The Eschatogical sign of Bible translation

The Bible dedication of the Likɔɔnl (a.k.a Komba) New Testament will be coming up this year. I want to suggest that it is coming as a sign, a symbol, that the future reign of God is coming and most certainly will come in its fullness. Following the trajectory of a previous post, Here is how a Bible dedication can be conceived of as an eschatological in breaking of the Kingdom of God…

Following scholars like Andrew Walls, Kwame Bediako, and Lamin Sanneh, a  Bible translated and published for use in a new language is a sign that we are finally hearing God speak in that language. Of course, God already speaks every language. Every metaphor for the gospel already stands before him as an appellation of his beauty. And yet, by historical accident some languages (and cultures!) are privileged and others, quite poignantly, are not privileged. Too often this goes without a thought, as if that is the way it must be. Instead, every language and culture is endowed with beauty lavishing in the grace of God. And there may be concrete things we can do to acknowledge the fact.

At the risk of overselling this, dedicating a new Bible for use in church in a language and culture that has not had such an honor on its own terms is a big deal symbolically. It is an acknowledgment in the church (and the world) of what already stands true before God by virtue of creation and by double virtue of redemption. Publishing a Bible in a new language is an expression of the end time rule of God, which according to Scripture, suggests that every nation, tribe and tongue will have their rightful place before God on the last day.  Dedicating a new Bible is in a word, eschatological! A bringing of the end rule, forward (and backward) in time, even into the broken church and into the domineering world.  If this one language, if this particular culture, then most assuredly, all others.

To acknowledge that every language is endowed with beauty does not necessarily mean a published, printed Bible is the only 'sign' in the present to acknowledge that fact. But it is one way. And I am looking forward to celebrating it. I'd also like to explore other ways in addition to printed Bible, that are also signs of God's rule brought forward and backward into the present.