the original. The Codex Sinaiticus (complete NT) and the Codex Vaticanus
(nearly complete NT) are dated about 250 years after the original. In
comparison, the manuscripts of major Greek authors (such as Plato and
Aristotle) are dated at least 700 years after the original; in addition, many
were represented by only one surviving manuscript.
(3) Accuracy: The NT manuscripts are relatively
homogeneous. The Greek NT text we have now is 99.99% accurate. Comparison of
various manuscripts show that less than 0.5% of the Bible contains variants
that affect the sense of the passage. Moreover, no doctrine hangs upon a
debatable text.
C. Irregularities:
(1) In rare occasions, minor details were missing from our present Bible, eg. the age of Saul when he became king was missing (1Sa 13:1) but the length of his reign was recorded in Ac 13:21.
(2) In rare occasions, errors on the part of copyists were found:
● 1Ki 4:26; 2Ch 9:25, the number of stalls for Solomon’s chariot horses was different in two books; the verse in Second Chronicles is probably accurate.
● Isa 21:8, “And he cried, a lion” or “And he cried like a lion”; the original text (based on Dead Sea Scrolls) was: “then he who saw cried”; the error was the result of interchanging consonants.
● Other copying mistakes include: [1] confusing letters similar in appearance, [2] writing a word twice or skipping a word, [3] writing a homonym or synonym instead of the original word, and [4] misspellings.
● There were rare occasions where intentional changes were found including: [1] revision of grammar and spelling, [2] harmonization of similar passages, [3] elimination of difficult passages, [4] modifications to support a certain theological bent.
►
However,
these mistakes or changes are rare and in most cases we know which one is
correct by the context. Further, these mistakes do not affect the meaning of
the message.
(3) There are some passages and verses that may have been appended to the original manuscripts, eg. Mk 16:9-20; Jn 7:53-8:11. Such verses should not be used to derive doctrine or practice.
● Mk 16:9-20 is not included in the most reliable manuscripts.
● Most early manuscripts do not contain the story of the woman caught in adultery in Jn 7:53-8:11.
d. Conclusion: In all, the Bible we use contains adequate accuracy and is for all practical purposes the very Word of God.
a. Many translations: There are of course minor variations with different translations, some of them depending on the original text used and the time of translation. Because of continuous work in improving our Hebrew and Greek Bibles, the present Bible is closer to the original manuscripts than older Bibles. Thus older translations may be less accurate in some minor details.
B. Recent threat to accurate translation: In the last 20 years, many English translations are called gender neutral translations [opposite to gender specific translations]. The objective is to follow the social trend of political correctness and to avoid offending women. So these new translations attempt to eliminate all male-only references in the Bible. The result is that hundreds of verses were changed and some of these changes actually alter the original meaning of the Bible and become inaccurate. Chinese translations have not been threatened by this trend.
● Examples of gender specific translations (accurate): KJV, RSV, NASB, NIV (1973,1984), GNB (1976), NKJV, ESV (2001)
● Examples of gender neutral translations (inaccurate): NRSV, GNB revised (1992), CEV, NLT, TNIV (Today’s New International Version, 2002)
C. Translations not to be used: Translations published by cults are inaccurate and should never be used. Gender neutral translations are mostly inaccurate. They can be used for reference but not for Bible study. All gender specific translations are sufficiently accurate for all uses.
► New World Translation by Jehovah Witness is a good example of Bibles published by cults. An important alteration is John 1:1. They translated John 1:1 as “the word was a god” to deny the deity of Jesus. This vital alteration is a good argument against the Bibles used by Jehovah Witness when their missionaries come to knock on the door.
D. Comparing translations: For serious Bible study, there is a need to compare different translations or to study the Bible in the original languages. For general use, the New International Version (NIV) and the original Good News Bible (GNB, 1976) are recommended. For Bible study, English Standard Version (ESV) is recommended.
► ESV uses a mixed technique of using both literal translation (such as NASB) and dynamic translation (such as NIV). It is a good compromise between the two.
§
There
are 3 types of internal contradictions within the Bible: [1] supposed
self-contradictions, [2] doctrinal contradictions, [3] ethical contradictions.
●
In
comparison, external contradictions are those alleged contradictions with
subjects outside the Bible, such as contradictions with history, with
archeology, or with science.
