Cape Town 2010 Advance Paper
Scripture In Mission: Three Major Priorities In Eradicating Bible Poverty
Author: Scripture in Mission Multiplex Resource Team
Date: 01.06.2010
Category: Scripture in Mission
Editor’s Note: This Cape Town 2010 Advance Paper has been written by the Scripture in Mission Multiplex Resource Team as an overview of the topic to be discussed at the Multiplex session on “Scripture in Mission.” Responses to this paper through the Lausanne Global Conversation will be fed back to the authors and others to help shape their final presentations at the Congress.
ABSTRACT
Peter and Angela are busy with their middle class lives. Next door Lucy is a Buddhist from East Asia and her housemate is into New Age religious matters. Mma Echu has no Scriptures in her language, and the chief of her village has built a shrine for his god. Amin is interested in Jesus but is illiterate, while Hussein is deaf.
What do all these people have in common? They suffer from a malady that afflicts billions of people scattered throughout every nation in the world—Bible poverty. But none of them realize it.
What are the signs of Bible poverty? It is present where people are hindered by barriers from having access to the Scriptures in a language they understand well and engaging with them in ways that transform their lives. It cuts across economic levels, social status, religious identity, ethnic groups and languages. Bible poverty affects regions of religious persecution. It affects the non-literate, the deaf and the blind. Still others, like the Befang of Cameroon, simply do not have any Scripture in their language. And a host of professionals in cities from Shanghai to Munich to Bogota have no confidence in any truth but their own experience. Barriers to engaging meaningfully with the Scriptures show up everywhere: in urban contexts, in rural contexts, in regions where other major religions dominate, and in the post-modern West. But once we identify these barriers, can we also work to build bridges that enable people to overcome these barriers?
Peter and Angela are busy with work, family, church responsibilities and entertainment. They spend a lot of time listening to political commentators on television and Christian talk show hosts on the radio. They have at least ten Bibles in their home, but many weeks the only verses they hear read are those read during the Sunday morning service. But even their pastor spends more time preaching his own thoughts than walking them through the Scriptures. The Scriptures, which used to occupy center stage in their lives, have moved to the periphery. As a result, many of Peter’s and Angela’s values and attitudes about issues in their society are set by other people rather than by their engagement with the Scriptures.
Lucy and Julie live next door to Peter and Angela. Lucy’s family emigrated from East Asia. She is a Buddhist. Her house mate Julie is interested in spirituality. She is positive about New Age materials and events but is also interested in the mystical elements in Buddhism and Hinduism. She also believes that Jesus rose from the dead. She thinks it is “cool” that he did.
Mma Echu became a follower of Jesus a few years ago. There is no Scripture in her own language. When she attends church services the pastor only preaches in the dominant language of the nation, which she does not understand well. When she leaves the Sunday worship service she is always hungry for something more. So she only goes to church occasionally. Meanwhile in her village Chief Ekone built a shrine for his god next to his house, asking the god to protect his family and bless them. He has heard of Jesus, but as far as he knows Jesus speaks only the dominant language. He does not speak his language. Jesus is a foreigner. Therefore, Jesus cannot really enter into a dialogue with the ideas and beliefs of Chief Ekone and his people.
Amin heard about Jesus once and wants to learn more about him. But he has never found a follower of Jesus in the town where he owns a small shop. So there is no one to talk with about Jesus. He did see a book that people said was about Jesus, but he cannot read. So it would be no help to him. He does own a radio and a DVD/CD player. On the other side of town is Hussein. He is deaf. He lives in a very different world than those who can speak. He has strong ties to the few other deaf people in town, but they all fear those who can speak. They have often been mistreated. In all of this, no one communicates about God to them. God is not just foreign to them. He does not exist.
Peter, Angela, Lucy, Julie, Mma Echu, Chief Ekone, Amin and Hussein all suffer from the same condition. They suffer from “Bible poverty.” “Bible poverty” is global and it is the result that occurs in any context or setting that blocks or hinders people from having access to the Scriptures in a language they understand well and engaging with them in ways that transform their lives. Surprisingly both individual Christians and churches can hinder that transformation based on the Scriptures. So can those involved in missions and their mission agencies. The issue is universal. Its origin is found in the heart and in the human being’s separation from God.
