TRANSLATIONS OF THE GOSPEL

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21483, 27 May 1935, Page 12

TRANSLATIONS OF THE GOSPEL

WORK OF BIBLE SOCIETY APPEAL FOR SUPPORT An appeal for fellowship, prayer, and work in the cause of the British and Foreign Bible Society was made by the new organising secretary for Canterbury and Westland (Mr A. C. Marks) in an address at the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church yesterday morning. Mr Marks said it was essential that people should have a world-wide view of the society's work and be in a position to realise its tremendous possibilities. During the 131 years of the society's existence the Bible had been translated into scores of languages; last year it had been translated into 11 more African tongues, and the society's workers were still carrying the word of the Gospel to more peoples every year. There was a tendency to discount the wonderful power of the Bible over the people of the darker lands, Mr Marks said, but the light of the Gospel shone into their hearts and tore them away from idolatry and heathenism to seek the scriptures. All missionaries went out to these people with the same book in their hands and the same purpose in their hearts, and a wonderful work was being done. The Bible was the only stable foundation for Christian life, and little progress with native peoples was possible until the Bible was translated into their tongue.

Many difficulties had to be overcome in the translation of the Bible into strange languages. The finding of words to express accurately the meaning of various passages was sometimes very arduous work. The great task undertaken by the society must commend itself to everyone, and it was the responsibility of every Christian to spread the word of God into every land. With the fellowship, prayex - , and work of every Christian the society could accomplish even more than it; had in the past. "Do not lose any opportunity to assist in the propagation of the word of God both at home and abroad," said Mr Marks, "and do not leave all the work to those who are labouring at the front. May they have behind them the prayer and work of every Christian."