When it was published, Walking With God and His People, CSI’s k–8 Bible curriculum, used the 1984 NIV for scripture references. At that time, it was the translation most in use worldwide and in member schools.
In 2011 the NIV was updated. “In some cases, the changes in the translation reflect current scholarship, the result of further study and deeper understanding of the original languages,” said Dr. Douglas Moo, chair of the NIV Committee on Bible Translation. “Other changes reflect a more accurate reflection of current English. The goal is always accuracy.”
The revisions include gender-neutral language (brothers and sisters instead of brothers, people instead of all men) when that was the clear intent of the original text. Pronouns for the Trinity continue to be consistently translated as masculine.
With the updates, the 1984 version is no longer available, either in print or digitally. While most of the Walking With God curriculum wasn’t impacted by the Bible revisions, in some cases worksheets, test banks, and memory work would have been impossible to complete without being updated to comply with the new wording.
In response to the updates, CSI’s Product Development Department created new PDFs of the workbook pages in question. Instructors can download the pages (www.csionline.org/curriculum-updates) and substitute them for the previous pages.
“As CSI looks toward revising or redoing our Bible curriculum, we’ll consult with our member schools about the version of scripture the majority prefers,” said Rachael Heyboer, manager of curriculum product development. “We appreciate the NIV, but we want to be responsive to our schools and the version they prefer to use.”
On April 14, CSI sponsored a webinar on changes in the NIV and the impact these changes might have on a Christian school classroom. The webinar is archived on CSI’s Vimeo page. Additional resources on Bible translation can be found at www.thenivbible.com/, www.thenivbible.com/doug-moo-on-bible-translation/, and www.thenivbible.com/50th-anniversary/.