Bible Translation as Missions

JBTM Larry B. Jones41professorship. The UBS has found that maintaining a large international cadre of professionalBible translation consultants on their payroll is financially unsustainable. In the experience ofTSC, successful interns have frequently had difficulty finding placement in Bible translationministries in their countries because those ministries were not in a position to compensatethem at a reasonable level.In sum, an ongoing effort to build out the corps of professional Bible translation consultantsis unquestionably vital for the future of the global Bible translation cause. However, becauseof factors inherent to the process (such as the amount of time needed to acquire requisiteknowledge and develop skills, and the financial costs to develop and maintain a growing groupof professional translation consultants), I would submit that this solution is insufficient to meetthe pressing need for Bible translation checking today and in the coming years.Solution Scenarios—Local Church OwnershipSome mission agencies and churches, impatient with the lengthy process associated withBible translation projects conducted by Bible agencies, have asserted that a translation of theBible ultimately is owned by the end-users of the translation, the people group and church whospeak that language. According to this perspective, the people wanting the translation shouldthemselves define the process of translation and decide when the text is ready for publicationand distribution.On the surface, this proposal is attractive. It has been long understood that the more a communityparticipates in the design and execution of a development project, the more they willown, use, and benefit from the results of the project. So, having the church in a people grouptake the lead responsibility for translating the Bible into their language makes sense and hasmerit. It holds the promise that the resulting translation will be used by its intended audience.Additionally, to the extent that a people group can hear God’s message sooner rather than later,that is a cause for celebration by everyone whose priorities are for the growth of Christ’s kingdomin this world. Finally, empowering people in the developing world to control their owndestinies and not be dependent on foreign help is an attractive concept that resonates well inthe twenty-first century.On the other hand, this proposed solution has both limitations and dangers. Many translationteams do not have the capacity to do the careful exegesis required for faithful Bible translation.Some translators have limited education and, in particular, limited fluency in a majorlanguage of wider communication, much less Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. The translation(s)of the Bible into the relevant language of wider communication are sometimes archaic and/ordifficult to understand. Further, supporting resources such as commentaries and Bible dictionariesare available only in a few languages, and the majority of the world’s Bible translationteams do not speak or read those languages well. As a result, many translation teams cannot ontheir own gain the accurate understanding of the original message which is foundational to afaithful translation of the Bible.Historically, the Bible agencies have positioned themselves as inter-denominational groupscommitted to providing all God’s people in a people group with a Bible they could use. In