Are you interested in becoming a Bible translator?
There are various ways to become a Bible translator today. I would like to share 10 actionable steps you could take to prepare yourself for the ministry of Bible translation in a missionary context. These steps are designed for students who are in high school or college, considering how they might serve the Lord in missions.
May the Lord increase your desire to serve Him and see Him glorified among the language groups of the world through the translation of the Bible!
1. Spend a year on the mission field
Can you survive and even thrive in a remote corner of the world where the people speak different languages and have very distinct cultures? Where the poverty is overwhelming? Where the climate and local diseases are almost more than you can bear?
A surprising number of missionaries return home from the mission field after their first or second term. Some have health conditions they were not aware of. Others find that they can’t function with the extremes of the climate or the demands of adjusting to a new language and culture.
Spending a year or two on the mission field will allow you to see how well you handle the many challenges of cross-cultural missions. If you can’t cope, you are wiser for it and have a better understanding of missions. You can move on and prayerfully consider other ways to serve the Lord with your life.
If you handle the mission field well and find that your commitment to missions is strengthened by this initial experience, then you should praise the Lord and press forward in preparing to serve overseas.
It’s not too difficult to travel to the mission field and serve with a group of missionaries. There are always needs for someone to come out short-term and help with children or schooling. If you are willing to start there, more opportunities will open up as you faithfully serve on the field.
2. Learn another language
If you don’t already know another major world language such as Spanish, Chinese, or Arabic, now would be a good time to start learning a language.
I didn’t study another language until my senior year of high school. At that time, I started studying German. Studying German opened my eyes to the complexity and beauty of language. I also started reading about linguistics at the time. The two topics prepared me to learn other languages.
When I attended Indiana University, I studied Hausa, an African language spoken primarily in Nigeria. Later, I studied French and two other African languages.
For a missionary and Bible translator, learning languages opens many doors to ministry. So, start learning a language now.
What about learning biblical languages? That’s very important. But as you start out and explore the opportunities in missions and translation, learning a modern, living language will help you assess how well you learn languages and how well you can use them in real-life situations and in ministry.
3. Read biographies
When you’re not planning your year overseas or learning new greetings in Arabic, why not read a missionary biography?
I think there is no better way to get a taste of what it means to be a missionary and Bible translator than to read some of the classic missionary biographies.
You could start with a biography of William Carey or Adoniram Judson, early missionaries who were heavily involved in preaching, teaching, and translating the Scriptures.
Another missionary who will challenge your faith and commitment to prayer is Hudson Taylor, missionary to China.
For a more contemporary and in depth look at the life and work of a Bible translator, read Anderson and Moore’s In Search of the Source. I don’t know of a better book that shows the struggles and joys of a missionary Bible translator.
4. Serve the local church with your gifts
Remember that Bible translation and missions is about more than your interests. It’s about more than biblical texts, lexicons, and translation strategies. It’s about the glory of God shining forth according to the purposes of God through His Word in His Church.
It is essential that you be part of a local church and serve your brothers and sisters in Christ according to your gifting.
Remember that it is pleasing to the Lord and reflects your love for Him when you are serving others. And being part of a local body of believer allows you to grow in your faith and more clearly recognize your spiritual gifts. Finally, as you serve in the church and develop more relationships there, you can seek the advice of more mature and experienced believers as you share about your interest in Bible translation.
One spiritual gift to watch for is teaching. As I translate more and more, I am convinced that the gift of teaching is essential to the task of translation. First, I am teaching my fellow translators various things, from spelling conventions to new software. And translation involves studying a passage and then sharing what I have learned. And in addition to these informal ways of teaching, I have many opportunities to teaching in the classroom as well.
Finally, while you serve in the local church, you also give others an opportunity to serve you according to their giftings. Some may encourage you while others may pray for you and your ministry.
5. Sharpen your understanding of Scripture
If the Lord is leading you toward missions and Bible translation, then you should sharpen your understanding of who God is and what the Scriptures are and what place they have in His purposes.
Who is the God of the Bible? Who is Jesus Christ? Do you know Christ as your Lord and Savior? Is your interest in Bible translation an overflow of your desire to love God and live for the glory of Christ?
These are important questions because you want to live for the glory of God and for the glory of the Lamb who was slain, all by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And what is the Bible? It is essential to know what books make up the Bible and why. It is also critical to know the qualities of these books, including their inspiration, inerrancy, and authoritative place in the life of believers. These qualities of Scripture relate to their translation, as I explain in my article on the relationship between authority and translation.
Then consider what the Bible is for. You might think of Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Tim 3:16 which state that it is for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Or you might think of other verses that describe it as a light for the path ahead of us. Having a clear, scriptural understanding of what Scripture is for will benefit you as you translate it.
And finally, why translate the Bible? Once you have studied the previous topics, you will be ready to consider why we translate the Bible. There are many views on why we translate the Bible. Nonetheless, I think a biblical rationale has to start with God’s will that His people live by His Word which they read, preach, and teach in their own language for the edification of the local church.
6. Complete a bachelor’s degree
I recommend having a bachelor’s degree, especially since many mission agencies consider this the basic level of education for service in missions. However, I would not recommend getting more advanced training before leaving for the mission field, especially not if it involves debt.
