PART 1 of 3
WHY BIBLE TRANSLATION ISN’T ENOUGH
Picture a dusty stack of Bibles, forgotten in a city warehouse, hundreds of miles from the only people on earth who could read them—a people who seem to do church just fine without Bibles. Picture another people group across the ocean dutifully going to church, carrying their Bibles with them. They sing songs learned from foreigners, and then continue about their life of fearful reverence toward a certain huge rock just visible out in the sea. That rock, they believe, is Jesus. The other rock not too far away? His brother, Satan.
These scenes are real. They’re happening today, in our world. And variations of these scenarios are played out in scores—if not hundreds—of locations worldwide. Missionaries came, translated the Bible, and left. But what did they leave? Disciples of Jesus? Could it be called a church?
Why didn’t Bible translation transform their lives?
Steve Sanford of Ethnos360 shared a chart with us, comparing the fruit of BT-only efforts versus Bible translation coupled with church planting. Years of experience and observation have shown what brings consistent results of local believers valuing and benefiting from the translated Scriptures. That is, the translation process cannot be a stand-alone project. It must be integrated with the church-planting process.
In our zeal for Bible translation, we dare not forget that our commission goes far beyond making God’s written Word available to people. We are to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to live by His teachings. (Mt. 28:19, 20)