April to June 2005

The Word of God Among All Nations

THE MAGAZINE OF THE TRINITARIAN BIBLE SOCIETY

ISSUE NUMBER : 571 April to June 2005 Trinitarian Bible Society Founded in 1831 for the circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted versions of the Word of God Officers of the Society General Committee: General Secretary: Mr. D. P. Rowland The Rev. M. H. Watts, Chairman The Rev. B. G. Felce, M.A., Vice-Chairman Assistant General Secretary: Mr. F. C. Farncombe, Vice-President Mr. D. Larlham The Rev. G. Hamstra, B.A., M.Div., Editorial Manager: Vice-President Mr. G. W. Anderson Mr. D. Oldham, Vice-President Office Manager: Mr. C. A. Wood, Vice-President Mr. J. M. Wilson Mr. G. R. Burrows, M.A. Warehouse Manager: Mr. G. D. Buss, B.Ed. Mr. I. A. Docksey Pastor M. J. Harley Production Manager: Mr. A. K. Jones Mr. M. D. N. Thomas The Rev. E. T. Kirkland, B.A., Dipl.Th. The Rev. D. Silversides The Rev. J. P. Thackway Quarterly Record Production Team General Secretary: D. P. Rowland Assistant General Secretary: D. Larlham Editor: G. W. Anderson Production Editor: Dr. D. E. Anderson Assistants to the Editor: M. J. Fenn, C. P. Hallihan Graphic Design: Stephen Talas Additional gentlemen are under consideration for membership of the General Committee. Circulation: J.M. Wilson The Word of God Among All Nations QUARTERLY RECORD THE MAGAZINE OF THE TRINITARIAN BIBLE SOCIETY Issue Number 571 April to June 2005 C ONTENTS 2 19 Annual General Meeting Adoniram Judson 2005 The Word of God to Burma Part two 2 Open Day 2005 30 The Treasury 3 From the Assistant General 31 Secretary The Story of Our Bible 6 39 Statement of Doctrine of Taking the Scriptures to France Holy Scripture 42 16 NEW Catalogue The Lord God a Sun and Shield 43 NEW The Gospel of Luke 18 Graham Bidston 44 A faithful minister retires— The Word of God Among All finally Nations

© Trinitarian Bible Society 2005 All rights reserved. The Trinitarian Bible Society permits reprinting of articles found in our printed and online Quarterly Record provided that prior permission is obtained and proper acknowledgement is made. QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society

Annual General Meeting 2005 The Annual General Meeting for 2005 will be held, God willing, on 10th September at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Elephant and Castle, London, SE1. More information on this meeting will be forthcoming in the next Quarterly Record. PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS A CHANGE OF FROM THE DATE AND VENUE THIS YEAR. September

But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

DAY Daniel 11.32 The Society’s next Open Day is scheduled y mind was drawn to this While not wishing to disparage what Scripture, as I heard on the has clearly been a momentous achieve- for 24th September, God willing. We Mnews bulletins details of the ment, a testimony to fitness, bravery and anticipate a full day of displays, guided welcome being planned at a Cornish har- determination, I could not help thinking how little such exploits achieve in the tours and talks, along with a good time of bour town, in the southwest of England, 2005 for a young lady who has spent the last overall scheme of things. One looks in fellowship, as we once again present the seventy days or more sailing single-hand- vain for some expression of thanks to ed around the world, a distance of some Almighty God for preservation, or some work of Bible translation, production 27,000 miles, in record time. Complete reference to the wonders of His creation and distribution. Please mark your strangers were prepared to travel hun- that must surely have been seen and dreds of miles and camp out overnight to experienced on such a journey. calendars and make plans to join us. be at the head of the queue to show their By way of contrast, who has ever

OPEN ‘support’ and voice their acclamation. heard of, or cares about, the typical

3 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society preacher or minister, labouring in the the Lord should provide the people to Jesus Christ. Although much of this suggestion for the prayerful considera- Gospel in his own area for many years? prepare the translations. religious ceremony is tasteless and even tion of ministers, pastors and elders in No world records are broken, there may verging on blasphemy these days, the churches and assemblies up and not even be much or any tangible evi- It was indeed heart-warming to see although pomp and circumstance draw down the land. dence of blessing, no souls evidently the pictures of such poor people, living attention all too often to popes and saved, or towns or villages transformed in huts or flimsy dwellings constructed prelates rather than to the risen Son of Within these pages you will find the by the power of God’s Word. And yet of animal skins, flocking around to hear God, there remains the great truth of second and concluding part of Peter the Lord deeply values such efforts done the reading of the Scriptures by the that earth-splitting occasion when the Hallihan’s article on Adoniram Judson. in His Name, trusting in His glorious travelling evangelists, and to receive Lord God dealt so wonderfully and On pages 24 and 25, we read therein of gospel, and earnestly seeking the out- Gospel ministry. Some eighty men are finally with the sins of His people. How the culmination of Judson’s laborious pouring of His Holy Spirit—that many supported by Friedensstimme in this glorious is our Risen Saviour, how mag- work on the Burmese Bible, viewed might be turned from darkness to light, work. Many copies of the Word of God, nificent His exploits! How worthy He is indeed as a ‘standard work’ and first from death to life, for ever. or portions of it, are distributed, and of all the praise and adoration we can printed in 1835. How thrilled we would some profess Christ, with evident marks muster; how we can rehearse that great be to produce a new edition of that What a wonderful privilege is ours of a changed life. day when we cast our crowns before Bible, revised as little as necessary to here at the Trinitarian Bible Society to Him, and cry ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord, ensure that it is conformed as closely as Only eternity will evaluate such furnish such labourers with their essen- to receive glory and honour and power: possible to the Masoretic Hebrew and exploits. ‘Joy shall be in heaven over one tial tools, the Word of God, faithfully for thou hast created all things, and for Textus Receptus Greek, and wherever sinner that repenteth, more than over and accurately translated, that they thy pleasure they are and were created’ orthographic considerations require ninety and nine just persons, which might convey such life-giving materials (Revelation 4.10, 11). change! We trust that men who could need no repentance’ (Luke 15.7). Such into the hands and hearts of many! help us with such a task are making faithful labourers as our brethren from themselves known, and perhaps one day, Recently, we received a visit from Friedensstimme are laying up for them- before long, we will be able to say, with representatives of Friedensstimme, selves treasure in heaven. n the early months of the year we Judson, ‘We enjoyed the great happiness based in Holland, an organisation of receive a substantial number of of committing to the press the last sheet Let us not then be weary in well I of the new edition of the Burmese Bible’. men and women burdened to dissemi- doing; let us measure all things by the appreciative letters and e-mails referring nate the Holy Scriptures and the Word to the many thousands of Golden gauge of eternity. Let the world enjoy This year we intend making some of Truth into vast areas of the Russian Thoughts and Words of Life Calendars their fifteen minutes of fame, we do not improvements to our Web site, including Federation. Under God, we have been despatched during the previous few begrudge them, and we can sometimes more frequent updates. We have two privileged to supply many thousands of months. Whereas those communica- admire the effort and sacrifice involved. sites: our main site at Russian Scriptures to Friedensstimme, tions from abroad usually incorporate But such exploits will never affect hearts www.trinitarianbiblesociety.org, which and they came to show us a little of details of the distribution of these cal- and souls and accomplish anything of contains not only information about the their work. They concentrated upon endars into many homes, schools, eternal value. The faithful ministry of Society but also articles and the online how the Russian Bibles, New Testaments offices, prisons, refugee camps, etc., we God’s Word and the preaching of the editions of our Quarterly Record, and and Gospels are taken many thousands do not hear so often of any such pro- Gospel will be a sweet savour of Christ, our sales site at www.TBS-sales.org for of miles by primitive transport, often grammes in Great Britain. Do many in them that are saved and in them that online ordering. along makeshift roads, into communi- perish—either a savour of life unto life, churches use the calendars as a deliber- ties in the far north near the Arctic or (most solemnly), a savour of death ate means of gaining access to many in Finally, please continue to pray for Circle, or into such countries as unto death (2 Corinthians 2.15, 16). the local community, coupling their dis- the health and full recovery of our Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and tribution with the giving out of tracts or General Secretary. He is scheduled to Turkmenistan in the south. The people There is, of course, one supreme Gospels, and fitting this work into a undertake quite an extensive pro- of Friedensstimme long to have reliable exploit, or series of exploits: by the time year-long ministry in their neighbour- gramme during the coming year, includ- translations of the Word of God in the you read this, millions all over the world hood? It occurs to us that this could be ing travelling to two or three of our local languages to distribute, and we will once again have been celebrating a very valuable exercise for many, as the Branches, God willing. have signified our willingness to help, if the death and resurrection of our Lord Lord leads, and we put it forward as a

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Committee is endeavouring to ensure As the Society is a Bible Society engaged that, subject to the Lord Himself being in the publication and distribution of pleased to grant His indispensable the Bible, one of the first areas to which blessing upon the work, the Society will the Committee has given its attention is be adequately prepared to face the par- the all-important subject of the Society’s Trinitarian Bible Society ticular difficulties and specific position regarding the Holy Scriptures. challenges of the coming years of this This subject has been before your century. The prevailing situation in the Committee month by month for the STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE visible church and among the nations greater part of the last three years and today is very considerably different to has engaged their prayerful thought and OF what it was thirty years ago. It is far dif- discussion throughout this period. ferent to what it was in 1831. The indications today are that—unless the The Society’s Constitution states that: Lord is pleased to graciously intervene, Holy Scripture withdraw His threatened judgements This Society shall circulate the and revive His work—the situation (at HOLY SCRIPTURES, as comprised least in the United Kingdom) during the in the Canonical books of the Old next few years is likely to change very and New Testaments, WITHOUT significantly. NOTE OR COMMENT, to the exclusion of the Apocrypha; the In approaching this review of the copies in the English language shall Society’s work and witness, the be those of the Authorised Version. Committee has sought to ensure that In promoting and editing new nothing it does or proposes alters in any translations, and selecting versions way the basic historical, spiritual foun- in Foreign languages, the competen- dation of the work. The Society’s aim has cy of the translators employed, and been, is today, and (by God’s grace) will the faithfulness, textual basis and continue to be in the future, as simply Christian character of the versions, and yet comprehensively stated in the shall be ascertained by the Society’s Constitution drawn up in 1831: Committee, before the circulation of such versions is in any way aided by completed, and such is the breadth and The object of this Society is to pro- this Society. The aim shall be to pro- Introduction complexity of the Society’s operation, it is mote the Glory of God and the duce or select versions whose textual doubtful whether it will be concluded for salvation of men, by circulating, basis is as close as possible to the ver the last few years the several years. (In part this activity of the both at home and abroad, in Hebrew Masoretic and the Greek Society’s General Committee Committee follows the publication last dependence on the Divine blessing, Received texts underlying both the has spent a considerable year of the Investigating Committee’s the HOLY SCRIPTURES, which are English Authorised Version and Oamount of time examining in Report.) given by inspiration of God, and are translations of comparable standing detail some of the many different aspects It is important that the Society’s mem- able to make men wise unto salva- made from these texts into other of the Society’s work. This systematic bers and friends understand the purpose tion, through faith which is in European languages at the time of review of the Society has not yet been of this comprehensive review. The Christ Jesus. (Law II) the Protestant Reformation. (Law III)