What would our transformed lives look like? Jesus said that if we were transformed we would love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and we would love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-31). Our behavior would be pleasing to God and bring delight to our neighbors (I Corinthians 13:4-7; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 4:1-6, 25-32; Philippians 2:1-11; Colossians 3:12-17). The lives of the people described above are blocked from knowing the transforming love of God. Can you identify what blocks or hinders the Scriptures from bringing about transformation? Each of these situations represents a major challenge for the role of the Scriptures in mission. And each situation raises a major question to ponder:
- Why do the Scriptures not transform lives where and when they are available?
- Why do more than one billion people not have adequate Scriptures in their language?
- Why are the Scriptures that are available so often available only in written form?
Before exploring these specific questions, let us start by asking ourselves about the place of Scriptures in mission. What is the value of the Scriptures in mission? Is there a difference between what role we think they should play and what role they actually do play? How central are the Scriptures in your ministry? What evidence would others see that demonstrates their centrality?
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that two key purposes of the Scriptures are to make us wise about the way of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and to equip us for every good work as God’s people (2 Timothy 3:14-17). Paul wanted his son in the faith, Timothy, to have the same confidence we can have today, that the Scriptures are essential to sharing the good news found in Jesus Christ as well as to experiencing Christ-like transformation.
Timothy was fortunate when he was young. The Scriptures were available in his community in a form and language that they could use and understand. They were in a written form, probably in the Greek language. This would have been the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, our “Old Testament.” In addition, either someone in his family read them to him since he was a child, or some in the larger Jewish community read them publically for all to hear. Paul mentions that Timothy’s grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice had “sincere faith,” and that the same faith lived on in Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5). Paul also mentions that it was “from infancy” that Timothy had “known the holy Scriptures” (2 Timothy 3:15). These three people had come to faith in Jesus Christ. They had also engaged with the Scriptures. This led them to live with “sincere faith” in a society and culture that was not always friendly and accepting of their faith. They were being transformed as followers of Jesus Christ in a challenging context.
Reconsider the case of Peter and Angela above in light of Paul’s words to Timothy and Timothy’s experience in his family around the Scriptures. For Peter and Angela, even though they are Christians and have numerous Bibles, they are biblically impoverished, because the Scriptures are not having the transforming impact on their lives that God intends. Ironically, their situation is ultimately no different from that of Lucy and Julie, their neighbors, who know nothing of the Scriptures.
In cases where people like Mma Echu and Chief Ekone do not have any Scripture in their language, their Bible poverty is clearer. They do not have the resources that Peter and Angela have. People like Amin, who have never learned to read or are no longer able to read, will always be biblically impoverished if all they have is the written word. And Hussein is completely cut off until someone develops a way to communicate Scripture to him.
Their “Bible poverty” is a result of “barriers” that block or hinder the power of the Word of God from making a difference in their lives. The existence of these barriers should motivate us to find “bridges” to help people connect with the Scriptures.
So let’s return to our three questions above and ask what some of the more important barriers and bridges might be in each of these cases.
1. Why do the Scriptures not transform lives where they are available?
Why, when the Scriptures are plentiful and available, do most people not engage with them in a meaningful way?
BARRIERS
The barriers include:
- Ignorance, indifference and even contempt for the Scripture
- Busyness of life, admiration of technology, and being flooded with entertainment
- The strangeness of the Scriptures relative to life in the 21st century
- Beliefs about what can be known
- The centrality and autonomy of the individual
Ignorance, indifference and even contempt for the Scriptures
Western adults and youth are mostly ignorant of the simplest facts found in the Scriptures. They could not answer the question: Who was Adam, Abraham, David, or John the Baptist? The Scriptures are familiar in a vague sense, but not understood or valued. With all the other sources of information clamoring for their attention, they remain indifferent to the Scriptures. Then when they hear the claims of the Scriptures, many hold them in contempt. Among those who believe, an increasing number, especially younger adults, do not participate in a church body. The Scriptures become an individual issue rather than something shared within a community of believers.