A. Supposed self-contradictions:
(1) a lack
of modern technical precision (using round numbers)
(2) irregularities
of grammar or spelling
(3) the use
of hyperbole (legitimate use of parabolic language and figures of speech)
(4) variant
selections of material in parallel accounts
(5) the use
of free citations
► Inerrancy
of the Bible is not negated by these phenomena (Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy).
B. Doctrinal contradictions: There
are some apparent doctrinal contradictions but they can all be adequately
explained.
(1) God is
eternal and changeless (immutable) vs. God changes His plans in time and
history.
●
God’s
essence is timeless but he effects changes in time. No creature can change
another without itself being changed, but God can do this because He is purely
active, not passively responding to the laws of creatures. Like a rower moving
a boat through the water while remaining dry himself, God moves without being
moved.
●
God
is changeless in His nature so there is no change in the divine character.
However, God is capable of responsive interaction. “God repents” or “God
relents” (NIV) describes God’s free responsiveness to human needs amid changing
historical circumstances. In three Biblical examples, disasters should be a
just punishment but God is merciful and He changed His plan because of changed
circumstances, including the repentance of the Ninevites (Jonah 3:10), the
repentance of David (2Sa 24:16; 1Ch 21:15), and the prayers of Amos (Am 7:1-6).
In some occasions, the word “repent” was used to describe the grieving of God
because of man’s sin (Gen 6:6; see 1Sa 15:11,35).
(2) God is
just and punished the wicked vs. God is merciful and revokes the eternal punishment
of those who repent of their wickedness.
●
He
does not compromise either his justice or his mercy. The two are reconciled on
Calvary. Jesus gets the justice and we get the mercy.
(3) God is
absolutely one vs. God is three.
●
He
is one in being and essence, three in persons.
(4) God is
awesome and terrifying vs. God is compassionate and comforting.
●
He
is both awesome and loving. The fear of awe and respect is quite compatible
with mature love; and the other kind of fear, craven fear, is the response love
can evoke in the soul of the immature.
C. Ethical contradictions:
●
capital
punishment vs. the 6th commandment of “Do not kill”—capital punishment is not
murder; it is the retribution against murderers enforced by the government.
●
imprecatory
psalms, ie. psalms containing curses (Ps 55:15; 58:6; 69:28; 109:9;
137:9)—possible replies: [1] it is an expression of the emotional state of the
psalmist, not an expression of what God will do; [2] it is a reflection of
godly thinking, a hate for the morally corrupt and those hostile to God; [3] it
is a statement of what would happen to the wicked, not an actual request for
God to destroy the wicked.
●
genocide
in OT—it is a way to fulfil God’s plan of salvation for the entire world by
protecting the Israelites from worshipping false gods and corrupt moral
influence.
●
human
sacrifice: Jephthah’s daughter (Jdg 11:30-39)—however, sacrifice may mean
remaining a virgin all her life.
D. Explanation
of internal contradictions: All apparent contradictions in the Bible can be solved. The following
are some general principles.
(1) A lack of modern technical precision is not an error, eg. round numbers (Lk 24:13). Ancient documents rarely claimed exact numbers. Inexact estimates were common and expected. So were the use of symbolic numbers (Mt 1:17) instead of literal numbers to describe real events. We must not impose our modern standards of accuracy on material that was never intended to have it.
(2) The use of hyperbole (exaggerations to convey the central message such as those in a parable) is not an error, eg. Mt 5:30 (cutting your hand if it leads to sin).
(3) The use of variant selections of material in parallel accounts is not an error. The apparent contradiction may be the result of separate emphasis on different aspects of the same situation.
●
The
notice on the cross of Jesus (Mt 27:37; Mk 15:26; Lk 23:38; Jn 19:19): the
whole notice could have read: “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”
or there might be variations with the different languages used on the cross:
Hebrew, Greek, Latin.
●
The
number of angels at Jesus’ empty tomb (one angel in Mt 28:2 and
Mk 16:5, two angels in Lk 24:4 and Jn 20:12. It is possible that
one woman saw one and the other saw two)
●
One
passage in Exodus says God dried up the waters of the Red Sea (Jos 2:10), but
another passage says a strong east wind did it by blowing all night (Ex 14:21).
God might have parted the Red Sea by using a wind.
●
One
account of Judah’s death says he hanged himself (Mt 27:5); another says he fell
down and his body burst open (Ac 1:18). It is possible that Judas’s noose
broke.