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It continues: churches began early, with the decline of vital Godliness’ (Charles Hodges, The MEMBERS of this Society shall Systematic Theology [London: James consist of PROTESTANTS, who Clarke & Co., 1960] 2:728). acknowledge in writing to the Trinitarian Bible Society Society’s Head Office their belief in Today, as has been stated, things are very the GODHEAD OF THE FATHER, different. The doctrine of Scripture has STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE OF THE SON, AND OF THE been, and is being, assailed on every HOLY GHOST, THREE CO- side: not least from within many OF EQUAL AND CO-ETERNAL PER- branches (including those taking the SONS IN ONE LIVING AND name of ‘evangelical’ and ‘reformed’) of TRUE GOD (as is more fully set the so-called ‘Christian Church’ of our forth in the Appendix to these day. The Committee, therefore, consid- Holy Scripture laws); in the WHOLE BIBLE as the ers it necessary for the Society clearly inspired and inerrant Word of God, and unambiguously to state where it the sole, supreme and infallible rule stands on this most fundamental of all of faith and practice; and who unite doctrines. It has consequently prepared to support the Society by contribut- the following Statement and Word List ing not less than FIVE POUNDS (the latter defining some of the techni- annually… (Law IV) cal terms referred to in the former). These documents do not contain any- These paragraphs refer to the copies of thing that is novel but simply the Holy Scriptures to be circulated by summarise the historical position of the the Society and the beliefs of the Society. Society’s members. However, they do not explicitly state the Doctrine of Holy It will be noted that the following docu- Scripture. This was probably because in ments have the unanimous support of 1831, when the Constitution was drawn the whole of the Society’s General up, the humble, God-fearing supporters Committee. The Statement has there- of the Society generally understood the fore been signed by all the Members of historic Protestant doctrine of Holy the General Committee, the Vice- The Reformation Confessions such as the Westminster (1647), Preface: the Savoy (1658), and the London Baptist (1689), state regard- Scripture and there was no need to Presidents and the General Secretary. ing Scripture that, ‘The Old Testament in Hebrew, (which was the native language of express more than that which is con- Copies are being given to all the the people of God of old,) and the New Testament in Greek, (which at the time of the tained in the wording of the Society’s staff and speakers, and are writing of it, was most generally known to the nations,) being immediately inspired by Constitution. The history of the decline being circulated to all the Society’s per- God, and, by his singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore of orthodox Christianity over the last sonnel in each of its Branches and authentical…’ (WCF 1:8). With this the Society is in full agreement, believing that it two centuries is only a reflection of the Auxiliaries. accurately summarises the following doctrine: decline in spirituality of the Lord’s people. As Charles Hodge has stated, ‘The D.P. Rowland Only the self-interpreting Holy Scripture is competent to define Scripture. The departure from the doctrines of the General Secretary 1. Scripture’s witness to itself can be briefly summarised in the following proposi- church standards of the Protestant tions:

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(1) The Bible is God’s written revelation to mankind (Exodus 24:3–4; Psalm as is possible and as free as is necessary; that is, by translating the words, and following 119:140; Matthew 4:4). the arrangement and propositional content of the original text as much as is possible, and by being free of human invention, addition, and subtraction, except as is necessary. (2) Through the process of inspiration (which has the meaning ‘breathed out by God’), a supernatural power was exerted by the Holy Spirit upon certain chosen men, governing and directing them to write the very words of God, without admixture of NOTES: 2 Errors, omissions, and additions in particular manuscripts do not impinge upon the error (1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:21). This is not to deny that 1 The Trinitarian Bible Society recognises qualities of Scripture, including inerrancy, each of the biblical writers had a distinctive style and vocabulary, but it is to affirm that and receives the Masoretic Hebrew and the because the errors are, in fact, no part of the divine superintendence was such that the end product (verbally inspired) was the Greek Received Texts as providentially pre- inerrant Scripture. very Word of God, and as such, absolute and pure truth (Romans 3:2; 1 Corinthians served and authentic. In so doing, it follows 14:37). the historic, orthodox Protestant position of 3 Translations made since New Testament acknowledging as Holy Scripture the times must use words chosen by uninspired (3) The supernatural power involved in the process of inspiration, and in the result Hebrew and Greek texts adopted and pre- men to translate God’s words. For this rea- of inspiration, was exerted only in the original production of the sixty-six Canonical served by the Church. These texts had son no translation of the Word of God can books of the Bible (2 Peter 1:20–21; 2 Peter 3:15–16). remained in common use in different parts have an absolute or definitive status. The of the world for more than fifteen centuries final appeal must always be to the original and they faithfully represent the texts used (4) In conformity to God’s purpose, promise, and command, faithful and accurate languages, in the Traditional Hebrew and in New Testament times. Greek texts (as defined in Note 1). copies were made (Deuteronomy 17:18; Proverbs 25:1) and, through God’s special providential care, His Word has been preserved in all generations (Psalm 119:152; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; Luke 16:17; 1 Peter 1:25). The professing people of God under the As affirmed above, the Lord Jesus endorsed the preserved and standard Old and New Testaments have been the appointed custodians of His Word (Psalm 2.Old Testament of His day as ‘scripture’ (Luke 4:17–21), regarding it as reliable to 147:19,20; Romans 3:2; Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27), in a process sometimes each particular word and incapable of being ‘broken’ (‘loosed’ or ‘untied’) because referred to in textual criticism as ‘ecclesiastical transmission’. pure, uncorrupted, and therefore absolutely trustworthy (John 10:34–36). The Church has therefore rightly and necessarily regarded the historically recognised manuscripts (5) The Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles received the preserved and standard of the Old Testament Hebrew and the New Testament Greek, as the verbally inspired Hebrew text of the Old Testament as Scripture (Luke 4:16–19, 21; 2 Timothy 3:16). This Word of God written, complete in the sixty-six Canonical books. serves as our pattern for accepting the historically received text of the New Testament also as Scripture (1 Timothy 5:18 cf. Luke 10:7; 2 Peter 3:15–16). The Constitution of the Trinitarian Bible Society specifies the textual families to be 3.employed in the translations it circulates. The Masoretic Hebrew1 and the Greek (6) These texts of Scripture1 reflect the qualities of God-breathed Scripture, includ- Received2 Texts are the texts that the Constitution of the Trinitarian Bible Society ing being authentic, holy, pure, true, infallible, trustworthy, excellent, acknowledges to have been preserved by the special providence of God within Judaism self-authenticating, necessary, sufficient, perspicuous, self-interpreting, authoritative and Christianity. Therefore these texts are definitive and the final point of reference in and inerrant (Psalm 19:7–9, Psalm 119). They are consequently to be received as the all the Society’s work. Word of God (Ezra 7:14; Nehemiah 8:8; Daniel 9:2; 2 Peter 1:19) and the correct reading at any point is to be sought within these texts.2

(7) Translations from the original languages are likewise to be considered the written NOTES: 2 The Greek Received Text is the name given Word of God in so far as these translations are accurate as to the form and content of to a group of printed texts, the first of which the Original. Acts 8:32f, 15:14–18, Romans 15:8–12 include Old Testament quotations 1 The Society accepts as the best edition of was published by Desiderius Erasmus in rendered in Greek, and yet they are still accorded the status of the Word of God by the the Hebrew Masoretic text the one prepared 1516. The Society believes that the latest and in 1524–25 by Jacob ben Chayyim and best edition is the text reconstructed by Holy Spirit, as indicated by the usage of the expressions ‘scripture’ and ‘it is written’. The known, after David Bomberg the publisher, F.H.A. Scrivener in 1894. This text was variants found in these and other quotations in the New Testament have a divine war- as the Bomberg text. This text underlies the reconstructed from the Greek underlying the rant.3 In order to achieve the necessary accuracy in translation, the method to be Old Testament in the Authorised Version. New Testament of the Authorised Version. followed should be that of formal equivalence, not dynamic equivalence. The translation should best reflect both the form and the content of the Original, by being as literal

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The scope of the Society’s Constitution does not extend to the science of textual Complutensian Polyglot: original text had on the these manuscripts. Erasmus’ 4.criticism and hence the minor variations between the printed editions of the The Polyglot Bible, original recipients, without first edition included, in a Textus Receptus are not within the remit of the Society. It necessarily follows that the conceived in 1502 by being bound literally to few cases, readings from the Trinitarian Bible Society will not engage in textual criticism with a view to the alteration Francisco Ximenes de reproduce the words as Latin Vulgate. This was or emendation of the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek Received Texts by the use of other Cisneros (1437–1517) and nearly as possible. (The largely due to the fact that Hebrew or Greek texts. Editorial policy and practice will observe these parameters. produced at Alcala (Latin: translator then assumes the some of the Greek Complutum) in Spain, was role of interpreter, to deter- manuscripts available to him an edition in which the mine the thought intended were incomplete (e.g. his In relation to ‘promoting and editing new translations, and selecting versions in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, in the original. This often manuscript of Revelation 5.Foreign languages’ the Constitution of the Society states: ‘The aim shall be to pro- and Latin Vulgate texts results in an interpretative was missing its last six duce or select versions whose textual basis is as close as possible to the Hebrew appeared side by side. The paraphrase that has little or verses). In Erasmus’ fourth Masoretic and the Greek Received texts underlying both the English Authorised fifth of the six volumes no relationship to the origi- edition in 1527, however, he Version and translations of comparable standing made from these texts into other contained the text of the nal language text.) While all made use of the European languages at the time of the Protestant Reformation’. Editorial policy and New Testament in Greek, translations may need to Complutensian Polyglot practice will conform to this aim. and a Greek glossary with employ dynamic equivalence which contained an edition Latin equivalents. This was to a limited extent, the of the Greek text based on a printed in 1514 (as the first Trinitarian Bible Society number of other Greek Approved by the General Committee at its meeting held on printed Greek New rejects the extensive and manuscripts and, in the light 17th January 2005 and revised 25th February 2005. Testament), but the Polyglot unnecessary use of this of the Complutensian, his was not actually published method of translation. Greek New Testament was Signed: until 1520 and then not thoroughly revised. generally circulated until ‘Ecclesiastically However, a few readings M.H.Watts, Chairman G. D. Buss 1522. transmitted’: Scripture taken from the Latin, for B.G.Felce,Vice-Chairman M. J.Harley adopted (i.e. recognised and which there are now no F. C. Farncombe, Vice-President A. K. Jones Critical texts: Texts con- acknowledged) and extant Greek manuscripts, G.Hamstra, Vice-President E.T.Kirkland structed without adequate preserved by the Church as have always been included in D. Oldham, Vice-President D. Silversides regard to the historical place the true and authentic text, the various printed editions given to manuscripts and as was the Hebrew Old of the Received Text. C. A.Wood, Vice-President J. P. Thackway particular readings within Testament text used in the G. R. Burrows D. P. Rowland, General Secretary the Church of God, and synagogues of our Lord’s Eclectic: By definition, relying on a few old, but time (and later preserved by ‘selecting what is considered nevertheless unrepresenta- the Masoretes) and the best from various sources’, tive, manuscripts and Greek New Testament text, but in practice, it usually readings which have lain in acknowledged by the Greek means heavy dependence on obscurity for many cen- Church throughout the Aleph and B. The differences WORD LIST turies. Critical texts are such Byzantine period (312–1453 between the Critical texts as the Westcott/Hort or AD), and long after, and and the Eclectic texts are Ancient Versions: For exam- Society (following the now unavailable. Nestle/Aland texts, both of preserved in the based very largely on noth- ple, the Septuagint, Peshitta, Traditional Text of the which rely heavily upon overwhelming majority of ing more than the editor’s Coptic (Sahidic or Thebaic, Protestant Church) regards Byzantine: The Byzantine Codex Sinaiticus, Aleph – 01 existing Greek manuscripts. subjective considerations. and Bohairic), Ethiopic, Old the Masoretic Hebrew and era is 312–1453 AD. The (4th cent.) and Codex The printed editions of the Latin (Vetus Itala), and Greek Received texts as the texts produced by Erasmus, Vaticanus, B – 03 (4th cent.). Greek text, commencing Extant Copies: Copies of the Vulgate, produced in the first best representatives of the Beza, etc., which in time with Erasmus in 1516, Greek manuscripts that have few centuries of the Autographs. became known as forms of Dynamic equivalence: The although based on a survived until the present Christian era. the Received Text, were to a Autographs: The original very great extent derived principle of translation that relatively small group of time. Although the extant attempts to recreate on the available manuscripts, have copies are of various ages, Apographs: Copies of the Hebrew and Greek manu- from the Byzantine family. reader of the receptor lan- been found faithfully to completeness and accuracy, original and inspired manuscripts written by the guage the impact the reflect the great majority of the great majority of them scripts. The Trinitarian Bible inspired writers, which are

