Least Asked Questions
(questions about Bible Translation that you were
afraid to ask)
Why not
work on the translation in America, with a couple fellows from the
village?
If our goal were simply to
produce a book (i.e., the Bible) and drop it in the hands of
villagers, then, theoretically, after learning the vernacular, we
could work on the translation from America. But the goal is much
bigger than that! If we limited our work to translation, who would
be able to read the Scriptures once they were translated? Bible
translation in a traditional culture involves:
- teaching literacy in the
vernacular
- teaching the background of
the New Testament times
- evangelism and strengthening
of the church
There
is so much work to be done right here, why not be a missionary in the
US?
That's a great
point. And if you're called to be a missionary in the US, we
hope you'll respond to that call. We've seen many talented
Christians heed God's call to be Christian workers in the
US. But, that doesn't happen to be our calling. God
gave us a heart for Bible Translation.
Are
you translating the whole Bible?
The goal is to translate the
entire New Testament, plus other literacy materials, Bible story
books, Old Testament selections and Psalms, and educational
materials.
Why not
just teach the locals how to speak and read English, and use the English
Bible?
That's a great idea, and
some of the locals would love to speak and read English,
especially for economic reasons. And if you have a passion for
that, we invite you to get involved in that work! But our passion
is for people to know God's truths in the language they speak
best, so they can know Him best!
Why
work with a people group that is so small, and whose language will
someday disappear?
When I was in youth group
fellowship, our church had car washes as fundraisers. We
actually let the 16 year olds drive the cars from the rinse
station to the soap station, to the vacuum station, to the dry
station. It was moderately fun to drive around other people's
cars. But if a corvette or jaguar drove up, the teenagers really
competed for the chance to drive that car around from station to
station. Those fancy cars were desirable. Large
influential people groups in industrial countries are
desirable. We like the convenience and comfort found in
those cultures. Poor, hidden, tiny people groups in forgotten
countries are not as convenient or glamorous, but God
desires them! He desires their worship, and that the "Ford
Pintos" of cultures, the small people groups with little influence
in the world, would know Him as their Heavenly Father, and would
love him and be satisfied in Him. That's why we work with a small
people group (2500 people) whose language may disappear in the
next 100 years.
