The publisher of the New International Version [NIV], Zondervan Corporation, recently “announced their intention” jointly with the NIV translation’s overseer the Committee on Bible Translation [CBT] and the NIV copyright owner Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society), to revise the NIV and release an update in 2011.

Since its original publication in 1978, the NIV has been revised several times, including an NIrV [New International Reader’s Version] and the Today’s New International Version [TNIV] in 2002. According to the news release, the NIV will drop its 3,000 “gender-neutral language” uses that appeared in the 2002 TNIV edition and will cease printing of the TNIV when the updated NIV is published.

While the above move is the undoubtedly the correct action, the NIV has other serious deficiency problems, with numerous deletions and omissions that have affected key Bible doctrines, themes and truths from its outset. If the CBT is really serious about “fixing” the NIV’s deficiencies, (a) It must first discard the unreliable Critical Text, using the Received Text [TR] as its replacement and (2) it must restore all following NIV’s deletions and omissions cited below. [If that happened, any NIV publication would be totally unnecessary!]

SOME OF THE NIV’S CURRENT DELETIONS

Of all the numerous unreliable modern Scripture translations, none has received more publicity and popularity than the New International Version [NIV]. The NIV’s untrustworthiness can easily be deciphered in that this Bible version omits 17 verses from Scripture: Matt. 17:21,18:11, 23:14, Mark 7:16, 9:44,46; 11:26, 15:28, Luke 17:36, 23:17, John 5:4, Acts 8:37, 15:34,24:7, 28:29, Rom. 16:24, and I John 5:7.

MORE DISTURBING OMISSIONS

Equally disturbing are the “Biblically significant words” that are missing in the NIV, words referring to God that are not even mentioned one time! “Godhead,” “Jehovah,” “blessed and only potentate,” Holy Ghost,” “Comforter,” “immutable,” omnipotent,” are all deleted! In addition, Christ is not declared to be the “only begotten” or the “first begotten.”

Further deletions include “devils,” “Lucifer,” “damnation,” “brimstone,” and :”bottomless pit.” “Hell” is entirely removed from the O. T. and only mentioned 14 times in the N. T., as compared to the 56 usages in the KJB. More omissions are “trucebreakers,” “winebibbers,” “carnal,” “slothful,” “unthankful,” “backbiting,” “fornication,” “effeminate,” and “Sodomite,” just to name a few.

OTHER SERIOUS BLUNDERS

If you are reading about Christ’s atoning work, then you can forget “Calvary,” “daysman,” and “mercyseat,” since they are totally absent in the NIV. If you are thinking about doctrine then don’t look for “propitiation,” “remission” or “regeneration,” since they are missing as well. One thing for sure, if you are looking for a reliable Bible translation, you won’t find it in any past or present NIV or even a prospective 2011 NIV translation!

EDITOR’S CONCLUSION: STICK WITH THE RELIABLE KJB!!

Only the KJB retains all of the above crucial words and doctrinal truths. Stick with the one reliable trustworthy English version—the KJB! Question: Are Zondervan, the CBT and Biblica Corporation seeking to financially capitalize on the KJB’s 400th anniversary in 2011?

Resources used: (a) BPNews, 9-2-2009, (b) Christian Post, 9-3-2009; (c) The Disappearing Bible, Antioch Publications

(The Fundamentalist Digest, Oct/Nov 2009)