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(over 90%) agree with the theopneustos, ‘breathed out the resultant text could only Testament was translated in Psalm 117:2 and Matthew Estienne (the Latin form of traditional form of the New from God’ (2 Timothy 3:16). be provisional and tentative, from the Septuagint, the 24:35, etc., God has pre- his name is Stephanus), Beza, Testament found in the Scripture is of Divine origin because the discovery of fur- New was one of the earliest served His Word through the and Bonaventure and printed editions of the and authorship, the product ther manuscripts might translations of the Greek ages. The professing people Abraham Elzevir. The phrase Received Text. of the Divine breath. change minority readings to (quoted by Tertullian of God under the Old and ‘Received Text’ comes from Inspiration is ‘plenary’ (from majority readings, or vice [d. c.220] and Cyprian New Testaments have been the Preface to Elzevirs’ sec- Formal equivalence: The the Latin, plenus, meaning versa. The doctrine of provi- [d. c.258]). It is available only His instruments in its preser- ond edition (1633). This title principle of translation that ‘full’), which signifies that dential preservation, in fragments today. vation (Psalm 147:19,20; has been used over the cen- accepts every word of Holy inspiration is complete and however, teaches that the Romans 3:2). turies to classify all the Scripture as being of divine entire, so that the Scripture Church is—and always has Providential Preservation: printed editions of the Greek origin and therefore takes as a whole is the Word of been—in possession of the See Westminster Confession Received Text: The Byzantine text of the same provenance. into account every word in God (‘all scripture’). true text of Scripture. of Faith, 1:8—‘The Old text was the text underlying the original language to Inspiration is also ‘verbal’ Testament in Hebrew (which the earliest printed editions Textus Receptus: See ensure that as far as possible (from the Latin, verbum, Manuscripts: Originally was the native language of of the New Testament. The Received Text. the grammar, the form, the meaning ‘word’), which sig- written on papyrus or vel- the people of God of old), various editions of the vocabulary and the syntax of nifies that the very words of lum. The Greek manuscripts and the New Testament in Received Text, or Textus Translations: The rendering the Hebrew and Greek are Scripture are God-given, are divided into those Greek (which at the time of Receptus, of the sixteenth and of the Hebrew and Greek followed in the translation ensuring that His Truth has known as Uncials, written in the writing of it was most seventeenth centuries repre- Scriptures in other languages (‘As literal as possible, as free been correctly and properly capital letters, and generally known to the sented (with a few very which, when accurate, are to as necessary’). The Society communicated. ‘I…will put Minuscules or Cursives, nations), being immediately minor differences) the be received as the Word of believes this is the only my words in his mouth’ written in small, joined inspired by God, and by his Byzantine Text-type. God. acceptable method of trans- (Deuteronomy 18:18; cf. handwriting. singular care and providence Erasmus edited five editions lation. 2 Samuel 23:1,2). ‘And he kept pure in all ages, are of the New Testament text Approved and signed by the said unto me, Write: for Masoretic: From the therefore authentical from 1516 to 1535, and oth- General Committee at its meeting held on 17th January 2005 Infallible/Inerrant: The these words are true and Hebrew, masorah, transmis- (Matthew 5:18)…’. As taught ers were produced by word ‘infallible’ means ‘not faithful’ (Revelation 21:5; cf. sion. The Masoretes (Jewish liable to prove false, erro- Jeremiah 30:2). scholars and scribes) were neous, or mistaken’, while active from 500 AD (some ‘inerrant’ means ‘free from Majority Text: A text based think much earlier) to about error’ or ‘unerring’. on the majority of manu- 1000 AD and it was their Historically, Protestant the- script witnesses. The Greek purpose to hand on the ologians have used the New Testament According to Hebrew Text of the Old former term to affirm that the Majority Text, edited by Testament as they had Scripture is absolutely truth- Zane C. Hodges and Arthur received it. One Masoretic So shall my word be that goeth forth ful and trustworthy. The L. Farstad (1982), is a mod- text was edited by Jacob ben words apply, in the first ern example of the Majority Chayyim for the second rab- out of my mouth: it shall not return instance, to the Autographs, Text. Although close to the binic Bible published by and then to the true Text Received Text, there are a Daniel Bomberg in Venice in unto me void, but it shall accomplish providentially preserved number of differences and 1524–25. This is the text within the Masoretic some of these are significant underlying the Authorised that which I please, and it shall Hebrew and Greek Received (e.g. John 7:53–8:11; Acts Version. Texts. In modern usage the 8:36,37). Furthermore, as no prosper in the thing terms are often used inter- detailed collation of all sur- Old Latin: The Old Latin changeably, both declaring viving manuscripts has translation was undertaken whereto I sent it. that God’s written Word is taken place, the exact major- considerably before that of wholly and completely true. ity text cannot yet be the Latin Vulgate so closely Isaiah 55.11 determined; and even if one associated with Jerome Inspired: The Greek is day that became possible, (c. 342–420). The Old

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The Lord God is a Sun and Shield. In the foot of the Cross can forget the warmth and metaphorical language of the Bible, the sun is love of the Sun of righteousness? emblematic of the Lord’s comforting pres- The love of the Father and of the Son can ence and the shield of His protecting care. never be experienced without the love of the THE The sun brings besides light and joy, warmth Holy Spirit. How compassionate is this heav- and comfort to this earth. How sad would be enly Teacher when He begins the good work the condition of man and this earth without in us! He humbles and brings low, He con- the cheering presence of the sun! So also in vinces of our sin and misery, He makes room our spiritual life, what is the child of God in the heart for Christ. He does it all with a without the Sun of righteousness? Without love and warmth that is akin to that of the that Sun, all is darkness. He is the Light of Father and the Son. our life. We may be in dark and threatening circumstances, but if the Lord, for Christ’s To have this Lord God as our Sun makes sake, be our God, He will be to us a Sun to all our bitter sweet. He provides on the high A SUN AND give us light and life, and He will be our mountain tops, but no less in the deep val- Shield and great Defender: a Sun to give us leys. all good and a Shield to protect from all evil. The Lord God is our Sun and at the same The Sun of righteousness is a precious time our Shield. When we are surrounded by SHIELD Light; without Him no sinner could ever cruel enemies and threatening dangers the For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD attain to the favour of a holy God. In Christ Lord keeps us in His protecting care. The alone lies the basis for acceptance with God. Lord is the Source of all safety and protec- will give grace and glory: no good thing will he This Light of grace is sufficient for God’s tion. withhold from them that walk uprightly. people and inexhaustible like the sun. How precious is the relationship of the How enriched becomes our life when that Lord to His own! As a fruit of His love He Psalm 84.11 Sun begins to shine in our sinful hearts, will provide and care: the Lord will give grace when the darkness of error and deceit gives and glory. Note again the order: first grace come, not even in the first place what God way to the light of God’s pure truth, when and then glory. Grace remains the most by the Rev. G. Hamstra will give, but what God is for him also now affliction’s night is transformed into the won- compelling need of a child of God. He has when all seems so hopeless, is the primary a Vice-President of the Society drous day of the light of divine consolations. experienced grace, and yet continues to comfort in the affliction of the child of God. hunger and thirst for Christ’s love. He knows his well-known Psalm breathes an For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the The sun’s light may produce a cheering himself to be unworthy and constantly in air of tranquillity. This is remark- Lord will give grace and glory. The inspired comfort, no less precious is the sun’s warmth. need of new supplies of grace. And with able, for the circumstances and Psalmist sings of two comforts. The first is So is the warmth, the love of the Lord God grace comes glory: the Lord delivers from condition of the Psalmist do not basic for it expresses his relationship to the our Sun. Nothing in the life of a child of God dishonour and shame. He sets our feet upon appearT to be favourable in the least. What is is of greater value than the love of God. How Lord, who the Lord is to him, namely a Sun a rock and establishes our ways. the secret of the poet’s peace? The primary and Shield. The second is the fruit of the for- wondrously is the heart warmed when the cause of the Psalmist’s peace of mind lies not Lord speaks to His child: ‘I have loved thee No good thing will He withhold from mer. It speaks of expectation, of what the them that walk uprightly. Those that walk in the hope of a more comfortable tomor- Lord will give: grace and glory. The Psalmist with an everlasting love’ (Jeremiah 31.3)! row, but in what the Lord is for him now, This love surpasses all other love, the Fatherly uprightly are aware of the deceitfulness of begins with the former, for therein lies the sin. They seek the grace of God by searching when his outward circumstances are so trou- secret of his life. We are inclined to begin and drawings are beyond compare. blesome. This is the secret of faith. the Scriptures while begging the Spirit of the end our prayers with petitions for certain Like precious warmth comes to the heart living God to guide them into all truth. They When trials and troubles abound, we may gifts. But such petitions are not beneficial. when the eye of faith may gaze upon the love walk in God’s ways and live a life in depend- try to set our mind at ease by contemplating Even when we receive all we have asked for, if and grace of Calvary’s Lamb. Who can meas- ence on their God and Christ. that it will not always be so difficult, and that we do not possess the Lord as our Riches, ure the height, the length, the breadth and better days are coming. The Psalmist, howev- then all these benefits are but tokens of our depth of the love of God’s dear Son who died ‘O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that er, speaks of a deeper comfort. Not what will great poverty. for sinners? Who that ever mourned at the trusteth in thee’ (Psalm 84.12).

16 17 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society Graham Bidston a faithful minister retires—finally 1788 1850 he early 1980s saw the beginning of a gregations that favour a translation other than AdoniramJudson very fruitful relationship between the the Authorised Version he has often been able Society and our Deputation Speaker to minister, concentrating initially on the THE WORD OF GOD TO BURMA Graham Bidston, and it is with sad- overseas aspects of the work. But how fre- Tness we record that in March 2005 the profes- quently opportunities have arisen thereafter to sional aspect of that relationship came to an explain textual and translational matters and end as Graham retired from TBS. to educate believers as to the rationale behind Graham has never been one to keep his faith the Society’s principles! to himself, and as a young man he took every In October 2000, it was announced that opportunity to preach the Message of the Graham was due to retire in the next year, and Living Word. Having graduated from thus David Allen was appointed to the role of Manchester Baptist College (now the Deputation Speaker. However, Graham’s ‘one Northern College) in 1964, he became pastor more year’ stretched out into four, during of Woolwich Baptist Church the next year, a which his preaching assignments have sent pastorate that lasted twenty-five years. During him from Liverpool to London, Wales to Kent, the last five years of this pastorate, Graham Hertfordshire to Sussex and back again, latter- became our Regional Representative for ly averaging six or seven meetings each London and the South-East, having become month. Thus, it is no surprise that, some five fully convinced of the need to urge Christians years after most men would have settled in at to support sound, accurate translations of the home to undertake more mundane tasks, ‘…break down Scriptures. A lengthy period of forced inactivi- Graham has finally decided that his ‘one more ty during 1988 brought on by ill-health took year’ is now over. Graham out of the pastorate he loved, and your pride, and Happily for the Society, we know that Graham once his health improved into a period of will be no stranger to the continuing work. We seeking God’s leading for His next task. yield to the thank God for his many years of fruitful That task proved to be a full-time one: prepar- labour with us, and pray for him as he and his Word of God’ ing and packing Bibles for shipment through- wife, Audrey, settle down to their retirement— out the world in the Society’s warehouse. This which no doubt will continue to involve much also afforded him more opportunities to service to the Lord. preach on behalf of the Society and, in March Not quite so happily for the Society, we are 1991 when the position of Deputation now in the position of having to seek a man to Speaker for the whole of the UK was revived, PART TWO take on the work of another full-time in the Lord’s providence Graham was seen to Deputation Speaker, in addition to the antici- be the right person for this role. ‘…WE GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS ALSO: pated appointment of several new regional One of his main objectives from the outset representatives over the next year or two. We KNOWING THAT TRIBULATION WORKETH was to contact churches and assemblies which would appreciate your prayers for the Lord’s 1 had not previously received a Speaker from guidance in this finding the man of His PATIENCE’ the Society or where such contact had long choosing. since lapsed. Graham found that even in con- by C.P.Hallihan

