In an initial examination of the full-Bible edition of Today’s New International Version (TNIV) recently released by Zondervan, critics have already found attempts at "gender neutrality" that substantially change the meaning of passages in both the Old and New Testaments.

Bible scholar/theologian Wayne A. Grudem and Randy Stinson, executive director for The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) have provided preliminary analysis on the TNIV’s revisions of the original New International Version (NIV) and have provided a number of obvious areas in which gender-neutral language alters the meaning of a passage from the Hebrew and Greek. Grudem is research professor of the Bible and Theology at Phoenix Seminary in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is a board member for CBMW and a past president of the Evangelical Theological Society.

A few examples of erroneous changes include (Alterations and words in the original language are in italics):

Grudem said it is proper to remove male-oriented words when there is no male-oriented meaning in the original Greek or Hebrew text, but said the above examples and many others his early analysis has yielded, point up the reason why fidelity to the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic manuscripts is non-negotiable.

"When there is a male meaning, we dare not under-translate and conceal the meaning just because that emphasis is unpopular today," he said.

For further evalustions of TNIV texts, see the survey's by Grudem (http://www.cbmw.org/resources/tniv/articles_tniv/2005_0222_article_grudem.php) and Vern Poythress (www.cbmw.org/article.php?id=108), co-authors of The TNIV and the Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy (Broadman & Holman, 2004) . These articles and further evaluations of the TNIV are available at www.cbmw.org/resources/tniv.

Do Christians really need to understand the doctrine of the Trinity to better know God?

Or is this often little-understood doctrine better left for the wrangling of theologians in the Bible colleges and seminaries?

In his new book, Father, Son & Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, & Relevance (Crossway Books), Bruce A. Ware argues that the Trinity is a doctrine that demands careful study by all Christians--from those with the seminary Ph.D. to the layperson--in order that they might better know and reverence the one true God.

After building a biblical case for the Trinity and showing how the church has grappled with and articulated the doctrine throughout her history, Ware demonstrates the practical necessity of knowing God according to His triune nature.

Ware is professor of Christian theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a council member of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. In the opening chapter, Ware sets forth 10 reasons why Christians will be deepened in their relationship with God by studying and biblically reflecting on the doctrine of the Trinity.

"God cares that we know who he is, and he longs for us to understand him rightly, according to what he has revealed in his Word," Ware writes. "And not only must we seek to know God from Scripture, we should also seek to understand how the doctrine of the Trinity was formulated by early Christians--and how it has endured as generation after generation has reaffirmed his understanding of God.

"If we fail to understand rightly what the church has held in this crucial doctrine, we run the risk of having misconceptions of God and even of promoting heresy. On the other hand, to understand rightly just how God is both one and three is to enter into some of Scripture’s most glorious truths and to share with Christians through the ages the joy of beholding the wonder of our triune God."

In separate chapters, Ware examines each member of the Godhead and His role in redemption and the distinctive roles of each within the intra-trinitarian relationship. In the closing chapter, Ware offers 10 points of application for the significance of the Trinity in understanding roles, authority, and relationships.

As the book’s subtitle suggests, one area of profound significance for the doctrine of the Trinity is the way in which the members of the Godhead are unified, yet exhibit distinct roles in relation to each another.

The triune relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit also reflect an authority-submission structure within the Godhead, Ware points out. Though all three members of the Godhead are co-eternal, the Son submits to the will of the Father, and the Spirit submits to both the Father and Son in carrying out the work of redemption.

These intra-trinitarian relationships demonstrate a clear pattern for the complementary way in which God has ordained human relationships to function, Ware says. Subordination and a "division of labor" within the Trinity, holds clear implications for gender roles in both the home and church, he asserts.

"If we are thus to represent God and reflect who he is in our relationships and activities, part of this involves reflecting the ways in which the triune persons relate to one another," Ware writes.

