THE ORAL BIBLE STRATEGY

 What is an oral Bible?

An Oral Bible is one which the people know as “oral culture,” that is, a Bible known by stories, passages, proverbs and memory verses the people have heard and remembered so they can recall them and retell them to others.  The Oral Bible exists only orally.  It is not written down.  It is God’s Word to oral culture people just as much God’s Word in written form is to literate people.

 Why have an Oral Bible Strategy?

The primary reason is that of literacy competency among those receiving the Bible.  An Oral Bible is immediately available to those who are still pre-literate or who presently live in an oral culture where oral culture is the preferred medium of learning and instructing others.   An Oral Bible is immediately available in the heart language of a people.  The written Bible may only be available in the prevailing market language used in an area.  An Oral Bible is available to a wide spectrum of hearers.   Children are quick learners and will easily recall what they hear.  Adults will appreciate the stories and proverbs as oral culture like they use for sharing other information.  Older adults will be able to hear and understand the oral presentations even though they no longer are able to recall all they hear.  An Oral Bible is able to immediately travel along village paths from group to group.

 How much Bible is needed for an Oral Bible?

Ideally, all of the Bible would be best.  However, a practical Oral Bible would consist of enough of the Bible story to give an overview or panorama of the story of God’s affair with man beginning with Creation, including selected stories of the patriarchs, stories of God’s people, the prophets with their warnings and promises of what God was going to do, the story of Jesus and his death, resurrection and ascension, the young church and spread of the Gospel, enough of the Epistles to admonish new believers in their daily life, and the end times when Jesus returns for the faithful, judges the faithless, and punishes the evil ones.  This can be done in about 100 stories typically taught over a two year period.

 With an Oral Bible is a Written Bible still needed?

An Oral Bible in most cases will simply be a precursor to a people’s receiving the written Word which they can read and study for themselves.  Usually some literacy strategy will follow the teaching of the Oral Bible after believers are established and a church planted.  For those older members of a society with impaired vision or mentally beyond literacy the Oral Bible is the only Bible.  For younger members of a society there will likely be a strong interest in learning to read the Bible for themselves.  Often it is practical only to provide a New Testament in the heart language of a people.   The Old Testament can still be given orally.   It is needed for a complete understanding of the New Testament message.

 What should be the Structure of an Oral Bible?

The best structure would be to follow the historical timeline of the Bible story itself.  This organization of the Old Testament material allows for easy expansion of already known stories about characters by simply referring to where the new stories fit into the narrative.  The strict historical structure is not so evident after the Gospels and the Book of Acts.  The timeline of Paul’s missionary work can give a structure for the material in the Epistles.  Conversely, the historical timeline may be temporarily paused in order to cover selected material in the Epistles according to discipling needs of the people.   The story from pre-creation (creation of spirit world) to the Ascension will be panorama of God’s work and revelation of His characteristics.

 Oral Bible Strategy is an Adjunct to the Evangelism and Church Planting Strategy

The Oral Bible strategy operates alongside the strategy of evangelizing a people and planting a New Testament church.  The evangelism and church planting strategy also best follows the Bible timeline in its organization.  So there is a perfect correlation of purpose and content.  After the initial strategy to plant a church the Oral Bible strategy can continue as new stories are added for maturing believers and to train new leaders.

 Where a people are already literate or are becoming literate the Oral Bible concept still has great validity in helping the people to “hide God’s Word in their hearts” so they have a Bible that goes with them everywhere.   Memory verses in addition to the Bible stones should be a part of the strategy.  The verses may be taken from the current stories or selected to relate in some way to the current stories and teachings.

 The Oral Bible passages are chosen according to the same criteria as those used to select teaching stories for evangelizing and church planting.   These criteria reflect the foundational Bible truths needed by a people and are worldview-sensitive reflecting issues that may be barriers or bridges to understanding God’s Word.

 What are some Considerations in Sharing an Oral Bible?

One consideration is that of teaching the Bible to those who revere a book (like Muslims) and who might be offended if anything other than a verbatim rendering of the Scriptures is attempted. In this case it may be necessary to read the stories rather than to tell them.  This way a literal account will always be exactly the same word for word.  When possible, certain bridging stories and passages should be read to give proper introduction to the main story.

 With some oral culture peoples it may be necessary to tell a story exactly word for word the same each time.  In this case it is necessary to memorize the story so it can be told “orally.”   Of course, a literate person can read / tell the story from a written account.  Oral culture practitioners will be able to learn the stories and retell them accurately as they do their other stones.  Use of pictures may aid recall.