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CRISES AND COURAGE church of ten is collected, and a native Adoniram was imprisoned in Oung-pen- teacher is set over it, and then, if you HEREIN SUFFER la: forty by thirty by five feet high; no must go, we will not say nay… This reli- ‘W I ventilation; one hundred persons of both e left Judson translating the gion will spread of itself. The emperor TROUBLE, AS AN EVIL DOER, sexes and all nationalities, nearly all New Testament, preaching, at cannot stop it.’ Faced with such heroic EVEN UNTO BONDS; BUT naked, and half famished. He lay with fet- Wlast, in Burmese, and seeing discipleship Adoniram and Ann ters on legs and ankles weighing about Burmans returning to the Shepherd and remained in Rangoon. THE WORD OF GOD IS NOT fourteen pounds, the marks of which he Bishop of their souls. Perhaps because of BOUND.’ 4 carried to his death. At night a bamboo this he was so harassed by In this demanding hour God worked pole was placed between the legs and lift- mightily, their weakness the occasion of ed so that the shoulders were on the 2 His strength. Within five months seven n 1822 the Burman Emperor became ground, the feet high in the iron rings. Burmese were converted, including the aware of the medical skills of ‘Durance vile’ assumes a vile reality. hitherto sceptical Moung Shwa-gnong, Jonathan Price, a fellow labourer Judson in his diaries passed over the and the first woman, Mah-men-la. The I anguish, crudities and cruelties in a few with Judson, and summoned him to the church grew, but Ann’s state of health court. Adoniram determined to accom- modest words. We follow his example. Of caused fear for her life. Judson took her pany him. He asked leave to work in the more concern to him were the pages of to Calcutta, arriving on the 18th of city (a church in the heart of the empire his unfinished Burmese Bible—ten years August, 1820. They spent three months would be good!), and this time was of diligent, prayerful labour. at Serampore with the English Baptists, received favourably. Before settling in with marked improvement in Ann’s Ava he must await Ann’s return, Ann’s anxious care for her husband health. Adoniram was anxious about at Rangoon. During this wait he included the preservation and ‘those few sheep that I have left in the completed translation of the transmission of his text of the Burman wilderness.…Oh, may the New Testament into Burmese, Burmese Bible: a thrilling great Shepherd feed the little flock, and and prepared a synopsis of the episode in Bible history. She gather the lambs with his arm, and Old Testament as an introduc- importuned all possible carry them in his bosom’. tion to the study of the New. helpers: governors, princesses, Ann returned December 5th, generals—none were ignored. Returning to their labours in Rangoon 1823. Rangoon had eighteen From having no access at all, early in 1821, concern over Ann’s converts, a chapel, printing she came by insistent stages to health was renewed, and Adoniram press and schools, with two have daily access to her hus- A page from the Burmese Gospel of John determined that she should return to missionary couples from band. In the midst of this the U.S. This she did, via Bengal and America to take care of the she gave birth to a daugh- the authorities as to appeal to the England, arriving in America in work. Eight days after ter, Mary Elizabeth Judson. 3 Emperor at Ava, but ineffectually. September 1822. Her nine-months stay Ann’s arrival they set out With mother and tiny Greatly discouraged, he planned to in the country stirred great interest, for Ava, where they daughter sinking into move the mission to Chittagong, under especially through the book An account arrived January 23rd, smallpox and spotted protection of the British flag. Gathering of the American Baptist Mission to the 1824. By June, Judson fever, Ann administered converts and inquirers together, warn- Burman Empire. This was written and was in prison. what comfort and help ing them of the sufferings to which they published there in the States, and made she could to would be exposed, he declared his immediate impact. From this provi- The Emperor had given The Emperor of Burma. Adoniram. They dis- intent to leave the country. His converts dence, bringing Ann to America, alone Judson a plot of ground, cussed the problem of the stood firm, willing to suffer persecution, and in ill health, there followed a with assurance of royal protection. Then Scripture manuscripts: buried in the even death, rather than renounce renewal of prayerful interest, of finan- war broke out between Burma and ground they would not survive the rainy Christ. They begged him not to leave. cial support, and some new recruits to British-India; the Judsons were once season. Ann determined to sew them into ‘Stay,’ they said, ‘at least until a little the work. more regarded as ‘enemy aliens’.5 a pillow, and there, under Adoniram’s

20 21 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society head, they survived his time in Oung- ‘…And I am left alone in the wide world. work tracts and outlines were produced Ethno- pen-la. The pillow was once stolen by a My own dear family I have buried; one in and distributed—or demanded! ‘Teacher, jailer, but restored because it was too Rangoon and two in Amherst. What are you asleep? We want a writing to learn Linguistic hard. The foreign prisoners were sudden- remains for me but to hold myself in by heart.’—‘Sir, we have seen a writing Map of ly moved, Ann knew not where, nor what readiness to follow the dear departed to that tells about an eternal God. Are you Burma had become of the precious pillow. One that blessed world—Where my best the man that gives away such writings?’— of the Burman disciples went to the friends, my kindred, dwell, Where God, my ‘Are you Jesus Christ’s man? Give us a prison compound, hoping to see the pil- Saviour, reigns?’ writing that tells about Jesus Christ.’ low; instead he found the Scripture pages. Twenty thousand tracts were printed for A jailer had wanted the pillow case, but During Judson’s absence from Amherst use at a Buddhist festival, and Adoniram had thrown away the too-hard stuffing! Mr. and Mrs. Wade had arrived there— speaks of distributing almost ten thou- Mrs. Wade caring for his motherless child. sand tracts, ‘giving to none but those who ‘… ALL THINGS BUT Two months later Mr. and Mrs. ask’. In 1831, 217 people were baptized. LOSS…’ Boardman joined them,6 strengthening In September that year Adoniram jour- the work. They resolved to move the neyed amongst the Karen people, hrough many dangers, toils and mission to Moulmein, where it was and baptized the first tribal believ- snares, the sufficient Grace of God centred for the rest of Judson’s life. First ers. The ministry among the Karen Tsustained the Judsons, and at last they had the bitter-sweet task of burying, people was an enduring one, and a they were able to return together to beside Ann and Maria Judson, Mah-men- Karen Church exists still today, albeit Rangoon in March 1826. They found the la, the first woman convert. They also sorely tried and persecuted. workers scattered and mission property learned at Amherst of the death of destroyed. Famine, anarchy, an infestation Adoniram Judson senior in Massachusetts, When the first serious enquirer had of wild beasts, all convinced Adoniram to aged seventy-five. Not surprisingly the approached Judson in 1817, all that he relocate the remaining believers to forty-year-old Adoniram reveals a great had was two and a half pages, the first Amherst, and continue the mission work sense of loneliness at this time in his letters, chapters of Matthew. Now the whole in greater safety there. In September sharpened by sorrow over the seeming Bible was complete, in draft. Amidst all Adoniram had to go to Ava, scene of his tardiness of support from America. the toil and trial, anguish and affliction, loathsome imprisonment, to help the this work had groaned on. I say British negotiate a treaty there. During his ‘groaned’ advisedly—because MOULMEIN. oppo- absence Ann sank again into a fevered dis- Adoniram was the exact site of Henry Martyn in ease, and on the evening of October 24, THE SCRIPTURES this. Martyn saw preach- 1826, crying out one last time in Burmese, COMPLETED Karen Tribesmen ing as taking him from the she died, thirty-seven years old. On enduring work of transla- November 24th Adoniram at last received he congregation at Moulmein tion; but still he this trying news in Ava; on January 24th included inquirers and nineteen preached. Judson saw (1827) he returned to Amherst; on April Tscholars, a splendid nucleus for translation as hindering 24th the work in four scattered ‘zayats’, or ‘reading 7 his calling to tell the daughter, Maria rooms’. Soon the first convert was bap- Good News face to face Elizabeth, his tized and others followed. Renewed by with his beloved earthly comfort, this joyous labour Judson resumed his Burmans; but still being bereft of translation work in the Old Testament, he translated. Ann, also died, still the only person able to do so. He Both yielded themselves age two years had begun with thirty Psalms, perhaps utterly to the guidance and three needing the consolations of the sweet of the Living God, months. psalmist of Israel. Alongside the Bible Rangoon, Today it is a curious mixture of Modern and Colonial buildings 22 23 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society mortifying their own desires and even authorities came to require that all such ting to the press the last sheet of the new SARAH’S FAILING HEALTH gifts, and displaying the Apostolic spirit, establishments be ‘conducted on the plan edition of the Burmese Bible’. 8 ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’ of Mrs. Boardman’s schools at Tavoy’. n March 1841 Sarah gave birth to a Prevented from ministering among the Adoniram Judson found in Sarah Adoniram and Sarah continued their stillborn boy, Luther Judson, and her gospel-hungry Karens by the constraint Boardman a kindred spirit, who wept as ministry among the Taling people own health never fully recovered. of translation he groans, ‘the tears flow as she read the handwritten pages of the around Moulmein. Sarah addressed her- I Serampore was again chosen to be sana- I write’. The Bible was essential to the Burmese Bible. Perhaps, as well as the self to learning the language, tract torium for Adoniram and Sarah and the continuance of the Burman churches, sufferings of Christ and the Glory that translation and preparation. Adoniram four children. The sea journey afforded and at last in 1834, Judson recorded, should follow, she saw the fellowship of met daily with the Taling disciples before some relief, but no real recovery. To com- ‘Thanks be to God, I can now say I sending them out to the work, and con- pound the anguish Henry died there, just have attained. I have knelt down before ducted meetings in the zayat. The birth nineteen months old. Their journey back him with the last leaf in my hand, and of their sons, Adoniram Brown in 1837, across the Bay of Bengal assumed night- imploring his forgiveness for all the sins Elnathan in 1838 and Henry in 1839, mare proportions, yet in the worst storms which have polluted my labours in this meant that Sarah must concentrate more of all Adoniram’s experience, God blessed department, and his aid in future upon the children, and also upon him: nineteen seamen professed faith in efforts to remove the errors and imper- Adoniram’s health. In the fiftieth year of Jesus Christ, seventeen of whom he sub- fections which necessarily cleave to the his life, twenty-fifth in Burma, he was sequently deemed to have endured. They work, I have commended it to his troubled by an illness which affected his returned to Moulmein in December mercy and grace; I have dedicated it to lungs. This brought intense pain and loss 1841, and in July 1842 another baby boy his glory. May he make his own of voice, and once more a restorative sea was born, named Henry in remembrance inspired word, now complete in the voyage was thought to be needed. of the son buried at Serampore. Burman tongue, the grand instrument Adoniram sought the comforting fellow- of filling all Burma with songs of praise ship of the Serampore Mission once Sarah attended to the needs of her family, to our great God and Saviour Jesus Looking out across Moulmein (Mawlamyine) again, and found some relief. and worked steadily at a Burmese transla- Christ. Amen.’ And let all Bible-lovers tion of Pilgrim’s Progress. Two more sons say, ‘Amen!’ hisGreat sufferings Mirror Photo’s in the sacrificial labours of Having laboured to complete the were born, Charles in December 1843 Ann and Adoniram Judson in those cost- Burmese Bible, another daunting task and Edward in December 1844. Sarah ly pages. In April 1834 the thirty-one- was laid upon him by the Mission Board, was utterly worn out, prone to any dis- A SECOND MARRIAGE year-old widow married the forty-five- to write the first English-Burmese dic- ease. She took short journeys along the AND A PRINTED BIBLE year-old widower. In November 1835 tionary. He had long shrunk from this. coast, with no lasting benefit. The situa- their daughter Abigail Ann Judson was He longed to be engaged in directly tion shocked Adoniram into seeking leave eorge Boardman had died in born. declaring Christ to needy souls, and had to bring her to America. ‘The hand of 1831. His indefatigable labours no relish for the secluded work which God is heavy upon me,’ he wrote to the Gto carry the Gospel to regions Adoniram’s burden now was the labori- lexicography required. He thought it an Board. ‘The complaint to which Mrs. beyond in Central Burma, leading inex- ous work of revising his full draft of the ‘un-missionary’ task, but, again, no one Judson is subject has become so violent orably to ill health and death, is another Bible. He had a passion for improving, else was adequate to it, and the failure of that nothing but a voyage beyond the soul-stirring testimony. His wife, Sarah, reluctant to leave any task before he con- his voice prevented all preaching. The tropics can possibly protract her life had been an heroic fellow-labourer, and sidered it ‘finished’. He tells us that he young man who had thought true reli- beyond a period of a few weeks… She is now as his widow she continued the never read a chapter without pencil in gion and a Personal God to be willing to die, and I hope I am willing to work among the Karens at Tavoy. This hand, the original language text beside unreasonable, here in his maturity brings see her die, if it be the divine will… She is intrepid woman put aside the appeals of him, a dictionary close by. His object was every thought captive to the obedience of now so desperately weak, and almost friends in America to return home with ‘to bring the translation to such a state Christ, the God of his father, and faith- helpless, that all say it would be nothing her little boy. Instead she made long mis- that it may be a standard work’, and it fully takes up a work which was to but savage inhumanity to send her off sionary trails into the Karen jungles, con- was printed in 1835. In 1840 he notes ‘I occupy the greater part of the rest of his alone. The three younger children, the ducting her ‘schools’ so well that the enjoyed the great happiness of commit- life. youngest but three and a half months old,

