The Bible originated within the community of believers and, from the very beginning, has served as a guide both for the life of the congregation and for the personal lives of its members. The lives of believers are so closely intertwined with the Bible that, in times past, believers (both Jews and Christians) were referred to by neighbouring peoples as “ahlulkitab”, meaning the people entrusted with the Holy Scriptures, the written Word of God. Through the Holy Scriptures, believers can come to know God, His plan and His will for humankind, so that they may live in accordance with it. The Bible is often referred to as God’s love letter to humanity, for through it He reveals that He loves us, that He wishes to save us, and to make us His children—through faith in Jesus Christ. And it is the responsibility of the congregation, as a fellowship of believers, to convey this message to all people across diverse cultures and languages.
As an organisation partnering with the Church in its ministry, the Indonesian Bible Society (LAI) stands ready to provide Bibles and their various parts to assist the Church and its congregations in carrying out this task. This is reflected in the vision of the Indonesian Bible Society, which has recently been formulated as follows: “To make God’s Word available to everyone in a language that is easy to understand, so that those who read and hear God’s Word may interact with God and experience new life.&” This means proclaiming the Gospel to everyone, both verbally and in writing – through the dissemination of God’s Word – so that those who do not yet know the Lord Jesus may hear and read about Him and be given the opportunity to believe in Him. LAI’s vision can, of course, only be realised if LAI works in partnership with churches of various denominations. After all, it is the church members who are responsible for carrying out this mission of proclaiming the Gospel. In reality, there are churches that are ready to carry out this task, and there are also churches that are not, or are not yet, ready.
An evangelist once said there are two kinds of churches in this world: The first is a church that resembles a hospital. The pastor is like a doctor who is busy caring for his congregation, all of whom are spiritual patients. These ‘patients’ often merely squabble amongst themselves and fail to carry out the tasks God has entrusted to them. This is because the congregation’s life is not grounded in the Word of God. The second type of church, on the other hand, is one that resembles an army headquarters. The pastor is like a commander who leads his troops (the congregation) in the work of spreading the Gospel and in both spiritual and social ministry, and who actively engages in spiritual warfare. A church like this is grounded in the Word of God, so that the congregation truly experiences God’s love in their lives.
In a paper presented by Dr Soelarso Sopater at the WASAI (West Asia, South Asia, Indonesia) National Consultation held in Tugu, West Java, in 1989, he emphasised that all believers, the members of the church, are endowed with the office of priest and entrusted with specific tasks by the Lord who calls them. He referred to the passage Ephesians 6:10–20, in which Paul likens Christians to soldiers of Christ who must be ready to fight by putting on the full armour of God. Dr Soelarso said, “A soldier is a member of a military unit, and every soldier bears a specific duty; all have a fixed role within the operations of a unit. This demonstrates that the soldierly nature of believers implies a fixed responsibility for the whole, borne by every believer. This image does not allow for anyone to wander aimlessly without a task or responsibility within their congregation.”
He went on to share his observations from the field, namely that there are congregations where the members have been carrying out the task of proclaiming the Good News. Ordinary congregation members, both men and women, have offered themselves as instruments for sowing the Good News amongst the surrounding community, and some have become the “midwives” of new congregations. Some churches still regard the task of proclaiming the Good News as their primary duty. Many of these churches continue to provide opportunities for church members to play a vital role in the running of the church’s work, including the proclamation of the Gospel. These churches recognise that it is precisely the role of the congregation that must be developed to its full potential so that the church’s tasks can be carried out in their entirety. “The organisation and structure of the church provide a framework for harnessing the dynamism that arises from the power of the Holy Spirit,” he said. Congregations that truly make the Bible the centre of their lives will be moved by the love of Christ to live in harmony and serve one another.
However, Dr Soelarso emphasised that, conversely, there are not a few churches that place the main emphasis on their own church organisation, becoming overly preoccupied with internal affairs and neglecting external matters. When it comes to managing the church’s organisation and worship, it is the pastors who take the lead, so that church members are “no longer needed”. This, he said, is an unhealthy situation. Naturally, such a church finds it difficult to carry out the mission entrusted to it by God. A church that is too preoccupied with outward matters no longer has time to fulfil the Great Commission.
In order to transform from a congregation that resembles a gathering of patients into a congregation that is a fellowship of Christ’s soldiers ready to serve the Lord, the congregation needs to “return to the Bible”. The congregation needs to engage in self-reflection and re-examine God’s messages and commandments in the Bible, applying them to their lives.
As Dr I Wayan Mastra, former chairman of the Synod of the Protestant Christian Church of Bali, said, “Before we preach the Gospel, the Gospel must be preached to us. If we, as Christians, have not truly encountered Christ, we cannot carry out the tasks and ministry that God has entrusted to us.” At a WASAI workshop in Kuta, Bali, in 1900, he emphasised that the task God has entrusted to the Church cannot be carried out by the pastor alone. “The Church is a fellowship, and the congregation must carry out its duties and calling together.” And the congregation can only fulfil those duties and that calling once they have come to know Christ personally.
Through the Bible, the congregation, guided by the Holy Spirit, can be reunited with Christ and experience a renewal of life. For this to be achieved, the Bible must occupy a central place in the life of the congregation—whether for individual members, within families, or in congregational gatherings. And the congregation needs guidance to bring this about, so that the Word of God may truly become relevant in the life of the congregation. To this end, the message of the Bible must be studied, honoured, obeyed and put into practice by the congregation.
The Bible Society is mindful of the Church’s duty to nurture the spiritual life of its congregation, grounded in the Word of God. The epistles written by the apostles to the early churches were generally written with the intention of nurturing the congregations, equipping them to face the realities around them. They were taught what it means to believe in Jesus Christ, and how to live according to God’s will. They were also warned to be on their guard against heretical teachings and false prophets, and urged to walk in the right path. These epistles were written by and for people living in an age and culture very different from the 21st century and modern culture. Naturally, there are aspects and customs from that time which are not fully understood by modern people. However, in order for the congregation to do what God desires, they must first understand the message contained in the Bible.
That is why, to ensure the content of the Bible can be understood by modern readers, particularly by the laity, the Indonesian Bible Society has published Bibles in Indonesian as well as various regional languages, with texts that are easy to understand, such as the Contemporary Indonesian Bible (BIMK, formerly known as BIS) and the New Testament in Simple Indonesian (BISD). In addition, the LAI has published a Study Edition of the Bible using the New Translation (TB) text, which contains notes and material explaining various aspects of the culture and customs of the biblical world. All of this is aimed at revealing the meaning of the biblical text to the congregation, thereby enabling them to understand its message and respond to it.
To assist the Church in building a missionary congregation, LAI also provides materials in the form of Bible portions that can be used for Bible study in groups or individually. As for outreach ministry, in accordance with its mandate and calling, LAI provides publications of sections of the Bible such as the New Testament Gospels and the Prophets series, as well as other resources. All this is aimed at realising our shared vision of bringing the Good News to all generations.
Perry Katoppo