"As we see the love relationship among the Trinitarian persons, we should seek the same kind of love to be expressed among us, God’s people. And as we see harmony expressed amidst differing roles and responsibilities among the members of the Trinity, we should seek this kind of harmony as we acknowledge varying gifting and activities within the body of Christ.

"And as we see thoughtful, judicious authority exercised along with joyful, glad-hearted submission within the very Trinity itself, we should seek to exemplify these same kinds of qualities on our relationships of authority and submission."

In the end, knowing the triune God of Scripture provides the irreducible framework for the believer’s prayer and meaningful, biblical worship, Ware points out.

"Christian worship must be worship of the Son, by the power of the Spirit, to the ultimate glory of the Father," he writes. "Worship is deeply satisfying and correctly expressed to the glory of this triune God only as it is exercised within this Trinitarian framework."

Ware’s book is available through the CBMW webstore at http://www.cbmw.org/store/.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-More than 500 pastors Monday braved the Minnesota winter to hear how the message of biblical gender roles needs to be a vital part of local church ministry.

Wayne Grudem and C.J. Mahaney, council members of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, served as keynote speakers and admonished pastors to faithful teaching in the area of biblical gender roles. The half-day conference was sponsored by CBMW and the Fidelis Foundation of Minneapolis.

The free conference was conceived last fall and was initially open to 200 registrants. Almost immediately, the conference filled up and CBMW officials opened the doors to an additional 300 pastors. These slots also filled quickly. The event served as a "pre-conference" to the annual pastor’s conference at Bethlehem Baptist Church which began Monday night and continued through Wednesday.

"The conference was a huge success, not merely because Grudem and Mahaney delivered incredible messages, but because over 500 pastors were exhorted to understand the complementarian position and to live it out in a compelling way," Stinson said.

"The impact that this will have on various congregations all over the world is immeasurable. We now plan to hold these conferences in various cities in the U.S. We are grateful for the Fidelis Foundation of Minneapolis for their generosity that made this possible."

Said Baxter: "And you must not lay a stumbling block in their way, not blow up the fire of their lust, nor make your ornaments snares but you must walk among sinful persons as you would do with a candle among straw or gunpowder, or else you may see the flame which you would not foresee, when it is too late to quench it."

To Mary Mohler, wife of CBMW council member R. Albert Mohler Jr., Baxter’s words sorely need to be sounded for the ears of evangelical women of the 21st century. And Mohler is doing her part to proclaim a similar message of biblical modesty.

In the fall of 2002, Mohler made a presentation called "Modeling Modesty" for a group of women at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where her husband serves as president.

The message struck a positive note among those in attendance, and she has presented it a half dozen times since. It is also a regular part of her "Embracing Femininity" class within Southern’s Seminary Wives Institute (SWI). Southern also reprinted her presentation as a booklet entitled "Modeling Modesty".

"It has been interesting to see how many people see this as a hot button issue that few people seem to be tackling," Mohler said. "There are some people who are very passionate about restoring modesty. They have encouraged me greatly."

Contemporary American culture offers such avant-garde clothing stores for women the likes of "Xhiliration," which targets girls as young as six years of age. "Xhiliration" woos customers with a freewheeling postmodern slogan, "There are no rules. Whether you choose to dress crazy or dress to thrill-make a statement, make a scene, wear what you want and it won’t be wrong."

With wanton displays of immodesty ubiquitous within the Britney/Madonna culture and with feminism on the rise, Mohler says Christians must think seriously about the place of modesty when seeking to express genuine biblical womanhood. After all, the Bible in clearest terms sets forth a standard regarding how women should dress for worship, she points out.

"Scripture teaches that a man should look like a man and a woman should look like a woman-proudly (in passages such as Deut. 22:5)," Mohler said. "We are to celebrate the differences between us not only in dress but in every other way.

"When teen girls dress like boys, they are sending a clear signal that femininity is not an option for them. This often signals that they want to be treated as boys, so don’t even think about opening the door for them or offering to help. They have somehow bought into the lie that femininity equals weakness and inferiority.

