The Bible at Urbana 06

What place will the Bible have at
Urbana 06?
The first objective of Urbana is to declare God’s character and mission as revealed in Scripture. This will be accomplished at Urbana 06 in two primary ways: through the exposition of Scripture in the plenary sessions and secondly through a new Inductive Bible Study program. InterVarsity is committed to Scripture; to its study and to its application in the lives of believers. In keeping with that central element of its character, InterVarsity has trained 120 of its senior staff to lead all participants in a special Bible Study program where inductive manuscript study of Ephesians will be taught as well as practiced.

What translation will Urbana use?
Because of our emphasis on Scripture study, we carefully chose a Bible translation that we believe will best meet the needs of today’s students. We selected the Today’s New International Version (TNIV) because (to use the words of two well know biblical scholars) “it is highly successful in combining scholarly accuracy and linguistic relevance” (John Stott). “It is more accurate than its remarkable predecessor, the NIV, while retaining all [its] readability” (D.A. Carson).

All translations of the Bible lie on a continuum from ‘formal equivalent’ to ‘functional equivalent’ translations.

From A User's Guide to Bible Translations by David Dewey, InterVarsity Press.

Although some like translations that are more of a "formal equivalent" model, most linguists whose field it is to produce usable translations prefer the "functional equivalent" model to better communicate the meaning of what is being translated. Urbana has opted for something in between but that is closer to the formal equivalent side. We believe it matches well those who attend Urbana. Accuracy and ease of language and communication are important.

Is the TNIV a good translation for Evangelicals and those who have a high view of Scripture?
Yes. The NIV is the most widely used English translation in churches today. Many of the same scholars who translated the NIV are the ones who have worked to update the NIV to the TNIV. The English language has changed dramatically in the past 25 years, especially among young people and the TNIV is an adjustment to those changes. It is not a new translation or a new philosophy of translation but rather an updating of a very good translation in order to keep it relevant. Consequently the TNIV uses gender inclusive language, where appropriate, like most other contemporary Bible versions such as the New Living Translation and the Message as well as the NRSV, which Urbana has used for the last three Conventions.

The TNIV does not reflect any specific theological viewpoint on women, and many well-known Evangelical scholars have endorsed it, including many who believe the Bible teaches that women should not be ordained. You can see who has endorsed the translation and what they have to say here.

Some translations do a better job than others with issues of capturing faithfully the intent of the authors and transmitting that into another language and culture. All translations reflect sometimes difficult choices about how to best communicate the original. A helpful book, especially related to the ways that both men and women are referred to in the text, is Distorting Scripture? The Challenge of Bible Translation & Gender Accuracy, by Mark L. Strauss (IVP, 1998). Available at www.ivpress.com

Does InterVarsity endorse one particular translation?
No. Different translations accomplish different things. For example some are better suited to careful word study and exegesis while others may be better for evangelism. It is always a good idea to compare more than one translation when you want to carefully study a particular section of the Bible. It is especially helpful if you can use translations from different parts of the translation spectrum. There is no such thing as a “literal” translation. Every translation does some degree of interpretation. That is why it is helpful to view more than one.

How can I learn more about the reasons behind the translations of particular verses in the TNIV?
The rationale for translation, particularly for those that have changed from the NIV to the TNIV can be found here:
http://www.tniv.info/bible/sample.php.

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