BibleGateway.com is an indispensable resource for Bible study. One of its best features is the ability to choose one of many English translations of Scripture in order to compare and contrast, to see, for example, how culture has shaped some translations.
One of the sturdier translations, used in my church and many, many others, is the Revised Standard Version. Although my particular favorite is the English Standard Version, on occasion it’s useful to compare this with the RSV and the New RSV, if only to see what is being read in many mainstream churches. Unfortunately, it is becoming difficult to find an online version of RSV, because the rights must be purchased from the National Council of Churches.
The NCC is a collection of a wide variety of mainline, and not-so-mainline branches of worldwide Christianity. From ethnic churches (e.g. Syrian Orthodox Church) to liberal branches of Baptists (e.g. Progressive National Baptist Convention), to the mainstays of liberal Christianity in America (e.g. Episcopal Church; Presbyterian Church USA). It’s safe to say that NCC is a left-leaning organization, but that’s not what I’m complaining about.
It’s that the NCC has gone after others who have put the text of the RSV online. For example, the University of Virginia Etext Center was forced to pull the RSV. From UVA:
We regret that we are unable to host the Revised Standard Version of the Bible on our website any longer. We were recently contacted by the National Council of Churches of Christ (http://www.ncccusa.org/), who own the copyright for the Revised Standard Version of the Bible in the USA. They have asked us to remove the text from our website, and we have complied with their request. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
One may appreciate the many hours of intense scholarship that go into the production of a modern Bible translation. After all, “The worker deserves his wages” (1 Timothy 5:18). So it’s not against the general notion of copyright protection that I write.
But is not one of the first purposes of any church to spread God’s word? Getting past arcane arguments about intellectual property, the need to avoid piracy of copyright materials, and all of that, shouldn’t evangelicalism trump any monetary issues for a church?
That’s a rhetorical question, friends. Of course it should. Bibles, the word of God, should be made available to all, at minimal cost. Preferably, at no cost to those who seek or who need God’s word.
Which is to say, all of us. I can think of very few better things for which a church’s funds should be used.
You might want to also check out Bible Study Tools at Christianity.com has a huge library of tools such as commentaries, 29 translations, devotionals, lexicons, maps, e-books, and great reading plans. You can also highlight text, save your own notes, use a split screen panel so you can see two translations, a translation and a commentary, etc. Specially noted from your post – they have the RSV and New RSV. You can find them here: Bible Study Tools
Kristie, thanks for the tip. Perhaps Bible Study Tools has paid the NCC for making RSV and NRSV available. I’ve logged on, and it is a great Bible study tool.
My point, however, still stands: no church, or collection of churches, should ever charge for sharing the word of God online.
Hard copy Bibles should be free as well, or at most with a nominal cost. Think Gideons.