Busyness of life, admiration of technology, and entertainment
People, including Christians, are busy with many responsibilities and activities. There is little time to spend with the Scriptures, to meditate on them and allow them to speak into their lives. Peter and Angela do not see Lucy and Julie very often. Neither Peter nor Angela feels comfortable with Lucy’s Buddhism or Julie’s vaguely defined spirituality. They do not know how to share the Word of God with them. In fact, they would not know what to share since they spend so little time in the Word themselves. No one has taught them how to
feed themselves or how to enter into a time around the Scriptures together with others. Lucy and Julie are interested in alternative religious expressions, so they would never consider giving time to reading the Scriptures unless someone helped them see a reason to do so.
The various forms of media present in western society dominate people’s lives. For Christians the media can easily have greater impact on their lives than the Scriptures, so many of their personal and social values are molded by society’s opinion makers rather than the Scriptures. Today’s heroes are celebrities from the movie and music industries and from sports. Some of these people are very hostile to Christian faith and throw doubt on the trustworthiness of the Scriptures.
The strangeness of the Scriptures relative to life in the 21st century
The people, places and customs found in the Scriptures are foreign to life in the 21st century. It is a challenge for Christians to connect with the Scriptures and find the meaning and relevance of the text for their lives. It is often easier to simply ignore the Scriptures. For Lucy and Julie the Scriptures are simply strange.
Beliefs about what can be known
The western culture that is home to Peter and Angela is experiencing an historic shift in what a person can claim to know. Knowledge is less and less objective and increasingly subjective. What we experience and what our reason tells us in relating to the external world are no longer assumed to be reliable. Instead these are seen as mere opinions and self-serving ideas, often handed down to us by our elders who trained us to live in their society. Truth is no longer fixed and there is no means to find it. Biblical truth, including biblical morality, is seen in this light. Many believe that biblical truths, whether about the world or morality, are just opinions from an earlier era with no universal claims on human beings.
The centrality and autonomy of the individual
In the West, the individual is the center of his or her universe. He or she decides who is god and what is true. The individual also tends to generalize from the meaning and reality he or she has created to everyone else. There is less and less trust in an external authority such as God or the Bible. Relationships between human beings are reduced to issues about power and personal preference. The highest value is no longer love but tolerance.
BRIDGES
The Great Bridge that surpasses all and is sovereign over all is the Spirit of God. The Spirit is the One who ultimately changes the condition of each person’s heart. He frees them from the control of sin and delivers them into the freedom of serving God (Romans 8:1-11). The Spirit is not limited or restricted by any environment but crosses all barriers. Yet the Spirit allows us also to participate in establishing bridges to help others. We are challenged to consider how these barriers might be bridged.
Ignorance, indifference and even contempt for the Scriptures
Contempt is difficult to overcome apart from a consistent love for the person on our part and the work of the Spirit. Yet, there are some possible bridges to address ignorance and indifference. In the case of ignorance, if the person is open to learning, one possible place to start is with the larger narrative of the Scriptures, from creation through to the new heaven and new earth. The focus would be on God’s love for and pursuit of humanity, inviting all people into his kingdom because of what Jesus did in his life, death and resurrection. How could Peter and Angela come to value and then learn to share the grand overarching story of the Bible with Lucy and Julie?
In regard to indifference, a possible bridge would be to share how the Scriptures have influenced us in our lives. We can share the larger narrative or more specific passages from the Scriptures that have had a deep impact on us. Such sharing can demonstrate the personal relevance of the Scriptures.
Busyness of life, admiration of technology, and entertainment
An important bridge to address these issues would be the practice of lectio divina, either as an individual or in a group. The process requires participants to slow down their pace of life. They take time to choose a passage of Scripture and read it. They then meditate on either a word or phrase or other matters that God brings to their attention in their reading. They can then pray around this word or phrase, and close by contemplating and resolving what they might do differently in their lives.
Another bridge would involve group Bible study and reflection— studying passages once a week, for example, with a number of other people. Meeting with others holds each person accountable to the other members of the group. The regularity of the meeting allows each person to give space to the Scriptures in his or her life. And in the process each person hears the thoughts of others about the passage.