"It is critical for our daughters to understand that their dress gives a huge impression-for good or for bad regarding their view of womanhood. A woman who dresses in such a way to avoid looking feminine is communicating strongly without even opening her mouth."

Mohler does not speak speculatively about these things. Modesty has served as an irreducible part of training her 15-year-old daughter, Katie. Modesty must be modeled by mothers and should be part and parcel of a family’s culture from birth to the teen years, she said.

"Parents must get their kids on board early since society is vying to do the same," she said. "Just look at the Sunday ads sometime and see what is being consistently marketed to young girls. They make no pretense about selling the idea that you too can look like Britney (Spears) at the age of six.

"Our girls need to know from their earliest memory how precious they are to God and to their parents. They need to hear that their bodies are to be clothed properly. They need to be taught that little girls should dress differently than little boys. All of that is in vain if they look to their mother and see them dress provocatively!"

Does this mean the evangelical woman must always adorn herself in floor-length skirts, petticoats and bonnets? This is not nearly the case, Mohler says; clothes may be found for women of all ages that are both modest and fashionable.

In her booklet, "Modeling Modesty," Mohler urges parents to carefully scrutinize the stores in which their daughters shop.

"Suitable fashions for teenage girls are out there," she writes. "Sometimes you have to look a bit harder for them. Bypassing the juniors’ department is a good start. Am I saying that my teenaged daughter cannot wear jeans, tee shirts, shorts, a bathing suit or skirts that are above her knee? No, there are times when certain garments within those categories are appropriate.

"Am I saying that never, ever, not even once, can she wear a halter top, cropped top, mini skirt, skin tight shirts, anything that shows cleavage or midriff, hip-hugger jeans and shirts that don’t meet, that she can’t even go into an Abercrombie store, that she can’t keep Clinique in business when she is 14, and that her Sunday clothes are going to be different from her other clothes? Yes, that is exactly what I am saying."

Gender-News.com conducted an interview on modesty with Mary Mohler. The entire interview is available at www.gender-news.com/article.php?id=57.

The following is a Q&A with Mrs. Mary K. Mohler, wife of Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Mrs. Mohler serves as Director of the Seminary Wives Institute (SWI) at Southern Seminary, which educates and equips ministers’ wives for service in local churches by providing biblically based and practically applied teaching.

MKM: Since I made the initial presentation to the Pendergraph Women’s Ministry (a ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) back in the fall of 2002, I have probably presented it about 6 times, including my SWI Embracing Femininity class that has met twice since then. I am scheduled to do it in Lexington next month and in South Carloina in March. I have turned down several requests since I limit my travel.

I would not say it is a central part of my ministry. It was one major point in a previous presentation to Pendergraph on the big picture about biblical femininity. So many comments were made about that section that I developed it into a 45-minute speech the following year. From there, quite a bit of interest was generated from a Baptist Press story covering the issue. It has been interesting to see how many people see this as a hot button issue that few people seem to be tackling. There are some people who are very passionate about restoring modesty. They have encouraged me greatly. Then, the seminary published the presentation in booklet form after the magazine ran it. I had another wave of responses since then.

It’s funny-I did not take this on to be my "signature issue" but it seems that it has become that somehow, in part because others are not writing about it much. I am still very troubled by the lack of modesty seen all around us but I have great interest in other issues as well.

MKM: One of the goals of feminism is to blur the lines of gender distinction such that we all look the same-and sameness equals freedom, they say. That is clearly contrary to the biblical model we have for manhood and womanhood. Scripture teaches that a man should look like a man and a woman should look like a woman-proudly (Deut. 22:5). We are to celebrate the differences between us not only in dress but in every other way. When teen-aged girls dress like boys, they are sending a clear signal that femininity is not an option for them. This often signals that they want to be treated as boys, so don’t even think about opening the door for them or offering to help. They have somehow bought into the lie that femininity equals weakness and inferiority.

