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Why others support the Bible’s way
• Each language reflects the characteristics of its background culture. Having its own language is what identifies a distinct people group. Although very different from ours, every language has a structure and grammar of its own. Treating their language as inferior demeans a people’s whole culture. • However well we learn another language, nothing speaks more clearly to our hearts than what we hear in our mother tongue. We grasp it better and feel it more. • It has been proved that children who learn to read their mother tongue first can learn the trade language more easily. Most governments in the world now encourage mother tongue education in the early years.
‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his (own) language that goes to his heart.’
-Nelson Mandela
• Most missionaries have learned from experience that only Scriptures in the language of the people will make a lasting impact. There has never been a strong indigenous church without the translation of the written Scriptures used by local leaders. • The mostly widely used language on the internet is not in fact English but Chinese! So should we teach everyone Chinese instead of English? Even if people wanted to learn a language as different as English (or Chinese) it would take many more years to reach a sufficient standard than native English speakers imagine.
TOMORROW – What to do now.
