The Forum of Bible Agencies, an organization of experts on Bible translation, has announced it has neither approved nor disapproved of Today’s New International Version (TNIV). The TNIV is a successor to the popular New International Version that has prompted much controversy among evangelical Christians.
In a statement released June 24, the organization “emphasized it has never endorsed the TNIV” and does not have a policy of approving or endorsing any translations of its members.
The Forum released a statement earlier this year.
It said, “It is the consensus of the Forum of Bible Agencies that the TNIV falls within the Forum’s translation principles and procedures.”
That statement was released by Zondervan, publisher of the new translation, and International Bible Society (IBS), holder of its copy right and a member of the Forum.
The newer announcement notes that the Forum has adopted basic “principles and procedures for Bible translation” and its guidelines are accepted and mutually agreed upon by all its members.
A.Larry Ross, a spokesman for the Forum, said the earlier statement was a “private memo” given to the IBS in April to aid the society in discussions with critics of the translation. “The Forum is not to be a …seal of approval on specific translations and they don’t exist to take a position on specific translations,” Ross told Religion News Service.
Larry Lincoln, spokesman for the International Bible Society, said he was not aware that the Forum statement it issued was considered private. “I don’t know what the Forum’s original intent was for the statement,” he said.
“When we sent that out, it was designed not to be an endorsement. It was simply designed to address the issue of whether the TNIV followed any established [translation] principles and procedures.”
Forum members include the Bible League, New Tribes Mission, the Jesus Film Project, American Bible Society and Wycliffe Bible Translators.
(RNS)
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