●
One
account describes Pharaoh hardened his heart while another account describes
God hardened the heart of Pharaoh (Ex 8:15; 9:12). It could mean God let
Pharaoh’s heart be hardened by himself.
(4) The use of free citations is not an error, eg. Ro 14:11 citing Isa 45:23 yet different, because Paul used the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (this is true for most New Testament citations). In the gospels, Jesus’ words were spoken in Aramaic but were later recorded in Greek. Thus, the same saying may be recorded differently.
(5) Expressing truth in an understandable way is not an error. God is described in the Bible to have arms (Isa 40:40-42), eyes, etc. because the Bible author is trying to explain God in human terms, just like a mother explains scientific facts to a small child.
(6). Apparent contradictions may not be real contradictions.
●
In
the four gospels, events in the life of Jesus are recorded in different
sequences because the events were not intended to be arranged chronologically.
Only Luke weakly claimed anything like chronological order (Lk 1:3).
●
There
are two different genealogies of Jesus in Mt 1:2-17 and Lk 3:23-38. They
separately record the ancestors of Joseph and Mary.
●
The
apparent differences in the length of reigns in King and Chronicles can be
explained by periods of co-reigns.
(7) Apparent unscientific passages may represent truth, eg. Jesus affirms Noah and the flood (Mt 24:37-39), and Jonah in the belly of a huge fish (Mt 12:40). We must not dismiss them simply because of their incredibility based on human standard. As we argued before, supernatural events do happen.
SUPPLEMENT
Supplement to Q.27: Comparison of Different English Translations (written by Kwing Hung)
A. What are the different methods used to translate the Bible? Which one is most accurate?
(1) Formal equivalence (F-E): translation that mimics the form of the original language both in words and sentence structure; thus more accurate in representing the form and structure of the original Bible as it represents the equivalent words used by those living in Biblical times
(2) Dynamic equivalence (D-E): translation that tries to represent the original meaning by using its closest equivalent in contemporary usage; thus more accurate in communicating the message of the original Bible as it represents how the message was understood by those living in Biblical times
(3) Paraphrase: translation that restates the message by using different words; thus good for cursory reading but not accurate enough for serious Bible study
► Both formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence are in a sense both accurate.
B. Which are the common English translations of the Bible used today?
|
Year |
Version |
Scale and Method |
|
1611 |
King James Version (KJV) |
8. F-E |
|
1952 |
Revised Standard Version (RSV) |
7. F-E primarily |
|
1966 |
Jerusalem Bible (JB, Catholic) |
5. D-E |
|
1970 |
New English Bible (NEB) |
5. D-E |
|
1971 |
New American Standard Bible (NASB) |
8. F-E |
|
1971 |
Living Bible (LB) |
2. Paraphrase primarily |
|
1976 |
Good News Bible (GNB) OR Today’s English Version (TEV) |
5. D-E |
|
1978 |
New International Version (NIV) |
6. D-E primarily |
|
1982 |
New King James Version (NKJV) |
8. F-E |
|
1985 |
New Jerusalem Bible (NJB, Catholic) |
6. D-E primarily |
|
1989 |
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) |
7. F-E primarily |
|
1989 |
Revised English Bible (REB) |
5. D-E |
|
1995 |
Contemporary English Version (CEV) |
4. D-E, some Paraphrase |
|
2001 |
English Standard Version (ESV) |
7. F-E primarily |
SCALE: 1 for Entirely
Paraphrase, 5 for Dynamic Equivalence, 9 for Entirely Formal Equivalence
C. How do we decide whether a translation is good?
► A good translation must be [1] accurate, [2] readable, and [3] based on orthodox theology.
(1) Accuracy: With the exception of NWT (see below), most versions translated by F-E or D-E are sufficiently accurate for general reading. The following examples show why a D-E translation may be better for general use.
(a) Word Choice: When words are matched with words mechanically, the translation may not convey the proper meaning. One example is the Greek word sarx (meaning flesh). Consider two verses that appears to contradict.
|
Ro 8:8-9 |
Those who are in the flesh
cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the
Spirit. (NASB) |
|
Gal 2:20 |
The life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God. (NASB) |
|
Ro 8:8-9 |
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You,
however, are not in the flesh
but in the Spirit. (ESV) |
|
Gal 2:20 |
And the life I now live
in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God. (ESV) |
● Does Paul live in the flesh or not in the flesh? Actually, the two words have different meanings, the first one for “unregenerated human nature” (more than human weakness), the second one for the physical “body”.
|
Ro 8:8-9 |
Those controlled by the sinful
nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful
nature but by the Spirit. (NIV) |
|
Gal 2:20 |
The life I live in the body,
I live by faith in the Son of God. (NIV) |
● The F-E translations (NASB, KJV, NKJV, RSV, NRSV) all use “flesh” in Ro 8:8-9 while the D-E translations all use other words to convey its meaning, including “sinful nature” (NIV), “human nature” (GNB), “lower nature” (NEB), “unspiritual nature” (REB), “desires” (CEV).
