There are thousands of languages in the world today. Bridges are being built to connect our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to God in their own languages, both in oral and written form.
The world may feel like it is getting smaller. In actuality, however, there are still many isolated pockets of communities scattered around the globe. And even in our modern age, many believers still have no access to the Word of God in a form that is approachable to them. Most of the languages on Earth are unwritten, and 1.5 billion people don’t have a Bible in a language that they can understand and engage.
Many faithful Christians feel the call to answer this need profoundly in their spirit. They dedicate their lives to translating the Bible so that these communities may understand the Gospel message accurately and deeply in their languages.
In Borneo, efforts have been made for some years to reach the populations in remote and rural areas. Breakthroughs have been made through such resources as the Alkitab Versi Borneo (AVB) and missionary work. However, there is always more work that can be done. Recently, opportunities broadened for the indigenous tribes of believers in Sabah and Sarawak via the release of audio bibles in their native languages.
One such tribe currently comprises around 5000 people. They have their own native language but the literacy of English and Malay remains low among the tribe, particularly among the senior generation. This necessitates a version of an auditory instead of a written Bible in the language of the tribe.
Sis Ann and Rita are among a team of translators for the audio bibles that are translated into this tribe’s native language. In total, the team consists of only five people. They shared that the older generations in the tribe have previously expressed resignation of ever receiving the Gospel in a way that they could understand.
“We worked throughout the day, and it was tiring,” sis Rita related. “However, in the process, we grew in the knowledge and appreciation of the language. We found the joy and value in our work.” There is an impartation that Salvation belongs and comes from God who loves them, and it points to the future when the global church becomes the Bride of Christ.
Another sister in Christ involved in the ministry of translation, Emelda, also shared about the work in Borneo. The main concern in the recording of the Bible is in ensuring that the translations are both accurate and fluent. A lot of understanding in cultural contexts and in how words are applied is crucial as well. The dedicated team continued the work even during the challenges posed by the pandemic, each reader recording in isolation for long periods of time.
The release of the audio bibles in the tribes’ native language has an alignment with the Faith Comes From Hearing ministry. It is part of an arching and comprehensive calling to ensure that every faith community will have access to Scripture by 2033.
In terms of the overall number of audio bibles, progress has also been made. Back in 2011, there were only recordings of the New Testament in 600 languages. Today we have up to 1552 languages recorded for the NT. The aim is to reach 4000 languages by 2033. And there are also plans for the recording of the Old Testament into more languages.
The Faith Comes from Hearing ministry is also the developer of the Bible.is (a well-known Scripture engagement tool). Over 21 days, from the 1st to the 21st of this December 2021, they will be hosting the Christmas Miracle Challenge through the Bible.is app. The highlights will include audio bibles in 1500 languages, a Daily journey of Scripture, presentations, discussion groups, and meditation and prayer sessions.
Hundreds of churches and organisations throughout the world, from Brazil to South Africa, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia, will be uniting as one to discover the true meaning of Christmas.
Every denomination, cultural background, age, and language group, and from every walk of life, every tribe, tongue, and people group, invited to unite together in reading, hearing, and viewing the Gospel of Luke together, encountering Christ and united in one spirit as His church, each in our own heart languages.
To find out more about the Bible.is app and the 21-Day Christmas Miracle Challenge event, you can visit https://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/audio-bible-resources/bible-is or follow FCBH Global Village’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=FCBH+global+village
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