Review of changes in the TNIV

I have finished my rant and offer you a little more from Fee and Waltke. I have collected below a few of the many changes from the NIV to the TNIV. Some of these were mentioned in Fee's class but others came from this article by Craig Blomberg which Bruce Watlke particularly asked me to mention.

When listening to Fee I sense his pride in the TNIV, his feeling that it is a significant improvement on the NIV, his sense that it is more than a worthy successor to the NIV. He holds it in his hands and says "It is gold." He is ready to admit that the treatment this translation has received is painful to him. But he now knows that many people disagree with him on many fronts and he has accepted that. He is content with his own belief in the work of the Spirit, in the fellowship of God's people and in the equality of the sexes.

Bruce Waltke, on the other hand, is still puzzled, baffled really that in all this time, no one has ever asked him for his views on the translation. In spite of all the articles and rhetoric against the TNIV no one came to him privately before the accusations went public. The trouble is that he knows many of those who attack the TNIV, he is a fellow complementarian. To him it is tragic what has happened. He has asked me to continue my efforts against the "statement of concern."

I would very much like to see those churches which currently use the NIV switch to the TNIV. It is not for everyone. Some may prefer the formality of the NRSV or the more accessible language of the NLT or CEV. However, the TNIV is simply a better Bible than the NIV.

Here are some of the most interesting changes from the NIV to the TNIV. Most are in the direction of being more literal and all are more accurate, IMO. (I omit those relating to gender but you know I believe they render the TNIV more literal and not less so.)

Mark 4:31

It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. NIV

It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. TNIV

Luke 1:15

for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. NIV

for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. TNIV

Luke 17:21

nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within^[a] you." NIV

nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst." TNIV

Luke 22:31

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you^[a] as wheat. NIV

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. TNIV

Luke 22:70

They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?"
He replied, "You are right in saying I am." NIV

They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?"
He replied, "You say that I am." TNIV

John 1:18

No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,^[a][b]who is at the Father's side, has made him known. NIV

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only [Son], who is himself God and ^[a] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. TNIV

John 14:16

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— NIV

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— TNIV

Romans 2:17

Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God NIV

Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; TNIV

Rom. 11:26

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. NIV

and in this way ^[a] all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
"The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. TNIV


1 Cor. 3:16


Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? NIV

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? TNIV

2 Cor. 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! NIV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! TNIV

1 Cor. 7

Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. NIV

Now for the matters you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. TNIV

1 Cor. 12:1

Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. NIV

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. TNIV

Phil. 2:4

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. NIV

not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. TNIV

Phil 3:6

as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. NIV

as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. TNIV

Philemon 6

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. NIV

I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. TNIV

There have also been some footnotes added, although not as many as I would like. I have an increased respect for footnotes now that I realize that the translators often see their preferred translation in the footnotes because the committee is afraid to make the changes in the text itself.

1 Cor. 10:13

No temptation ^[a] has overtaken you except what is common to us all.

a The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.

The Greek is ambiguous here. There is really no way simply from the Greek word to tell if it should be either temptation to sin, or testing by trial or difficulty. I wish there were.