Comments on: Apocryphal TNIV market strategies

By: Kevin Sam

Kevin Sam — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:38:00 +0000

There have been many posts on the frustrations of many with regards to how IBS and Zondervan have (or have not) marketed the TNIV.

In the December issue of Christianity Today, Zondervan placed a one page ad of the TNIV Reference Bible. I was happy to see that they were doing more marketing for the TNIV…finally, but there were no ads for the NIV so that surprised me a bit. Who knows, sales for the TNIV may pick up around Christmas time.

By: R. Mansfield

R. Mansfield — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 04:54:56 +0000

I don’t remember if a big deal was made out of the NIV’s 25th anniversary, but I can tell you that there WILL be a big deal made out of the 30th anniversary. Not forward-thinking in my opinion.

By: Jesus Saenz

Jesus Saenz — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 17:32:56 +0000

Interesting to hear on a possible TNIV with the apocrypha. Although the ESV is my main translation I use a few others as well. I am not a big fan of the newer translations but do feel they are a needed tool in the study of God’s word. I am looking to purchase an NRSV with apocrypha as well as a TNIV, because of R. Mansfield’s reviews of it. I am also looking to purchase a NLT as well as the HCSB. ALthough the ESV was first released in 2001 it is not a new translation, more of an updated old translation.

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:06:50 +0000

My current greater worry is that a lot of energy and marketing is going to go into a 30 year celebration of the NIV next year. In my opinion, they ought to mark 30 years by retiring it, but that’s not going to happen. If anything, it will get extra attention, and I find this to be a grave mistake.

That’s a great point, Rick. I hadn’t realized that was coming up… did they make a big deal about the 25th anniversary? I have to say that up to this year, I really haven’t paid much attention to the NIV and/or Zondervan’s marketing.

By: R. Mansfield

R. Mansfield — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 06:26:51 +0000

Actually, there are at least a couple of members of the TNIV CBT (maybe more) interested in translating the deuterocanonicals.I believe it would be a smart move for wider acceptance of the TNIV, but as Mike mentioned, they are a very conservative group. However, stranger things have happened. There’s a Catholic version of the NLT, and those translators are conservative as well. If it happens, I imagine it would be ten years now before it is complete.

I also hear rumors of an ESV apocrypha, and evidently, there is confirmed interest in a NET version as well.

However, I don’t believe you’ll ever see something like 1 Enoch translated since no one views it as Scripture.

I’d carry a Bible with these extra books. I don’t consider them Scripture, but they are of enormous historical value directly related more to the New Testament than the Old Testament in my opinion. They are the backdrop for the context of the NT.

By: Esteban Vázquez

Esteban Vázquez — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 23:47:25 +0000

I’m really rather skeptical that the CBT will ever produce a translation of any of the deuterocanonical books, let alone a translation of the 1 Enoch or the like!

The International Bible Society is a decidedly Protestant organization, and its goal is to translate and distribute the Bible for evangelism and discipleship. Of course, the Protestant Bible has 66 books–no more, no less! With that in mind, it seems difficult to imagine that they would commit money and resources to translate anything other than the books of the Protestant canon. (In fact, I seem to recall seeing comments precisely along those lines from IBS when the question of translating the “Apocrypha” for the NIV was brought up, but I can’t remember where. Maybe in a paper by John Stek or Ken Barker?)

By: mike aubrey

mike aubrey — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:14:40 +0000

i don’t know if CBT would go for it, they’re rather conservative organization…