I thought only experts with PhDs could translate the Bible. How can we know church-based translations are trustworthy?

One of the most common questions we hear when introducing unfoldingWord to a new audience is, “I thought only experts with PhDs could translate the Bible. How can we know church-based translations are trustworthy?” That question, coupled with the steady decline in Bible translation consultants and the explosive demand for new translations, led to the creation of unfoldingWord’s translationCore.

Traditional translation methods often require high-tech infrastructure, formal training, and external oversight. This creates barriers for many language communities that need God’s Word in their heart language.

The translationCore toolset provides open-licensed, offline, and soon, mobile-friendly translation tools, enabling churches to check their own Bible translations without relying on external experts. It is a key part of our goal to deliver a comprehensive, end-to-end Bible translation toolchain that provides self-service capabilities for drafting, accuracy checking, and, notably, publishing translations. That last element is significant. Many other Bible translation software tools require licensing agreements. Those restrictions limit a church’s ability to publish its translations, build Bible study resources from them, or use them as source texts for new translations. translationCore is a key part in breaking down those barriers.

When you give to support unfoldingWord’s Tools and Tech, you are advancing the Kingdom of God by shifting Bible translation from an external process to a church-owned ministry. You are also ensuring the accuracy of every translation, enhancing the local church’s outreach to unreached people groups, and exponentially advancing the gospel.