(b) Syntax: F-E translations may contain redundant and unnecessary words while D-E translations can alter the syntax, omit redundant word and phrases unnecessary in English, and even repeat words for clarity. See translations for 2Co 10:13 (arranged in the order of F-E to D-E progressively).
|
KJV |
But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to
the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach
even you. |
|
NASB |
But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of
the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as
you. |
|
ESV |
But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard
to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. |
|
NRSV |
We, however, will not boast beyond limits, but will keep within the
field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you. |
|
NIV |
We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our
boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to
you. |
|
GNB |
As for us, however, our boasting will stay within the limits of the
work which God has set for us, and this includes our work among you. |
(c) Idioms: F-E translations may contain idioms that mean very little in today’s culture. See the example of 1Ki 21:21 (arranged in the order of F-E to D-E progressively). Note that even NASB does not use straight translation.
|
KJV |
Behold, I will bring
evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab
him that pissed against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel. |
|
NASB |
Behold, I will bring
evil upon you, and will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab
every male, both bond and free in Israel. |
|
ESV |
Behold, I will bring
disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab
every male, bond or free, in Israel. |
|
NRSV |
I will bring disaster on
you; I will consume you, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free,
in Israel. |
|
NIV |
I am going to bring
disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every
last male in Israel--slave or free. |
|
GNB |
I will bring disaster on
you. I will do away with you and get rid of every male in your family, young
and old alike. |
(2) Readability: based on sentence structure complexity and multisyllabic words, but not counting archaic vocabulary
Grade level of various translations (Fog Readability Index)
|
ICB |
GNB |
NIV |
LB |
NEB |
NKJV |
JB |
RSV |
NASB |
KJV |
|
3.9 |
7.3 |
7.8 |
8.3 |
8.5 |
9.1 |
10.1 |
10.4 |
11.3 |
14.0 |
ICB = International
Children’s Bible, translated by 21 evangelical translators
(3) Theology: Orthodox theology accepts Jesus as “God”. The translation of 8 important verses below gives some indication on the theology of different versions. All modern translations (except NWT) are acceptably orthodox. While some conservative churches still insist on using the KJV, it is actually the most problematic in terms of theology among all major translations.
|
|
Score |
Jn 1:1 |
Jn 1:18 |
Jn 20:28 |
Ro 9:5 |
2Th 1:12 |
Titus 2:13 |
Heb 1:8 |
2Pe 1:1 |
|
KJV |
4 |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
Y |
N |
|
NKJV |
6 |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
NASB |
7 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
NEB |
6 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
REB |
5.5 |
Y |
N/Y |
Y |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
RSV |
6 |
Y |
N/Y |
Y |
N/Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
NRSV |
7 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
GNB |
6.5 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N/Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
NIV |
7.5 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N/Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
LB |
5 |
Y |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
CEV |
6 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
JB/NJB |
6.5 |
Y |
N/Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
ESV |
7 |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
NWT |
1 |
N |
N |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
|
TOTAL |
|
12 |
7.5 |
13 |
6.5 |
1 |
11 |
12 |
11 |
Y=Yes, N=No, N/Y= No in the main text but Yes in the marginal notes as an alternate translation
Calculation of total score: Y=1, N*=0.5, N=0
NWT= New World Translation (Jehovah Witness translation which denies Jesus is God)
D. What are the problems of older translations, such as the KJV?
► There are 3 problems:
(1) Older versions use texts of original languages (Hebrew and Greek) that are not the most accurate. Textual comparison in the past century has developed texts that are closer to the original manuscript. In the case of KJV, the Greek text used was called Textus Receptus (TR, received text). It is now almost universally recognized that TR contains so many significant departures from the original manuscripts of the various New Testament books that it cannot be relied on as a basis for translation into other languages.
