What is the New International Version (NIV)?

Question: "What is the New International Version (NIV)?"

New International Version - History
The New International Version (NIV) was conceived in 1965 when, after several years of study by committees from the Christian Reformed Church and the National Association of Evangelicals, a trans-denominational and international group of scholars met at Palos Heights, Illinois, and agreed on the need for a new translation in contemporary English. Their conclusion was endorsed by a large number of church leaders who met in Chicago in 1966. Responsibility for the version was delegated to a self-governing body of fifteen Biblical scholars, the Committee on Bible Translation, and in 1967, the New York Bible Society undertook the financial sponsorship of the project. In 1973 the New Testament was published. The first printing of the entire Bible was in 1978. Additional changes were made in 1983. Versions based on the NIV are The New International Version - UK (NIVUK) and The New International Reader's Version (NIrV), an “easier to read and understand” version of the NIV. In 2002, a significant revision of the NIV, known as the Today’s New International Version, was published. The TNIV’s primary change from the NIV is a more gender-inclusive translation of certain terms.

New International Version - Translation method
The translation of each book of the Bible was assigned to a team of scholars, and the work was thoroughly reviewed and revised at various stages by three separate committees. The Committee submitted the developing version to stylistic consultants for their suggestions. Samples of the translation were tested for clarity and ease of reading by various groups of people. The Committee held to certain goals for the NIV: that it be an “accurate, beautiful, clear, and dignified translation suitable for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing, and liturgical use.” The NIV is known especially as a "thought for thought" / “dynamic equivalence” rather than a “word for word” translation.

New International Version - Pro’s and Con’s
Probably the greatest strength of the New International Version is its readability. The NIV is rendered in smooth-flowing and easy-to-read English. As a result, the NIV has been the best-selling English Bible translation for the past 20 years. Perhaps the greatest weakness of the NIV is that it occasionally delves into interpretation rather than strict translation. In the NIV, some passages are translated with more of a “this is what the translator thinks the text means” instead of “this is what the text says.” In many instances, the NIV likely has a correct “interpretation” but that misses the point. A Bible translation should take what the Bible says in the original languages and say the same thing in the new language, leaving the interpretation to the reader, with the aid of the Holy Spirit.

New International Version - Sample Verses
John 1:1, 14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 8:58: "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Titus 2:13: “while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Recommended Resource: How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions by Gordon D. Fee & Mark L. Strauss.