App Update!! NIV, CSB & Bug Fixes!

Hello TTW friends!
Pastor Kris here. I can’t even tell you how excited I am to make this announcement. Big news. Really big. Like super big!!

Okay, maybe that’s overstating. But it’s big. I know, you’re saying “Just get to the news already!” Alright, alright. Maybe I just wanted to give you a little build up because I’ve literally been looking forward to this announcement for six years. And at long last, here it is…
TTW just added the NIV and CSB translations! 
We finally have options! And even better, the new translations both come with high quality audio Bibles. Can you tell I’m excited?

Along with the new Bible translations, you should also see several performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that recently cropped up on some devices. So…

To get the updates:
1. Open the App Store on your device.
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Store Link
2. Tap update!

That’s the big news. If you’re wondering why it took so long, it’s an even longer story – about copyrights, licensing, software APIs, and all the crazy stuff that goes into running a Bible app. But we made it! And there’s more to come. We’ll be adding more translations and more improvements on the app – but one step at a time. So go get the update, and let us know what you think. And if you like TTW, please post a review in the App Store – those mean a lot to us!

In Christ,
Pastor Kris



P.S. (a few notes):

• Issues on the new app? If you have issues, email [email protected] and we’ll do all we can to fix it.
• What happened to the ESV? To add the new translations, we had to temporarily remove the ESV – but it’s coming back. Long story short – when we added the NIV & CSB, we had to change our API (now provided by DBL), and our ESV license is still in process for updating. And lots of other TLA’s (three-letter-acronyms) were involved. If that sounded like nonsense to you, just be glad you don’t have to deal with it every day!
• Will TTW be adding KJV, NLT, or others? We plan to add a few more translations as we are able to get the licensing for them. It’s a lot more work than you would think.
• What’s the NIV? The New International Version of the Bible is an outstanding translation in clear and understandable English, published by Biblica. It is the translation that I read from most often in my audio guides (along with the ESV).  Link to Biblica’s Summary of the NIV
• What’s the CSB? The Christian Standard Bible is an accurate and balanced translation published by LifeWay, and is recently becoming a new favorite of mine to read. LifeWay link on the CSB
• I heard there was some controversy about the NIV. Yes, there was some controversy in 2011 when the NIV updated their translation so that references to “men” or “brothers” were more clearly made to “people” or “brothers and sisters.” The CSB and others have made similar updates. While I understand both sides of this debate, I support the updates as accurate to the original intent and meaning of the Bible text. The update was about changes to English language today, not changes to the original Bible (in the past, the English word “man” often meant human or mankind, where today it is more commonly used to refer to a male human). Here are a couple links to helpful comments on the matter: Christianity Today Article on Gender Inclusivity, and here’s a Snopes article on verses “not in” the NIV.