Brief History
November 2010, Myanmar held their first ever free election. This election though free was highly suspicious of lacking integrity. The tyrannical military regime majority ruled the country, but with greater free democracy party (NLD) influence.
November 2015, Myanmar held their second free election with a result of the NLD party winning big at the polls. This placed the military party in the minority and the beginning of the new president of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi.
November 2020, Myanmar held their third free election with a result of a greater NLD party victory leaving the military to about 25% representation.
February 1, 2021, the military party claiming election fraud, staged a nationwide coup of the new ruling government. As a result, there have been massive citizen protests, military arrests of government officials, killing of protestors. The military claims to want to eventually reconduct an election. This military junta is the same organization that tyrannically ruled Myanmar for over 30 years previous to 2010. They are very anti-Christian like China or North Korea.
Presently
The citizens continue to protest, but the various states are beginning to unite to resist the military by force. Myanmar is descending into civil war. The country is shutdown. The economy is on the brink of collapse. All members of the PRCM are not working. Shooting and explosions are heard daily in Yangon and in other major cities.
Even the afflictions sovereignly given by the Lord to His people are blessings. An evident blessing is that most of the congregation of the Hope PRCM located close by the church have been able to gather for worship the past few months. At times members walk to church in fear that they will be shot by a soldier on the way. Recently, the Hope PRCM celebrated Lord’s Supper.
Rev. Titus has been spending a large amount of time working on the KJV translation of the Old Testament. The New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs has been completed. In the past six months, Rev. Titus has translated from the middle of I Kings to the beginning of Jeremiah (in order). It is this work especially, that we would like to report to you on.
New Burmese Bible (NBB) – Burmese KJV Translation
Early History & Purpose
Rev. Titus began the work of translating the Bible into Burmese a little over 10 years ago. Before this, the commonly used Bible in the hands of the laity was the Arminian slanted Judson Bible translated by Adoniram Judson completed around 1835. This translation is woefully lacking many important passages found in the KJV. Many passages are misleading regarding the work of God in the salvation of His people in the gospels. It would not be an overstatement to say that the Judson Bible is an enemy of the Calvinistic Reformed Faith that we hold dear.
Rev. Titus waited many years for a larger Christian denomination to take up this work. Rev. Titus has always felt extremely incapable for the work. As time moved on, it became clear that no one was taking up this work. Rev. Titus began to translate the KJV gospels for the sake of his small congregation. As Rev. Titus did this, the congregation was blessed with spiritual growth in the understanding of the Reformed faith as accurately portrayed in our KJV. This served as encouragement for Rev. Titus to continue on to the next section and then to the next. In time, the entire New Testament was complete.
Recent History & Conclusion
Before the completion of the New Testament, Rev. Titus completed the translation of the first five books of Moses. After the completion of the New Testament translation, Rev. Titus moved on to the translation of the Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and completed that in just the last 12- 18 months. About a year ago as the world was in lockdown, Rev. Titus resumed the Old Testament in order beginning with Israel’s history in books of Joshua and Judges and on the books of Samuel and going in order in the Bible from there. As you can now see, due to Covid lockdowns and recent military coup, the Lord has given Rev. Titus a unique opportunity to make significant progress towards the finish line.
It should also be noted that after each section of translation is completed, Rev. Titus has qualified scholars with expertise in the English and Burmese language, office bearers, pastors, and church members peer review his work for any inaccuracies and grammar mistakes. This step is also tedious but equally important. We along with Rev. Titus eagerly look forward soon, Lord willing, to the completion of this very important work. Rev. Titus has faithfully and diligently spent himself to see this to its completion. The Hope Council is humbled and very encouraged to see the increased spread of the gospel by His Spirit through Rev. Titus. Having an accurate translation in the hands of the people of God will serve as a very important basis of which to develop the truths of God’s Word and properly preach the gospel to the saints elect in Christ Jesus for years to come. We are reminded of the promise of God through His Spirit in Isaiah 40: 6 and I Peter 1:24-25, “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” May the Word of God live forever in His elect people through the generations by His gracious covenant faithfulness!
In conclusion, we as covenant people of the Lord, wait on Him and His divine timing. As the Lord wills, the work is completed, and the publishers are open for business, the Hope Literary Society of the Hope PRCM intends to publish the full NBB Bible in bound form. Once the NBB is published, there will be an immediate demand for copies. This demand includes the members of the Hope PRCM, the several gathering groups across Myanmar that are not yet organized as official congregations, many other religious leaders and professors around Yangon and across the country, and a number of other families and individuals scattered throughout. May the name of our Heavenly Father be magnified and His people gathered and fed by the Bread of Life.
In service of our Head Christ Jesus,
The Myanmar Committee (Hope PRC – Grand Rapids)
End of Revelation 22
Myanmar Blog
Rev. Titus regularly updates Hope’s congregation with the work that is going on in the Yangon Congregation and elsewhere in Myanmar. Click the button to see his updates.
Delegations to Myanmar
The Council of Hope PRC has authorized and is making plans for a visit in May 2017. Click the link for the agenda, as well as check back after for details of the visit.
2017 Delegation Visit and Conference
Hope has sponsored a number of delegations to Myanmar in the past. Click the button to read about the most recent delegation that was sent in February 2016.
Be sure to come back regularly as we will continue to update about the Myanmar mission field!