The Bicentennial Celebration of the Chinese Bible Published in Melaka — Melaka Has Impacted 1/4 Of The World Population

Hong Kong Christian Literature Mission, Christian Sheun Tao Church Hong Kong & Macau District Union Association, Gereja Presbyterian Melaka and Melaka Christianity and Cultural Research Centre (MCCRC) organized a Bible exhibition, a book fair and a Bible conference in conjunction with the bicentennial celebration of the Chinese Bible Edition published in Melaka. The event took place in Elim Gospel Hall in Ipoh on 8th-11th August 2024 and in Gereja Presbyterian Melaka on 15th-18th August 2024.

The history of the Chinese Bible can be traced back to Anglo-Scottish Protestant Robert Morrison who arrived in Canton, China in 1807 to fulfill his calling as a missionary. He translated the New Testament into Chinese in 1813. When he teamed up with William Milne, another member of the London Missionary Society, they managed to complete the translation of the whole Bible “Shen Tian Sheng Shu” in 1821. The Bible was printed in Melaka in 1823. The translation was based on the original Greek and Hebrew texts, but relied on the KJV as a textual base and leaned on the Roman Catholic Basset Version as language guide.

Morrison and Milne’s work also gained the support of the Bible Societies. Their version became influential and was the basis for subsequent translation activities, including the translation of the Union Version.

Morrison and Milne co-founded a school called the Anglo-Chinese College in Melaka in 1818 for the spreading of Christianity and the furtherance of understanding between the Chinese and the English. Many thousands of Bibles in Chinese were printed and distributed far and wide by the college. After Hong Kong became a British territory, the school relocated there in 1843.

Morrison and Milne published the first Chinese newspapers on woodblock in Melaka.The periodical combined portions of the New Testament, explanations of Chinese doctrines, as well as news was primarily a Christian organ. In Christ Church Melaka, one can find a memorial stone giving tribute to these two Protestant missionaries.

Below is the quote from the MCCRC chairman:

“Genesis 18:18 ‘since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?’ has been coming to my mind, to associate the blessing of Abraham to the work of Bible translations. First of all, this blessing was manifested in Jesus, one of the offsprings of Abraham. We have been saved through Him.

Secondly, Through the generations of Abraham and their language Hebrew, the work of God in men was recorded. It was the Old Testament. After Jesus’ ascension to heaven, His disciples recorded His teachings and deeds in Greek. In AD 397, the Council of Carthage established the New Testament canon together with the Old Testament. Today we have the complete revelation. In AD 410, the Catholic Church began the Bible translation in Latin. Bible translating has been one of the core activities in the mission work.”

For those who would like to know more about the history of the Chinese Bible and how it has impacted the world, the Bible exhibition, book fair and Bible conference will be held in LCM 11th Mile Cheras Congregation on 19th – 22nd September 2024.