2010 NIV Does Not Favor the Word “Confess”
December 11, 2010 5 Comments
Biblegateway now has the default search translation set to the 2010 NIV. I was doing a search for “confess” and it basically came up empty. It seems they have replaced it with “declare” (like in Romans 10:9, Heb 3:1), “acknowledge” (Phil 2:11), and “profess” (Heb 13:15). The only place it still shows up is in 1 Timothy6:13. Anyone out there up on why they made this change and why it is so inconsistent? I guess the context is probably in play here but it still seems like “confession” should still be in our vocabulary. It is a bit stronger of meaning to “confess” Jesus than to merely “acknowledge” him. Don’t you think?
About mattdabbs
Kingdom Living 
Interesting, I didn’t know they’d already put it up on Biblegateway yet. I agree. I think, in my mind anyway of the time I’d see “confess” being to “acknowledge” as “faith” is to “intellectual ascent.” Maybe I’m reading more into it that there is, but it seems to me that confession implies not only an acknowledgement of Christ as Lord, but an embracing of all the consequences of saying so. “Declare” at least does speak with more force that “acknowledge” does, because it, too, carries a sense of one truly putting themselves on the line for what they are declaring.
Woops. Hit post too quickly. That sentence should begin, “I think, in my mind anyway, most of the time I’d see…”
I believe this could be one of those dilemas you find yourself in when trying to figure out how to take action out of our relationship with God.
I will have a look at this tomorrow when I have a few more resources at my disposal.
Interesting… I certainly don’t have a clue as to what the reasoning for this was, so I will reserve judgment until I know more. However, I do know that the word “confess” is still an everyday part of the American English vernacular. The word is used quite commonly in criminal legal proceedings and on crime-tv shows.
Grace and Peace,
Rex