In a land where there are estimated to be a few thousand believers, many of whom are recent converts, there is an urgent need for people to understand and know the Word. The Turkish church has few reference books compared to the vast resources available in English and few pastors to teach the Word. In this context we identified the Study Bible as the best single source to train a new generation of Turkish leaders nationwide.
As it is written: "The unfolding of your word gives light; It gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130
The Study Bible is a convenient way to provide a range of study tools (historical background, basic commentary, short concordance, index, book introductions, maps and a comprehensive reference system) in a single volume.
The single volume Study Bible will be a major tool for the Turkish church nationwide to understand the Scriptures, as it pursues its vision of a "Church in Every Province & the Gospel to Every Home". Particularly it could be helpful to raise up a first generation of leaders across the country. Therefore we are thrilled to have produced a comprehensive tool for the growth of the Turkish church and hope to see it distributed nationwide to contribute to the national vision of a "Church in Every Province & the Gospel to Every Home". The effective distribution of the Turkish Study Bible will be the primary goal for the Translation Trust over the coming years.
The Turkish Study Bible Was Launched in 2010
A launch event took place in Istanbul on the 13th March 2010. The many Turkish pastors and leaders present for this milestone occasion were pleased that the Study Bible is not just a translation of a Western Study Bible but includes the result of a faithful and diligent team of Turks and expatriates working together to produce notes and introductions that are relevant for Turks and Turkey
Availability of the Study Bible has nearly completed a basic Bible library for the Turkish church. The Bible Society has already produced a Concordance and is working on a Bible Dictionary. Our colleagues at New Life Publishers have published a Bible Atlas, a History of Christianity, and the Holman Bible Handbook.
We would like to thank the readers of our Newsletter who sponsored grants of 345 Turkish Study Bibles.
An update from a worker at our partner organization.
Through the grants of Study Bibles and the resulting orders I believe we have been successful in making known the Turkish Study Bible to Islamic Theological Faculties. This is shown by the fact that the faculty members we have contacted through the campaign still get in touch with us. This is especially true of one lecturer. There is a warm tone in our telephone conversations. At the beginning of each academic year he contacts us and orders Bibles. In the last two academic years he has ordered a total of more than 80 copies. Praise God that those who have contacted us in the past contact us again!
The other day an assistant lecturer at another Theological faculty contacted us and ordered Bibles. Previously we had given a grant of two Study Bibles to another lecturer in the same faculty. He said that he would recommend our books to others who required them. He is one of the new generation of unprejudiced, tolerant and open-minded researchers. Our prayer is that he will be able to educate students to have the same attitude.
The lecturers want to have easy access to the Bibles and other materials they need. We know from previous conversations that this is very difficult in the bookshops in outlying provinces. God is everywhere but there are places that the Word of God has not yet reached. It is our prayer that through His grace His Word will reach the places it has not yet reached. We also pray that the hearts of those who read the Word will be touched, that the unseeing eyes will be opened, that the deaf ears will hear the Lord’s voice. We as God’s children and workers in the publishing company pray for these things with all of our hearts and will continue to pray. With this in mind we pray to the Lord that we will be able to reach more places with new projects.