I’m grateful for the way God spoke to me through the Khamti Bible.
In 2006, my husband Doug and I said “yes” to working with a small group of Christians in a sensitive region of Southeast Asia. They were part of a majority-religion language group and had been asking for God’s Word to be translated into Khamti—their mother tongue. Paul, the main translator, was the first Christian in the group. He loved his people and had this deep desire to see them know the God of the Bible and the saving work of Jesus.
Even though I was not directly involved in the translation, I understood the process and, being ever-curious, was often a sounding board for Doug, particularly when it came to translating important key terms into the Khamti language.
One such key term was the Biblical concept of “faith.” Initially, the Khamti word they used for “faith” simply meant, “to believe Jesus.” The translation team thought it was a good word. But when interacting with one of the local majority-religion leaders, he responded this way:
“I don’t like it when you call us non-believers, because I too believe Jesus! I know he lived and passed on good moral knowledge.”
Paul realized they needed a new word. So, the team created a compound word: “believe-rely on.” Compounding is a common way to create new words in the Khamti language. By adding the component “rely on,” it totally clarified what the concept of faith entails.
The local leader knew then that he didn’t have Biblical faith. But he saw, as did we, how Paul did have that faith. Despite persecution when put under house arrest by his own people, Paul did not renounce his faith. When family struggles and civil unrest occurred, he did not stop relying on God but looked to Him for strength and perseverance to press on in the translation.
I have since returned to that definition many times in my own life when I needed to not just believe but also rely on the God of the Bible. Ten years ago, when our adult son was diagnosed with a severe mental illness, my faith was put to the test. My belief in God didn’t waver but, in all honesty, my ability to rely on God did.
Like David in the Psalms I cried out to God, “Why? Oh why?” many times. And as we watched the debilitating, ugly disease change our son, I wanted clarity and control, not reliance and surrender. I felt like I had to learn how to “rely on” God all over again.
And slowly but surely, God showed up for me. I found hope in His faithful presence and mercy. Like Paul, I learned to not just believe, but to believe-rely on Him.
Romans 15:13 back translation from Khamti:
You believe-rely on God, causing you to have hope and so I pray that God might make you to be completely filled with happiness and peace. Then, your hope is full by means of the power of God’s spirit.
Written by Connie Inglis