Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Multilingualism has reached high levels in our increasingly interconnected, globalizing world. Multilingual complexities are not new in the world of missions. Barnabas and Paul’s initial visit to Lystra (Acts 14:8-20) was occasioned by significant linguistic complexity. A sociolinguistic reading of this narrative provides a nuanced understanding of what was occurring during this event and the impact of these misunderstandings. This study provides insights on navigating complex multilingual environments in current missions and is accompanied by innovative ministry strategies that communicate in the best language(s) without requiring missionaries or church planters to learn multiple languages.

Keywords

multilingualism hybridity interpreters sociolinguistics Bible translation Scripture Engagement diaspora

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Arnold

(2002) Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, Volume 2. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Barrett

(1994) Acts, Volume 1. Norwich, UK: Page Brothers.

Blaiklock

(1965) Cities in the New Testament. London: Pickering & Inglis Ltd.

Boakye

Mbirimi

(2015) Multilingual pedagogy in higher education: Lecturer’s perceptions of translanguaging in promoting academic literacy. In: Makalela

(ed.) New Directions in Language and Literacy Education for Multilingual Classrooms. Cape Town, South Africa: The Center for Advanced Studies of African Society, pp.153–174.

Bock

(2007) Acts: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Breytenbach

(1993) Zeus und der lebendige Gott: Anmerkungen zu Apostlegeschichte. New Testament Studies 39(3): 396–413.

Cadbury

(2004) The Book of Acts in History. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Cheng

Stutzman

(2017) An Exegetical Summary of Acts 1-14. Dallas: SIL International.

Downie

(2024) Multilingual Church: Strategies for Making Disciples in all Languages. Pasadena, CA: William Carie Press.

10.

Fasold

(1985) The Sociolinguistics of Society. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

11.

Ferguson

(1959) Diglossia. WORD 15(2): 325–340.

12.

Fishman

(1972) The relationship between micro- and macro-sociolinguistics in the study of who speaks what language to whom and when. In: Pride

Holmes

(eds) Sociolinguistics: Selected Readings. Harmondsworth: Penguin, pp.15–32.

13.

Flemming

(2005) Contextualization in the New Testament: Patterns for Theology and Mission. Downers Grove, CA: IVP Academic.

14.

Gempf

(1995) Mission and misunderstanding: Paul and Barnabas in Lystra (Acts 14:8-20). In: Lane

ANS

Cotterell

(eds) Mission and Meaning: Essays Presented to Peter Cotterell. Carlisle, England: Paternoster Press, pp. 56–69.

15.

Grimes

(1987) Language choice in first century Christianity. Notes on Literature in Use and Language Programs 12: 20–32.

16.

Hatcher

(2022) Missions applications of translanguaging theory and methodologies: Leveraging multilingualism to increase ministry impact. In: Dean

Moreau

Russell

, et al. (eds) Communication in Missions: Global Opportunities and Challenges, Evangelical Missiological Society Series, vol. 30. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Press, pp. 29–40.

17.

Hatcher

Son

(2022) Translanguaging: Leveraging multilingualism for scripture engagement. The Bible Translator 73(1): 120–140.

18.

Hemer

(1989) The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History. London: Coronet Books Inc.

19.

Hill

(2006) The vernacular treasure: A century of mother-tongue bible translation. International Bulletin of Missionary Research 30(2): 82–88.

20.

Hill

(2022) Translating the Bible into Action: How the Bible Can Be Relevant in All Languages and Cultures. Carlisle: Langham Global Library.

21.

Jackson

(2014) Small Groups in a Bilingual Church. Available from https://www.smallgroups.com/

22.

Keener

(2013) Acts: An Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

23.

Kenmogne

(2021) Translation in the twenty-first century: Who needs scripture? International Bulletin of Mission Research 45(4): 355–365.

24.

Lam

(2020) An evidence-based sociolinguistic profile of early Roman Israel. MA Thesis, Dallas International University, Dallas, TX.

25.

Le Page

Tabouret-Keller

(1985) Acts of Identity: Creole-Based Approaches to Language and Ethnicity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

26.

Lee

(2012) Jesus and Gospel Traditions in Bilingual Context: A Study in the Interdirectionality of Language. Berlin: de Gruyter.

27.

Levick

(1967) Roman Colonies in Southern Asia Minor. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

28.

Lewis

Simons

(2010) Assessing endangerment: Expanding Fishman’s GIDS. Revue Roumains de Linguistique 55(2): 103–120.

29.

McKinney

(1990) Which language: Trade or minority. Missiology 18(3): 279–290.

30.

Mitchell

(1993) Anatolia: Land, Men, and Gods in Asia Minor. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

31.

Ong

(2012a) Language choice in ancient Palestine: A sociolinguistic study of Jesus’ language use based on four “I have come” sayings. BAGL 1: 63–101.

32.

Ong

(2012b) An evaluation of the Aramaic and Greek language criteria in historical Jesus research: A sociolinguistic study of Mark 14:32-65. FN 25: 37–55.

33.

Ong

(2013a) Can linguistic analysis in historical Jesus research stand on its own? A sociolinguistic analysis of Matt 26:36-27:26. BAGL 2: 109–139.

34.

Ong

(2013b) Has the true meaning and purpose of the lord’s prayer been lost? A sociolinguistic study of the lord’s prayer in dialogue with Wilson-Kastner and Crossan. MJTM 14: 98–124.

35.

Ong

(2015a) Ancient Palestine is multilingual and diglossic: Introducing multilingualism theories to new testament studies. Currents in Biblical Research 13(3): 330–350.

36.

Ong

(2015b) The Multilingual Jesus and the Sociolinguistic World of New Testament. Leiden: Brill.

37.

Pattanayak

(1981) Multilingualism and Mother Tongue Education. Delhi: Oxford University Press.

38.

Porter

(ed.) (1991) The Language of the New Testament: Classic Essays Sheffield. Sheffield, UK: JSOT Press.

39.

Porter

(2000) The functional distribution of Koine Greek. In: Porter

(ed.) Diglossia and Other Topics in New Testament Linguistics. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, pp.53–78.

40.

Porter

(2004) The Criteria for Authenticity in Historical Jesus Research: Previous Discussions and New Proposals. New York, NY: T&T Clark.

41.

Porter

(2008) Paul’s World. Leiden: Brill.

42.

Porter

Pitts

(eds) (2013) The Language of the New Testament: Context, History, and Development. Leiden: Brill.

43.

Potter

(1992) Lystra. In: Freedman

(ed.) The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 4. New York, NY: Doubleday, pp.426–427.

44.

Ramsay

(1908) The Cities of St. Paul: Their Influence on His Life and Thought, the Cities of Eastern Asia Minor. New York, NY: A.C. Armstrong.

45.

Ramsay

(1917) Studies in the Roman Province Galatia - The homanadeis and the homanadesian war. Journal of Roman Studies 7: 229–283.

46.

Schnabel

(2012) Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Acts. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

47.

Smalley

(1991) Translation as Mission: Bible Translation in the Modern Missionary Movement. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.

48.

Strauss

Quinn

(1998) A Cognitive Theory of Cultural Meaning. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

49.

Trudell

(2004) Bible translation and social literacies among four Nso’ chrches in Cameroon: An Ethnographic Study. PhD Dissertation, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh.

50.

Watt

(1997) Code-Switching in Luke and Acts. New York, NY: Peter Lang.

51.

Williams

(1976) The Acts of the Apostles. Louisville, KY: Westminster Press.

52.

Witherington

III (1998) The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Multilingualism in Lystra – a sociolinguistic reading of Acts 14:8-20 – leveraging multilingualism for mission

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References