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we must leave behind us, casting them, as stanzas:- it were, on the waters, in the hope of finding them after many days. The three My tears fall fast for thee, love; T IMELINE elder, Abby Ann, Adoniram, and How can I say Farewell! Elnathan, we take with us, to leave in their But go; thy God be with thee, love, 1812 Judson married Ann Hasseltine 1835 Abby Ann Judson born. parents’ native land.’ Thy heart’s deep grief to quell. in Bradford, Mass., and embarked for 1837–41 Martin Van Buren, U.S. President. Calcutta. 1837–1901 Victoria, Queen of England. … Napoleon begins retreat from 1837 Adoniram Brown Judson born. ‘Digest of TO AMERICA… Then gird thine armour on, love, Moscow. Scripture’ in Burmese finished. Nor faint thee by the way, 1812–14 USA and Britain at War. 1838 Elnathan Judson born. n April 26, 1845, the Judsons Till Buddh shall fall and Burma’s sons 1813 The Judsons arrived in Rangoon, 1839 Henry Judson born. with the three elder children Shall own Messiah’s sway. in connection with Felix Carey. 1841 William Henry Harrison, U.S. President. Otook ship for London, Adoniram 1814 American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions 1841 Luther Judson still-born. Henry Judson intending to spend a portion of each day They arrived in Boston, October 15, established. died. working on the Burman dictionary. This 1845. Judson was ill-prepared for the 1815 Judson’s son, Roger Williams Judson, 1841–45 John Tyler, U.S. President. voyage was so rough that the captain greeting that awaited him. He was not born. 1842 Henry Hall Judson born. Adoniram’s determined to put in at the Isle of well, could scarce speak above a whisper, 1816 Roger Williams Judson died. mother died, age 83, Plymouth, Mass. France. On July 5 the ship arrived at Port and his very English was become strange 1817–25 James Monroe, U.S. President. 1843 Charles Judson born. 9 1817 Judson’s Gospel of Matthew in Burmese. 1844 Edward Judson born. Louis. Sarah was improved in health and rusty to him. But all wanted to hear 1819 Judson began public ministry in 1845 Embarked for journey to America. Sarah and they discussed separating, thinking him, and so he addressed audiences with a Burmese language. First Burmese Boardman Judson died and was buried that she would now be able to continue helper beside him to repeat his whispers. convert. at St. Helena. the voyage to America alone, Adoniram Some were disappointed that he would 1820–30 George IV, King of England. Charles Judson died in Burma. returning to the work in Moulmein. It rather speak of Christ than tell of his own 1821–23 Ann visits U.S. for health reasons. 1845–49 James Polk, U.S. President. was not to be. Sarah suffered a severe labours. Visiting Ann Judson’s home- 1823 Judson’s New Testament in Burmese 1846 Adoniram Judson married Emily relapse. Finding another ship about to town, Bradford, he there learned of the completed, with an outline of the Old Chubbock at Hamilton, NY, and returned sail directly for the United States, the death of Charlie, one of the younger Testament. to Burma. Judsons sailed on July 25th. One month children left at Moulmein. 1824–26 The first Anglo-Burmese war. 1847 Emily Judson writes memoir of Sarah later the ship was at anchor in St. James Judson Imprisoned. Judson. Emily Francis Judson born. 10 1825 Maria Elizabeth Butterworth Judson 1849–50 Zachary Taylor, U.S. President. Bay, St. Helena. In the pre-dawn of …AND BACK TO BURMA. born. 1849 English and Burmese Dictionary September 1 Sarah Judson died, and, as 1825–29 John Adams, U.S. President. finished. dictated by the climate, was buried the nn Judson’s story was already an 1826 Ann Hasseltine Judson died. Adoniram 1850 Millard Fillmore, U.S. President. same day. The forlorn husband and chil- inspiration to many in the U.S., Judson senior died. 1850 Adoniram Judson died, April 12th. dren were at sea again the same evening. Aand amongst those moved was 1827 Maria Judson died. Charles Judson born and died the same When they had talked of parting at Port Emily Chubbock, 1829–37 Andrew Jackson, U.S. President. day. Louis in July, Sarah had penned some who had pro- 1830–37 William IV, King of England. 1854 Emily Chubbock Judson died. valedictory verses for her husband— fessed faith 1831 TRINITARIAN BIBLE SOCIETY. with what emotion he would in Christ 1833 The Oxford Movement began. 1834 William Carey died. now read 1834 Judson finished translating the Old them. I Testament. Married the widow Sarah give just Boardman. two

Dawn in the Batang Valley, Myanmar St. Helena awfulsara/Flickr!

26 27 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society when eight years old. Writing under a 3rd, 1850, he resorted to the and Karens publicly bap- nom de plume she had good standing in well tried tonic of a sea voyage. tized upon the profession literary America, and Adoniram saw some On April 12th he died, and was of their faith) numbered of her work in a friend’s home. He buried at sea. The dictionary was over seven thousand. expressed regret that a person of such half done (English- Besides this, hundreds obvious gifts should devote them to the Burmese), and the throughout Burma had writing of light literature. ‘I should be glad second part died rejoicing in the to know her,’ he remarked. ‘The lady who (Burmese-English) Christian faith. He had not writes so well ought to write better. It is a would need anoth- only finished the transla- pity that such fine talents should be er hand to tion of the Bible, but had employed on such subjects.’ In January complete it. On accomplished the larger 1846 when they met, Emily agreed to April 22nd Emily, and the more difficult part write a sketch of the life of Sarah Judson. unknowing of her of the compilation of a The Notice Board of Judson Baptist Church in Mandalay In June, Emily being two months short of husband’s death, Burmese dictionary. At the twenty-nine, they married.11 In July, with gave birth to a son, time of his death there were sixty-three were under the oversight of one hun- other helpers for the Mission, they Charles, who died the Emily Chubbock Judson churches established among the dred and sixty-three missionaries, embarked for Moulmein. In November same day. Soon after Burmans and Karens. These churches native pastors, and assistants. He had they arrived, Emily becoming mother to Adoniram’s death Emily returned to the laid the foundations of Christianity Edward12 and Henry. United States, and she died in June 1854, deep down in the Burman heart, where in Madison County, New York. they could never be swept away. Adoniram, still labouring with the dictionary, and still burdened to reach into Let Edward Judson, Sarah’s son, give the the heart of Burma with the Gospel, review:- IN MEMORIAM decided to cross the Gulf of Martaban to [His] achievements far transcended Rangoon once more. Burma was now the wildest aspirations of his youth. REV. ADONIRAM JUDSON ruled by a king more cruelly intolerant During the early years in Rangoon, than ever, whose opposition to when the mighty purpose of evangel- BORN AUG. 9, 1788 Christianity meant that missionary work izing Burma began to take definite DIES APRIL 12, 1850 must be done in utmost secrecy. During shape in his mind; even before the the day Judson worked on his dictionary; first convert, Moung Nau, was bap- MALDEN, HIS BIRTHPLACE. at night in his home he saw the local tized; when, indeed, the young THE OCEAN, HIS SEPULCHRE. Christians, risking their lives to meet him. missionary was almost forgotten by CONVERTED BURMANS, AND The stress, inadequate diet, continued his fellow-Christians at home, or sickness in his family and the intolerance merely pitied as a good-hearted THE BURMAN BIBLE of the king compelled him to withdraw to enthusiast, the outermost limit Judson’s Memorial, Plymouth, HIS MONUMENT. Massachusetts Moulmein. He had hoped that the home reached by his strong-winged hope HIS RECORD IS ON HIGH. Board would authorise him to go and face was that he might, before he died, A memorial stone inscribed with the names this fierce king; but ‘the timid and narrow build up a church of a hundred con- of Adoniram, Ann, Emily and Abigail Judson policy of his brethren in America’ did not verted Burmans, and translate the allow it. whole Bible into their language. But far more than this was accomplished In December 1847 Emily Frances Judson during the ten years in Rangoon, the was born. Judson, from sad experience, two years in Ava, and the twenty-three feared for his wife’s health, but it was he years in Moulmein. At the time of his who went into severe decline. On April death the native Christians (Burmans

The view from Mandalay Hill 28 29 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society Endnotes where Judson could not fail to find it, knowing that he would not be able to resist THE 1 sitting and reading aloud until someone Romans 5.3 came to discourse with him. It worked! 2 2 Corinthians 12.9 8 Acts 9.6. I cannot forbear a pastoral STORY OF OUR 3 Ann was away from Adoniram for almost aside—how refreshing to see this spirit, twenty-eight months because of the travel- when today some with the shadow of a ling. Some of his letters at this time reveal the grain of a gift insist on the ‘right’ to use it cost of the separation, especially as he did not regardless of order, need or guidance. receive anything from her for the last ten 9 For a sharp taste of déja vu, see Part I, months of his anxious waiting. Quarterly Record No. 570, page 18. 4 2 Timothy 2.9 10 Napoleon had died there in1821. 5 See Quarterly Record No. 570, page 18. 11 The marriage offended the literary and 6 Boardman had arrived just in time to con- the religious world. The one thought that struct the coffin for little Maria, and later the brilliant ‘Fanny Forester’ was throwing by Mr. B. A. Ramsbottom recorded, ‘After leaving the grave we had a herself away on ‘an old missionary’; the delightful conversation on the kindness and other feared that the missionary cause was Pastor of Bethel Strict Baptist Church, Luton, tender mercies of our Heavenly Father. compromised by an alliance between its Bedfordshire, England, and Brother Judson seemed carried above his founding father and a writer of fiction. Editor of the Gospel Standard Magazine grief.’ 12 Edward, perhaps benefitting from his 7 Zayat: a public hall for meeting or shelter. stepmother’s tutelage, wrote a most affec- There is a delightful anecdote that one of tive life of his father, published in 1894, A children’s address given on 13th June 2004 carefully. Judson’s disciples at this time, wishing to and available in full (a 72-page pdf file) on in remembrance of the 400th anniversary of draw the Teacher back from his sorrows and the Wholesome Words Web site at the decision to translate the Authorised in principio creavit Deus caelum et to the teaching, had erected a zayat overnight www.wholesomewords.org. Version. The style and personal references of terram the address are left unchanged. terra autem erat inanis et vacua et tenebrae erant super his afternoon I want to speak faciem abyssi et spiritus Dei especially to our girls and boys ferebatur super aquas but also to our young people and dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux The Treasury our older friends. Right at the beginningT let me say what a wonderful, e warmly thank the donors of the following anonymous gifts There is something wrong, isn’t there? wonderful thing it is that God has given us There is something the matter. It is in a which have been received since the January Quarterly Record a holy Book. We have it in The Scriptorium, where Bibles strange language. It is in a Wwent to press. Dorchester £200; Cheshire £1,000; Newry, Co our own language; it can be like the Vulgate would have language we do not under- Down £50; Bath/Bristol £45; Peterborough £2,000; Edinburgh two of £100; understood; it sets forth the been copied by hand. stand. If we had been living way of salvation, the way to Bradford £250; Liverpool £1,000, £25; for Grants £10; anon via CAF £100, in England a thousand years heaven; and with the Holy £25; Give as you Earn two of £100.46, £25.26; United Kingdom ago, that would have been Spirit’s help we can under- the only Bible there was, and Evangelization Trust £50; Charities Aid Foundation £128.21; Church stand it. it was not a very good one. Donation three of £50; South West Charitable Giving two of £33.69; Direct It was called the Vulgate. It into the Bank three of £50, £30, two of £25, £20; via Speakers £22.87; other Now then, I want you girls was in Latin. What I have and boys to listen very, very £285. Total £6,084.64 plus France €10.00. read to you just now is carefully whilst I read to you Latin. It was in Latin, and as the first three verses in many girls and boys know, Genesis. Now listen very the Bible was written in

