NidaMAP — Modular Aggregation of Principles for Bible Translation
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When did we stop innovating in Bible translation?

JCJeremiah Chung · Oct 14, 2017, 10:51 AM · Last modified: Sep 28, 2026, 11:38 AM
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I have been pondering technology, innovation and translation even more since I started working with NGO with A.I. or Natural Language Processing technology for Bible translation. Since we need to translate unknown concept, I think we have never stopped innovating in Bible translation. With the privilege of serving as consulting a number of different projects, I keep learning new things of translation as application of many disciplines and the ever changing context. However we are not in a dichotomy of tradition vs. innovation. There are always a tension to stay in our status quo and comfort zone. Mission movement of the church in the history is not started with human's obedience but God's invisible hand to disturb or even discipline His Children for Missio Dei. There was undesired(from human perspective) or desired(from God) diversity from the Babel. And yet the new Adam as the Head of body has been bringing the unity of the body of Christ. Thus, it's time to think about the innovation/technology and translation theory/practice from the diversified perspectives but the unified Great Commission of Missio Dei. Bible translation is only one of the means of the creature of our omnipotent God. Personally I think translation is merely a branch of language technology and linguistics is merely a branch or a bunch of disciplines of sciences and/or arts. As we should not consecrated Greek and Hebrew as the sacred languages. As we are thinking about the history of reformation in 500th anniversary about back to the Bible, I hope to see that we can go beyond theology as queen of sciences but to understand what is the Missio Dei and consider it as the ultimate goal of all technologies and disciplines. Certainly we would like to see more integration of disciplines and partnership of the institutes for His Glory and His Glory only. Psalm 115:1 Not to us, oh Lord, not to us, but to Your NAME be the glory.

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