Bible Translation > Why Bible Translation

Why Bible Translation?
Ron Yaddaw

Some people ask, "Why Bible translation?" Some others say, "Isn't planting churches more important?" It's sort of like, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" Perhaps we should say they're both vitally important to the evangelization of the world.

A few years ago, two of our linguists were asked to do a survey of the language groups in an Asian country. They came upon an area with churches already built and the people begged them to stay and teach them about God. Our linguists wondered where the churches came from and why the people were so anxious to learn about God. As they talked with the people they learned that years before missionaries had come and told them about God and about Jesus. The people believed and built church buildings. The missionaries taught the people and the churches grew. Suddenly the missionaries had to leave and were unable to return. The people were left with no one to teach them and with no Scriptures in their language. The people said, "We can't remember what God told us to do!" And the churches stood empty.

What a contrast to the situation among the Duna people of Papua New Guinea. While celebrating the completion of the Scriptures in the Duna language, chief Wangango stood before all his people and said, "We have God's Word now, carved on paper. We can hold it in our hands and we won't forget it."

Wycliffe Bible Translators sees itself as an extension of the church. It trains young people to learn and analyze unwritten languages, develop a body of literature, teach the people to read and write, translate the Scriptures, and encourage the birth and growth of a church. Having the Scriptures means the growth of the church is not solely dependent upon verbal communication of the message by missionaries. Like the Berean Christians in Acts 17:11 the people can examine the Scriptures every day to see if what the messenger is saying is true. There'll be much less chance of the church being led astray by false teachings if they have God's Word in their own language.

Bible translation is a pertinent work. God's carving on paper leads to full churches and full hearts -- hearts full of love as people learn about God's great love for them.