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Hebrew and Greek. So the only Bible in weird, mysterious superstitions. The other one or two diffi- had it ‘Mary, full of grace’. Of course, it is England was this Latin translation. Hardly terrible thing: there was a dreadful lot of culties. One was Jesus full of grace, not Mary. Wycliffe, hav- anybody could understand Latin. There wickedness and immorality. that printing had ing no other, translated it as it stood. So were not many of these Bibles even if they not been invent- you have the first English Bible, but it has could. Even the priests, most of them could John Wycliffe ed, so the Bible mistakes in, it is very expensive, and there not understand Latin. So people in had to be copied are not many of them. England just did not know about God. Over the years there had been odd bits and out by hand They just did not know the way of salva- pieces where people had tried to put some and it took tion. It is said that many of the priests of the Bible into English. Now in the 1300s about ten William Tyndale could not repeat the Ten Commandments, months to or say where they were found, and most of copy out the So we wait about two hundred years when the priests did not know who it was that Bible. Actually, God raised up a young man down in first taught the Lord’s Prayer. one or two of Gloucestershire named William Tyndale them are still (1494–1536), and really I think William So there were two terrible things. One was in existence. If Tyndale was perhaps one of the greatest that there was a dreadful lot of superstition. you bought men who ever lived. Tyndale had a won- People just could not understand this one, it would derful understanding of Hebrew and Latin. They had never read the simple sto- be about £40 Greek, and he had an ambition. Lots of ries that we know. So they were fascinated in those girls and boys have an ambition, something by all kinds of superstition. Down in days, they would like to do. This was his ambi- Gloucestershire in southwest England you A page from a Wycliffe Bible which tion: he said, ‘If God spare my life, ere could visit an abbey and they would show Wycliffe sends out his Lollard preachers would many years I will cause a boy that driveth armed with Bibles you what they said was a vial filled with the be the same as thousands in our days. It is the plough shall know more of the blood of Christ. One of the most famous said that one farmer offered a whole cart- Scriptures than thou dost’. So he started things people went to see was a crucifix. If a man appeared in England, a very won- load of hay if in return he could have one putting the Bible into English. you put a lot of money down, the face on it derful man, a very godly man. His name page of Wycliffe’s Bible. smiled. If you did not put much money was John Wycliffe (c. 1330–1384). He was a down, the face on it frowned. There was a very learned man, one of the most learned But there was another difficulty. Wycliffe’s church in Reading, west of London, that men in England. Also, he was blessed with Bible was just a translation of this Latin had lots of things people used to visit. They much of the Spirit of God, and he saw Vulgate, so it was a translation of a transla- had the wing of an angel; they had the through the evils of the day. And revealed tion. Wycliffe had not got the original spearhead that was used at the crucifixion; to him was the way of salvation through Greek and Hebrew. It was a translation of a they had two pieces of the cross; they had Jesus. If any of you are ever up at translation and there were one or two very, one of Mary Magdalene’s bones; and they Attleborough in the English Midlands, very bad mistakes in the Vulgate transla- had James’s hand—or so these things were where I know quite a lot of you go, if you tion; and Wycliffe, as this was the only supposed to be. We could go on and on. take a little journey of about fifteen min- thing he had, reproduced them. Where Down in Somerset, in the southwest of utes through the Leicestershire country John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus England, was a church which among other lanes, you come to the small town of preached ‘Repent’, the need of repentance things had a piece of bread from the first Lutterworth where Wycliffe was the minis- for a sinner to be saved, the Vulgate had Lord’s Supper and it also had a piece of the ter and you can see the church where he translated it ‘Do penance’, the Roman manger in which Jesus was laid when He preached. Wycliffe is known as the morning Catholic ‘something you had to do’—tell was born. star of the Reformation. Now his great desire your rosary so many times, or go on a pil- was that the Bible should appear in grimage to Rome. Wycliffe, having nothing People could not read the Bible. They did English, so he with his helpers translated it. else, translated into the English ‘Do not know what was in the Bible. They penance’. The other example, where the hardly knew what the name of Jesus meant, So we had a Bible in the 1300s in English, angel appeared to Mary and said ‘Hail, Tyndale undertakes the hazardous task of so they were fascinated by all these strange, really for the first time. But there were just thou that art highly favoured’, the Vulgate translation

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To his Holland. In the middle would be some of The king at the time was the famous Henry Really, the Reformation in England was amazement these Tyndale New Testaments. In the end, VIII. He was having trouble with the pope, through the people gathering together in the he did not the Bishop of London bought as many and there was quite a complicated period churches whenever they had a spare get any help. Testaments as he could and burnt them, with several different Bibles appearing. In moment, someone climbing up to the When but with the money that was paid for them 1535, Coverdale’s Bible appeared. He was chained Bible, reading it aloud, hundreds of Wycliffe some more, better-produced Testaments not really a translator himself. He used people listening, God the Spirit sealing it translated were sent to England. I say Testaments, Tyndale, he used the Vulgate, he used home on their hearts. On the Continent it his Bible, because Tyndale never lived to translate the Luther, he used one or two others. This was was individual people—Luther, Zwingli, Bible trans- whole of the Bible into English—he only Anne Boleyn’s Bible. You remember poor Calvin. But in England it was not so much lating was actually completed the New Testament. But Anne Boleyn, the wife of Henry VIII, who any person, but the Bible. Sample from Tyndale’s New made illegal. the Bibles that followed, especially the was beheaded. She had her own Bible to Testament Anyone who Authorised Version, followed Tyndale read. Two years later there was Matthew’s There were all these Bibles appearing. I read the probably ninety per cent or more than Bible. After Anne Boleyn’s death, Henry did suppose the one you have heard of most of Bible in English or sold such a Bible was ninety percent in what he had translated.1 not like to use her Bible. And then in 1539 all is the Breeches Bible. Some of you have put to death. It was the same with Tyndale. was the Great Bible. That was really the first been talking to me recently, saying there is He went to the Bishop of London and Authorised Version. an old farmer in Haynes, Bedfordshire, thought he would help him. The Bishop of The Invention of who has a Breeches Bible. In one of the cat- London tried to put him in prison. So in King Henry VIII was always a bigoted alogues of second-hand Christian books the end Tyndale had to flee to the Printing and the English Roman Catholic, but he quarrelled with the for sale I received a few weeks ago, there Continent where he lived and died. This is Bible pope and decided he was a Breeches Bible for sale, for £3,000. why I think Tyndale was one of the greatest was going to have a The Breeches Bible was the famous 1560 godly Englishmen. It is one thing like About this time was a very wonderful Bible in every church Geneva Bible. Those who had fled from Whitefield to stand up before thirty thou- invention, nothing whatsoever to do with in England. So was England to Geneva produced it, and the sand people and be admired and adulated religion, and that was the invention of published this Great Geneva Bible—the Breeches Bible—was by them. But think of Tyndale in a damp, printing by Gutenberg in Germany. Bible, which was the favourite of the Reformers, the cold cellar from morning to night, working Gutenberg produced the first Bible that was really a combination favourite of the Puritans, the favourite of away translating the Bible into English, or printed, in 1456. Actually, it was the Latin of all the others with Shakespeare. If you study Shakespeare at in a dusty attic, and hardly being able to Vulgate. The a lot of Tyndale in it. school, when he quotes from the Bible, he leave the house in case he was captured, Gutenberg and his movable type This Great Bible was called that because of quotes from the Geneva. desire began to printing press which at last he was. They caught him and spring up that its size. It was a very big Bible and these strangled him and burnt him. He had trav- England might Bibles were chained in the churches Why was it called the Breeches Bible? elled from country to country until in the have its own because people wanted to read the Word of Where we have in our Bibles in Genesis 3.7 end he was martyred. I think perhaps Bible. By 1534 God so much they would have borrowed that Adam and Eve ‘sewed fig leaves togeth- England owes more to Tyndale than any- Germany had its them if not stolen them. Not far from er, and made themselves aprons’, the body else. There is a statue of him on the own Bible in where I lived, in the ancient church at Geneva Bible has, they ‘sewed fig leaves embankment of the River Thames in German; Luther Mitton in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, together, and made themselves breeches’. London. had produced it. northwest England, there is one of these The Geneva was popular. It was very small, England was chained Bibles still there with its chains. very cheap. It also had very, very striking So the Bible we have today is very, very beginning to feel notes, strongly Calvinistic, strongly anti- similar to what Tyndale produced. He was very English and The Great Bible was the Bible which was popish. godly, he was accurate, he was learned, and felt that it should also known as the Treacle Bible. A lot of he was helped by the Spirit of God. These have the Bible in these old Bibles were known by strange Testaments had to be smuggled into the English. names. This was called the Treacle Bible A Brief Pause country. Bales of cloth would come from because the translation of Jeremiah 8.22, ‘Is

1 ‘Nine-tenths of the Authorised Version’s New Testament is Tyndale’s. The same is true of the first half there no balm in Gilead; is there no physi- Let me pause here. Some of you have asked of the Old Testament, which is as far as he was able to get before he was executed outside Brussels in cian there?’ was rendered ‘Is there no treacle me a question over the years. First of all the 1536’ (David Daniell, William Tyndale: A Biography [New Haven, CT, USA: Yale University Press, 1994], p. 1). in Gilead; is there no physician there?’. Bible, any Bible, had no chapters or verses

34 35 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society early on. A Roman Catholic cardinal called known Hampton Court Maze, and I years up till recent times this was the Bible. Hugo in 1250 divided the Bible into chap- remember a lot of you who are now older One thing most men and Everyone thought of it just as the Bible. ters, and we still have those same chapters going to see the vine. women, girls and boys, have today. But it had no verses until 1551 when never understood, is that on the an Englishman, Sir Robert Stevens, divided In former days Hampton Court was one of front page you will find in all The Authorised Version the chapters into verses. We still have the the royal palaces. Buckingham Palace had your Bibles, whether they same verses today. The italics we have first not appeared then. The king met these are big or little, the Interestingly, apart from anything to do appeared in the Geneva Bible—the ministers and the most important thing words ‘Appointed to with religion, the Authorised Version has Breeches Bible—and the margin references they decided was that they would have just be read in churches’. fashioned our English language more than did not appear until we had our own one version of the Bible which would be Most people think any other book. So many of the expressions Authorised Version. the authentic one instead of these different that this means that we use continually, day by day, come from Bibles which were still appearing— the king authorised it, the Authorised Version of the Bible. All Coverdale’s, Matthew’s, the Great Bible, the it was permitted, it was kinds of people use them, ungodly people, The Four Hundredth Geneva, and various other ones. So the king allowed to be read in atheists, but they are all from the Bible. Anniversary agreed and there was this royal appoint- churches. But the meaning Things like: a thorn in the flesh, the powers ment that there was going to be just one Lancelot Andrewes, Fellow of was completely that be, a fly in the ointment. [The Society I suppose you are saying, Whatever has this Bible. Pembroke College, Cambridge. One of different. It had plans to publish an article about these in a to do with a four hundredth anniversary? the members of the Old Testament to be prepared later Quarterly Record.] Our English lan- Well, you have all heard of the famous translation Committee responsible for in such a way, it guage is very, very much moulded by our Queen Elizabeth, the great Queen Elizabeth I The Learned Men the books of Genesis to 1 Chronicles had to be set Bible. and the day of Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter out, it had to be Raleigh, the Spanish Armada and so on. Now what happened? Fifty-four of the arranged, so that it would be very easy, very One of the sad things today is that instead When she died she had no children—she most learned Hebrew and Greek scholars in suitable to read in churches. of people referring to the Bible as they did was never married—and King James VI of England were chosen to do the translation, years ago, as they still did when I was a boy, Scotland became King James I of England. to prepare it. But they did not just start Well, you have these fifty-four very learned as most people still did when I came to His being from Scotland, people thought with a blank page. They had Tyndale and men. I understand Hebrew is a dreadfully Bethel as Pastor, now there are all kinds of they would get a lot of favours from him they relied heavily on Tyndale. You will find difficult language. These fifty-four men were versions and more and more coming out and a petition was put before him. In the if you compare Tyndale and our Bible that some of the greatest Hebrew and Greek year by year. What is the fault with these end, four hundred years ago in 1604, the from 1604 they followed Tyndale very, very scholars our country has ever known. They new versions? Two things: It seems that first new king agreed to meet a number of min- closely indeed. It was not until 1611 that were all different and had all kinds of differ- of all most of them are based on doubtful isters at Hampton Court Palace. I think this Bible appeared. In America they always ent views, but every one of them was com- manuscripts; but secondly, many of the many of you, if not most of you, have been called it the King James Bible. Most Bibles pletely committed to the infallibility and modern translators use what they call there. I remember at one time we had two still have a little piece right at the front, a inspiration of Scripture. They wanted to or three of our Sabbath School outings to dedication of the translators to King James. produce an excellent version of the Bible. The Bible an open book: pages from an original In Great Britain we call it the Authorised 1611 edition of the Authorized Version, open at Hampton Court Palace. I remember some 1 Samuel 24 of our children getting lost in the well- Version. They were divided into six different groups. Two met in London at Westminster; two of them met in Cambridge; two of them met in Oxford, I rather think at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. So, in the end, after seven years laboriously comparing, re- comparing and discussing, our wonderful version of the Bible appeared in 1611. For