The strangeness of the Scriptures relative to life in the 21st century
;A possible bridge in this case could be to explain how a given Bible passage influenced us to an action we did not expect to take. This would particularly be the case with stories from the Bible. Peter and Angela could learn how to show Lucy and Julie the spiritual truths that are embedded in those stories that still have relevance today in our lives.
As for beliefs about what can be known and the centrality and autonomy of the individual:
What bridges can you think of that could be built to address these two barriers?
2. Why do more than one billion people not have the Scriptures in their language?
By one estimate, there are approximately 6,900 languages spoken in the world today. (1) Most are spoken by smaller populations. We can call them “minority” languages. In more specific terms, about 6% of the world’s population or about 400 million people speak about 94% of the world’s languages. Clearly these are the smaller languages of the world. They include people like Mma Echu and Chief Ekone.
Why are only the largest languages the ones with Scripture? Is it acceptable that over a billion people do not have a complete Bible in their language? If we in the worldwide church believed in the importance of everyone having Scriptures in his or her own language, would we not expect church and mission leaders to come together to find ways to eradicate such Bible poverty? The human and financial resources already exist in the worldwide church. So what hinders this from happening? And how can we get past the over-reliance on the part of churches and missions on the Bible agencies to address these challenges alone? It will require the global church as well.
BARRIERS
The reality of language and the diversity of languages serve as the source for a number of barriers. Three will be highlighted here.
- Multiplicity of languages – not just dialects
- Minority language communities – numerous and marginalized
- Multilingualism – misunderstood by majority cultures
Multiplicity of languages
About 450 (2) of the 6,900 languages spoken in the world have a complete Bible. They represent about five billion people. These Bibles serve as a tremendous potential resource for evangelization and discipleship.
However, over a billion people do not have the whole Bible available to them in their languages. These are not mere “dialects.” They are distinct languages. Of these languages, more than 2,000 (3) likely have needs for translation but no translation is yet underway. Nearly 2,000 languages have translation in progress. Another 1,510 (4) languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers remaining; some of these languages are nearly extinct, and others are too poorly researched to know their number of speakers or what their needs are for the Scriptures.
Minority language communities – numerous and marginalized
Most of these languages are spoken by smaller populations. We can call them “minority” languages. They are often marginalized in their nations. They are poor, not well served with social services, and have little place in the political structure, so are easily overlooked. Since the number of minority languages is large but their populations are small it is difficult for those from the majority language and culture to treat them with the respect and concern that God shows for them.
Multilingualism – misunderstood by majority cultures
People from minority languages often speak more than one language in order to survive. They often learn at least enough of the majority language to buy and sell in the market. Their ability to use more than one language, especially the majority language, can mislead those from the majority culture into believing that they understand the majority language well enough to meet their spiritual needs with the Bible in the majority language. However, this is often a mistaken conclusion. The use of other languages by minority people groups is a complicated matter that needs careful research to determine what language or languages are most suitable for them to encounter God’s Word.
BRIDGES
Multiplicity of languages
In relation to the multiplicity of languages, one bridge is to find out who in your context does not have Scripture in their own language. Many of us live in locations where more than one language is spoken. As a leader in your city or region, do you know what languages are spoken in your city or region? If you are not sure how this would be done, you can ask for help. Once you and other Christian leaders identify the needs in your city or region for Scripture to be made available, you can develop a plan for how that need might be met. Various partners, both churches and Bible agencies, could help you with developing such a plan.
You and your friends could help organize and participate in a program to develop some oral Bible stories in a minority language in your area.
Minority language communities – numerous and marginalized
You may not be able to identify any languages spoken in your city or region. In this case you can visit the local university or institution that does research on languages and cultures. You can also ask various Bible agencies to see what information they may have on languages spoken near you. They may have suggestions on what needs to be done next and how you could help.
It is likely that the Bible agencies will be part of the solution in meeting the needs of minority languages near you. But an even more important part will be the churches around the world joining together with the Bible agencies to reach out to these minority language communities.
Multilingualism – misunderstood by majority cultures
It is common for speakers of majority languages around the world to believe that all people who speak the smaller languages also understand the majority language. So they conclude that there is no need to help the smaller language communities. This is one of the biggest challenges for churches as well; church leaders often believe that the smaller language communities can understand the majority language that is used in the church. So they are simply unaware of the spiritual needs that are going unmet because minority language speakers simply don’t understand what’s being said.
