Devotions for Translators

Devotions for Translators Faciltator Guide.docx

Devotions for Translators Faciltator Guide A4.pdf

This guide will help you create your own devotions as you train translators.

Purpose

The purpose of holding devotions before beginning training on translation is to help translators discover the meaning of a particular text through personal reflection and discussion about it. You are also instilling habits of thought that can help them explore Bible stories and passage of scripture on their own. Your goal in these devotional exercises is to first of all foster a love of scripture for its own sake, but also to instill a way to relate scripture to their own personal spiritual growth and incorporate theological formation.

There are different types of devotions suited to different purposes. Three common types are:

Team Building Devotionals - These focus on themes like the fruit of the spirit, conflict resolution, and interpersonal relationships. Often these use a passage or story to highlight a problem the group is facing and a scriptural way to resolve it.
Topical Devotions - As teams work through stories or Bible passages, they encounter theological topics that are worthy of meditation, worship, or solace. This type of devotion helps relate Bible truth to practical application.
Exegetical/Hermeneutical Devotions These devotions are intended to prepare translators to handle the word of God by giving them a thorough and deep understanding of the passage or story they will be translating. The method highlighted below will outline how to prepare for this type of devotional.

Your role is to lead the team in a process of examining the text and drawing meaning from it that is applicable to them. You will do this by using a series of questions that they are expected to answer through their study and understanding of the passage under consideration. It is best if you don’t provide answers to the questions yourself, but instead lead them in an investigation where they can discover the answers for themselves. This may take some creative questioning strategies on your part to guide them to the answer, but this is more effective at helping them learn than simply telling them what the correct response is.

Method

Identify the Bible story or scripture passage that the group will be translating. Read through it yourself so you understand it. Write out a series of questions to ask about the text similar to these:

Who is the author?
Who is the audience?
When was it written?
What is the main idea of the text? What is its theme?
Why was it written? What is the text intended to achieve or accomplish for the readers?