CHRISTIANS WITH NO BIBLES

Today let’s talk about Christians with no Bibles. I’M talking about Christians for whom no Scripture has until now been translated into their language. Many of these became Christians following the showing of the Jesus Film. Others are Christians because someone from a neighboring language group bridged the linguistic barrier and they heard the good news about Jesus. Etc.

Here is the challenge and my question. Every Christian should have access to the content of the New Testament in his or her own language. They need someone to translate the NT. in their language. Well and good. But, let’s face it, if someone begins that translation effort today, it will be another ten years before it is completed and available in print. And, additionally, these are non-readers, oral culture people.

Must such Christians wait those many years before they have access to their translated New Testament in their own mother tongue? Here’s what I think should be considered. Why not explore the possibility of doing an oral translation of the NT? Using a backpack recording studio’s equipment and method, such a NT translation could be completed in somewhere between one and two years time.

I know that such a credible, accurate, oral translation is doable because I have done it myself. Years ago, while serving as a missionary in Ethiopia, we did an oral translation on cassettes of several books of the NT in the Shako language. I can still see in my mind’s eye, that group of twelve or fifteen listeners meeting to hear their oral translation of the NT on cassette. Following that listening time together each Sunday morning, they made their way down the trail to the church building for their worship service.

This kind of oral translation and listening experience is needed for the thousands of Christians in oral cultures for whom no traditional translation of their NT exists. In my next blog, I hope to tell you how it can be done.

For more information call 1-800-318-7262 or visit www.talkingbibles.org

Harvey Hoekstra – harvey@talkingbibles.org
www.talkingbibles.org

Goal: A TALKING BIBLE SUNDAY IN THOUSANDS OF CHURCHES THIS YEAR, 2012 AD.