Speaking of the New International Version 2011, here's another change indicative of the version's corruption of God's Word:
John 1:19
NASB
This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
NIV (1984)
Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.
NIV2011
Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders[a] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.
[a] 19 The Greek term traditionally translated the Jews (hoi Ioudaioi) refers here and elsewhere in John’s Gospel to those Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus; also in 5:10, 15, 16; 7:1, 11, 13; 9:22; 18:14, 28, 36; 19:7, 12, 31, 38; 20:19.
The Greek word 'Ioudaioi' is the English word 'Jews.' Since Hitler's holocaust, though, Jews have been bringing pressure to bear on Bible publishers and the translators they employ to take this word 'Jews' out of the Gospel of John...
They tell the Bible publishers that they don't want their grandchildren being called "Christ-killers," and that it would be a great help to them if the Apostle John's historical account of the Jews' hatred for Christ and pursuit of Him to the Cross and the grave were removed from the Bible.
So the New Living Translation and the NIV2011 have obliged by altering the text of Scripture. Where the Apostle John reports that the "Jews" opposed Jesus, they change it to "Jewish leaders." Or sometimes they simply take the word 'Jews' out and replace it with the word 'they' or 'those.'
Thus on Good Friday when pastors ask our congregations "who killed Jesus," the congregation no longer says "the Jews," but rather "the Jewish leaders." Or simply "they did."
Which is to say that on Good Friday when the pastor asks the people "who killed Jesus," the congregation no longer says "we did," but rather "you and the elders did." Which fits in perfectly with the democratic hatred of authority which permeates our world.
Let's come back to the beginning, though, before we end.
What's wrong with translating 'Ioudaioi' "they" or "Jewish leaders?"
What's wrong is that it doesn't mean "they" or "Jewish leaders."
It means "Jews."
There are ways of saying "they" and "Jewish leaders" in Greek. And when the Holy Spirit inspired Scripture's authors to write "they" or "Jewish leaders," we know it because that's what they wrote. Just so when He inspired the authors of Scripture to write "Jews." We know it because that's what they wrote.
Did you all read my earlier post about how "translators are instinctively averse to the risk of being taken for less than fully cultivated writers?" There are few things like the threat of being accused of anti-Semitism to make a scholar tremble.
