Today's New International Version Church Bible (Today's New International Version)

Rating:
Summary: Print appears to be lighter
Review: I was delighted to receive my TNIV Church Bible, and am looking forward to reading the Old Testament with added clarity.

When the TNIV NT was released, John 1 was one of the first passages I noticed. It reflected the changes in language that have occurred since 30 or so years ago, when "man" and "men" were both used and understood to include both male and female. Thus John 1:9 reads "The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world" in the TNIV while the older NIV said "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world". Of course, that sort of change is what has engendered the most opposition.

A Word to the Reader includes this statement: "We trust .... that many will find it an improved representation of the Word of God, through which they hear his call to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and to service in his kingdom." To which I add my Amen.

One technical detail about this edition, that keeps my rating from being 5 stars: The type initially seemed smaller than that in the NIV and NIVI comparable editions. But on close comparison, it appears to be about the same size (or maybe minimally larger - comparing passages with a ruler sometimes gave slightly larger measurements in the TNIV), but the type is lighter, making it appear smaller. That may be something to consider if you have difficulty seeing lighter print; you may want to wait for a large print edition. The typeface IS smaller than that in the TNIV New Testaments. It's still quite readable.

Rating:
Summary: An Improved Translation
Review: The TNIV translation will be controversial because of its use of gender-neutral language. However, it is much more sensible than the NRSV in its usage. In all the places where I had suspected that the NRSV had gone overboard, the TNIV retains the masculine gender.

The TNIV shows much less denominational bias than the NIV. While it retains "virgin" in Isaiah 7:14, it gives "young woman" as an alternate reading in the margins.

In the places where I have compared it with the NIV, it shows an improvement in style.

The use of gender-neutral language in Bible translations is controversial -- but the use of language such as the word "brothers" to indicate both male and female Christians, while a literal translation of the Greek, can be misleading to modern readers.

But in some cases the Bible refers specifically to men. When the Old Testament refers to the "fatherless," it refers to children who have lost their fathers -- not "orphans" as the NRSV translates. In Biblical times, the father was a child's primary economic support.

The TNIV appears to exercise far better judgment than the NRSV.

Rating:
Summary: Be wary!
Review: With erudition that far surpasses so many postmodern translations, this translation will quickly become the standard gender-neutral bible. It's lack of support in the evangelical community shows that it is charting new ground and pushing former ideas to the wayside. It's carelessness in handling important gender issues to acclaim wide support will help those who struggle with the traditional biblical teaching of gender roles. In fact, we can expect this generation to embrace it with open arms. I hope that will not be the case. Zondervan went back on their word that they would not publish this. I hope that they are repaid duly for their error.