The challenge in this case is to not accept the conclusions of society around us. We need to research and learn what the real situation is for the sake of God’s kingdom.
3. Why are the Scriptures that are available so often limited only to those that can read?
BARRIERS
When we think of the Scriptures we usually visualize a printed book of text. Thus, one of our most common assumptions about the Bible is that it will be in written form. Such a form requires people to learn how to read in order to understand its meaning or to find someone who will read it to them. Does one have to be literate to be a Christian? Have we become satisfied with the printed word because those of us in leadership within the church are literate?
The reality is that there are billions of people around the world from oral cultures. Many have never had a need to read, and most are unable to read. In addition there are those who are deaf and blind who need special attention to the challenges they face with a written text.
When the Scriptures are only available in print form, these people are blocked from gaining access to the living Word for themselves.
BRIDGES
To help those who are unable to use printed Scriptures, one bridge is to provide the Scriptures in the appropriate media and form for the speakers of languages in your location.
This bridge would use all the technologies available to us such as radio, audio (CDs, mp3 players), video, internet, cell phones as well as the methodologies used in developing oral Bible stories. This paper has provided a brief introductory overview of the challenges of Bible poverty, and some of the more important barriers and bridges related to it.
For more specific details and perspectives on barriers and bridges please refer to the three additional papers on these topics:
- Scripture in Mission: Eradicating Bible poverty – identifying barriers, a geographical and sociological perspective
- Scripture in Mission: Eradicating Bible poverty – identifying barriers, a personal and synthetic perspective
- Scripture in Mission: Eradicating Bible poverty by building bridges
Consider also the book Translating the Bible into Action – How the Bible can be relevant in all languages and cultures, by Harriet Hill and Margaret Hill, Piquant Editions, 2008.
How would you answer the following questions?
1. What do you think of the three major questions?
- Why do the Scriptures not transform lives where and when they are available?
- Why do more than one billion people not have adequate Scriptures in their language
- Why are the Scriptures that are available so often available only in written form?
Are these the most important questions we should be asking in light of the seriousness of Bible poverty?
2. Would you add another question, take one away, or change one? Why?
3. What examples of "Bible poverty" do you see in your village, city or region?
4. What are some of the barriers that people face in gaining access to or engaging with the Scriptures where you live?
5. What is God’s attitude toward the smaller, marginalized peoples of the world and their languages?
Multiplex Resource Team for “Scripture in Mission: Eradicating Bible poverty”
Dr. Michael G. Bassous, Lebanon, Bible Society of Lebanon
Dr. John Bendor-Samuel, UK, formerly Wycliffe International and Forum of Bible Agencies International
Lucia Cheung, Hong Kong, Scripture Union
Ravi David, India, International Fellowship of Evangelical Students
Dr. Rev. Lloyd Estrada, Philippines, Wycliffe Bible Translators Asia
Richard Luna, Colombia, One Hope
Dr. Fergus Macdonald, UK, formerly United Bible Societies and Forum of Bible Agencies International
Dr. Michel Kenmogne, Cameroon, Cameroon Bible Translation and Literacy Association
Todd Poulter, USA, Wycliffe Bible Translators International
Saju George John, India, New Life Computer Institute
Rev. Sun-Chang Kwon, Korea, Wycliffe Bible Translators International
Naomi Swindon, Australia, Scripture Union
Chantal Tehe-Boa, Ivory Coast, International Fellowship of Evangelical Students
Dr. Rev. Erní Walter Seibert, Brazil, Brazil Bible Society Coordinator
Dr. John Watters, USA, Forum of Bible Agencies International (FOBAI)
- See the Ethnologue at http://www.ethnologue.com, select “Browse the Web Version” and then “Statistical Summaries”. See also http://www.wycliffe.org/About/AssociatedOrganizations/WycliffeInternational.aspx and select “Translation Statistics,” the site of Wycliffe Bible Translators International.
- See the United Bible Societies at http://www.biblesociety.org/index.php?id=22
- See http://www.wycliffe.org/About/AssociatedOrganizations/WycliffeInternational.aspx
- See the Ethnologue at http://www.ethnologue.com.