(2) There are additional passages not in original manuscripts. Examples include: Mt 17:21; 18:11; 23:14; Mk 7:16; 9:44,46; 11:26; 15:28; Lk 17:36; 23:17; Jn 5:4; Ac 8:37; 15:34; 24:7; 28:29; Ro 16:24; 1Jn 5:7b-8.
(3) Because of the change in meaning of words and idioms with time, words in older version may have very different meanings today and may be misunderstood by the readers. (see example on idioms above)
Comparison of sample verses
|
|
KJV |
NIV |
ESV |
|
Ro 4:19 |
he
considered not his own body now dead |
he
faced the fact that his body was as good as dead |
he considered his own body, which was as good as dead |
|
Col 2:18 |
intruding
into those things which he hath not seen |
goes
into great detail about what he has seen |
going on in detail about visions |
|
1Th 5:22 |
Abstain
from all appearance of evil |
Avoid
every kind of evil |
Abstain
from every form of evil. |
E. Which translation is the best?
► The answer depends on the purpose. For non-believers who may not understand Christian terms in the Bible, the Living Bible may be a good translation. For serious Bible study, the NASB may be good for understanding the form and structure of the original language. Overall, NIV (1984 version) and GNB (1976 version, but not the 1992 version) are excellent choices for most purposes because of their readability and accuracy. However, comparing different versions is always a good practice.
► The English Standard Version (ESV), published in 2001, has the advantages of situating somewhere between formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence (about 7 in the above scale). If only one version is used for Bible studies, ESV is an excellent choice.
Supplement to Q.27: Gender neutral translations of the Bible (written by Kwing Hung)
A. What is the issue?
► There are many gender-neutral Bible translations (recently called egalitarian translations) published in the past two decades. These are translations that attempt to eliminate all male-only references in the Bible. It is a response to the social trend of political correctness and feminism. The publication of these translations have caused arguments among prominent evangelical leaders.
B. Where can we find a good source of information on the issue?
► A detailed report analyzing the whole issue is:
Vern Poythress & Wayne Grudem (2000): The Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy: Muting the Masculinity of God’s Words. (http://www.frame‑poythress.org/Poythress_books/GNBC_copyright.htm)
► The report is a detailed analysis of the whole question. While the authors oppose the gender-neutral translations, both sides of the argument are presented. However, the report does not cover the controversy of the TNIV (2005). Information on TNIV can be found at http://www.keptthefaith.org/.
C. What are the problems with the gender-neutral translations?
► It was originated from the well-meant objective of avoiding to offend some female readers who may feel that females are being discriminated against. But the result is a blind conformity to political correctness and conformity to the radical feminist agenda of erasing any reference to the masculine gender. This one-way bias against males is clear when the gender-neutral translations consistently preserve female examples, but often neutralize the male ones.
► The result is a wholesale modification of words in the Bible that originally were clearly masculine. With such changes, the original sense and meaning of the Biblical texts were distorted. But the words in the Bible are God’s Word and must not be tampered with as we please.
► Poythress and Grudem said it well in the conclusion of their report: “The omissions and alterations in gender-neutral versions are systematic in character, and line up with this (feminist) program. The integrity of the meaning of the Word of God has been compromised in the process.”
D. What are the techniques used in deleting male-only words?
|
Original
word |
Modified
by gender-neutral translations |
|
he |
person, someone, they |
|
his |
your, their, those |
|
man (human race) |
mortals, humans,
humankind |
|
man (male person) |
anyone, person, those |
|
men |
those, people, others |
|
father |
parent |
|
son |
child |
|
brother |
fellow believer |
► In some cases, the modification of the male-referenced words become so difficult that the translators simply delete/omit the words entirely.
► The result is that the original meaning is distorted. Deletion of words compromises the accuracy. Using plural instead of the original singular is a particularly serious distortion.
► For example, Psalm 34:19-20 in the more traditional New International Version (NIV) reads: “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.” Jn 19:36 clearly says that this verse is a prophecy for the crucifixion of Christ.
► But in the Today’s New International Version (TNIV), the verse reads: “The righteous may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers them from them all; He protects all their bones, not one of them will be broken.” Such a change obscures the prediction of the Messiah and drastically distorts the original text.