36 37 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society

‘dynamic equivalence’, which means they God’s holy, infallible Book, but they do not try to capture the thoughts behind the read it. There are some ungodly, militant words rather self-styled Protestants who would fight, lit- than translating erally fight, that the Bible is God’s holy, the the words them- infallible Word. But they do not read it; they Taking selves. Our do not want to read it. version of the Bible is a strict ‘Search the scriptures’. I hope you girls and translation, word boys read a little piece from your Bible every for word from morning or every night, or both. Read it Scriptures the best manu- slowly and pray that God will help you to scripts in keeping understand it. ‘Open thou mine eyes, that I to with what was may behold wondrous things out of thy law’ inspired by the Spirit of God. (Psalm 119.18). Especially pray to find sal- Lognes Revisited vation there, to find Christ there. France You remember that Queen Victoria was in November 2004 by J. Cook once asked by an African prince, ‘What is A little girl was given a Bible once and she TBS Foreign Sales the secret of England’s greatness?’. To his wrote at the front of it, amazement, she took up a Bible, and it was ntil more recent years, the Society opportunity to shop and to see the spectac- the Authorised Version, of course. She said, ‘Divine Instructor, gracious Lord, was the largest publisher of the ular lights of the Gallerie Lafayette, which ‘This is the secret of England’s greatness’. Be Thou for ever near; UFrench Bible in the world. We hope was absolutely thronged with people. Teach me to love Thy sacred Word, that in the future we will be able to regain And find the Saviour there.’ much of this market with a more faithful It was up early for breakfast at 6.30am on ‘Search the Scriptures’ translation of the French Scriptures. the Lord’s Day to attend a meeting for the Now I pray that it might be like that with breaking of bread in the north of Paris at Now I would like you all to turn with me to our girls and boys and older ones, too, each Today the Society is reasonably well known 10.00am, which we had visited many times. John 5.39. These are the words of the Lord of us: may we ‘love God’s Holy Word, and throughout France; however, our presence at The meeting was a gathering of many Jesus: ‘Search the scriptures; for in them ye find the Saviour there’. the Lognes exhibition will give us more nationalities: Spanish, Irish, Algerian, think ye have eternal life: and they are they acceptance amongst French believers. The Zambian, American, English and French. which testify of me’. We are wonderfully Slightly edited and printed by kind permission. Trinitarian Bible Society can, we hope, Lunch was in the company of a young visit- favoured that we have a Bible in English, become as well known in France as the other ing brother from Northern Ireland, a young Bible Societies such as Société biblique accurate, a true representation of God’s sister from Zambia who speaks excellent française, and Société biblique de Genève, or English, and a young Algerian brother who revelation, and there we can read the will, even Viens et Vois—but renowned for the spoke some English. We already knew the the purpose of God: why He created the most accurate translation. We hope to be young Zambian lady from meetings at world; who God is, Father, Son and Holy able to have a beneficial influence on the Wembley when she was just a child with her Ghost; what our need is as sinners; how we standard of trustworthiness of the transla- family; she had just arrived but three weeks can escape hell, how we can get to heaven; tions that others offer. earlier in Paris to take up employment. Such there is a heaven; there is a hell; what is the encounters in far-off places with people we way of salvation; why did Jesus come—all We had no hitches on our journey to Paris, had already known had happened previ- these things. and we allowed extra time for possible ously in France, and are not just delays, in order to catch the Eurostar train at coincidental. Now the Lord Jesus said, ‘Search the scrip- 9.00am on Saturday and to avoid any recur- tures’. What a terrible thing it is if we rence of last year’s delay in getting to On Monday it was again up early for break- believe that this is God’s holy, inspired Waterloo. We reached our destination at fast at 6.30am—the third early morning in a Word and we do not read it! There are Noisy Champs in the afternoon. That after- row—in order to set up the exhibition. In some people who will fight to the death noon was the only time we had free for the dark we missed the signposts for for the Bible, the Authorised Version being seeing anything of Paris, so we took the Centrex, which is the exhibition centre, so

38 39 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society we had to retrace our steps, but not much quoted Peter’s answer that ‘we should obey Contact was made with several UK mission- ry French leather Bibles from a bookshop time was lost. We had nearly finished setting God rather than men’, and that we should aries, one of which works from Arras in that had not purchased for some while, and up the stand before the exhibition hall was support the authorities insofar as their laws France. He explained how a simple picture we could have also sold many French Bibles shut for the prayers and Bible ministry at do not contravene God’s laws. postcard with a text in French, similar to and Hebrew Bibles, had we had the stock 9.15. When we recommenced and tried to those which we do in English, is a excellent there. Yet last year there was hardly any inter- finish off, there was a constant stream of There was a vast array of Christian literature low-key method of keeping contact with est in these items. customers, which eased after a while and on display on the many stands, with about unbelievers, and he expressed the desire that became a fairly steady flow throughout that 150 exhibitors throughout the five large the Society would do them. Those receiving The calendars in various languages, such as day and the next. exhibition halls. One book that was shown the postcards were more likely to hold on to Arabic, Farsi, Armenian, Hebrew, Russian, to me traced the changes in the practice of them and read them again later than they Romanian and French were very much in The subject of the Bible study was concern- baptism through the ages. At another stand might be with other literature. demand. However, our French calendars ing Christians and the authorities, and the of publishers who are customers of the were being sold on other stands, and we did passage read by the pastor from Sarcelles Society, they had some very good gospel Others said that they were glad to see our not sell as many as was anticipated. was the last four verses of Acts 24, concern- tracts in French. stand, because with France being so big and the shortage of good Christian bookshops, it It is something of a novelty for the French gave them the opportunity to obtain more believers to have an English Bible Society easily items that they needed. Another present at their exhibition, and the advertise- expressed interest in our Hebrew Bibles, say- ment we placed near the front of the ing that the one that his college purchased exhibition catalogue would have undoubt- for his students was more expensive. edly helped direct people’s feet in our Requests were received for the gospel of direction. There is such a contrast between John in Arabic, for a French/Chinese Bible, the unfriendliness and general attitude of and for inexpensive Chinese literature. There the Parisians, at least towards the English, were so many different nationalities present, and the friendliness, warmth and helpfulness such as those from Chad who wanted mate- of the Christian believers at the exhibition. rial in their own language, and others from The bright lights of Paris are deceptive, since, Madagascar who wanted literature in like many great cities, there is constant fear Malagasy; but regrettably we could not sup- and suspicion and an emptiness of life. ply their requirements. The numbers attending the exhibition We also met one of our customers for the would have been similar to last year, around first time, who runs a bookshop in Reunion, 800 to 1,000 on both days, and there were and there were all the usual bookshops such many familiar faces from last year, especially as la Maison de la Bible, Editeurs de those of missionaries. One of the large exhi- Litterature Biblique and C.L.C., and we were bition halls was used for catering, with able to talk with them. However, we were seating for about 500 people at one time kept very busy at our own stand for most of and with people queuing outside. They pro- the time, and the duration of the exhibition vide a good three-course meal, and the John and Hazel Cook at Lognes is quite short so it gave little time for any catering staff did an excellent job. There were others who organised Christian ing Paul before Felix. He commented that lengthy conversation with any of our con- holidays, amongst whom was a very pleas- tacts at these stands. It is evident that the exhibition is highly anyone that was Roman would not be ant young Moroccan Christian in a long regarded in the French-speaking world, since pleased to hear that Felix had hoped that flowing national costume, with whom I had The most expensive item we sold was the there were people there from many of the Paul would give him money to secure his a long conversation. Others sold goods only copy we had of one of our luxury French-speaking nations worldwide; this is release. The subject matter was a bit manufactured by Christians in poor coun- French Calfskin Leather Bibles; it went to a not an event to be missed. The presence of involved, and one French brother said it tries of the world. The missionary who was bookshop that had not previously pur- so many well-known French Christian organ- seemed that it was heading up to the ques- there last year selling Bible commentaries, chased our products. We could have sold it isations indicates the importance that they tion of whether or not we should support under the joyful banner of ‘La Joie de many times over, if that were possible, attach to this exhibition, and it is the best the war in Iraq against terrorism. However, l’Eternel’ (meaning ‘Joy of the Lord’), was because it aroused a great deal of interest. In that I have attended—one that can best the next day the pastor in his summing up again just a short distance from our stand. addition, we took an order for nineteen luxu- benefit the Society and its customers.

40 41 NEWQUARTERLY RECORDCatalogue- Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 2005 2006

arious projects for Bibles and other Scripture items expected to be completed ur Gospel Series May we be encouraged by the for inclusion in the issue of the Society’s new catalogue for 2005 have been has sold many Scripture ‘Go ye into all the Vdelayed. Therefore, we propose issuing a joint 2005/2006 catalogue later in the thousands of world, and preach the gospel to year. copies in the last every creature’ (Mark 16.15)! Ofew years. For the year 2000 In the Lord’s providence, we hope to include in this new catalogue a number of new the Gospel of John was In addition to these Gospels, publications, such as: published with an updated the Society has a number of cover. The next year, an Scripture items useful for the New Classic Bible—This is a pew-size New Daily Light—This Christian classic edition with a new attractive promotion of God’s Word in reference Bible being produced to will be available with a presentation page cover replaced the special the community. Besides replace our New Brevier range. and with a range of quality bindings. edition, and the Gospel of pocket New Testaments and Mark in the paragraphed format was our more recent new Pocket Reference New Pocket Luxury ‘Leather’ Bibles— Children’s Scripture Items—These will added to the range in 2002. Bible, there are a variety of tracts and This is an expansion of the New Pocket include new quiz books with a variety of booklets available for outreach work. We Reference Bible range recently interesting Scriptural puzzles, and our Now, the Society is pleased to add the also publish calendars, diaries, announced. new Colouring Books in Lithuanian. Gospel of Luke to our Gospel Series. This bookmarks, textcards and posters which new edition of the Gospel of Luke has an are most suitable for helping spread the New Gospel of Luke—This addition to attractive natural colour photograph Gospel. our Gospel range is now available. More cover displaying a striking scene of a information can be found on page 43 of rainbow. It is believed that the Gospel of this Quarterly Record. Luke may be particularly useful for distribution in Muslim communities. New Ndebele (for Zimbabwe) and Armenian New Testaments—These will be extending our Foreign Language These gospels are increasingly used by Scripture publications. churches to reach out into our communities with the Scriptures and the New Gospel of John in the Farsi lan- Society is pleased to assist with this Trinitarian additional resource. Trinitarian guage—Farsi is spoken in Iran and by many Iranian communities around the world. Bible Society Product Code: LK Bible Society Tyndale House, Dorset Road, ISBN: 1862281769 Tyndale House, Dorset Road, New Polish New Testament— London, SW19 3NN, UK Price: £0.30 Less any discount London, SW19 3NN, UK Supporters will be pleased to note that Tel.: (020) 8543 7857 entitlement Tel.: (020) 8543 7857 we are reintroducing this item, which we Fax: (020) 8543 6370 Fax: (020) 8543 6370 trust will be popular amongst Polish e-mail: [email protected] We again remind our supporters that e-mail: [email protected] speakers worldwide. Web site: www.TBS-sales.org discounts are available to those engaged Web site: www.TBS-sales.org in the Free Distribution of the Scriptures, and we shall be pleased to send samples.

The Word of God Among All Nations The Word of God Among All Nations 43 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society

was challenged to follow William Carey. As people. But, when the text is in front of your THE FIELD IS THE WORLD THE SEED IS THE WORD OF GOD one pastor said, ‘William Carey came to India eyes for the whole month, it is remembered and stayed; please stay and come again to us’. without any effort. So in this way God’s These believers are persecuted for their faith Word makes people to be more disposed by both Hindus and Muslims alike yet are towards God. This also makes people to be THE WORD OF GOD fearless in their witness. After two weeks I disposed to us, the believers. Almost every- was sixteen pounds lighter and returned one who took the calendars first, wanted to home with a fever which has taken three take Gospel later. Thank you very much for weeks to clear. I left behind twenty-four Bible your great help in our service. We, together study notes to be translated into Telugu for with you, are doing the same deed for God the national pastors by my host, and have here on Earth. Hoping to meet you at the promised to supply both gospel and teach- Heavenly home at our heavenly Father, ing material as the Lord enables. Please pray where we will be able to talk the same lan- for India; the Scriptures tell us that ‘the com- guage and to understand each other AMONG ALL NATIONS mon people heard Him gladly’, and seeing the without an interpreter. Please pass regards untouchables or slum-dwellers rejoicing in to all your relatives, friend and colleagues the Lord demonstrated to me the great truth from your family. Europe eventually cast into the sacred river. I was of salvation by grace alone. Please pray for this moved as never before to preach on the area of India and these very brave pastors as Ephesian merchants who profited from the they seek to spread the good news of the From Vilnius, Lithuania From Devon, England sale of their images of Diana and of the hea- gospel and that their personal needs might Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters This letter comes to you after the two most then gods revealed in the Old Testament be met as they look to the Lord for their sup- in Christ. I am immensely grateful to God eventful weeks of my life and witness after with a feeling of holy anger. The message port. and to you for your parcels and calendars. my visit to India. Never have I been so chal- To tell you the truth, I wasn’t counting on lenged or worked so hard as at that time. I receiving anything else, but God thought would hasten to say that if one thousand From Kutopyugan, Russia differently. Praise be to Him! Almost all believers were called to go into the slums of We thank you and pray for you to God. copies have been distributed at church. I Hyderabad or Vijayawada there would be Yesterday we received your parcel with the think that people detained copies not only work enough for them all for the field is calendars. We are very happy and grateful for themselves, but also for their friends and white unto harvest. My day began around to God that He put so much diligence and relatives. The charitable mission in which I 8.30 each morning and ended sometimes charity into your hearts. When we give used to work has temporarily put a stop to after midnight as I travelled into the slums leaflets and Gospel to the people here in the distribution of clothes due to repair taking three or four services each day. It was Kutopyugan, we enclose your calendars— work on the premises where the mission very humbling to see the beauty of the the ones you held in your hands in England, intends to move. Things are moving along believers in such appalling poverty yet so and now through our hands they get to the slowly as a result of financial difficulties, yet radiant and with a hunger for the Word of pagans. Many people are asking for calen- progress is made. Praise be to God! Brothers God, hearing them at the end of the sermon dars—in tundra, Nenets reindeer breeders and sisters at our church are grateful for asking for more. There was fervency in prayer and fishermen. We have already started to your ministry and for your hard work. May as they prayed for their neighbours and for send your calendars and religious literature the Lord bless you. I am very grateful to revival in the UK. In the photo you see some Indian children memorise the Scriptures to other settlements by post. We under- God, for His grace which works together of the boys who received the little Golden stand what enormous expenses for printing with His Word is enormous. He grants us liv- Books. I gave them the books at 9.00pm and was broadcast over loud speakers so that and posting and everything else that goes ing water for which our souls are thirsting. by 9.00am the next day they had committed many Hindus heard it and I then went on to into this. We would like to say to everyone Whenever God grants us an opportunity to all the Scriptures in them to memory. speak of the true and living God whom we who is involved in this work that this is a bear witness of His love and salvation serve and of salvation in Christ alone, of for- very worthy service. Through this work, not through Jesus Christ, people have tears in I arrived during a Hindu festival which giveness of sins, of His presence in this life only Christ’s name becomes known, but their eyes. Their eyes are wide open and it demonstrated the heathen darkness of this keeping us, blessing us with His peace and of also there is a chance for God’s Word to seems as if they are trying to picture what vast continent; in one city alone over 25,000 our certain place prepared by His own hand enter every home. Unfortunately, not every- we are talking about. The seed is being idols had been carefully made and painted in His heavenly home. I met those who had one takes Gospel when we offer it to sown. These sorts of individuals are home- like master colours, erected, worshipped and never seen a white man’s face before and

