Learn and Rejoice: God, The Hupla Bible, and Missions
This video from Mission Aviation Fellowship features the presentation of the complete Bible to the Hupla people of Papua, Indonesia, translated into their heart language. God's Word is for every tribe and tongue! This is glorious!
A few things to note:
1. One of the men of the Hupla tribe was eager to read the Bible in his heart language to understand it on a deeper level. Learning a local language, codifying it, and teaching literacy to the indigenous people are often necessary components of Bible translation. Why would someone go through so much trouble, especially when producing a new translation can take over 20 years? Why not just teach them to read English? This is why, and it's worth it! Translating the Bible into the heart language communicates God's love for every tongue (compare this with Islam, which teaches you must know Arabic to read the Qu'ran), and it allows his people to understand him on a deeper level.
2. The translator hoped that local theologians would begin digging into the Word and applying it to the lives of the Hupla people. This shows a philosophy of ministry that is biblically essential -- foreign missionaries should always be working themselves out of a job by empowering local men & women to do the work of the ministry. One of World Team's core values is developing & releasing leaders. Paternalism and dependance on missionaries and outside help must be avoided! This happens by engaging in ministry in ways indigenous Christians can reproduce with only the resources available to them.
A few things to note:
1. One of the men of the Hupla tribe was eager to read the Bible in his heart language to understand it on a deeper level. Learning a local language, codifying it, and teaching literacy to the indigenous people are often necessary components of Bible translation. Why would someone go through so much trouble, especially when producing a new translation can take over 20 years? Why not just teach them to read English? This is why, and it's worth it! Translating the Bible into the heart language communicates God's love for every tongue (compare this with Islam, which teaches you must know Arabic to read the Qu'ran), and it allows his people to understand him on a deeper level.
2. The translator hoped that local theologians would begin digging into the Word and applying it to the lives of the Hupla people. This shows a philosophy of ministry that is biblically essential -- foreign missionaries should always be working themselves out of a job by empowering local men & women to do the work of the ministry. One of World Team's core values is developing & releasing leaders. Paternalism and dependance on missionaries and outside help must be avoided! This happens by engaging in ministry in ways indigenous Christians can reproduce with only the resources available to them.
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