Every Language: Listening To The Multilingual GodНамуна

Every Language

For Bible translators worldwide, this is a Bible passage of central importance. It promises that the multitude standing before God will be made up of people from "every nation, tribe, people and language." And naturally this is not only a promise but also an assignment. If every language is present, then many still must be reached with scriptures in their language so they can join in this "ultimate choir." 

Based on the number of languages today, there will be more than 7,000 languages represented in that one loud voice. The sound of unimaginable harmonic complexity will be the most complete human expression ever to represent Christ—perhaps the perfect reflection of the Lamb, whom the crowd worships. It will certainly be language's crowning achievement.

It's an amazing sight and sound to anticipate. In the meantime, until we join the polyglot choir, what relevance does it have to us today? We may have a vague idea that teams of translators are laboring in obscurity around the world to translate the Bible. But what difference does it actually make to us that translators are working in languages that we don't understand?

It's this: Every new rendering of God's word in a linguistic set of human expression—a language—enriches the worldwide church in her understanding of God, regardless of whether we speak that particular language. Our thinking and imagination are necessarily confined and constrained by our own language and its assumptions. But when we encounter another language—and as it confronts and interacts with the biblical text—it can expand our understanding of God and our world. This is true in our dealings with the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic source texts, yes, but also the 3,000 or so languages into which the Bible or parts of the Bible have been translated and the many more that will still be released.

The past six devotions have provided a small foretaste of the insights and opportunities represented for all of us in the many Bible translations around the world. To help those translation teams succeed in bringing the Bible to the heavenly choir, you can do your part by going to illuminations.bible to learn more and see how to contribute.

If you would like to continue to grow in your own understanding of the Bible via hundreds of other languages, you can explore thousands of stories at tips.translation.bible. 

In the process, you may tune your ears to those voices that will eventually cry out in unison: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."