THE POWER OF THE TRANSLATED SCRIPTURE

In the Sudan our first translation work was done in a small room attached to our mud walled, grass-roofed house. We were near completing our first translation of a book in the New Testament, the Gospel of Mark. During those days a man, named Dilok, from a village a couple of miles away, had been coming daily to receive medicine for his dysentery. On one of those days Dilok came into the room where we were sitting and quietly sat down on the floor to listen to what we were doing. He continued doing this for a number of days.

Dilok was sitting there the morning we finished translating the Gospel of Mark. On that morning we read aloud the 15th and 16th chapters. Dilok was listening to every word. When the reading stopped, he said, “I have heard this good word from God and it has gone into my liver.” He expressed a desire to become a person of Jesus and to be baptized.

This was wonderful to hear, but there was a hurdle to overcome. I had visited Dilok’s village and in the center of his village he had a shrine – a bamboo pole at the base of which was a mound of direct covering the bones of the several sheep and goats he had sacrificed. And on the pole there was attached a small gourd where beer would be poured at certain times. All was done to keep strong and to be at peace with feared evil spirits of one kind or another.

I spoke to him lovingly and carefully explaining to him that to be baptized he would have to destroy that shrine and make no more sacrifices as he had in the past. I said, “A man cannot walk on two paths at the same time.” I recall telling him, “God has brought you today to hear His sweet word because He loves you and wants you to belong to Him.
You don’t need to make sacrifices anymore. Jesus, God’s only Son, was the perfect sacrifice showing us how much God loves us. You must think deeply in your liver and ask God to make you wise and unafraid of anything because you are trusting Jesus who is alive with power over death and the grave.” Etc.

I shall always remember how this man turned and walked slowly away without making a positive response. It was a moment of great sadness both for him and for us.

But God was not through with this man yet. Two or three weeks later Dilok returned. He had a spring in his step and his face was radiant. He said, “God has shown me that I must destroy my shrine and put all my trust in Jesus.” I am ready to do that and I want to be baptized.”

Some weeks later, our small group of Christians walked out to Dilok’s village and I baptized him saying in his own language, “Dilok, I wash you with the water of God in the name of Jesus Christ. Walk in His new path always. Enogawno.” (Amen)

Dilok became a strong Christian and eventually was an elder in the church.

Many experiences like that have demonstrated the power of the translated Scripture among those who read or hear. When translated New Testaments go out as Talking Bibles, God’s power to open blind eyes, soften hard hearts and give understanding and faith is evident over and over. The worldwide church is challenged to press ahead with its Bible translation efforts and to make every NT recording available in audio for all who do not read. To me it seems unthinkable that we would not do this in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Because they need to hear,
Harvey Hoekstra – harvey@talkingbibles.org
www.talkingbibles.org

Goal: A TALKING BIBLE SUNDAY IN THOUSANDS OF ADDITIONAL CHURCHES TO PROVIDE TALKING BIBLES BEFORE THIS YEAR ENDS.