E. Aren’t some male-referenced words in the Bible actually refer to both genders?
► Some words
previously translated as masculin do originally refer to both genders. In these
cases, it is legitimate to add the female reference. That is why the Colorado
Springs Guidelines for translation of gender-related language in
Scripture was drafted by 10 prominent evangelical Christian leaders in
1997 to deal with such cases [see reprint of the Guidelines in the report by
Poythress and Grudem]. It was later endorsed by over 50 evangelical
theologians. The guidelines clearly define what kinds of words can be
translated to reflect both genders. For example, one of the rule is:
●
“Brother” (Greek adelphos) should not be
changed to “brother or sister”; however, the plural (Greek adelphoi) can be translated
“brothers and sisters” where the context makes clear that the author is
referring to both men and women.
F. How can we check quickly whether the Bible is gender-neutral?
(1) The best quick test is to look at John 14:21, John 14:23, and Matthew 16:24-26.
● The particular meanings expressed in these verses in Greek require a translation that uses generic “he.” If a particular version uses generic “he” in these verses, it will probably use “he” elsewhere in order accurately to represent the full meaning. If, on the other hand, generic “he” does not appear, you know that the translation has restructured the verses, altering nuances of meaning in the process. If it restructures these verses, it probably does the same throughout the whole Bible in order to avoid male-oriented meanings.
(2) Another quick test is to see if the word “man” is used as a name for the human race in Genesis 1:26 and Genesis 5:2; or if it uses the word “man” in Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man ....”
|
|
NIV |
TNIV |
|
Jn 14:21 |
Whoever has my
commands and obeys them, he is the
one who loves me. He who loves me
will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. |
Whoever has my
commands and keeps them is the one
who loves me. Anyone who loves me
will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. |
|
Jn 14:23 |
If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father
will love him, and we will come to
him and make our home with him. |
Anyone who loves me
will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them
and make our home with them. |
|
Mt 16:24-26 |
Then Jesus said to
his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for me will find
it. What good will it be for a man
if he gains the whole world, yet
forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" |
Then Jesus said to
his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and
take up their cross and follow me.
For whoever wants to save their
life [a] will lose it, but whoever loses their
life for me will find it. What good will it be for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? Or what can you
give in exchange for your
soul?" |
|
Gen 1:26 |
Let us make man in our image |
Let us make human beings in our image |
|
Gen 5:2 |
And when they were
created, he called them "man." |
And when they were
created, he called them "human
beings." |
|
Ps 1:1 |
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked |
Blessed are those who do not walk in step with
the wicked |
|
Ps 34:19-20 |
A righteous man may have many troubles, but the
LORD delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones, not one
of them will be broken.. |
The righteous may
have many troubles, but the LORD delivers them from them all; he protects all their bones, not one of them will be broken. |
|
Jn 19:36 |
These things
happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," |
These things
happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," |
Note the
altered meanings and the accuracies as a result.
Note also
that the TNIV does not use their altered translation (Ps 34:20) in Jn 19:36.
G. How dependable are the gender-neutral translations?
► Since hundreds of verses have been changed, the gender-neutral Bibles cannot be depended for their accuracy and faithfulness to God’s Word. They should not be used as a sole source for Bible verses in Bible studies. They can only be used for general reading or for reference when comparing different versions.
H. My personal feeling on this issue:
► In order to understand the issue, I have read close to 1000 pages of related materials. As an evangelical Christian, I feel very sad to see prominent evangelical leaders fighting each other employing escalating rhetoric. This is not God’s will. I strongly believe that this is one of the issues that the devil uses to cause internal struggles among evengelicals [the other one is environmentalism, particularly global warming]. So, when we express our opinion on this issue, we should always keep this reality in mind and try hard to not cause more disagreements.
► However, defending the Bible, God’s Word, against inaccurate translations is important. This work includes helping fellow Christians to discern which translation is accurate. Inaccurate gender-neutral translations published before the 1997 Colorado Springs Guidelines can be excused. But TNIV represents a more serious problem. It is the breaking of a promise (after agreeing to follow the Guidelines). It was published only because some translators don’t want to see their work wasted. This is not a sufficient reason to publish an inaccurate translation of God’s Word. It actually damaged and is still damaging the reputation of the publisher who has done so much good work for God’s Kingdom.
► We can only pray that more Christians will know about this problem so that inaccurate gender-neutral translations will be out of print because of dropping sales.
ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE
BIBLE DIVIDED BY ACCURACY
(explanation of
abbreviations below the table)
|
|
ACCURATE |
|
IN ACCURATE |
|
KJV |
King James Version
(1611) |
NJB |
New Jerusalem
Bible (1985) |
|
ASV |
American Standard
Version (1901) |
ICB |
International
Children’s Bible (1986), simplified NCV |
|
RSV |
Revised Standard
Version (1946, 1952, 1971) |
NAB |
New American Bible
(1988) |
|
NASB |
New American
Standard Bible (1963, 1995) |
NCV |
New Century
Version (1987, 1991) |
|
JB |
Jerusalem Bible
(1968) |
NRSV |
New Revised
Standard Version (1989) |
|
NEB |
New English Bible
(1970) |
GNB(1992) |
Good News Bible:
Today’s English Version Second Edition (1992) |
|
GNB(1976) |
Good News Bible:
The Bible in Today’s English Version (1976) |
CEV |
Contemporary
English Version (1995) |
|
NKJV |
New King James
Version (1982) |
GW |
God’s Word (1995) |
|
NIV |
New International
Version (1973, 1984) |
NIrV(1995) |
New International
Reader’s Version (1995) |
|
REB |
Revised English
Bible (1989) |
NIVI |
New International
Version Inclusive Language Edition (1995, 1996) |
|
NIrV(1998) |
New International
Reader’s Version (1998 revision) |
NLT |
New Living
Translation (1996) |
|
ESV |
English Standard
Version (2001) |
NLT revised |
New Living
Translation revised edition (1996) |
|
|
|
TNIV |
Today’s New
International Version (NT in 2002, entire Bible in 2005) |
Culturally adapted imaginative renderings of
the Bible [did not presume to be accurate]
Kenneth N. Taylor, The Living
Bible—Paraphrased (1971)
Eugene Peterson, The Message (1995)
Supplement to Q.28: How could a loving God command genocide? (Copan)
§ Main text: Dt 20:16-18 (to stop Israelites in worshipping false gods)
(1) War was a part of life in the ancient Near East. Israel did not fight for her faith but for her survival.
(2) It is part of God’s saving plan for the entire world through the establishment of the people of Israel.
► God promised Abraham and his descendants to possess the land of Canaan. Through them, the whole world will be blessed. So it is important to establish a vehicle for universal salvation.
► Because of this important objective, the command is unrepeatable once the Israelite nation was established.
(3) God used the Israelites to punish an evil Canaanite civilization after much patient waiting.
► God waited 430 years while Israel was in bondage in Egypt. Even though God promised the land to Abraham, God told him that the fulfilment had to wait until the sin of the Amorites (residents in Canaan) had “reached its full measure” (Gen 15:16).
► God granted escape to those who sought God, such as Rahab. Rahab’s case also demonstrated that people in Canaan know about the Israelites and their God. In the case of Nineveh, God gave them the chance to repent by sending Jonah.
(4) The wicked lifestyle and false idol worship of Canaanites could pollute the Israelites. Perhaps the truth of monotheism and ethical purity could only be preserved through the destruction of these corrupting cultures.
(5) Israel was to offer terms of peace before fighting (Dt 20:10). If the city complied, the people would go into forced labour. In addition, most of the Israelite battles were defensive ones after being attacked (Ex 17:8; Num 21:1; 21-32; Dt 3:1; Jos 10:4).
► God prohibited Israel from conquering other neighbouring nations, including Moab and Ammon (Dt 2:9,19), Edom (Dt 2:4; 23:7). Canaan was the much worse than the other nations.
(6) The Israelites were instruments of God’s judgment.
► The land of Canaan was full of “destestable customs” (Lev 18:30). such as infant/human sacrifice, nature worship in orgies, fertility cult with prostitution and nudity. They also had strong resolve to reject the rule of God. The land had long suffered from their blasphemies.
► The Israelites were to keep themselves from “everything impure” (Dt 23:9). If they committed crimes (such as rape) during the war, they will be punished by death.
► In the case of Gibeonites (Jos 9:3-27), they were spared even though they made a deceitful pact with the Israelites.
(7) God’s commands reflected God’s right to give life and to take life. God’s command could be interpreted as an act of compassion because the infants and children could have grown up in a corrupt culture and received ultimate judgment. Instead, they could now enter heaven.
(8) If Israel turned from God, they would be subject to similar judgment and punishment.
► God judged the Israelites during the journey in Sinai. Eventually, God sent the Babylonians to carry out His judgment.