Committee on Bible Translation and IBS-STL Mourn Loss of Noted Bible Scholar and CBT Chairman John Stek
Contact: Lynn Waalkes, IBS-STL Global, 719-867-2626
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 12 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Committee on Bible Translation (CBT) and IBS-STL mourn the passing of the Rev. John Stek, 84, who went to be with His Lord Saturday, June 6, 2009, after a long illness. The Rev. Stek gave nearly 45 years of his life to translating the Bible into the New International Version (NIV), and later, the Today's New International Version (TNIV). He joined the CBT in 1965 and later served as chair for 15 years. The Rev. Stek also served as associate editor for the NIV Study Bible.
"Only we who have served on the CBT know how great is the influence that John Stek has had on the NIV and the TNIV," said Douglas Moo, chair of CBT. "His ability to find the right English wording to communicate the meaning of the original text was quite remarkable. He will leave a huge gap in the CBT, and we will badly miss both his contributions and his wisdom."
The Rev. Stek graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1952 and pastored a Christian Reformed Church in Minnesota prior to serving for 30 years as professor of Old Testament at Calvin Seminary. He retired from teaching in 1990.
A specialist in the poetic structure of the book of Psalms, Stek directed his scholarly ability and considerable knowledge of Hebrew into the task of Bible translation. His ongoing passion was for those who would benefit from a clearer presentation of the biblical text. Rev. Stek was the recipient of the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award from Calvin Seminary.
"John Stek was a true servant of the church," said IBS-STL U.S. President/CEO Doug Lockhart. "His gifts and passion for excellence in Bible translation helped to open the Scriptures for millions of readers around the world. He poured his life into this calling, and we are grateful to God for this amazing legacy."
He is remembered with deep respect and fondness and will be deeply missed.
About IBS-STL
IBS-STL Global is one of the largest Bible and Christian literature ministries worldwide. IBS-STL translates the Bible into major languages and distributes Christian resources through ministry, wholesale, and retail channels to engage people with the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ. It is the translation sponsor and copyright holder of the New International Version® of the Bible, the world's most widely read contemporary English translation, and the Today's New International Version®, Nueva Versión Internacional®, and 45 international Bible translations. For more information, visit www.ibsstl.org.
