SIL and Wycliffe Bible Translators have been working in translation for decades and we realized the translated Words of God are not well used by the expected users. I am very thankful for the leadership and colleagues put a lot of effort in the area of Scripture use or engagement. We also realized that it is not only the issue of the minority languages. Then, how about languages in the region or what we called LWC - language widely communication? Then how about the national languages and the major languages? Then how about the mother tongues of ourselves? English and Chinese. Then, I found that many of the Chinese dialects may not have their own translation? Are the existing Chinese translation is good enough to all Chinese dialects? How many Chinese Christians read the scripture of their own mother tongues? The Christians in the west started concern the significance of God's Words in their society and even among the Christians. They may even started questioning the value of God's world in this post-church world.
As Chinese we need to learned from the west and try to promote the scriptural engagement within ourselves and also beyond ourselves. How can we do that without understanding the biblical language text? Can mother tongue translator translate the Bible into their mother tongues with understanding of the original languages text and translation principle. Thus, I just wonder how can we promote biblical language scriptural engagement. How do you think? Who is going to do this? I hope we can first do a bit of survey about what English Greek/Hebrew resources available. How can we make this resources available in other languages, like Chinese. I fear that I may not have energy to go beyond Chinese or even to make them available into Chinese. However, I would like to see other to get this vision and passion and pas it on. In the 500th anniversary of religious reformation and the reflection of global mission and concern, I think the only global hope is back to the Bible.
As Chinese we need to learned from the west and try to promote the scriptural engagement within ourselves and also beyond ourselves. How can we do that without understanding the biblical language text? Can mother tongue translator translate the Bible into their mother tongues with understanding of the original languages text and translation principle. Thus, I just wonder how can we promote biblical language scriptural engagement. How do you think? Who is going to do this? I hope we can first do a bit of survey about what English Greek/Hebrew resources available. How can we make this resources available in other languages, like Chinese. I fear that I may not have energy to go beyond Chinese or even to make them available into Chinese. However, I would like to see other to get this vision and passion and pas it on. In the 500th anniversary of religious reformation and the reflection of global mission and concern, I think the only global hope is back to the Bible.