 With still others it will be possible to “shape” the stories to give them greater memorability.  This is done by leaving out some redundant material and simplifying details to tighten up the story or by adding short bridging stories.  Be careful not to leave out significant items which speak to that culture and worldview.

 For pre-literate peoples remember that in time they will be able to read the Bible for themselves.  They will want to find and read the stones they have come to know and love during their oral culture days.  The tension is that between telling an oral story and telling a literate story orally.  Be sensitive to what happens to a written account when it is told orally.  Remember to honor an Oral Bible by sharing it in a culturally appropriate place and manner by an appropriate person at the appropriate time for sacred teachings.

 How to Keep an Oral Bible Alive and Accurate?

Frequent repetition of stones and recall by the hearers is necessary.  Most people enjoy recalling that which they have heard.  The storyer and later leaders must continue to provide opportunity for recall and repetition to occur.  The group should be encouraged to have a worship service in which recall and repetition are part.  In daily living the people should be encouraged to recall their Oral Bible stories and verses to encourage others in their need and to admonish those in error.  Oral Bible passages may be associated with times of celebration when a people develop a liturgy to guide their celebration and give it additional meaning and solemnity.

 Chronological Bible Storying  -- Giving The Target People an Oral Bible

 Purpose

To give oral communicators, especially illiterates and functional illiterates, an oral Bible so that they will possess God’s Word and so that the Gospel can flow freely under the impetus of the Holy Spirit among any people, anywhere, at any time.

 Realities:

1. An oral Bible becomes the permanent possession of an oral communicator and cannot be taken from him.
2. An oral Bible is in the oral communicator’s most compatible learning and communication format.
3. An oral Bible is not an obvious possession and can be “taken across delicate borders” and into delicate places.
4. An oral Bible will be culturally seen as a “document” similar to other “documents” that oral communicators possess and therefore more easily accepted as a cultural document within that culture.
5. An oral Bible can be used at any time and in any place.
6. Possessors of an oral Bible can evangelize, disciple, train leaders and plant churches any where and at any time.
7. An oral Bible possessed by a true oral communicator can be adapted and rearranged to fit the particular situation that the oral communicator faces.

 Giving the Oral Communicator an Oral Bible:

1. Research adequately the story style of the target people and attempt to prepare each story in that style.  If the culture’s stories are in the form of drama, proverbs, parables, chant, song or other art forms, place each story in those.  Discover the mnemonic devices commonly found in “oral literature” of the target population and employ those in constructing the stories.  Base the research on “documents” (oral or written repre-sentations of them) that are representative of the ethnographic center of the people group.

2.  Maintain the story style within each story. Do not vary the story style within the chronology of stories, especially within the evangelism and discipleship tracks.

3.  Prepare each story as a “told story” and not as a written story that is told.

4.  Word choice is critical and the story should be a close replica of the biblical text.  Do not take liberties and modernize the story.

5.  The chronology and practice of looking backward but never forward should be carefully maintained.

6.  Manuscript each told story. Do not clean up the story to be printed as, or to read like, a written story. Let the grammarians gripe.

7.  Tell each story.  Do not read the stories.  Obviously, those who are in the early stages of language learning will read the stories until they can tell the stories.

8.  Avoid the use of exposition (outlining and listing) during both the story and dialog parts of the presentations.

9.  Each dialog session following the story should regularly include a rehearsal of the story by participants wanting to obtain an oral Bible. In larger groups, time will not allow each participant to rehearse the story. Memory is enhanced by multiple tellings of the same story in the same way.

10.  Each pre-story time should include a rehearsal of the previous story.

11.  Participants should be encouraged to tell each story in the chronology to outsiders as often as possible.

12.  To gain maximum retention and accuracy in repetition there is a minimum and an optimum amount of time allowed between each story in the chronology. Research shows from five to fourteen days is the best time span between story sessions.  A shorter or longer time span between stories leads to loss of retention and accuracy.

13.  The dialog session following the story is critical.  It is important for a participant to understand the story and to work through his or her worldview because of the story. This is contrary to the way Judaism handled the oral communication of the Torah.

14.  Ultimate acceptance and retention of His story depends upon the work of the Holy Spirit as He places His story among the people as holy “literature” equal to any that exists among the people.

15. The story must be seen as appropriate for all ages and not just good stories to tell children. Telling the story to children is one avenue for the story to pass into and among the people, but His story cannot be seen as a story only for children. Early on, attempts must be made to lodge His story among the adults of the target.