It is critical for our daughters to understand that their dress gives a huge impression-for good or for bad regarding their view of womanhood. A woman who dresses in such a way to avoid looking feminine is communicating strongly without even opening her mouth. This is a big picture issue and one that should not be discarded as unimportant because it’s "just clothes." Does this mean we must teach our daughters that they may only wear dresses and skirts and that their wardrobe is limited to pink and purple? Certainly not. It does mean that they need to carefully consider whether what they choose to wear reflects the desire of their hearts to be women seeking after God in every area of their lives. So should we as women eliminate gender-neutral clothing that is not at least accessorized in such a way that no male would be caught dead wearing it? Yes.

MKM: There are clear biblical directives written to women specifically by both Paul and Peter regarding how women should dress for worship. I discussed these specifically in my booklet, "Modeling Modesty". This tells us that the issue is indeed a timeless one. We must also be keenly aware that we are talking about an issue of the heart here. Godly women who understand how men stumble when visually stimulated have absolutely no excuse to wear immodest clothing. It’s really that simple. What continues to puzzle me is how devout Christian parents and even grown women that I know either choose to ignore what their dress signals or simply have decided that they don’t care. Ignorance is a rare excuse but is valid for some who must have been living under a rock for some period of time and don’t know that they cause men to lust and women to justify similar dress as they carelessly wear tight or revealing clothing.

Parents must get their kids on board early since society is vying to do the same. Just look at the Sunday ads sometime and see what is being consistently marketed to young girls. They make no pretense about selling the idea that you too can look like Britney at the age of six. Our girls need to know from their earliest memory how precious they are to God and to their parents. They need to hear that their bodies are to be clothed properly. They need to be taught that little girls should dress differently than little boys. All of that is in vain if they look to their mothers and see them dressed provocatively! If these lessons are started early, then the teenage years will not be World War III. If you try to start imposing rules then, get ready for major problems. In addition, I advise parents to bypass the juniors’ department altogether. There are lots of other options elsewhere.

MKM: Yes, he certainly does. He talks to dads about the struggles that their sons have dealing with the barrage of sexual images that are coming from all sides. Dads need to be talking to boys about how to deal with it. He also says that the biggest problem girls face as teens is the early sexualization imposed on them by modern society. Moms need to be talking to girls about how to be responsible young women who are not contributing to the problem. Some parents get off track and start thinking that it is affirming for their beautiful daughters to be the center of attention and peak of popularity. They sometimes get vicarious enjoyment and parental pride from watching heads turn when their immodestly dressed daughters walk in the room. When challenged, they wrongfully assume that others are simply jealous of their daughter’s physical beauty.

These parents are missing the vital point that should be driven home to daughters over and over again. True beauty starts on the inside and works its way out through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us. Do we honestly want males to like our daughters based on the anatomy that is being flaunted before them? Too many young girls have been taken in by the attention of males only to be devastated when they learn that they are only of interest because of skin-deep beauty. Parents must not bend on the issues of modesty even when it causes fireworks with their daughters. These girls truly do not know any better and that’s why God gave them parents to set out the truth plainly for them. Many times, when the issue of causing men to sin is explained clearly, even young girls have a wake up call and make changes that are life-long.

MKM: I heard from some angry people who thought I was way off base. Most of them had ridiculous arguments such as the fact that avoiding Abercrombie and Fitch was not mentioned in the Bible. Others chocked my arguments up as another attempt by conservatives to shut down freedom and impose rigid rules. They clearly missed the point entirely.

I also heard from many people from all over the country who were in total agreement with the issues raised and wanted to hear more. They ordered copies of my booklet with hopes of spreading the word. Mothers of sons in particular, voiced concerns for getting the message of modesty out there since their sons are the ones being tempted, even in church, and moms of sons have little input to make changes.

As I stated earlier, "Modeling Modesty" arose from my "Celebrating Femininity" speech to Pendergraph. However, our SWI elective called "Embracing Femininity" was born due to interest generated from the femininity presentation that included a section on modesty. Mrs. Jodi Ware and I worked together to plan the curriculum for our six-week class. We have offered it three times already and have had a great response from our students. One session of the six-week course is basically "Modeling Modesty."

