The Southern Baptists denomination, with a long history of defending literal interpretations of the Bible have released the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), which many of its 15 million members do not know is “gender-inclusive.” The church has passed numerous resolutions since the late 1990s publicly condemning Bible translations that attempt to utilize gender-inclusive language, including several revisions of the New International Version.
Inclusive translations abolish many gender-specific terms. For example, they may change “father” to “parent,” “son” to “child,” and “man” to “mortal.” Translations also add words and phrases not found in ancient manuscripts for the sake of inclusion. A common example is the translation of “brother” as “brother or sister.”
While some scholars defend translation decisions like this on the basis that they most clearly express the meaning of each passage, the SBC disagrees, saying that such political correctness threatens the integrity of the Holy Scripture because it is part of a larger cultural push to erase distinctions between genders and diminish masculinity.
The SBC commissioned its own Bible translation “to champion the absolute truth of the Bible against social or cultural agendas that would compromise its accuracy.” Called the Holman Christian Standard Bible, it was released in 2003 and was widely accepted. But when a revision was released last fall, a number of the same “gender-neutral” elements that the SBC previously condemned were inserted. The gender-neutralizing pattern is present in its translation of the Old and New Testaments and parallels the logic laid out on the New International Version website.
Although the SBC’s translation isn’t totally gender-neutral, there are hundreds of verses that fall within the “gender-neutral” category condemned in Southern Baptists’ own resolutions and illustrate the quiet progressive changes that have been deliberately inserted into this conservative denomination’s Bible translation.
Such changes in Southern Baptists’ Bible translation of choice are more than a mere denominational matter. The SBC is America’s largest Protestant denomination and one of its most conservative. If its leaders and members are tolerating a softer, more inclusive approach to gender, it might be a bellwether of things to come in the culture war over gender.
“To many the Bible is as a lamp without oil, because they have turned their minds into channels of speculative belief that bring misunderstanding and confusion. The work of higher criticism, in dissecting, conjecturing, reconstructing, is destroying faith in the Bible as a divine revelation. It is robbing God’s word of power to control, uplift, and inspire human lives.” Acts of the Apostles, page 474.
Comments
brad sexson
Thursday June 22nd, 2017 at 10:33 AMsmh
Barbara
Thursday June 22nd, 2017 at 10:38 AMAs it was in the days of Lot
Jeshurun
Thursday June 22nd, 2017 at 12:35 PMIn truth what you are witnessing is God casting these people out for He has rejected them. Only those who come out of this city will be saved.
Many are called but few are chosen.
Lester Sison
Thursday June 22nd, 2017 at 08:02 PMTime is changing gradually and if we are not ready, we will be surprise that Jesus 2nd coming is getting closer than we expect. Most Christians including Seventh day Adventist are living like the world. They enjoy what the world is doing. Pray for each one of us, we have to be ready. God bless.
Danee Roedl
Saturday June 24th, 2017 at 10:01 AMSBC membership and churches now have a choice; embrace the new doctrine or protest to have it reversed. If leadership doesn’t change shake off your sandals and walk away.
Mark 6:11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
2 Peter 2:3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
Peter T
Saturday June 24th, 2017 at 03:16 PMI am not interested in a watered down version, I will stick with the NASB and the NKJV.
admin
Sunday June 25th, 2017 at 01:53 PMThe NASB is corrupted because follows the Catholic western text. The NKJV is considerably better but still has some of the same textual errors as the NASB and translations from western manuscripts.
Darin J Werner
Sunday June 25th, 2017 at 01:00 AMI was confused by Hal Mayer’s title for the article, specifically the “gender-inclusive” word. If you are including gender, it would be more like the original, which includes gender-specific wording. I would call it gender-exclusive since they are excluding references to specific gender. Even better, we all seem to understand the term “gender-neutral”. Maybe that would be more clear.
Now, concerning the matter as we understand it, does this mean that pastors of SBC churches will be told to use this Bible from the pulpit while quoting scripture? What would be the consequences if a pastor was found to be disregarding and using another Bible? Then, what about people who use the Bibles found in the pews/seats, supplied by the church? Would SBC check to make sure those comply? I have my own, so it would not directly effect me now. I do understand the larger implications though.
Paul
Sunday June 25th, 2017 at 02:02 AMActs page 474?????
What happened to chapter and verse?
YES — I know those divisions were not part of the original text — but for generations they are how we have located specific passages.
Can someone please tell me what ‘chapter and verse’ that contorted phrase is supposed to be translating?
admin
Sunday June 25th, 2017 at 04:00 PMThis is a reference to a book with the same title by an amazing writer, Ellen White. Blessings.
Pastor Travis Watson
Sunday June 25th, 2017 at 09:27 AMThis all started in the 60s with the promotion of the Good News for modern man& and the removal of Virgin birth from Is.7:14 plus hell& the blood—So my family left the Southern Baptist-because they left Gods Word-Became Fundamental Ind. Bible Loving 1611 KJV-never have regretted There are a few SB Churches which love the old Bible-I Do not indorse all Ind. Baptist that have the faith for the new contemporary-praise with no power no preaching just teaching the world has sloped in the Church. Love Christ and his Word-every one needs to The Trail of Blood by By B.H Carrol
Pastor Travis Watson
Sunday June 25th, 2017 at 09:31 AMSign of times departure from truth