A man I never knew helped change my life. John Stek, NIV Bible translator, died on June 6th at 84.
In 1979 my family moved to Carson City, Nevada. At sixteen I was looking to find my way in the world and hungry to read the Bible for myself. I had an old red covered RSV, but the language felt archaic. I wanted to pray to a ‘you’ not a ‘thou’. The New International Version became my Bible. The pastors at the First Presbyterian Church read from it.
From then on the rich brown hardcover NIV stayed by my bedside. In college I lugged it around campus in my backpack, like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress making his way book in hand.
At seminary ten years later I dutifully began to use the New RSV, the version my professors favored. But it was always a step-Bible. The NIV has continued to hold my affection. It finds the balance, I think, between faithfulness to the thought of the biblical writers and faithfulness to common English. I still use the NIV for my devotional reading — given changes in English usage, the TNIV is more suitable now for public worship.
The NIV has taken criticism from fans of the NRSV on the left, and the ESV and NASB on the right. That puts it more or less in the middle. It’s the closest thing to a mainstream Protestant Bible.
Translations and their acronyms must confuse people. I wonder what it was like in England in the sixteenth century when the Bishop’s Bible and the Geneva Bible contested with one another for people’s affection and loyalty.
I doubt there’s a best translation. These things come down to taste, sentiment and life experience. All I know is during my formative years the NIV fed my soul. John Stek helped that happen — he was on the translation committee from the beginning.
So thanks, John Stek. May he rest in peace. ‘To live is Christ and to die is gain.’
It seems to me the best translation is the one the Holy Spirit whispers in our souls as we hear or read whatever the words on the paper are.
At least that’s what I believe today! (Tongue somewhat in cheek).
I’m a bit partial to NRSV, but that’s just me. Reading whatever translation is better than not reading any translation.
Have a great weekend Chris.
Thanks, Warren. Excellent point. You reminded me of a phrase from Paul: ‘We serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.’ (Rom 7.6) It really is the Spirit that matters. Peace to you.
I think you are right about the relevance of taste and sentiment in our attraction to various Bible translations. My favorite is the RSV, rather than the NRSV. I suppose it is the sound of it that I like, plus its closeness to the King James. I admire the KJV because it is the renaissance masterpiece and has had so much influence on literature and I still read it for certain classic passages (e.g., Psalm 23.) I also like the TEV (Good News) for its linguistic approach to translation – although, actually, I think I may like it most for those line drawings: I love them. I do have a great NRSV with footnotes (the Harper Collins Study Bible.) Even if I am reading another version, like RSV, KJV, or TEV, I refer to the NRSV for the quality of the footnotes. Finally, I do have an NIV too and sometimes refer to it to see the way that evangelical scholars have translated the words.
In seminary, which located itself on the far radical left, all versions were criticized as being sub-standard relative to the NRSV. Even the NRSV was criticized for not being sufficiently feminist. At the university, the RSV was favored by the Hebrew scholars for its closeness to Hebrew, but many translations were considered excellent.
In my view, all of these translations represent fine expressions of scholarship and religious devotion, as are at least several others that I don’t often read.
I value the KJV for the texture of the language, and the RSV for its transparency to the original. I love the Vulgate because the Latin is simple enough for me to read. The NRSV is our pew Bible, so I use it, as I will this Sunday when I preach. I value the GNT for the simpler language structure, aware that 20 percent of the population reads at a 5th grade level or lower. All translations have their merits. But the NIV still has my heart, largely for sentimental reasons — the Psalms especially are where I feel this.
The NRSV is my primary resource, and, truth be told, I’m not very fond of the NIV at all. With that said, it’s the RSV that I read each morning. It might have something to do with one’s age. And one other thing. I know it’s not a translation, but Peterson’s The Message has been a big, big help in getting congregations through some of Paul’s language. I sometimes use it to supplement the lectionary readings.
Steven, my professors in seminary weren’t fond of the NIV either. I’ve never developed a taste for The Message, but it is one many people like. Thanks for stopping by. Peace to you.