Making the Bible accessible

By Gary O’Rourke

(From the October - December 2020 issue of VOX)

For over 200 years, Biblica - the International Bible Society, has been helping people engage with God’s word. It started back in 1809 when a group of Christians gathered in New York, to discuss the city’s spiritual needs. Together they formed the New York Bible Society (NYBS), an organisation that grew quickly. In 1810, the NYBS helped fund William Carey’s pioneering trip to India to translate the Bible into Bengali, beginning a long history of Bible translation work around the world.

Driven by a passion to make the Bible available and understandable, the Society became the translation sponsor and ministry publisher of the well-known New International Version (NIV), which when completed in 1978 became the best-selling contemporary English translation of all time. In 1988 the NYBS changed its name to the International Bible Society to better reflect its widening scope of ministry, and in 2009 the name changed to Biblica.

Today Biblica seeks to provide the Bible in accurate, contemporary translations and formats so that more people around the world will have the opportunity to be transformed by Jesus Christ. Working in partnership with other ministries and organisations, Biblica has delivered millions of Bibles, New Testaments, Gospels and Bible portions. A customised Bible has proven to be an effective way of reaching people with God’s word in many different contexts. Recent examples include:

A New Testament for truck drivers, distributed at service stations and to drivers in the UK and Ireland
The Life, an account of the life of Jesus Christ by Luke with a forward by the Archbishop of Canterbury, distributed by the Church of England
A unique edition of the Psalms for the Girls’ Brigade in Northern Ireland

As Biblica continues to produce relevant and reliable Scripture translations and resources that minister to people on the margins of the Gospel, it does so around a three-part strategy:

Gateway Translations: The focus for Biblica is on the top 100 strategic languages for Bible translation, working to accelerate the growth and impact of first language translation efforts within the illumiNations Movement. It is distinguished from other organisations by an integrated translation and publishing approach to developing Scripture resources and programmes.

Rising Generations: Resourcing partner churches and ministries who serve children and youth.

Frontline Church: Recognising that the Church is God’s primary agent working on the “frontline” to reach those on the edges of society, Biblica creates Scripture outreach resources tailored toward those who desperately need God’s Word – the unreached, unengaged, unchurched, unwanted, and unseen.

Translating God’s Word

Biblica prioritises the translation and publishing of the full Bible into the major spoken languages in the world. Incredibly, Biblica’s top 27 translations have the potential to reach four billion people! Translation is carried out by a locally-based team, which works from the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic texts, and each translation goes through rigorous review to ensure maximum accuracy and readability for the target audience.

“Ukraine, the second largest country in Europe does not yet have a contemporary translation of the Bible for Ukrainian speakers.”

Would you believe that Ukraine, the second largest country in Europe does not yet have a contemporary translation of the Bible for Ukrainian speakers? Pastors and believers in Ukraine are using either a Russian translation or a 19th Century Ukrainian translation, which is really difficult to understand. The current generation of children are no longer learning Russian in school and so there is an urgent need for a new Ukrainian translation. Biblica began the translation project in 2018. You can find out more about supporting this project at www.givetotranslate.com.

Introducing the NIrV Accessible Edition

Sometimes language is not the only barrier to reading - the format in which the text is presented is also important. For many of us reading the Bible is a simple daily activity, but for millions of individuals accessing God’s Word can be a real challenge. Launched in 2017 Biblica’s NIrV Accessible Edition has begun to address this gaping hole in access, specifically amongst those with learning disabilities, visual impairments and those who face other barriers to literacy.

Developed in partnership with Livability, Torch Trust and Urban Saints, the NIrV Accessible Edition features a single-column format, tinted paper, simpler navigation, bespoke illustrations and a specially-designed clear font, along with audio and digital editions.

A mother of one lady with Down Syndrome who is now able to read God’s Word for herself says: “Over the years, I have spent a lot of money, trying to find a Bible that would be right for my daughter but none were suitable for her – until now! I am so thankful that God has given Biblica a heart for learning disability. Thank you!”

Dear Theo

Another unique resource developed by Biblica is Dear Theo – an edition of Luke-Acts with specially commissioned illustrations aimed at encouraging children and young people to read and engage with God’s story for themselves. Dear Theo is an epic journey with Jesus, the Son of God, and His first followers.

Features include:

the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) with shorter sentences and simpler language
a specially designed clear font
unique illustrations, by Jason Ramasami
single column-format with no verses or chapter numbers, for ease of reading
audio and print format

Lockdown

Like many organisations, Biblica adapted during the Coronavirus pandemic and worked with partners to assemble relevant resources in multiple languages that can be downloaded from their website. However, one exciting project developed during lockdown when videographer Ben Driver and actor Susie Garvey-Williams found themselves as unlikely housemates and started to record dramatised Bible readings for use by churches during online services. Their impromptu recordings soon grew into a new ministry.

Aware that Biblica holds the license for the New International Version, they made contact. Biblica are now partnering with Living Breath Videos, working together towards an online launch of a dramatised reading of the book of Ruth in October, along with plans for the Christmas story. This kind of project is exciting for Biblica as it is clear there is great benefit for individuals that may struggle more with the Bible in a written form.

You can find out more about Living Breath at their website livingbreath.co.uk or livingbreath.ie.

How can you help Biblica?

You can support the work of Biblica by:

Spreading the word – tell those you know about Biblica’s work.
Ordering copies of Biblica’s unique resources for your ministry through our distribution partner 10ofthose.com
Praying – pray that Biblica will know God’s wisdom in moving forward with projects in Ireland, the UK and across the world. Pray that many lives will be impacted by God’s Word as a result.

For more information on the work of Biblica visit biblicaeurope.com or contact Biblica on europe@biblica.com

Gary O’Rourke is the Administration and Communications Officer for Biblica Europe based in Belfast.

Introducing Biblica