Keywords: scripture, Bible poverty, barriers, bridges, understanding, illiteracy, orality, transformation, influences, access, ignorance, indifference, individualism, busyness, knowledge, values, Spirit, Bible study, reflection, languages
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United States
I put the BIBLE on a graph, the simple reason is for the realization that most people in the world aren’t wealthy, educated, and living as securely as us WASP’s.
The other thing is that by the use of color instant
recognition can be understood between the dark and the light; Matt. 6:27&28. It builds upon dark/light as a theme and leads towards having the "mind of Christ" and the power given to believers; John 1:12.
Write to me at preston.mathews@att.net for more info and the graph’s.
Preston
Downloadable Attachments
05.09.2010
United States
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Of the three major questions listed on page 2 of this advance paper, question #1 deals with why various cultures aren’t able to understand the scriptures when they are available, while questions #2 and #3 deal with the more practical (and in some ways easier) issue of how to get the scriptures to people who don’t have them. The first question requires that we investigate seemingly esoteric things like post-modern philosophy, the nature of truth, and how (not to mention why) 21st century culture should interact with an ancient narrative.
Being from a country that has plenty of access to scripture, my personal experience with Bible Poverty has fallen exclusively into the why category. Many of the believers that I know are uncomfortable with exactly how to read the Bible because it seems so foreign to them. In addition, some suffer from the consumerist attitude that if something doesn’t provide instant, practical advice that improves their lives, it’s not worth their time. At the other extreme, my agnostic friends lump the Bible in with all things labeled “Christian” as irrelevant to the 21st century and consider themselves very open-minded and tolerant because they subscribe to the idea that all paths lead to God.
While all three of the major questions listed on this paper are certainly relevant, it may be helpful to make question #1 a separate topic of discussion from the other two, especially when diving into the complexities of the modern and post-modern worldviews that make engaging the Bible so challenging.
22.06.2010
United States
@ LCKeeney: Hi LC Kenney,
Thanks for your response. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond.
I would agree that there are important differences between the first priority and the other two priorities. Certainly the first priority calls for special attention along the lines you suggest. The other two priorities can appear to be simply matters of pragmatics.
The driver that brings the three priorities together is that they relate to three major contexts around the globe in which people are kept from accessing the Scriptures. Another thing that brings them together is that they all involve social assumptions or values: in the first case negative values assigned to the Scriptures, in the second negative values assigned to the people who speak minority languages, and in the third negative values assigned to those who cannot read. These values can lead to conclusions such as "Why bother with an ancient text?" "Why bother with languages spoken by small numbers of people?" "Why bother with people who cannot read?"
Ntobha mba
19.08.2010
Australia
This paper, in addressing Bible poverty, ecourages the promotion of Scripture, the authoritative sacred text for Christians and raises its profile. Some of the barriers have been identified. There are several others that contribute to Bible poverty, particularly in the western world.
The first is the selectivity with which Scirpture is read due to the influence of one’s own cultural biases, assumptions and perspectives. A good example is how the influence of affluence impacts on the way people see the place of the poor in Scripture, despite the 2,000 references there are in the Bible. I wonder what other areas of selectivity there are? Often there is a ’blind’ spot to such issues.
Therefore we need to have the whole picture from Genesis to Revelation. This can be communicated through narrative and experiential activities. I present a 45 minute session where there are 5 stations which participants engage with - the creation scene, building a tower to represent Babel, images of Mt Sinai, a cross and a throne with a crown - as they journey through the narrative it becomes more real for them.
Another issue is the way the Scriptures are taught, particularly in small groups. The empwoerment of believers to read and study Scripture is vital so they gain the confidence to do so through the leading of the Holy Spirit rather than be passive and rely on the teaching coming from particular leadership. This can promote a rigourous engagement with the text in light of the context.
It is pleasing to see the strong emphasis on Bible translation. Dynamic equivalent ones are important as this helps believers to want to read Scripture and engage with it. Also it will aid the sustainability of the indigenous faith communities and prevent them blowing with the wind as they are confronted by popular and trendy theological teaching or programs. It will help them address faith issues that can be perceived to be syncretistic. This applies just as much in the western world as the majority world.