In my own case, I earned two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. before finally leaving for the mission field. It was all in God’s plan for me, but looking back, I think getting to the field earlier would be better in most cases.
Given the present cost of a bachelor’s degree, I would not take out loans. It’s better to work and go slowly than to take on debt and then not be able to leave for the field. One missionary I know took several years to work his way through college. He graduated with no debt and a lot of practical skills he learned on the job, skills that he still uses on the mission field.
Furthermore, there is usually a period of time between graduating from college and leaving for the field. It might take a couple years to join an agency and raise support. So, I think it is wise to get a major or minor that will lead to a job, such as computer science or accounting.
What about biblical languages? Theology? Linguistics? Cross-cultural studies and missions? These are all very valuable, and it would be good to take courses in as many of these as you can arrange.
Pray for the Lord’s wisdom in balancing training that will benefit translation and training that will provide for you as you prepare for the mission field.
Remember that you will have more opportunities for training once you are on the mission field and involved in translation.
7. Get your calling affirmed
It is essential to be affirmed in your calling to missions by your local church.
Your interest in missions and Bible translation may start in your heart and grow as you read online, but it can’t stay a personal issue. You should share your interest with your brothers and sisters in Christ at your local church.
But more than share your interest, you should also meet with your pastor to share your desire to be a missionary. At one point or another, your pastor or others in leadership will be asked about your qualifications for ministry. So, it is best to be proactive and meet with them before a mission agency asks you to do it.
By meeting with your pastor or other leaders of your local church, you are allowing them the opportunity to share your excitement and also shepherd you as you prepare for ministry. It will be a great benefit spiritually to seek their advice and following their suggests.
Furthermore, it is essential to be affirmed for ministry by your local church. And that is a process that starts when you take the initiative to share your vision for missions and Bible translation with your leaders.
8. Contact Bible translators
If you don’t know any Bible translators personally, I encourage you to get in touch with the Bible translators supported by your church or with translators that missionaries you know could recommend.
Missionaries who are involved in Bible translation are a valuable resource for you as you learn more about this ministry and make steps toward the mission field.
When you first contact them, don’t give them a list of your top 50 questions. Rather, sign up for their newsletter and pray for their ministry. Learn about their project and the ongoing mission work in their part of the world. Pray for them and see if you might be able to visit them. If you haven’t been to the mission field yet, this might be your opportunity.
While I was pursuing my M.A. in linguistics at UCLA, I contacted a Bible translator in Chad. I eventually visited Bob and Joan Duncanson in Gounou Gaya, Chad, in 1989. During the time I spent with them, I gained many valuable insights about missions and Bible translation. In fact, my dissertation topic resulted from a comment that Bob Duncanson made to me about the language he was translating the Bible into.
So, you never know how the Lord will bless you and guide your steps as a result of spending time with a Bible translator!
9. Clarify your theology of Bible translation
Many Bible translators today view theology as a danger. You have to keep your theology from negatively impacting your translation.
An even more prevalent view today is that theology is important but not directly relevant to translation. For those who hold this view, translation is more of a linguistic endeavor focused on meaning. Translation is about understanding the meaning of the source and then restating it in the target language. No need to talk about a theology of Bible translation.
Despite these strong headwinds, missionaries and Bible translators have to view the Scriptures and their translation in light of what the Bible teaches.
It is essential to affirm that the Scriptures are inspired, inerrant, authoritative, and sufficient. The sufficiency of Scripture extends to the task of teaching Scripture and, by extension, to the task of translation as well. In a similar manner, the Scriptures are authoritative in relation to translation.
You also need to have a clear view of the concept of audience. Who were the Scriptures written for? On what basis do we translate for those to whom the Scriptures were not intended? Or were they intended for everyone?
And what is the function of the translated text. To what extent do you decide and to what extent has it been decided already by God? Do you have the right to translate for one function and not another?
Finally, a major topic today is the place of cultural adaptation in translation. A generation ago, it was considered inappropriate to produce a Bible that was adapted to a new culture and no longer reflected the culture of the original. But now this approach is becoming generally accepted by major Bible translation organizations. To learn more about this topic, check out my blog post on Muslim Idiom translations.
10. Join a mission agency
If you have followed the prior sets, then this final step will be the easiest of all.
In fact, I would strongly advise you not to start with a mission agency. Mission agencies and mission recruiters are often too eager for you to join them and get off to the field.
In many ways, joining a mission agency is like marriage. It’s a relationship that often, in the best situation, lasts for life. Some mission agencies even have housing for their missionaries when they retire from the field and, in a real sense, care for them until their final breath.
Moreover, when you join a mission agency, your fellow missionaries often become your closest colleagues and friends. They may even become actual family when your children marry other missionary kids.
So, it is a very important step to join a mission agency. You should explore the topics mentioned above, relying on your church and missionaries you know well and trust as you prayerfully consider your options.
In Conclusion
I have outlined 10 steps that will lead you toward the ministry of Bible translation in a missionary context.
In my own case, I took most of these steps, including visiting the mission field, getting to know numerous Bible translators, and serving in the local church. I also took some steps that I didn’t mention here, such as studying biblical languages and earning advanced degrees in divinity and linguistics.
There are other important steps that I could have added, but I am confident that these 10 steps will serve you well as you explore the Lord’s leading toward Bible translation. May the Lord guide your every step and increase your love for Him and His Word along the way.