Unlocking The Bible: Bringing Scripture To Life In Local Languages.pdf

Context: Liam and Sofia share their experience of translating the Bible into their community's mother-tongue language, overcoming a significant barrier that prevented many from understanding God's Word.

Key Points:

1. Language Barrier: In their community, while most people are fluent in the national language used by government and businesses, many prefer and feel more comfortable communicating in their mother-tongue language. This gap makes it difficult for them to understand sermons and Scripture.

2. Desire for Translation: Concerned about their community's limited access to God's Word, Liam and Sofia sought a faster method of translation than traditional methods that often require years of work by missionaries.

3. MAST Method: They discovered the MAST (Mother-Tongue Bible Translation) method, which promises quick translation using local translators fluent in both the national language and the mother-tongue.

4. Team Formation: With support from Wycliffe Associates, they assembled a team of volunteers with varying backgrounds but a shared belief and passion for making Scripture accessible in their mother-tongue.

5. Process and Choices: The team prayed, discussed, and decided to start translating the Gospel of Mark due to its straightforward presentation of Jesus' message. They planned to move on to other books later.

6. Impact: The project aims not only to provide Scripture in a familiar language but also to empower local Christians through meaningful involvement in the translation process. Additionally, they hope to train other language groups to translate Bibles using the MAST method.