In a remarkable stride towards its ambitious Vision 2025 goal, Wycliffe Bible Translators is on the verge of making the Bible accessible in every language by the end of 2025. Established in the late 1990s, this initiative aims to eliminate the language barriers that have historically prevented many communities from accessing scripture. As of now, only 888 languages remain without a complete Bible translation, a significant reduction made possible through strategic partnerships with global churches and the integration of advanced artificial intelligence technology, according to CBN News.
John Chesnut, president of Wycliffe Bible Translators, expressed his enthusiasm for the progress made over the past two decades. “Our focus is how do we see God’s word come to these languages that have never had scripture in their own language, and that is our heart passion,” he told CBN News. “It’s what we’ve been about for these 80-plus years.”
Since the inception of Vision 2025, Wycliffe has made substantial advancements in translation efforts. Chesnut noted, “As of today, it is about 888 remaining languages that are on our list anyway, so it’s been huge, huge progress.” He attributes this success to the robust partnerships formed with local churches around the world, emphasizing the growing ownership of the translation process by these communities. “The new thing that we’re seeing God do is that he literally is raising up his church around the world and taking on this effort,” he said. “They’re the ones that are doing it. And more and more, our role is coming alongside of these groups to say, ‘Can we help you accomplish what God has placed on your heart?’”
In addition to community engagement, Wycliffe is leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence to enhance their translation efforts. Chesnut explained, “God’s using it for his glory as well. We have a new tool that just has been out here for probably about a year or so that if a New Testament has been translated, they can use the material from the New Testament to load into the software, and it will draft an Old Testament in just a few days.”
This innovative technology is particularly beneficial in regions where no written alphabet exists. “We have another AI tool that, where there’s nothing written, no scripture yet at all, will gather words from the community and then use that to teach the machine how to draft translations too,” Chesnut elaborated. “So, that’s where there’s nothing started to help accelerate that as well.”
Chesnut believes that these advancements could significantly hasten the fulfillment of the Great Commission, stating, “This is the first generation that can look and say, ‘This could happen during our lifetime.’ And I mean, it’s an incredible day to be part of what God’s doing around the world.”
As Wycliffe Bible Translators approaches its Vision 2025 goal, the organization remains committed to its mission of making the Bible accessible to all, ensuring that every language community can experience the transformative power of scripture in their own tongue.