Q
All the bible versions or translations that Mrs. Riplinger criticized are in
the Moody Monthly. Does this mean that the Moody organization endorses these
modern versions?
A
In the mid-1960s, Moody hosted the kickoff conference for the NIV. However, I
do not think there is a consensus there regarding new bible versions. For instance, one
of the past vice-presidents of Moody Bible Institute, Dr. Alfred Martin, said the
theories and Greek text behind the new versions “collapse when subject to close
scrutiny.” So, he is not a fan of the NIV or NASB. One of the former pastors of
Moody Memorial Church, Dr. S. Franklin Logsdon, mentioned earlier as a member of
the Amplified Version committee, said:
“I must under God renounce every attachment to the New American Standard Bible....
The deletions are absolutely frightening.... Some of the finest people in the world
believe in that Greek text, the finest leaders that we have today. You’d be surprised;
if I told you, you wouldn’t believe it. They haven’t gone into it, just as I hadn’t gone
into it; [they’re] just taking it for granted. At any rate we went out and started on a
feasibility report, and I encouraged him [Dewey Lockman] to go ahead with it. I’m
afraid I’m in trouble with the Lord, because I encouraged him to go ahead with it.
We laid the groundwork; I wrote the format; I helped to interview some of the
transIators; I sat with the translators; I wrote the preface. When you see the preface
to the New American Standard, those are my words.... I’m going to talk to him
[referring to Dr. George Sweeting, president of Moody Bible Institute] about these
things.... Friends, you can say the Authorized Version is absolutely correct. How
correct? One hundred percent correct.”
So, I would guess that, just like many churches today, there is not necessarily a
consensus at Moody about new bible versions. The wheat and the chaff grow together;
the carnal and the spiritual Christian hoe together.