Here is the outline of a “Bibleless Peoples” talk I gave to a group of national church planters. Many of these leaders work among or near people who do not have God's word in a language that they understand. They were able to identify some of the Bibleless people groups on our list. They also got riled up when I asked what languages they should work in. Some were in favor of using national or state languages, for the sake of unity; some for tribal languages, for the sake of understanding.
(Theology) What is the “seed” that we sow?
- The seed is God’s word, the gospel of Jesus Christ: “The sower sows the word…” (Mk. 4:14)
- Seed has all the potential for life, growth and multiplication
- Look at “movement” in Acts
- Movement is described as the growth of God’s word
- Acts 6:7, 12:24, 13:49, 19:20, 28:31
- What can a sower do without seed?
- Many people and places have no “seed” available
- The Bibleless are those without God’s word in a language that they understand
- Who do you know without God’s word?
(Linguistics) A look at languages
- People use different languages for different places and purposes (multilingualism)
- What languages do you use for home, market, school, church, news?
- Each language is strong in it’s area (domain)
- The gospel can move in any language, but which language is priority for the “sower”?
- The language of homes (oikos), houses of peace, where churches are planted
- It’s better seen as “home language” (mother-tongue), not “heart language”
- Look for living (vital) languages, spoken between parents and children
(Strategy) How to work among the Bibleless
- Train in homes (if religious and home languages differ)
- Houses of peace may speak local and trade languages well
- Make small groups by language
- Trade languages (languages of wider communication) may be enough for God’s word to grow
- Test for understanding
- Ask questions after teaching
- Have people retell it in their own words
- Does it spread between trainings?
- Do they share at home in their language?
- Use Bible stories, songs, pictures and dramas
- Stories translate well
- Stories give meaning to new words and phrases
- Honor people who sing, pray and practice the gospel and testimony in their own language
- Learn and speak the language, as it is the best way to encourage the spread of God’s word
- Some groups will need the Bible translated
- Make disciples according to the Scriptures
- Do you give authority to God’s word in your own life and ministry?
- Do you train from the Bible?
- How does your own strategy compare with the Apostles’s teaching?
- Do you aim for people to have faith in the gospel (not just obedience)?
- When you leave a field, do you leave God’s word in the hearts of the people?
- Our work isn’t done until there is a church that is growing in God’s word in a language that they understand (Acts 20:32, 2 Peter 1:15)
Who are the Bibleless?
- There are churchless and Bibleless groups hiding around us
- Look at the list
- These are the groups without any Scripture resources (not just a Bible translation)
- Have you seen any? Is this language spoken at home?
- Do you know any bilingual believers or churches among them?
- Do you have churches near to any of these groups?
- Inform your churches
- Tell us if a group needs Scripture resources
- The churchless and Bibleless will be hopeless until someone from outside (us) goes in with the “seed” of God’s word
- Be sure to plant God’s word in hearts and homes because it will grow and multiply