Reaching the Arabic-Speaking World

When Dr. R.C. Sproul founded Ligonier, he charged the ministry to “reach as many people as possible” with the truth of God’s holiness. That means sending solid biblical teaching to many nations and in many languages, trusting that God will use this work to awaken His people to His holy character.

Over the past decade, Dr. Sproul’s global vision has increasingly become a reality. Many Reformation Trust books and Ligonier teaching series have been translated into other languages. The Reformation Study Bible is now available in German and Korean, with Portuguese and Spanish editions coming soon. Significant outreach is taking place across Latin America with the launch of Renovando Tu Mente, the Spanish edition of Renewing Your Mind. And these outreaches are only the beginning as God opens up new Great Commission opportunities.

Today, we are pleased to announce the launch of Ligonier’s Arabic outreach. This new initiative will be led by Dr. S. Gendy, who joins our international outreach team bringing extensive experience reaching the Middle East and other Arabic-speaking regions of the world. Under the leadership of Mr. Humphrey Dobson, our newly appointed director of international outreach, the development of a global network of translators and linguistic specialists for Arabic and other languages is already underway. We are overjoyed with the team the Lord has brought together and thankful for the support of our generous donors making this new outreach possible. You, too, can be a part of this work.

The Arabic-Speaking World: A Great Commission Opportunity

Now is a pivotal time in the Arabic-speaking world for the sake of the Great Commission. Weary of violence and oppression, many Muslims have become disillusioned with Islam. In fact, one missionary organization describes it as an era of “unprecedented, growing disenchantment with Islam worldwide.”

For Christians, persecution is a brutal reality in many parts of the Arabic-speaking world. Some suffer violence and are even driven from their homes and separated from their families. In the midst of these trials, biblical and theological resources are scarce. You and I have a clear opportunity to provide the comfort and hope of God’s Word to individuals, families, and congregations.

Of the world’s most-spoken languages, Arabic ranks fifth with about 420 million speakers. Spanning multiple countries and people groups, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to this gospel ministry. We must bring the truth of God’s Word to a wide spectrum of spiritual climates within the Arabic-speaking world, requiring that we not only supply churches with trustworthy resources but that we continue to learn how best to support the evangelistic and discipleship needs of each region.

Stepping In to Serve: Ligonier’s Arabic Outreach

Ligonier aims to bring faithful Bible teaching to Arabic-speaking people worldwide, equipping them to present the gospel, defend the faith, and grow as disciples. Specific outreaches include:

• Translating articles and historic creeds and confessions and making them freely available online at ar.Ligonier.org.
• Highlighting content and engaging with Arabic-speaking people on our Arabic Facebook page and on Twitter.
• Dubbing and captioning teaching videos to stream for free on YouTube and satellite television.
• Translating, publishing, and distributing books by Dr. Sproul and others.
• We also hope to begin work on an Arabic edition of the Reformation Study Bible.

Just as in the English-speaking world, new advances in technology have enabled digital resource distribution to reach millions, while discreetly serving individual Christians living in the most hostile conditions. Through social media and online and offline access to ebooks, audiobooks, articles, and devotionals, even those in “closed” Islamic countries can find trustworthy teaching that stands on the authority of Scripture and remains faithful to historic Reformed Christianity. They may be surrounded by spiritual darkness, but the light of the gospel is breaking through. We seek to prayerfully and strategically maximize these opportunities to the glory of God alone.

Now is the time to equip these brothers and sisters in Christ with God’s truth, and you can help. Your donation, large or small, will fuel translation efforts and bring sound biblical teaching to Arabic-speaking homes and churches on a global scale. You can also share these resources with your Arabic-speaking friends and neighbors. Thank you for praying for and supporting this new and needed outreach.