by Thomas Ray
In 1793, William Carey, the man recognized as the father of modern missions, arrived in India. He found a society enslaved by idolatry, superstition, and cruelty. He knew if India was to be reached for Christ the Bible must be translated into their language. This task presented a formidable challenge because the people spoke several languages and dialects. Fortunately, Carey was a brilliant linguist and during the next 41 years he and his associates would translate the Bible into 44 languages and dialects.
A few years prior to his death Carey recognized that his most important work, the Bengali Bible, was in need of revision. Carey’s failing health prohibited him from attempting the revision. That responsibility fell upon the capable shoulders of fellow missionary William Yates. Yates and his co-laborers produced a revision that was declared to be far superior to the original. In 1832, the Baptist missionaries requested funds from the British Bible Society to print Yates’s revision. They expected no difficulty even though a pedobaptist (advocating infant baptism) paper in 1829 had published an article attacking Carey’s translations, accusing him and the Baptist translation of sectarianism because he translated the Greek word baptizo with words that meant “immersion.”
A pedobaptist scholar published an article defending Carey and his translations. He reminded the society that if Carey’s translation was sectarian, then most ancient translators were guilty of the same offence because they also translated the baptism passages with “immersion” or its equivalent. He also noted if they rejected the Baptist translation they must also stop funding the Arabic, German, Dutch, etc. translations since they also used words that meant immersion.
The article temporarily silenced the critics. But unknown to Yates, two pedobaptist missionaries had written a letter demanding that the society refuse to fund the Baptist translation. The society’s scholars carefully examined Yates’s revision and unanimously agreed it was superior to its predecessor. The society engaged in a heated discussion about the pros and cons of funding the project, however, in the end they chose to reject the Baptist application unless Yates would agree to replace the word “immerse.” This he refused to do.
The Baptist missionaries were disappointed but they were confident that God would provide the necessary funds. In 1835, the Baptist missionaries submitted a request to the American Bible Society seeking their assistance. They provided a complete explanation of why the British Bible Society had rejected their application. They were convinced their request would be favorably received based upon the fact that the American Society was already funding Judson’s translation, and he translated baptism with a word that meant “immersion.”
The society took Yates’s request into consideration but it soon became obvious the pedobaptist-controlled society would reject the Baptist application. All 12 of the Baptist members of the board resigned in protest over the Society’s decision. Since Adoniram Judson was America’s most famous and beloved missionary, the American Bible Society, not wanting to lose the power of Judson’s name to solicit funds, sent the Baptist Missionary Society a check for $5,000 with one stipulation — the word “immersion” must be replaced with a neutral word or transference. The Baptist Missionary Society returned the check. Judson had stated he would rather cut off his arm than change God’s Word.
The American Bible Society told their translators to take Judson’s Bible and remove all words translated “immersion.” Their plan essentially was to change Judson’s translation without his approval to suit their particular pedobaptist beliefs. Surprisingly, the British Bible Society had utilized this same tactic altering Yates’s revision without his knowledge or permission. In April 1887, Baptist delegates gathered in Philadelphia and formed the American & Foreign Bible Society. The society, though vehemently opposed by the American Bible Society, was a great success. It not only provided funds to print Judson’s Bible, but also Yates’s revision. The American & Foreign Bible Society during its lifetime would contribute over a million dollars to print Bibles that enabled missionaries to leave a legacy that continues to this day.