The first question came from the Mayor of Tarakan, Dr H. Khairul, M.Kes. just before delivering his opening address at the GKPI Tarakan Workers’ Convention on 26 June 2023.
The question was: “What language is ‘Shalom’ from, and what does it mean, sir? Because several church leaders in Tarakan often use the word ‘Shalom’ in their speeches, and I’m not entirely sure of its exact meaning.”
A sincere question from a mayor who has been very close to the churches in Tarakan ever since he was still the Secretary to the Tarakan City Council. This mayor, who is a medical doctor, did indeed serve as Secretary to the Regional Government and also as Head of the Health Department before being elected Mayor of Tarakan four years ago.
I’ll briefly explain that ‘shalom’ comes from Hebrew. ‘Shalom’ is a shortened form of ‘Shalom Aleichem’, which means ‘May peace be with you’. The intention behind the use of ‘shalom’ in the speeches by church leaders was to offer a greeting similar to ‘Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarokatu’.
The mayor nodded in agreement and, whilst delivering his address and officially opening the GKPI Tarakan Workers’ Convention, began by saying: “Good evening, Peace be with you, Shalom, Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarokatu.”
Similarly, when concluding his address, he said: “Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarokatu, Shalom!!”
There was a very enthusiastic round of applause from the participants of the GKPI Tarakan Workers’ Convention, welcoming the greeting which was felt to be closer to the Christian community.
The second question was posed by Rev. Ir. Joko Susanto, M.Si., M.Th. Deputy Chair of the Tarakan City FKUB representing the Christian community during the LAI’s courtesy visit to the FKUB Tarakan office on 27 June 2023.
The question was: “Before the 1974 New Translation (TB) of the Bible was published, there was the Old Translation of the Bible, published in 1958. As time went on, the Old Translation Bible eventually fell out of use. In 2023, the LAI published the TB2 Bible. Approximately when will the TB2 Bible replace the 1974 TB Bible?”
I would like to point out that, based on data available at LAI, it took around five years for the 1974 TB Bible to be widely adopted by Christians in Indonesia. The situation and conditions were very different from today. At that time, the internet was not yet widespread. The number of copies of the Old Translation Bible in circulation was only around 200,000.
We are now in the digital age. The number of Christians in Indonesia is also certainly higher than in 1974. Over the 49-year history of the 1974 TB Bible, millions of copies have been distributed amongst Christians in Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and even in Malaysia.
Given the circumstances described above, it is difficult to say exactly how many years it will take for the TB2 Bible to replace the 1974 TB Bible.
The TB2 Bible is an updated version of the 1974 TB Bible. The more churches that decide to start using the TB2 Bible immediately in all their services, the faster the process of widespread adoption of the TB2 Bible will be.
The third question was raised by two pastors participating in the GKII Regional Working Meeting for the Tarakan, Tana Tidung and Nunukan (Tatatinu) region on 29 June 2023.
The question was: “To better reach young people, and in line with LAI’s vision: ‘God’s Word Reaches All Generations’, when will the digital version of the TB2 Bible be available?”
I explained that the LAI Executive Committee had already issued a statement that it would not rush to make the TB2 Bible available in a digital version. LAI recognises that a digital version of the Bible will make it easier for young people to access the TB2 Bible. LAI is also fully aware that, in due course, the TB2 Bible will inevitably need to be available in a digital format.
Given that the TB2 Bible was only launched on 9 February 2023, which still requires promotion and dissemination amongst the Christian community, the printed version of the TB2 Bible, accompanied by a brief explanatory booklet, will be more effective in helping people understand the importance of updating the Bible translation.
This is also in line with the mandate from the churches at the 2018 national Bible translation conference, at which the LAI was required to raise awareness amongst the churches regarding the publication of the TB2 Bible. These outreach efforts will continue to be monitored and evaluated, to inform decisions regarding the appropriate timing for the provision of the digital version of the TB2 Bible.
The three questions and answers above are a summary of my four-day official visit to the city of Tarakan (26–30 June 2023) for the following purposes: (1) The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between LAI and the GKPI Tarakan Synod, (2) A meeting and discussion with the Tarakan City Interfaith Council (FKUB), (3) The formation of the LAI Tarakan Partner KKPD, and (4) LAI’s presentation at the GKPI Tarakan Workers’ Convention, as well as (5) LAI’s presentation at the GKII Regional Working Meeting for the Tarakan, Tana Tidung and Nunukan areas.
The fulfilment of LAI’s mandate, the realisation of its vision, and the pursuit of its mission require strong partnership synergies with various parties, in the spirit of spreading the good news to the ends of the earth. (ST. 30 June 2023).
