With another Christianity Explored course beginning next week, this morning I went to order some new NIV Bibles to hand out to those on the course, as is our usual practice.

Clearly I’ve not been paying enough attention when it comes to the world according to the NIV.

I’ve known about the recent release of the NIV 2011, and I’ve also known about the updates and issues involved with the new translation for some time.  Many of these revolve around more dynamic equivalence of meaning and the increased gender-neutral language within the NIV 2011. What I wasn’t aware of until now is that the NIV 2011 is actually a replacement for the NIV 1984 (original ed.) which is no longer being produced.

When your old NIV breaths its last, you won’t be able to buy a direct replacement.

If only I’d read Trevin Wax’s comments 18 months ago.

Whatever the pro’s and con’s of the new translation we’re being forced to make a choice by the publisher, Zondervan. Either find another translation or use the new NIV 2011 with it’s changes.  The one choice individual Christians and churches are not being given is to keep using the NIV 1984 text.

Personally I’d like to see our church using the ESV (English Standard Version) as it’s main pew Bible.  Lots of our younger people already use it.

But I’m not persuaded that as a church we’re in a place where we are ready to consider changing to use a different Bible translation at present.

That’s a situation that Zondervan have now made a great deal more difficult and I’m sure we won’t be the only church faced with this issue.