A world where everyone can know Jesus through the Bible

This article was first published in our biannual magazine, In Touch. You can download the whole issue for free today.

Why Wycliffe Bible Translators works with such urgency to translate the Bible for the one in five people who are waiting for it in their language.

‘The biggest impact the New Testament has had,’ says Komi Sena, an Ifè Bible translator in Togo, ‘is that the number of Christians and churches has grown hugely because people can understand the word of God in their language.’ Before the Ifè translation started there weren’t many Ifè churches. ‘But now,’ Komi says with a big smile on his face, ‘almost every Ifè village has a church.’

The Bible changes lives. Many of us have experienced its power to change us personally and in our churches. But for the Bible to change lives, as it is doing among the Ifè people in Togo, people need to be able to understand what God is saying through his word. The fact that one in five people – over 1.5 billion people – around the world don’t yet have the Bible in their language is one of the biggest barriers to world mission.

The vision of Wycliffe Bible Translators is for a world where everyone can know Jesus through the Bible. We know that where the Bible has been translated into people’s languages, the church grows, people understand the gospel and come to know Jesus, and those who already know Jesus grow more deeply in their faith and discipleship. 

Lugwere church leader James Shaine, from Uganda, explains why Bible translation is so important: ‘Being a pastor of a church when you don’t have a Bible in your language has been very difficult. It was hard to convince people to study the Bible. But now that they have the New Testament in their language it makes a difference.’ 

Unless we speak Greek or Hebrew, all of us who read the Bible are able to do so because it has been translated for us. For those of us who speak English, John Wycliffe – after whom Wycliffe Bible Translators is named – was the first person to translate the Bible into English. 

Wycliffe was born around 700 years ago and lived a remarkable life. He was a theology professor at Oxford University, and his study of the Bible in Latin changed him deeply. What he learnt about God through the Bible caused him to challenge the practices of the Church at the time, which led to his banishment from Oxford.

Wycliffe became convinced that having the Bible in the language of the people was essential to people coming to know Jesus. So, despite huge opposition, he and his team completed the first translation of the full Bible into English.

‘The Bible is superior to all human thought,’ Wycliffe wrote. ‘It is from God, it is true, it is the foundation for all society. Christ and his apostles taught the people in the language best known to them… believers ought to have the Scriptures in a language which they fully understand.’ 

That is as true today as it was when John Wycliffe was alive. Indeed, there are more people alive today without the Bible in their language than the entire world population in John Wycliffe’s time. 

But we live in a very exciting time for the ministry of Bible translation. More Bible translation work is happening right now than at any time in history, and a new translation starts, on average, every day. Thousands of modern-day John Wycliffes, like Komi, are working with real urgency all around the world to translate the Bible for their people. Millions of people are receiving the Bible in their language for the very first time and through that many lives are being changed and the local church is growing. 

But there is still much more to do. While the Ifè people can see the difference having the New Testament makes, they also long to have the Old Testament in their language. ‘I’m facing a big challenge in my ministry,’ Ifè pastor Kodya Odah explains. ‘Since I can’t speak or read French, I can’t use the Old Testament. I am praying that God helps the translation team with the Old Testament translation so that we can have the whole Bible. It will really help me to be able to go through the Old Testament in my teaching.’ 

Wycliffe Bible Translators are excited to be part of Affinity because we share the same aim to proclaim the good news of Jesus and to support the church, and church leaders like Pastor Odah, in reaching people for Jesus. At Wycliffe, we are committed to serving the church, both overseas, and across the UK and Ireland. The work of Bible translation, and of proclaiming the good news of Jesus, happens best in partnership and Wycliffe looks forward to being able to serve Affinity churches and to partnering with you as we serve God’s mission to the world together. 

Bible translation is a key part of God’s mission to the world. ‘Translating the Bible is so important,’ Komi Sena concludes, ‘because many people are not able to read and understand the Scriptures. And it does not change their lives when they do not understand it.’

Book a Wycliffe speaker for your church

One of our passionate and gifted speakers would love to come to your church to talk about how the work of Bible translation is changing lives around the world. 

To book a Wycliffe speaker, visit wycliffe.org.uk/speakerform or call 0300 303 111.