Question:  Dear Greg,

            Are Playboy and Zondervan Bible Publishing Company really owned by the same people?  If so, does this explain why the NIV should be avoided?  I’ve heard some disturbing things about this and I don’t know what to think.

            Thank you,

            Ben

 

Answer:  Dear Ben,

            My initial reaction to what you report is that that is slander, which is not only illegal, but against the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This allegation sounds like an urban myth—stories which are often fabricated rumors intended to disrupt and cause harm (also not terribly Christian).

            Zondervan, a reputable and longtime Christian publishing house, has published the NIV.  The NIV has a huge market share of all Bibles sold in the United States .  One possible motive of decreasing that market share would be greed (which also receives negative ink in the Bible).

            So, why would anyone pass on such stuff?

            In addition, if this is what I believe it to be—a completely fabricated myth—it caters to those who love a conspiracy theory.  Conspiracy theories are usually long on intrigue and terribly short on facts and evidence.  If what you ask about is true, where is the accompanying documentation?  Or are we to gullibly believe what someone says?  The Bible also warns about Christians allowing themselves to be blown hither and yon by every “wild of doctrine”.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht