A Valuable Resource for the Arab Church
To develop deep, independent critical thinkers, we need good resources. Today, however, the Arabic theological library lacks high-quality resources and Bible commentaries. That is why we are excited about starting a translation project, which will enrich this library and support the Arab Church by offering reliable tools for preachers, theology students and Bible scholars to interpret Scripture faithfully and provide Christ followers with sound teaching. We have recently begun working on translating three volumes from The New International Commentary Series, two on Genesis and one on Galatians, in collaboration with our sister ministry, Dar Manhal Al Hayat, after having received approval from Eerdmans Publishing Company. This resource will be the first of its kind in the Arab world and will benefit the Arab Church at large.
Wageeh Mikhael, a top Arab scholar and expert in publishing, is the general editor of this translation project. He stated, “Genesis is the book on how it all started, so through translating the volumes on Genesis, we would like to build the foundations for the upcoming volumes on the other 65 books of the Bible. Moreover, the letter to Galatians is important because of its very clear teaching about justification by faith.” He added, “I don’t think there has ever been a commentary of this quality available in the Arabic language.”
Wageeh Mikhael, a top Arab scholar and expert in publishing, is the general editor of this translation project. He stated, “Genesis is the book on how it all started, so through translating the volumes on Genesis, we would like to build the foundations for the upcoming volumes on the other 65 books of the Bible. Moreover, the letter to Galatians is important because of its very clear teaching about justification by faith.” He added, “I don’t think there has ever been a commentary of this quality available in the Arabic language.”
Wageeh serves as an Engagement Director at ScholarLeaders International and a part-time professor at the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Cairo. He said, “ABTS has proved over the years its propensity for innovation and thinking outside the box, not only in publishing, but on multiple fronts.”
Publishing such a commentary will be a dream come true. We see that God is stretching us to work on providing scholarly resources to the Arab Church in addition to grass roots leadership training. Our Academic Dean Walid Zailaa, who is heading this project, shared, “There is a great need for us to add to the Arabic theological library in support of seminaries and seminary students. This commentary series is academic, so it will benefit Arab theology scholars, yet it is accessible enough to benefit Arab Church leaders as well.” This is the beginning of a long journey. We trust that God will lead the way, and as He does, we ask you to pray with us for everyone involved in this project.
Publishing such a commentary will be a dream come true. We see that God is stretching us to work on providing scholarly resources to the Arab Church in addition to grass roots leadership training. Our Academic Dean Walid Zailaa, who is heading this project, shared, “There is a great need for us to add to the Arabic theological library in support of seminaries and seminary students. This commentary series is academic, so it will benefit Arab theology scholars, yet it is accessible enough to benefit Arab Church leaders as well.” This is the beginning of a long journey. We trust that God will lead the way, and as He does, we ask you to pray with us for everyone involved in this project.