This multiplex will be very interesting in Cape Town.
12.08.2010
Australia
This paper, in addressing issues related to Bible poverty, encourages reflection on the importance of ensuring this authoritative sacred text is able to influence the lives of believers in all areas of Christian life, not just selected areas that are popular and trendy, which is another area of biblical poverty. One area for western believers where there is selection relates to God and the poor. The cultural eyes arising from affluence influences this. What are the areas for the majority world believers in which cultural systems impact on the selectivity of reading Scripture?
Another barrier that needs to be overcome is the way Scripture is used in educating believers and discipleship. The big picture of Genesis to Revelation needs to be painted and told, not just orally but through drama and experiential learning. I do a 45 minute session using 5 stations and walk the groups through a creation activty, building the Tower of Babel, imagining being on Mt Sinai, taking the cross to scattered people groups and assembling around the throne. This is very powerful.
Believers need to be empowered and encouraged in reading and studying the Scriptures for themselves rather than rely on what leadership understand the text to mean. A passivity is thus promoted. I appreciate that this is extra difficult in contexts of orality. How can this be overcome?
It is pleasing to see the emphasis on Bible translation globally. This is a significant need if indeignous churches are to add depth to their teaching, theological contextualization and discipleship and become sustainable in thier faith. Christian understanding will become strong and will not blow where the wind may blow, thus withstanding inappropriate and misleading teaching and theology. Having the Scriptures in one’s own language is invaluable and will help empower indigenous believers.
This will be an interesting multiplex at Cape Town.
12.08.2010
Taiwan (ROC)
So sorry about the double posting again. I didn’t know that to add a new comment, I had to leave the website and enter it again. If anyone knows how to delete the duplicated letter please do!
Wanted to add something about Bible translation. I am extremely grateful to Bible translators. However, I would love to plead for my teamwork in terms of how it is done. Let me explain.
Where my brother has served for 8 years there is still not any printed scripture in the local language. There are (sadly) two different translation teams because they couldn’t agree on the name for God (and probably other reasons). So instead of double the work getting done, there still isn’t any.
5 years ago I had the privilege of leading a storying and evangelism training week there. At least 2 of the translators were present. I begged them to translate the Bible in an order that made sense for evangelism. That is, NOT 4 gospels and letters first. I said that from the point of view of evangelism that what is needed is Genesis 1-Exodus 20 and then Luke and Acts. If pushed, I might then suggest the rest of the OT narrative and Psalms/Proverbs before any more gospels and letters. The majority of the world struggles with the abstract thought in many of the letters. The stories cover the doctrine sections.
My begging didn’t achieve anything. Both teams are I believe, still working on the 4 gospels. What will happen when both are released and don’t agree on the name for God?!
The translation story I’ve most been encouraged by lately is for a people group in the western Middle Kingdom. The project manager is not a translator but an evangelist/disicipler. They have a team of people working on 4 books at a time. They did do the NT first but at least they did it quickly and are now doing narratives and Psalms. The outside of the NT is culturally appropriate in colour and decoration. I am sure it is not perfect but at least there is scripture in their language. Sometimes our desire for perfection means that nothing is ever produced. What use is that? I know that if I worked in my brother’s country I would have done my own translation of the story sections and the 4 books suggested above and self-funded their printing, just so that the people had something to get started reading once they’d heard the Bible stories.
05.08.2010
Taiwan (ROC)
Thank-you for your article. I have decided to attend your elective because your article was far more practical that some of the others, even though it wasn’t my first preference for topic.
* In my context (town of 50,000 in southern Taiwan), people don’t read the Bible for these reasons.
1) The would never think it had relevance to them because no one has ever shown that it does and they have their own religion
2) Even if they were interested it is a scary looking book to people that don’t read (black, plain cover, no pictures except the Good News Verion -which is the one I use) and small characters (I get lots of complaints about that) and about 5 cm thick. For people who are often functionally illiterate (not choosing to learn by reading and who have probably never read a book in their lives) it is too daunting.
