What Is the Opportunity?

To anyone watching the news, it is evident that this is a pivotal time in the Arabic-speaking world. Perhaps less evident is the increased openness toward Christianity, particularly among disillusioned Muslims. One missionary organization has said, “At this moment in history, there is unprecedented, growing disenchantment with Islam worldwide.”¹

Arabic is the fifth most-spoken language in the world. Some estimate that about 420 million people worldwide speak Arabic.² Some officially Islamic countries, such as Egypt, have a sizable population of Christians, but in many others the Christian population is very small.³

Arabic-speaking Christians are living in the middle of dire, uncertain times, and they have many questions. In countries across the Middle East, Christians face persecution and violence, in some areas even being driven from their homes.⁴ There is a clear opportunity to provide the comfort and hope of the gospel to people facing unspeakable trials and crises.

We are working with well-known Christian publishing houses in the Middle East and North Africa to plan the translation, printing, and distribution of a variety of titles by R.C. Sproul. These international partnerships with churches, organizations, and publishers seek to encourage Arabic-speaking Christians with the Word of God, especially in the midst of great suffering and turmoil.

How Is Ligonier Meeting These Needs?

We strive to reach Arabic-speaking pastors, laypeople, and unbelievers from all walks of life through the following outreach efforts:

The Reformation Study Bible

Our popular Reformation Study Bible helps to deepen Christians’ study of God’s Word. Work has begun on translating this trusted resource into Arabic. As with the English edition, the Arabic Reformation Study Bible will have more than 1.1 million words of verse-by-verse commentary and topical explanations, maps and visual aids, trusted contributions from seventy-five distinguished scholars, theological summaries from R.C. Sproul, and nearly two thousand years of creeds, confessions, and catechisms. As R.C. Sproul said, “The light of the Reformation was the light of the Bible.” The same is true today.

The Ligonier Statement on Christology

Confusion abounds regarding Christology—the doctrine of Christ—around the Arabic-speaking world. As the church continues to grow, it is imperative that believers learn the truths of Scripture as summarized in the great confessions of faith. We produced The Word Made Flesh: The Ligonier Statement on Christology to help Christians know what the church has historically taught and provide clarity on the person and work of Christ. Our goal is to distribute this statement worldwide, and it has already been translated into numerous languages, including Arabic, and a video in Arabic is available here

Web and Social Media

We are reaching people across the Middle East and North Africa online with the gospel, including lands where Christians suffer great hostility. Ligonier’s popular Arabic Facebook page, together with our dedicated website, YouTube, Telegram, and Twitter pages, are providing ready access to trustworthy teaching. Our website contains several historic Christian creeds and confessions, some translated into Arabic for the first time.

Books

Growing interest in the Reformed faith has sparked an eagerness for more resources from R.C. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries. Our plans include translating, printing, and distributing the following titles:

• R.C. Sproul: A Life by Stephen Nichols
• The Life and Theology of Paul by Guy Waters
• John: An Expositional Commentary by R.C. Sproul

Recently Published Books

• A Field Guide on False Teaching
• Are These the Last Days? by R.C. Sproul
• Are We Together?: A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism by R.C. Sproul
• By Grace Alone: How the Grace of God Amazes Me by Sinclair Ferguson
• Can I Be Sure I’m Saved? by R.C. Sproul
• Can I Have Joy in My Life? by R.C. Sproul
• Can I Know God’s Will? by R.C. Sproul
• Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul
• Does God Control Everything? by R.C. Sproul
• Does Prayer Change Things? by R.C. Sproul
• Everyone’s a Theologian: An Introduction to Systematic Theology by R.C. Sproul
• How Does God's Law Apply to Me? by R.C. Sproul
• How Should I Live in This World? by R.C. Sproul
• How Should I Think about Money? by R.C. Sproul
• Mark: An Expositional Commentary by R.C. Sproul
• Moses and the Burning Bush by R.C. Sproul
• The Priest with Dirty Clothes by R.C. Sproul
• Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in the Christian Life by R.C. Sproul
• The Lightlings by R.C. Sproul
• The Prayer of the Lord by R.C. Sproul
• The Race of Faith by R.C. Sproul
• What Can I Do with My Guilt? by R.C. Sproul
• What Does it Mean to Be Born Again? by R.C. Sproul
• What is Biblical Wisdom? by R.C. Sproul
• What is the Trinity? by R.C. Sproul

Audiobooks

• Surprised by Suffering by R.C. Sproul

Teaching Series

Our video teaching series help promote theological education in the Arabic-speaking world. Several of these series have already been translated into Arabic and are available through the Arabic YouTube channel.

• The Book of Job with R.C. Sproul
• Justified by Faith Alone with R.C. Sproul
• A Time for Confidence with Stephen Nichols
• Foundations: An Overview of Systematic Theology with R.C. Sproul
• Recovering the Beauty of the Arts with R.C. Sproul
• Dust to Glory: An Overview of the Bible with R.C. Sproul
• The Mystery of the Trinity with R.C. Sproul
• When Worlds Collide with R.C. Sproul
• Willing to Believe with R.C. Sproul
• What Did Jesus Do? with R.C. Sproul
• The Consequences of Ideas with R.C. Sproul
• Luther and the Reformation with R.C. Sproul
• Loved by God with R.C. Sproul
• Knowing Christ: The I AM sayings of Jesus with R.C. Sproul
• The Holiness of God with R.C. Sproul
• Chosen by God with R.C. Sproul
• Knowing Christ: the I AM Sayings of Jesus with R.C. Sproul
• Hath God Said? with R.C. Sproul
• Creation or Chaos: Modern Science and the Existence of God with R.C. Sproul
• Defending Your Faith: An Overview of Classical Apologetics with R.C. Sproul
• The Assurance of Salvation with R.C. Sproul
• Angels and Demons with R.C. Sproul
• The Consequences of Ideas: An Overview of Philosophy with R.C. Sproul
• Prayer with R.C. Sproul
• Pleasing God with R.C. Sproul
• Basic Training with R.C. Sproul
• Moses and the Burning Bush with R.C. Sproul

Several short Q&A videos are also available in Arabic.

What Is Needed?

• Digital outreach — $33,350 USD (annually)
• Printing 1,000 copies each of five Crucial Questions titles — $9,120 USD
• Translating, editing, and printing 1,000 copies of Lessons from the Upper Room — $7,441 USD

Funding needs reflect quoted estimates based on May 2023 foreign exchange rates and current translation fees.

How Do Your Gifts Help?

These are only a few of our many international outreach projects underway. We ask you to prayerfully consider supporting our efforts through your financial gifts and prayers for the Arabic-speaking and global church. You can donate here. Your generosity helps us translate, print, and distribute trustworthy resources, providing countless opportunities to reach people with the truth of God’s Word.

Our policy is to apply gifts given toward a specific program. If we receive more contributions than can be wisely used for a given project, we apply these funds to meet other pressing needs in our outreach efforts. We are committed to stewarding all gifts wisely toward the goal of proclaiming the holiness of God to as many people as possible. Ligonier Ministries is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

---

¹ See https://www.powerofchristatwork.net as at Apr. 4, 2019

² See https://www.ethnologue.com/guides/ethnologue200 as at Aug. 21, 2024

³ See http://www.bbc.com/news as at Apr. 4, 2019

⁴ See https://nypost.comas at Apr. 4, 2019