Is the NIV a Good Version of the Bible?
Rev. Ronald Hanko critiques the New International Version (NIV) as a deficient Bible translation that violates principles of verbal inspiration through its thought-for-thought approach rather than literal word-for-word translation. He documents specific textual omissions, additions, and theological compromises in the NIV that he argues weaken Scripture's testimony regarding God's names, the person of Christ, and biblical doctrines like eternal punishment. This pamphlet defends the Reformed commitment to the authority and precise wording of Scripture against modern translation methodologies.
The New International Version (NIV) is one of the worst of the modern Bible versions. We believe that it really does not even qualify as a legitimate version of Holy Scripture. Believing in the verbal inspiration of Scripture, i.e., that the Bible is word-for-word the Word of God, we believe that the Bible ought to be carefully translated as literally as possible. The NIV is not a literal translation by its own admission. Rather than being a word-for-word translation, it is a...