Here are some things we’ve done to help:
a) Have prepared scripture portions with a nice picture on cover and using larger characters, Good News version with line drawings and cut out the chapter/verse numbers. The one I give out most often is Genesis 1-3. I almost never just give it out, but rather open it and read the beginning with them to give them confidence that they can.
b) I have a set of 7 comic books covering the main narrative sections of OT and NT and with which I’m about 90% happy -the author had a difficulty with sin in his heroes and so renders the Samuel/Kings one nearly unusable by leaving out the David & Bathsheba story and in my mind thus making David perfect. Same with Abraham but all others are great. Many of the locals love reading these.
c) To deal with all issues, we start with Bible story telling first. So we work to convince people that the Bible is relevant and interesting. Then over time the other problems solve themselves. I generally find that people will go on to want to read the Bible. Some start with scripture portions and comics and others jump straight to an ordinary Bible.
Unfortunately many local churches insist on the older version and this limits their ability to communicate. The Bible is often taught in abstract, non-relational ways. They bore me and so I’m not surprised that non-Christians aren’t attracted! As I’m always pointing out the Great Commission no where commands us to provide entertainment to attract people IN. Rather, we are commanded to GO OUT.
I will be doing a ’dialogue session" (seminar idea) on storying and "evangelism everyone enjoys -especially the unbeliever" at the convention.
05.08.2010
United States
I am grateful for the careful thinking and multiple perspectives that are incorporated into this article. I especially appreciated the recognition of the needs of the blind and the deaf as we work towards providing greater access to Scripture for each person. The insightful recognition of the barriers was quite good.
I wish the article had given a bit more attention given to the beauty, power, authority, and goodness of the Scriptures. I also wish there had been more recognition of the tremendous progress that has been made in developing new translations and formats of the Bible over the centuries.
Some further questions:
What if Bible publishers in wealthier countries added $1-5 to the cost of some versions of their Bibles and advertised that this surcharge will be donated to Bible translation agencies? This is parallel to the fair trade and green/environmental consumption movements.
How can smaller church communities be networked together to advance Bible translation in their area? Many smaller churches might (rightly) feel underresourced for this task and need facilitation to partner with others for Bible translation in their city or area.
Thanks again for the thoughtful article.
14.07.2010
United States
Under the first question, the last two barriers were left open to suggestions for bridges. I’d like to offer some thoughts on the first of those, “Beliefs about what can be known.”
This label describes a spectrum of people ranging from those who might embrace a philosophy of severe epistemological skepticism to those who feel merely a vague agnosticism when it comes to ultimate Truths. Such a philosophy – at whatever level it exists – poses but the first part of this problem. The second is this: skepticism at any level implies unfamiliarity with Truth: it is far easier to convince me that there is no such thing as a hippopotamus if I have never encountered one. The same, I think, is true of Truth.
The bridge must answer both problems. We must be willing to dialogue philosophically with our neighbors to the degree that philosophy is pertinent. (which may be high or low, and philosophical objections to knowledge can sometimes be a front) We must do so in a way which transcends a modern notion of ‘apologetics’ and encourages discussion about the nature of Truth. (K. Kandiah’s article, “Rethinking Apolegetics with Newbigin” offers excellent reflections on this.) Our answer to the problem must also present Biblical Truth in a way such that it is recognizable as Truth – I suggest in the form of a transformed community which proclaims the Bible: first proclaiming within the community, one-to-another in joyful abundance, and then overflowing to proclaim to others outside the community. This act of Bible-transmission becomes, itself, the demonstration of the Bible’s truth, evidenced in a transformed community. In any method, proclamation to this demographic should not merely assert the truth of Scripture, but its manner should testimonially demonstrate it as well.
04.07.2010
China
I found this article a little western despite all the people involved. I live in Mainland China. I live in a village area while there are government approved Churches near but i find that for the most part people are not interested in God and Jesus. Bible for the most part here are not accessable. The do not understand the bibe when they read it. They read the gosepls and take it literally. I had a person say to me the bible is "scary" when i asked y she said "if some one hits me i have to let them hit my other side thats not good, if i do some thing bad i have to cut my hand off...the bible is too tough i cannot beleive it" This person’s comments about the bible is common. The bible says that the the Holy Spririt opens the eyes for people to see understand the bible. i think we need to pray for that to happen in China.
28.06.2010
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