Purpose of the Bible institute

The Bible institute work that I do in Mongolia by God's grace will have the greatest impact of any of the ministries with which I have been involved since coming to this country. The Bible institute will be an incubator where Mongolian men can be trained to serve their own people and take the Gospel to the rest of the world.

It is because of the Biblical injunction to train faithful men who shall be able to teach others also in II Timothy 2:2 that I was challenged to start these classes. Of course, there is teaching on Sundays and Wednesdays. Also, I have had basic Bible studies with many of these men in their homes. However, the Bible institute is designed in such a way that it places a greater burden on men to be diligent in their studies. The Bible institute has tuition; it is a small amount but enough to make the men ask themselves what they expect to get out of the class. There are quizzes each week and a final examination at the end of the term. Those whose marks merit such will receive a certificate showing that they have completed the course. It is my goal to offer enough courses over the next several years to enable a man who studies diligently to be granted a certificate of completion in Biblical studies. Because all official schools and their curriculum must be approved by the government it is unlikely that we will ever be able to offer a diploma. However, by having some sort of documentation of their work I hope to encourage men to stick with the program for several years and increase their knowledge of the Bible.

The Bible institute will also provide training for the translators necessary to work on a faithful translation of God's word into beautiful Mongolian. The current translation is something with which we can and do work. We encourage all Mongolians to read their Bible daily, to study it faithfully, and to obey it. However, those of us with access to the Bible in other languages can see the current translations deficiencies. You must remember that from the first translation of the Bible in English by John Wycliffe to the publication of the King James Version in 1611 was nearly 230 years. We should expect that initial translations of God's word into Mongolian will need some help.

The Bible institute provides a formal way to give some of the necessary help. Every good Bible translation should have a wealth of knowledge about the Bible at his fingertips and an excellent understanding of Biblical doctrines. Such doctrinal preparation will be invaluable to them as they approach the translation of Scripture.

A rigorous study of Bible doctrine will also enable Mongolians Christians to challenge error when they hear it. Many Christians in Mongolia when talking of false doctrine will say something to the effect, "I don't believe that but ..." and offer some excuse as to why they do not confront false doctrine. I believe that many Mongolian Christians see the Bible as a mysterious book whose teachings cannot be known exactly. Rather they believe that there is wide latitude for various understandings. While the human mind because of its finite capacity cannot comprehend all that God has for us, the Bible is a book that God wants us to understand. Too often Mongolians will refuse to engage teachers of false doctrines because they simply do not know their Bible well enough. So error proliferates at an alarming rate while truth seemingly grows slowly. The Bible institute will contribute to the growth of truth and equip believers to confront error when they hear it.

The Bible institute by requiring attendance, charging a nominal fee, encouraging note-taking, and examining the students' retention of doctrine will illustrate to Mongolian Christians the seriousness of Bible study and research. It is not enough for Christians to have a superficial knowledge of the Bible.

The Bible institute has also been a help to me as I prepare and translate materials. Many theological words remain undefined in Mongolian. Teaching at a Bible institute level grants me the opportunity and privilege to study more myself as I prepare to teach others.

Our first Bible institute class, we had eight Mongolians. At our second Bible institute class, five returned and a new Mongolian who had previously expressed an interest came. Another Mongolian came to me later to apologize for missing the class. Please pray for Bill and I as we teach and pray for the Mongolians as they study the most important work ever written because it was penned by God.