Open letter to the Lockman Foundation:
I just read a report that your NASB 2020 is going to drop the Greek word “adelphoi” from the text of Scripture, replacing it with “brothers and sisters.” This is very sad. Why not let God’s words remain?
The use of a word with a male semantic meaning component as an inclusive communicates the federal headship of that “one man,” “Adam.” Are you also going to remove all the occurrences of the Hebrew word “adam” in the Old Testament, changing your translation from “man” to “man and woman?” Are you going to gag God’s naming of the race “adam” in Genesis 5:2? After all, He was including the female of the species when He gave our race this name so virile in its male semantic meaning component.
If you’re going to correct God speaking to the church inclusive of men and women by His use of the word “adelphoi” (“brothers”), consistency would require you to change all the places in Scripture He uses the male inclusive. This usage has become so very scandalous today, but we would have thought you capable of standing against this pressure.
I’ve constantly promoted the NASB precisely for the reason that you had not yet deleted God’s non-PC words. If you go this route, I will oppose your 2020 revision because of its unfaithfulness to the words God Himself inspired.
Please reconsider this decision. Have faith in God’s words being powerful today in our wicked and rebellious age. Remember that Jesus said He would be ashamed of us if we are ashamed of His “words.”
With love in Christ,
