Have you ever stopped to think about the beauty of having the Bible translated into the English language? We have multiple different translations to reference when studying the Bible. And not only this but we have Bible study software and websites that allow for us to easily search the Scriptures like a Google search! Through the use of technology (such as the printing press and the internet) God has enabled the translation and, thus, the preaching and reading of his Word throughout the world. 

This month a post was made on the Wycliffe blog which I found to be very insightful into one small aspect of the massive project called Bible translation. (Read it HERE) Most projects involve dozens of multi-lingual people, from multiple countries, sometime doing their work in multiple continents, over the span of many years to produce one translation that will be used by one language community for generations.

Did you know that currently there are 9 family units from Bethlehem directly engaged bible translation efforts and at least 3 engaged in supporting the work of bible translation around the world. Imagine going into a country as a church planter and there was no local access to the Bible, or at best there is only access in a second language. This video also captures some of the most exciting movement in current bible translation work, local peoples taking ownership of the project themselves.

Desiring God put together a very cogent piece on "Why Translate?" For anyone interested in bible translation or the process of learning languages, this is a helpful read. ARTICLE

In 2010 Bethlehem set forth five areas of strategic focus for our global outreach. This was done in an effort to recognize the main ways God has been working through BBC members among the nations. One of those strategic foci is bible translation. Currently there are 11 global partners from Bethlehem working in some form of bible translation. Pray for the word of God to speed ahead and read this news article (and watch the video) to get a glimspe of what their work accomplishes.

With the echoes of Global Focus 2011 still reverberating in our minds, I'd like to share some thoughts from Andrew Walls relating to language learning and Muslim ministry.

For 353,000,000 people (2,200 people groups) the Bible is blank. They have no Bible in their language, not even one verse.

Of the nearly 7,000 languages in the world, only 451 have the entire Bible.

Each year in communities who don’t have a Bible in their language, 2.4 million people die without clearly hearing the truth about Jesus.

That’s what Dr. Hugh Broughton wrote to King James 399 years ago about the Authorized Version that James had sponsored the previous year—400 years ago this year.

Others say it is the “noblest monument of English prose” (John R. Kohlenberger III in Bible Study Magazine).

The so-called King James Version remains the most widely circulated and influential English translation of all time, available in more editions and bindings than any other translation, and published digitally for software and smart phones.