The Future of Bible Translation

What is The Future of Bible Transmission?

The transmission of the Bible has a long and complicated history. Recent history has given us new technology that has revolutionized the spreading of the Scriptures. This article will look at several things in the modern age of Bible transmission. This paper addresses how the church can continue to overcome challenges and revere the Bible in this new digital age. 

In the ancient world, the text of the Bible was transmitted orally and copied down on papyrus among other things. In a digital age, however, this is far from the case. Many Christians do not need physical copies of the Bible to read and study it. That is unprecedented in the history of the text. Rather than going to a place or buying an ancient English Bible, people can google the Wycliffe Bible or other older Bibles. The text is read out loud if people spend mere seconds searching for audio readings. Instead of having a bunch of books spread out on a table, people have a lot of tabs open on their computers. These and more advancements are unprecedented. 

There are advantages and disadvantages to this digitalization of text that we must accept. One of the massive positives is the incredible access the public has to all kinds of Bibles in English for free. availability allows common folk to know more, for free, by comparing different versions of Bibles. Lay people can also learn more about the transmission of the text due to this. This access is very different from ancient times where only some had things like the Septuagint (LXX) or the Samaritan Pentateuch, assuming the ancient person could even read. 

Another positive is accessibility. As noted by Houston Christian University (2024), Luther’s emphasis on the Bible as the authority for Christian truth and his making the Scriptures available in the common vernacular of the German people not only deeply influenced the Christian life and culture of Germany, but also encouraged Bible reading among all the people throughout Europe and the world. (para. 32). His desire to bring Biblical literacy to the laity has never been more realized than it is now. People can now download the Bible on their phones and carry it wherever they go. The digital age does not even need physical copies of the text anymore. Now anyone can download an app that shows a Bible verse on their lock screen when they open it. One possibly overlooked point is that many people do not have to risk anything to get Scripture. Often is not thought about, but Bible transmission could be a dangerous thing depending on the time in Church History. For many parts of the world persecution during the transmission of Scripture has not occurred for a long time. 

On the flip side, we run into the danger of people misusing sources. Strong’s concordance is a good example of this. People often use Strong’s concordance to understand a Greek or Hebrew word because it is a free resource. One major problem with this concordance is that it is outdated. (McClellan, 2022). This resource is not accessed because it is reliable for modern people, but rather because it is free. One potential solution to this is increasing public access to the academic study of Scripture regarding all topics. The hope would be that doing this will freely spread biblical literacy. Beyond just spreading biblical literacy, we should also equip people to be biblical literate themselves. 

We also have a problem with the public reading of the Bible. Boomershine (2018) comments, “To put it bluntly, the proclamation of the Word is boring for many people accustomed to highly engaging media experience” (p. 380). For many people in a highly engaging digital age, the monotone reading of the Bible is boring and unfulfilling. One Biblical scholar notes, “We just seem, especially in our culture, to prefer being entertained over thinking” (Heiser, 2024). I would also say that many may not even want to read Scripture. Why read a book when you can watch a movie, show, or social media post about said book? If it does not entertain us, why do it? That said, the public reading of the text was the original intent. As it is written, “...devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching” (1 Tim 4:13, NIV). It is also true for the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 31:9-13). How do we continue engaging in public reading currently? This is one of many questions the church needs to grapple with in the digital age. 

One of the technologies I would love to see in Bible transmission is the use of movies. Bible movies have been made for a while now. Yet often the stereotype is that Bible movies (and Christian media in general) are terrible. I would love to see a Biblical cinematic universe like the MCU or 3D Christian films that are truly captivating. Virtual reality experiences would also be cutting-edge Christian content as well. Another interesting idea would be digitized readings of the Bible on billboards. Imagine as you're driving, you hear a person on a billboard read John 3:16-18. 

What about a Christian Alexa? As wild as that sounds, it might be awesome. You could ask Alexa questions about church history, scripture, and all matters of faith. Just like Alexa, you could also ask it to play music. There may be a danger depending on who is creating it. For example, what would Alexa say if you asked if the rapture is Biblical? The answer may depend on who made it. Or it could be even-handed and give two or more sides of any given debate. 

So, how can we uphold a high view of scripture amid this ever-evolving technology? Continuing to spread the scriptures in various ways would be great. Protestants like Martin Luther and Proto-Protestants like Wycliffe wanted the Bible in the hands of the common people. Getting the scriptures to media and expressions is a continuation of their dream to get the Holy Scriptures to all people. Another way is by spreading Biblical literacy. We should not just get the Bible to the common people, but also help them understand the plausible and correct interpretations of the Holy Scriptures. 

The church should also continue to think through tough questions about theology and communication in a digital world. Ultimately, Christians should continue to find good and powerful ways to transmit sacred texts. The faithful can adopt new ways of teaching and transmitting the text. The church also must be aware of potential dangers as well. If we can adapt to new ways and overcome challenges, we can thrive in a digital world.

References:

Boomershines, Thomas E. (2018). Embodiment of the word: a pastoral approach to scripture in a Digital Age. In C. Taske (Ed.), Dialogue Between Communication & Theology 

An Emerging Field of Communication Theology. Retrieved May 22 2024 from https://francesfordeplude.org/s/DialogueBetweenCommunicationAndTheology.pdf#page=381 

Heiser, M. (2024, May 19th). The church and anti-intellectualism. [Video]. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7HuvJwJTrv/?igsh=MW5qM2wwajF2eDZveA== 

Image by Rod Long on Unsplash

McClellan, D. (2023, Mar 28). What’s wrong with Strong’s Concordance? [Video]. Dan McClellan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bszlZndmEiQ 

Webster. (2022, March 11). Martin Luther and the Scriptures. Houston Christian University. https://hc.edu/museums/dunham-bible-museum/tour-of-the-museum/past-exhibits/martin luther-and-the-scriptures/

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