NIV

Taking a bit of flack about refering to the NIV as the Nerds and Idiots Version - so apologies to users who are offended.

Well my objections are based on a little more than its domination of the evangelical bible readership market and their naive insistance that it is the only version which is "true", - actually I think that much of the language is clumsy, and some of the translation poor, you might like to take the NIV test belowto see what I mean.

And yes I do own a copy ironically given to me as a gift by a rather earnest donor who was concerned that I had come to a superficial judgement on the only "true" version of the Bible!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Using the New International Version Bible, answer the following questions to this NIV quiz. 

Do not rely on your memory. As the Bible is the final authority, you must take the answer from the Bible verse (not from footnotes but from the text).

 

1. Fill in the missing words in Matthew 5:44. "Love your enemies,__________ them that curse you, ______________ to them that hate you, and pray for them that __________ and persecute you."

 

2. According to Matthew 17:21, what two things are required to cast out this type of demon?

 

3. According to Matthew 18:11, why did Jesus come to earth?

 

4. According to Matthew 27:2, what was Pilate's first name?

 

5. In Matthew 27:35, when the wicked soldiers parted His garments, they were fulfilling the words of the prophet. Copy what the prophet said in Matthew 27:35 from the NIV.

 

6. In Mark 3:15, Jesus gave the apostles power to cast out demons and to: ____________

 

7. According to Mark 7:16, what does a man need to be able to hear?

 

8. According to Luke 7:28, what was John? (teacher, prophet, carpenter, etc.). What is his title or last name?

 

9. In Luke 9:55, what did the disciples not know?

 

10. In Luke 9:56, what did the Son of man not come to do? According to this verse, what did He come to do?

 

11. In Luke 22:14, how many apostles were with Jesus?

 

12. According to Luke 23:38, in what three languages was the superscription written?

 

13. In Luke 24:42, what did they give Jesus to eat with His fish?

 

14. John 3:13 is a very important verse, proving the deity of Christ. According to this verse (as Jesus spoke), where is the Son of man?

 

15. What happened each year as told in John 5:4?

 

16. In John 7:50, what time of day did Nicodemus come to Jesus?

 

17. In Acts 8:37, what is the one requirement for baptism?

 

18. What did Saul ask Jesus in Acts 9:6?

 

19. Write the name of the man mentioned in Acts 15:34.

 

20. Study Acts 24:6-8. What would the Jew have done with Paul? What was the chief captain's name? What did the chief captain command? 

 

21. Copy Romans 16:24 word for word from the NIV.

 

22. First Timothy 3:16 is perhaps the greatest verse in the New Testament concerning the deity of Christ. In this verse, who was manifested in the flesh?

 

23. In the second part of First Peter 4:14, how do [they] speak of Christ? And, what do we Christians do?

 

24. Who are the three Persons of the Trinity in First John 5:7?

 

25. Revelation 1:11 is another very important verse that proves the deity of Christ.  In the first part of this verse Jesus said, "I am the A______________ and O___________, the _________ and the _______:"

Conclusion: Little space is provided for your answers, but it's much more than needed. These are all missing in the NIV.  So now what do you think of your "accurate, easy to understand, up to date Bible"?

Comments

[Simon Kershaw]

I'm not sure what point you are actualkly making though. I haven't checked every single one of your points above, but of the half dozen or more that I have, the NIV agrees with the NRSV, and no doubt with other recent translations too, in omitting these verses. Presumably this is based on the best analysis of the Greek.

[tony]

I'm happy to join you in knocking the NIV on grounds of being a poor translation, but I agree with Simon: the omissions you list are all part of NRSV's textual decisions too. More serious, in my mind, is the ideological decision NIV has made in Titus 2.11: that contrary to the Greek, God's salvation is not for all, but only revealed to all.

[Friend]

Well maybe it's like some of your other posts, Tom. You seem to use any opportunity to knock evangelicals.
Yes I am one, and it's the Bible I use, but I certainly don't think it's perfect and use other translations too.
(Like many evangelicals I know.)

[Tom]

Sorry I did not make the point clear. The list is where NRSV have chosen to omit verses on good scholarship grounds - my point is precisely that NIV uses many of the same textual assumptions as NRSV - and therefore claims for NIV superiority are groundless - which was the point made at the workshop last week. As for "knocking" evangelicals - not sure what is meant by this and can't think of a post where I have (give us a clue?). This post is not knocking evangelicals per se, but the claims about the bible which discredit both the bible and the tradition. I am deeply committed to an inclusive Church which values all traditions - the point about exagerated claims for the NIV is that it is non-inclusive. The "nerds and idiots" refer to those that make such claims, rather than the bible version - though it doesn't read well - and has a tendency to exclusivness and conservatism as Tony suggests - ps it was a certain priest now Diocesan Bishop which invented the jibe!