UNDERSTANDING MISSION (17)

The Necessity of Language Acquisition

As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, "May I say something to you?" The tribune replied, "Do you know Greek? Aren’t you the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?" Paul responded, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people." And when the tribune had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying... (Acts 21:37-40).

Aside from the 'immeasurable' grace that Apostle Paul carried, one of the things that made him excel more than any other apostle or disciple was his ability to switch between languages. Paul was fluent in the common languages of his time. He was not just an apostle to the Gentiles; he was a speaker of Greek, the official language of the Gentile world at that time. Paul traversed several nations and kingdoms without being limited by language barriers. Therefore, his successful ministry is greatly attributed to his language proficiency.

Listen, the rise and fall of any missionary is somehow connected to their language proficiency. Except for the rare instance when God provides a missionary with a "man of peace" in a foreign land, the missionary's assignment will be greatly limited and likely ineffective. Sincerely, my candid advice to any missionary is to do exploits among their own people and in their own language. That will be much more effective than traveling to a group of people whose language and culture are foreign to them.

Some years back, I met with a senior pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) who served three years among the Eegun tribe of République du Bénin. According to him, his three years among the people were wasted. He was living at the mercy of an interpreter who did not appreciate his preaching style or his insistence on the Scriptures. For three years, the interpreter conveyed a different message to the people. One day, someone from the pastor’s own tribe, who understood the Eegun language well, informed him that the interpreter had been delivering a different message. It was then that he appealed to the church authorities for a transfer, which they promptly granted.

Some time ago, while we were laboring among the pastors in République du Bénin, we used an interpreter who was also a pastor and understood our ways of life. At one point, while she was interpreting, our leader felt something was wrong and asked her to repeat what she had said. It was at this point that she admitted those words were too harsh on the pastors. But she was wrong because her lifestyle had its own issues.

Years ago, while we aired gospel messages on the radio across République du Bénin, the woman who was interpreting for us said our words were too weighty and that our scriptural stance was not welcome in the community. She expressed fear that pastors had been attacking her for interpreting for us. At that moment, I realized the risk of continuing to use her, as she might be influenced by the fear in her heart. We immediately chose another faithful and respected person to take her place.

More than any other financial or emotional preparation, a missionary who intends to engage in a culture and language other than their own must take lessons in the language of the recipient community. If they fail to learn the language, their mission among the people will be greatly hindered. They will likely need an interpreter even when people have secret and confidential matters to discuss with them.

Language proficiency will help missionaries communicate effectively with the people. It will allow them to build the trust and confidentiality that people seek.

With mastery of the local language, a missionary will be readily available to attend to people and minister to them conveniently. They will move freely among the people and engage in various activities that will help them build legitimacy within the community. With ease and understanding, they will conduct their daily life among the people, and even the "Nicodemus brethren" will feel comfortable coming to them at night.

Are you the next missionary? Take the time to learn the language of the people you intend to visit and possibly live with.

May you have a fruitful voyage, in Jesus' name.

Peter Abdul-Razaq, OLAYINKA, a serving missionary with Living Grace Christian Missions, Ilara.  

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