EMBARRASSED BY MY BIBLE
May 31, 2006
by Lynne Castelijn
Have you ever been embarrassed to take your Bible to church?
I have.
Many weeks I sit in our village church in the Philippines listening to the Banwaon Bible teachers expound the Scriptures that they do have translated, and because I am not yet fluent in the language here, I would love to bring my own English-language Bible so I can read the parallel verses and follow more closely what is being taught.
But I just can't bring myself to do it.
How could I sit there with my beautifully bound slim-line Bible (which contains not only all the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation but also a multitude of cross-references and footnotes) … when there are a hundred or so believers sitting around me with only a tiny portion in their language?
How can I flick through the pages, remembering the huge amount of encouragement and teaching I've received over the years from these words, knowing that my Bible is just one of literally hundreds of different versions … all of them in English … when the lady sitting by me has nothing?
How can I, when I know that we've had God's precious Word in English for hundreds of years?
The same feeling occurs whenever I receive a Christian bookshop catalog. I am continually amazed by the huge variety of Bibles available for every single sector of society … English-speaking society, that is. There are Bibles for men, women, girl babies, boy babies, teens, tweens, mothers, fathers, not to mention all the different versions.
I am thankful for the Word of God in our language. But something just doesn't seem quite right. My Banwaon brothers and sisters in Christ currently have 14 percent of the New Testament in their language. There are hundreds of tribal people groups around the world who have nothing. Not a single word from God's Book in their own language.
Please pray for my husband, Albert, as he carries the bulk of the load of translation. He is currently working with three Banwaons -- Amay Dudoy, Amay Esel and Amay Tim -- on various stages of Acts, Galatians and Colossians.
My mind boggles just thinking of all the things to be considered when one is seeking to faithfully translate the Bible into another language so that it is clearly understandable to the people who will be reading it.
Please pray for the missionary team among the Banwaons -- Albert and Lynne Castelijn and Chris and Lynne Strange -- as they disciple Banwaon believers. Pray that they will find in God the strength and encouragement not only to translate the Bible, but to undertake the many other tasks vital to planting a tribal church.
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