MKM: Yes, I see it as one of those issues that people see as too personal to deal with at church and too risky in terms of hurting people’s feelings or offending them beyond repair. Let’s face it, no one likes to be told that they are dressing inappropriately. So, it is considered an off limits subject for many. After all, we are trying to encourage people to come and be committed members of our churches so why risk sending them away by an awkward conversation about dress? The result is that in many churches you now find teenage girls (and sometimes their mothers) who are quite honestly dressing in such a way that simply looks like the world. Raising this issue at all conjures up images of women in Victorian dress who only dare show their ankles. This does not come close to defining Christian modesty in practice.

The range of variety and diversity in dress is vast! What we are talking about is eliminating options that may well be the hot fashion in Hollywood but are not modest by any stretch of the imagination. Stylishness is not prohibited but wearing clothing that accents the female anatomy in an inappropriate way is. Sometimes women get caught in the trap of thinking that unless clothing has a certain label and is seen on the pages of vogue magazines that it is passé and boring. They cannot consider the option of drawing a line and setting standards nor are they willing to keep looking until they find what is acceptable. Don’t tell me that options don’t exist. I have a teen-aged daughter and enjoy wearing lots of different styles myself. They are out there!

MKM: It is one of those issues that was established early and has truly not been a big problem for us. Sometimes it means that we do have to look beyond the first store to find an appropriate prom dress, for example. What’s gratifying is that my daughter herself eliminates many inappropriate options and would feel very uncomfortable even trying on many others. Even when she was a pre-teen, she would hold up garments off of the rack and say, "Mom, look at this, can you believe how bad this is?" I would always agree with her in utter disbelief but inwardly I would be smiling as I thought, "Thank you, Lord that years of preparation for this stage are paying off and that You have deeply instilled in her a sense of modesty!"

It is unthinkable to some parents when they hear me suggest bypassing the juniors’ department altogether. Ditto for never even entering an Abercrombie and Fitch store or similar stores whose windows are full of clothes that are far from being options for my daughter. Why go there? I am not suggesting that a young teenager should shop around the same rack as their grandmothers do, but there are many fine options in the misses’ department. Classic designers market high quality tailored clothing that flatters yet appropriately covers women of all ages. Often, the smaller sizes of 2-4-6 are available as they are not purchased as quickly as more median sizes. Purses, shoes, and other accessories that are clearly popular for teens are excellent ways to allow your daughter to enjoy her some of her own generation’s trends without compromising her standards of decency.

Clearly, some misses’ fashions are geared to older women but the majority are not. When teenaged girls are especially petite, they may need to look at petite specialty stores for women. Catalogs and consignment stores are good options as well. When finances permit, it is a great idea to purchase modest clothing when you see it on sale even if it is to be stored for a couple of years until the daughter grows into it. You can be a wonderful resource for moms of younger girls who may be on a tight budget by passing on gently used clothing to them when your daughter grows out of it.

Lastly, realize that many young girls who are dressing inappropriately actually crave the concern of their parents. If honest, they would admit that they need guidance and boundaries and are unable to set those on their own. Just like they need curfews and house rules, they need guidelines for dress. They are unlikely to ask for them but are often simply relieved that you care enough to invest the time and money it takes to protect them.

This problem is not going to go away and is likely to escalate. Christian parents need to wake up and take this matter very seriously. It is lazy and irresponsible to minimize the damage that is being done by immodesty and to justify "choosing our battles" in terms of drugs, alcohol, and other important issues. On the other hand, parents don’t have the luxury of letting modesty slide under the rationalization that "she’s a good girl who doesn’t do drugs and alcohol so if she wants to dress like her friends, what’s the harm?" Our huge task is to raise immature and innocent little girls to grow into mature and responsible Christian wives and mothers who will be a salt and light in a dark world. No one ever said that would be easy. Pray hard! Be ready to fight some battles. The reward will be tremendous.