How God’s Word Spreads in China and Beyond
Since 1987, more than 200 million Bibles have been printed in a country where the Bible was once forbidden.
Since 1987, more than 200 million Bibles have been printed in a country where the Bible was once forbidden.
Some may assume that Chinese Bible translation resources are limited, but that’s not entirely accurate. The United Bible Societies have been carrying out an extensive Bible digitization project, preserving texts and creating digital archives in many languages. This project revealed that while English has the highest number of translations, Chinese ranks third after Spanish, with over 80 complete or partial translations.
As the old Chinese saying goes: "The final mile counts for half the journey. Without it, the previous ninety-nine are wasted" (行百里路者半九十). Fully engaging with the Bible, transforming life, resembles a long and arduous road.
A group of devout Christians, who lived out the Bible's teachings, made its words come alive—tangible, and visible. As I was influenced by them, I began to experience joy, gradually transforming from a person prone to anxiety and worry to one filled with hope.
Since the Bible does not have a government-issued ISBN, they can only be sold legally in churches and bookstores affiliated with the [registered church] … “The process of printing and distributing Bibles is a regulated and systematic procedure that begins with an annual assessment by the [registered church] of the demand for Bibles. The proposed quantity is then submitted…for approval.”
Fraser’s most acclaimed contribution to missions is his translation of the Bible and Christian hymns into the Lisu language. When he first met the Lisu people in Tengyueh, they had no written language of their own. After Fraser learned to speak the language, he began to translate the Bible into Lisu.
Chinese Bible translations were often the result of years of diligence, at times division, and significant group work. While Westerners often numerically dominated the projects mentioned above, Chinese Christians also played a role.
Throughout the work of the NTB, the Holy Spirit showed up time and time again by giving the translators “lexical surprises.” God gave words to express the Bible message, surprising words that were embedded in the language and waiting for discovery by the translators.
Balcombe brings us into the present by telling us about the Pentecostal church at the end of the Cultural Revolution and on through the years to its present situation.
[The young man] said that about a third of his contemporaries were interested in anything to do with the West, a third were staying with the Party to make sure of a stable future in China and a third, in his words, were “looking for God.”
Reading Peng’s book, alongside the research of many other scholars of the Chinese Bible, reminds China workers today of the very real merits of the Union translation as well as its prominence within the Chinese church.
Printed and electronic versions are available, but where?