A new controversial Bible translation is being supported by rock band the Newsboys.

IN A SURPRISE move, Christian rock band the Newsboys have thrown their support behind a new translation of the Bible which is receiving particular criticism from some evangelical quarters. As retailers begin to stock Today's New International Version (TNIV) published in the USA by Zondervan, some Christians claim the new translation dilutes Scriptural meaning by revising gender references. Critics have said that changes to male and female references made it "gender neutral" and the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW), the Southern Baptist and the Presbyterian Church in America have urged it not be used for personal study or church services.

Against this background the new translation is being endorsed for publishers Zondervan by rock band Newsboys. Lead singer Peter Furler said that there had been a time in his life when although he believed the truth, "I didn't have much (truth) in me," because he knew little of what God had said. "The only foundation that will prevail is the one built on God's Word. That's why I'm proud to stand with Zondervan bringing the Word to today's generation. That's why I believe so strongly in Today's New International Version, the TNIV, a new translation that speaks the timeless truth of God's Word in the language of today."

TNIV translator Douglas Moo, said he and the Committee On Bible Translation had carried out their job to analyze the original text and had decided how best to "say it" in modern English. He said, in a letter to Christian Retailing magazine, that they had analyzed every word of Scripture and then sought to "say" what those words say in modern English. "Our decision to use 'inclusive language' is a direct result of this commitment. We use inclusive language - just as all modern translations have done to one degree or another."