“The Bible is meant to be read and understood by all people”

Last August, during his keynote address at the Jesus Global Youth Day, Bishop Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), launched WEA’s AD 2020 Global Year of the Bible.

“We will highlight the importance of the Bible as the enduring foundation for fostering unity, freedom, development and quality of life today and for the years to come”, he said.

On September 16th, around 80 Christian leaders from 24 different countries gathered at the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC, to announce and declare their support for this WEA proposal.

Many major Christian denominations and organizations have already endorsed the initiative.

BISHOP TENDERO: “THE BIBLE IS MEANT TO BE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BY ALL”

“In contrast to the sacred writings of many other traditions, the Bible is meant to be read and understood by all people”, Bishop Efraim Tendero pointed out.

He explained that “it is not too mystical for people to grasp. It complements the incarnation nature of Christ, because both Christ and the Bible put the knowledge of God within our reach”.

“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. If we want to know Christ, if we want to understand the way to God, we must know the Bible. It is God’s chosen means of revealing himself and his will to humanity”, Tendero added.

A LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

The WEA Secretary General stressed how “from the early centuries of the spread of Christianity, the Bible indelibly shaped European cultures”.

AD 2020 Global Year of the Bible logo. / WEA

“Even more notably, the personal encounters of Luther, Calvin, and other Reformers with the Bible set in motion massive spiritual, social, economic, and political transformation in Europe, the effects of which can be seen to this day”.

Tendero also emphasised the importance of reaching “millions of young people who are living what we might call ‘Is that all there is?’ lives”.

“They are seeking meaning in the things of this world, without ever hearing God’s message of spiritual salvation, the only message that enables us to discover lasting meaning either in this life or beyond”, he warned.

That is why Tendero encourage Christians to “do anything we can to restore awareness of the Bible and its significance, to help our culture recover what it has lost before it is too late”.

“COLLABORATE WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST TO PROMOTE THE BIBLE”

The World Evangelical Alliance AD 2020 Global Year of the Bible campaign aims to “recognize and celebrate the unparalleled role that the Bible has had over two thousand years in the history of the world; educate and inspire people around the world to study, learn and apply God’s Word through private and public engagement with the Bible; and motivate and encourage followers of God to share graciously the Word of God with their neighbours in culturally-appropriate ways”.

In order to achieve its goals, Lloyd Estrada, WEA Global Bible Engagement Advocate, said that his team is “curating resources that could help enrich the Year of the Bible campaigns in each of the 130 countries where National Evangelical Alliances exist”.

The WEA hopes “to collaborate with the Body of Christ in helping accelerate Bible translation, promote Bible distribution, and facilitate educational programs that equip people to read, hear, understand and apply the Word of God”, he said.