Lutheran Heritage Foundation:
THE WORD AT WORK
Volume 28 Number 1
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January/February 2021
Taiwanese Christians embrace Book of Concord A major LHF translation project more than 5 years in the making is nearing completion: the Book of Concord (BOC) in the Traditional Chinese language. “There’s something amazing going on right now in Taiwan in our partner church (China Evangelical Lutheran Church - CELC),” said Rev. Michael Paul, LCMS theological educator in Taiwan and editor of LHF’s traditional Chinese translations. “There’s kind of a revival in confessional Lutheranism, meaning the Book of Concord and the Lutheran Confessions.” Rev. Paul recently taught a class on the BOC at a CELC congregation, where about 70 people worship each week. Twenty-four members signed up for his BOC class, and to Rev. Paul’s amazement, more than half of them read the entire book.
It was a feat even more impressive when considering that the class read from an older translation of the BOC that uses difficult language for modern Chinese readers. “That’s why we’re doing a new translation,” he explained. “But these members read this very difficult translation, with difficult theology to begin with, and they really got into it!” While Chinese is a well-developed language and there are many theological books written in that language, “unfortunately, there aren’t nearly enough Lutheran books,” said Rev. Paul. “The Chinese Christian church is so influenced by Reformed theology that a translator will read what it says in English - good, Lutheran, Biblical theology! - but they default to language that is not Lutheran. The Chinese, especially
with the influence of Confucianism, have a very strong, ethical, moral foundation. They’re just very Law-based; that’s kind of their culture. “What we Lutherans can bring to the table is that we are saved completely by God’s grace, by what Jesus has done for us, not by our works.” Already, the influence of LHF’s good Lutheran books, in combination with faithful teaching from Rev. Paul and other missionaries, is bearing fruit in Taiwan. A woman named Sharon graduated from China Lutheran Seminary, but by her own admission, she graduated without a good understanding of Lutheran theology and practice. She began serv
Taiwan cont. on page 2
INSIDE:
TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING DISTRIBUTING REFORMATION BIBLE-BASED CHRIST-CENTERE BOOKS TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING DISTRIBUTING REFORMATION BIBLE-BASED CHRIS TERED BOOKS TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING TRANSLATING REFORMATION BIBLE-BASED CHRIST-CENTERED BOOKS TRANSLATING PUBLISHING PAGES 2-3: PAGE 3: INTRODUCING DISTRIBUTING PAGE 4: REFORMATION B Using CHRIST-CENTERED LHF books, Russian churchBOOKS LCMS missionary reflects on how LWML member uses LHF books to BLE-BASED TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING DISTRIBUTING REFO gains 100 members in 3 years faith grows in Asia share Good News with patient TION BIBLE-BASED CHRIST-CENTERED BOOKS TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING DISTRIBUTIN REFORMATION BIBLE-BASED CHRIST-CENTERED BOOKS TRANSLATING PUBLISHING INTRODUCING DIS
