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Walk into any Christian bookstore in America and you will find shelf after shelf of Bibles in every shape, size, color and translation possible–Bibles tailored to every special interest group–women, men, children, teens, military, medical, and even sportsmen. These Bibles are no doubt a blessing for those who have both the resources to purchase them and the ability to read them.
But what about those who have neither? According to audio Bible distributor Faith Comes By Hearing, approximately 50 percent of the world’s population is illiterate. Even if they could afford to purchase a Bible in a bookstore, they couldn’t read it.
However, in today’s technology-driven age, groups are rising to meet the challenge of providing the Bible to those who are illiterate or have limited literacy. These groups are taking the gospel to far-flung areas of the earth in print, on CDs and MP3s, and over the Internet.
“We are building our part of the wall of the kingdom,” said Eric Fellman, president of World Bible Translation Center, based in North Richland Hills. WBTC exists to translate the Bible into an easy-to-read format in the top 100 languages spoken in the world. “We are a group that is totally committed to the original language. We believe the Holy Spirit wanted the common people to understand.”
To enhance understanding, WBTC translations of the Bible use vocabulary that is understandable for the average fourth- or fifth-grader. “Even in America, literacy level is dropping from ninth-grade level to seventh grade,” Fellman said. The Easy-to-Read Version of the Bible helps people grasp biblical concepts in everyday language.
WBTC has an Easy-to-Read Version of the Bible in 30 of the top 100 languages in the world. These versions are distributed in print and/or audio at cost by WBTC partners around the world. In addition, every edition is made available free of charge in a PDF format on the WBTC website.
WBTC Easy-to-Read Version has just recently been translated into Arabic and is being distributed in the Middle East.
“The Arabic version is incredibly important to supporting Christians in the Middle East,” Fellman said. “In Egypt there are currently 6 million believers with no version of the Bible available until now.”
In addition to world-wide efforts, the WBTC Easy-to-Read Version Spanish Bibles are being used to teach English in Texas and other areas with large Hispanic communities. “Our Spanish translation is side-by-side with simple English,” Fellman said. “It is a good tool with ESL.”
WBTC is ready and willing to partner with individuals, churches, and large organizations to get Easy-to-Read Versions of the Bible into the hands of those who need them most. Missionaries representing Southern Baptist mission boards have taken advantage of the resources for work around the world. For more information about how to partner with WBTC, visit their website at wbtc.org.
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In 1972, Jerry and Annette Jackson were ministering on a Hopi Indian Reservation where they found unused Hopi Bibles and realized that even though the Word was there, the people couldn’t use it because they were illiterate. Out of that experience, the ministry of Faith Comes By Hearing and its audio Bible listening program were born.
FCBH focuses providing the Bible to the poor and illiterate in a culturally relevant way. According to FCBH statistics, the group has 24 recording centers throughout the world, staffed by 40 recording teams of national workers. In 2008, over $14.5 million was given to FCBH for its programs. Currently, FCBH has 454 audio Scripture recordings available in 388 languages. These recordings reach 4.5 billion people in 135 countries.
According to the FCBH website, spreading the gospel around the world presents special challenges. “Offering every person on our planet equal access to the Bible requires meeting the unique needs of generations, technical societeis, and fast-paced lifestyles. It also means meeting the cultural and literacy challenges presented when working in underdeveloped countries. Faith Comes By Hearing is rising to meet the biblical needs of a complex world through modern technology. An MP3 Bible, “BibleSticks” for all ages, and a third-world culturally adapted playback unit, called The Proclaimer, are just a taste of the technology that God is using to spread his Word throughout the world with Faith Comes By Hearing programs.”
Two FCBH programs provide audio versions of the Bible in the United States and around the world. “You’ve Got The Time” is an effort to provide an audio version of the New Testament to every adult and teenager in participating local churches. In addition, children are provided with the Kidz Audio Bible. According to FCBH, listeners are disciple and then they are asked to participate in providing audio Bibles to the poor and illiterate through FCBH’s international programs.
“You’ve Got The Time” is sponsored by Christian business people and foundations who are concerned about biblical illiteracy in the U.S.
The international program, “Faith Comes By Hearing,” takes audio Bibles in native languages to people groups who generally follow an oral tradition of transmitting information. Pastors or leaders commit to listening with their people for 30 minutes a week and then follow the listening with a time of discussion.
In addition to CD and MP3, FCBH also offers over 400 audio Bible downloads free of charge of its website, faithcomesbyhearing.com
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Producing and distributing Bibles in a digital format, especially for areas of the world where the gospel is not readily available, is the mission of The Digital Bible Society. Based in The Woodlands, Texas, the group provides both audio and video versions of the gospel, primarily in China and the Middle East, as well as other areas of the world.
Started in 2000 as an all-volunteer group of software developers, missionaries, pastors and Bible students, The Digital Bible Society believes that the personal computer has opened new opportunities to share the gospel in a digital format—opportunities that are both vast low cost. “In the past, Bibles have cost missionary societies several dollars each to produce and ship. Now, an entire library with Bibles, audio=scriptures, evangelical media, commentaries, devotionals, inspirational works, and biographies can be reproduced on a quality computer disk for 50 cents. That same CD can be copied and given away in minutes. Imagine, an entire Christian library, resources worth thousands of dollars—taking up several meters of shelf space—copied freely in minutes and carried away in a shirt pocket,” state the society’s vision statement.
In keeping with its vision, The Digital Bible Society is currently focusing on distributing Chinese Treasures 5.0, a CD containing four Chinese Bibles, two commentaries, a New Testament Audio Bible, as well as various reference works, discipleship and training materials, evangelistic tracts, biography and history material. In addition, the CD contains 177 Classic and inspirational Christian books, as well as “The Hope,” an 80-minute video that presents the gospel. These CDs are available free of charge to those living in China or those who will be traveling to China.
In addition to making the CDs available for free, The Digital Bible Society encourages those who receive the CD to make as many copies as possible and distribute them in china. While there is no way to know how many times the CDs have been copied and given away, over 200,000 original copies of Chinese Treasure 5.0 have been distributed in China.
The Digital Bible Society is also working on Arabic Treasure, a project similar to Chinese Treasures, but targeted to Christians in the Middle East. They hope to have this project completed soon. Other language groups targeted for CD projects include Turkish, Indonesian, Russian and Farsi.
There are many ways to participate in The Digital Bible Society’s efforts to spread the gospel. To find out how you can be involved, visit their website at dbsbible.org.
