I’m so excited about a movement currently happening in the Kingdom of God. Have you heard the latest about Bible translation projects? Several ministry organizations have banded together so they can accomplish a Mount Everest kind of goal. They want to wipe out Bible poverty by the year 2033.
What is Bible poverty?
Bible poverty describes the condition of a people group who have no access to a translation of the Bible in their native tongue. Right now, that means about 3200 out of about 7300 languages do not yet have Scriptures available to them. Yet, those involved in Bible translation ministries believe that with the technical tools we now have, we can narrow the gap. It sounds impossible. But they believe that with God’s help, they can provide at least a portion of the Bible to every language group in the world.
I have several close acquaintances who are directly involved in Bible translation. Over the last few months, these women have given me an insider’s look at what makes this so exciting and yet so impossible. Translating from Greek into another language, printing out the Bibles, and distributing them to native speakers who have long waited for this moment is only the tip of the iceberg. It is so much more complicated!
What are the snags?
- What if the language has never been in written form before—not even an alphabet that catches the unique sounds of that particular language?
- What if the people can’t read? What good is a printed book to illiterate people? They might as well use the new book as a door stopper.
- What if the people group are resistant to an outsider learning their language? Can they trust them? Why should they trust them? And who is this God in this book anyway? We’ve believed in our pantheon of spirits for centuries. Why do you want to change our ways?
Why the effort?
Then the most common question: Why not just teach people English, their regional tongue, or the Hebrew and Greek of the Bible instead? After all, don’t people in most other countries used to learning and speaking more than one language?
The reason is logical. People understand concepts best if the material is in their native tongue. A person might mentally understand concepts in another language, but any of us relate better to those concepts and will have more emotional resonance if we see the words in what translators call our “heart” language.
In addition, it’s a very powerful relational message when a stranger spends years living among your people, and understanding you and your ways so they in turn can hand you a volume in the words of your fathers. Someone noticed us. Someone cared enough about us to create a written language for us so we might be included in God’s call to salvation. Wow! We give people honor and dignity when we translate into their language the message of God’s love for them.
It makes me think of what Jesus did.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
Jesus “put on flesh” and “made His dwelling among us” so we could understand the character, wisdom, and heart of the Father. He wanted us to observe person-to-person the grace and truth He has to offer. That way we could hear Him speak our language. We could watch Him live the same life He’s called us to live right in front of us so we’d know how to follow His example.
Yes, Jesus came to die for the sins we committed. He rose again to demonstrate that He is Lord of the eternal and the Conqueror of death. That is what we celebrate at Easter. But He first came as a baby and lived for 33 years so people of that time could hear God’s heart for themselves in a language they could understand and then record it for the rest of humanity to know.
What can we do?
First, let’s take advantage of the awesome privilege God offers to us. In this interim period between Christmas and Easter, I invite you to immerse yourself in a study of the life of Jesus. Read His words from the Gospels, especially the book of John. Research how He chose to speak in human terms so you could understand what He longed to communicate about God the Father. Hear the love behind His intentions.
Next, pray for those courageous people who believe that God can move mountains in getting God’s words to the final thousands who have never heard. Pray that those in unreached people groups will cooperate in sharing their words so translators can in turn share God’s Word with them.
And if you know a young person who wants a nearly impossible life challenge that could change the world, encourage them to consider Bible translation. It’s a team effort—not everyone involved in Bible translation is a linguist or speaks five languages. Plenty of skill sets are needed to get the job done—accountants, teachers/helpers of homeschooling parents, computer technicians, office managers, and church planters to name a few. And if foreign work or remote living isn’t possible for the one you know, many workers on translation teams do their work off site, working in the United States or other major hubs.
Most important, praise God, the originator of Word translation, for sending Jesus to earth. The central theme of the gospel is this: God became man, meeting us on our level, speaking our language so that we might come home to Him.
For more information about bible translation:
IllumiNations: A Bible Translation in Every Language by 2033!
Additional Articles from Karen’s blog:
Impossible Prayers: What Do You Want?
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