‘I realised we need a more modern translation’: Hu Hui Ping’s story

SINGAPORE — Hu Hui Ping’s first recollections of the Bible consisted of stories told to her as a child by her grandfather who was a pastor. She would also attend the worship services every Sunday, listening to the preaching.

“The problem I had was with the old Chinese script. The Chinese letters are arranged vertically, and for a young person like myself who has been educated using the simplified script written horizontally, the Bible seemed so old-fashioned.

Younger people

“It was partly this that led me to attend the seminary at Zhejiang: I realised that we need a more modern translation and presentation of the Bible which will appeal to younger people.

“I had a deep interest in the Old Testament. I moved from Zhejiang Seminary to the Bible College at Jinling where I studied the Old Testament. After graduating, I spent seven years working, mostly teaching the Bible and leading Bible studies. I still wanted to deepen my knowledge of the Old Testament so that I could become an Old Testament lecturer. Finally, the China Christian Council decided to send me to Trinity Theological College in Singapore.

God’s guiding

“There I was selected to do the Master’s degree in Biblical Exegesis and Translation. It was not my first choice, and I was hesitant at first. The course had only just been set up and the college was eager to have Chinese students participate. Eventually, I was reminded of the Israelites who missed out on entering Canaan, the Promised Land. Even though I questioned my competence, I realised that if this was God’s guiding, I would miss the blessing if I ran away from the challenge.

Blessing

“The two painstaking years of learning have built up my faith and confidence. Though I still feel inadequate, I now know that as long as I am willing to try, I can accomplish what God wants me to do. Even though the path ahead remains uncertain, I believe that one day I will become a blessing to the churches in China.” (WR 362/2 - 09.01)