44 45 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society less, sick and unemployed. They are the out- vacation Bible school and Bible classes for casts of society with hardened hearts and a children, for which we also require New bleak future. Their lives are a mess as a con- Testaments. Trust you will consider our sequence of sin. And it is these individuals needs. who experience God’s grace and their lives become transformed. Thanks be to God for His Word, which brings salvation to the sin- Africa ner. Some people come to church straight away, some come to socialise and later From Maundou, Chad leave, but His Word is having an impact on We write to first of all thank you for the them all. Praise the Lord! It is our duty to Golden Thoughts calendars, French Bibles sow and to bear witness with our own lives. and assorted bookmarks that you sent us. The rest is up to God. He is our Saviour. The calendars arrived at the time when we Praise be to Him alone! Dear friends, your Indian villagers with their new Bibles were having an evangelism campaign ‘Deaf ministry is a great help to us. People in the was able to visit two villages where we had for Christ’ in different churches in Maundou. world first and foremost pay attention to gospel meetings. Your TBS Bibles were dis- We will finish distributing them at the something colourful. Praise the Lord that tributed to those who show interest. eighth National Bible Camp for the Deaf. one can find words of the living God in your Manipur has a population of around 2.8 mil- People truly have a thirst for these calen- colourful calendar. People can look at these lions, out of this 35% are Christians mainly dars and to read the Word of God day by words several times a day. I believe that Jewish man receives Russian Bible tribals, 8% are Muslims and Animist, and rest day. We have distributed the Bibles to newly these words will one day have a special sig- i.e. 57% (1.7 millions) are Meiteis who baptised deaf people in partnership with nificance and the individual will immerse Bibles. But during our meetings with people embraced Hinduism. Out of the 1.7 millions our French-speaking church. Would it be himself into reading God’s Word and will Meitei Christians are very few in number, possible to send us New Testaments in attain everlasting life. Thank you. May the in Germany we receive most of all requests for the larger Russian Bibles, because many they are around 20,000, which I myself basic French for use by the small children at Lord bless you. We are all God’s co-workers. belong to this group. The two villages which our Sunday School? Would it also be possi- Amen. May the peace and grace of our Lord of the elderly people have problems with their sight. Also at conferences, where we I have visited are both Meitei villages. The ble to send us Biblical posters or pictures so Jesus Christ, of God the Father and of the first village I visited is called Mayang Imphal. that they could better understand the Holy Spirit remain with you. meet many Jewish believers, they tell us that they prefer the larger Bible. That’s why This is fully Hindu concentrated; a school Gospel? we would like to ask you, on behalf of them, teacher helped me to conduct the Gospel to send us at least 1,000 large Russian meeting and he and his family are the lone From Harmelen, The Netherlands Christians in this village. I took two sessions. From Ekiti State, Nigeria Bibles. While staying in Germany we have It has been a great, great thing to happen at It is a great privilege for us to pass on the also visited the ‘Heims’, where we met an old In October another Gospel meeting was Holy Scriptures to Jewish immigrants from able to be held in a village called this time of the year when all seems to be Russian man. We gave him a Russian Bible up-side down in Nigeria today. Nigeria the former Soviet Union. We thank the Lord and took a picture of him while he was Langthabal Khunou. This is a small village for having this privilege. We also are thank- located on a hilltop, three kilometres away needs prayers and people are now making reading it. Seeing him reading the Bible is all frantic effort in seeking the face of God. ful to you for giving us the possibility to heartwarming. from the motorable road. Around thirty-five spread the Word of the Lord among these attended the meeting. A few young boys The distribution has been tremendous and dear Jewish friends. It moves us to see how and girls came up for further discussion; five people are eager to have something to glad these people are when they receive of them were willing to spend more time in bring them nearer to God. The calendars this Gift. Every time they give thanks to the India discussion and reading the Bibles. I will fol- were the enigma and people were rushing Lord for it. We also see that, by the grace of low them by next month. The photograph to have it. People now bring along the Bible God, everywhere in Germany Bible study was taken after the Gospel meeting and to offices, churches and other worshipping groups, prayer meetings and even From Manipur, India Bible distribution. I would like to thank you avenues to read. God is working wonders Messianic congregations come into being. As you all know we have been having much so much for your kind help. Due to your here nowadays. Nigeria is at a cross-road Recently we have been to the eastern and unrest and trouble in Manipur. Since July we Bibles we are able to organise Gospel meet- and we need prayers and devotions. It is my northern part of Germany. Being there, the had many bandhs, violent agitations and ings. I will be grateful to you if you kindly prayer that God shall continue to turn every- Lord showed us again how much He bless- whole Manipur was virtually shut down for continue to send Bibles; we are planning for one into Him. One final note, I must express es this work. Since the beginning of this two months. By September situation a Gospel meeting which we are praying to my profound gratitude to you for the Bibles year we received from you small Russian became under control and by His grace I invite around 200 Hindus. We also have and Calendars sent.

46 47 QUARTERLY RECORD - Issue Number 571 - April to June 2005 The Magazine of the Trinitarian Bible Society

them to the true doctrine. During this year South America we have intensified our evangelism work and we are thankful to God for the group of From Puerto Cabello, Venezuela Christians who participate with enthusi- Enclosed is a photo from Venezuela depict- asm in these activities. Doors are opening ing Bible distribution. We thought that you in public and private institutions such as might enjoy viewing some of the recipients hospitals, colleges, etc. Consequently, the of the precious Bibles that you entrusted demand for literature has intensified. We would be very grateful if you could send us free literature. North America

From Elora, Ontario, Canada It is some time now since we received the kind grant of English and Spanish Golden Thoughts Calendars, but I am pressed with the need of writing to tell you of our joy over these. We sent four of the Spanish ones to a friend's brother in Argentina. He told us by phone that they had had a visit of a Jewish couple at their home. This couple were on their way to Nazareth to live and were over- Scripture distribution in Venezuela joyed to have the Spanish Golden Thoughts unto this ministry. May it please the Lord Calendar to take with them. Apart from that His Word take root in their hearts. TBS these four, we sent to two more Jewish fam- is in our prayers. ilies in Argentina and we believe they also appreciate the verses. We continue to remember you all in prayer before His From Santiago, Chile throne of grace. We are greatly honoured to evangelise in hospitals, children's centres and old people's homes. We see the power of Jesus' love restoring lives and bringing them salvation. Christian literature is a fundamental and effective tool in reconciling souls to the Although certain phrases and expressions used Lord. There is an issue overhanging us at in these letters may not be doctrinally accurate the moment which is the proliferation of or in correct English, we reproduce the letters pseudo-Christian sects. The enemy is dis- essentially as received, knowing that the Lord is tracting people as an angel of light. Many using His Word to the glory of His Name and the are falling into a false hope of salvation. It furtherance of His Kingdom as the Scriptures are pains me to see the increasing number of distributed among the nations of the world. those who say they are Christians but in reality are very far from the holy doctrine of the Lord. We would like to receive literature to be able to distribute to people to point

48 49 Trinitarian Bible Society International Headquarters Tyndale House, Dorset Road, London, SW19 3NN, England Telephone: (020) 8543 7857 Facsimile: (020) 8543 6370 e-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.trinitarianbiblesociety.org Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Registered Charity Number: 233082 V.A.T. Registration Number: GB 215 9219 67

Auditors: Solicitors: Bankers: Jacob Cavenagh & Skeet Bates, Wells & Braithwaite Barclays Bank PLC Acorn House, Cheapside House 7th Floor United Kingdom House, 2 Greenhill Crescent, 138 Cheapside, 180 Oxford Street, London Watford Business Park, London, EC2V 6BB W1D 1EA Watford, Herts. WD18 8AH Swift Code: BARCGB22 Sort Code: 20-32-29 Sterling Account No.: 70023531 GB34 BARC 2032 2970 0235 31 Euro Account No.: 72732599 IBAN Euro Account No.: GB85 BARC 2032 2972 7325 99

Canadian Branch International Canadian General Secretary: Mr. G. den Boer, B.A. Trinitarian Bible Society Branches 259 - 7610 Evans Road Chilliwack, B.C., V2R 2Z5, Canada Australian Branch Tel.: (604) 858-2354 Fax: (604) 858-8326 National Secretary: Mr. C. Tuck, B.A. e-mail: [email protected] Trinitarian Bible Society (Australia), G.P.O.Box 777 New Zealand Branch Sydney 2001, Australia Secretary: Mr. U. Haringa Tel.: 1300 303 827 Fax: 1300 783 827 Trinitarian Bible Society (New Zealand), e-mail: [email protected] 17 Heatherlea Street, P.O. Box 740, Gisborne, New Zealand Brazilian Branch Tel. & Fax: 06-863-3700 President: The Rev. Dr. T. L. Gilmer Sociedade Bíblica Trinitariana do Brasil, U.S.A. Branch Casa João Ferreira de Almeida, President: Mr. J. Stehouwer Rua São Vicente, 230 - Bela Vista, Trinitarian Bible Society (U.S.A.) CEP 01314-010 1600 Leonard Street, N.W. Caixa Postal, 3352 Grand Rapids, MI 49504 CEP 01060-970 São Paulo - SP - Brazil U.S.A. Tel.: (011) 3105-7181 Fax: (011) 3107-3775 Tel.: (616) 735-3695 Fax: (616) 735-9373 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] The Aims of the Society

To publish and distribute the Holy Scriptures throughout the world in many languages.

To promote Bible translations which are accurate and trustworthy, conforming to the Hebrew Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and the Greek Textus Receptus of the New Testament, upon which texts the English Authorised Version is based.

To be instrumental in bringing light Working in the fields of Myanmar and life, through the Gospel of Christ, An attractive field of flowers belies a life of poverty and to those who are lost in sin and in the struggle. A quarter of the population lives below the darkness of false religion and unbelief. poverty line, and life expectancy is an average of 57 years. Burma’s main agricultural products are rice, pulses, beans, sesame, peanuts and sugarcane and make up 60% To uphold the doctrines of reformed of the country’s economy. Christianity, bearing witness to the equal and eternal deity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, One God in three Persons.

To uphold the Bible as the inspired, inerrant Word of God.

For the Glory of God and the Increase of His Kingdom through the circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted versions of the Word of God.

For introductory literature and price lists please write to the Society at the address given

Trinitarian Bible Society ISSN 0049-4712 Tyndale House, Dorset Road, London, SW19 3NN, England e-mail: [email protected] www.trinitarianbiblesociety.org