Birth : 19-11-1810 Home Calling :17-01-1901 Native Place : New Jersey Country : United States of America Place of Vision: Greece
From the beginning, effective communication of the Gospel to all human beings everywhere has been the driving force of Christian ministry, and the linguists had played an essential role in this regard. Elias Riggs of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was one of many such linguists worldwide who used their talents for the extension of the Kingdom of God.
Riggs was born into a devoted and God-fearing Christian family. By the time he was 13, he had become fluent in Hebrew and Greek. Later, Riggs joined the Amherst College, where he was a part of an organization called ‘Friends,’ a secret society to motivate missionary enthusiasm among the students. He then graduated from the Andover Theological Seminary and embarked upon an extensive missionary career.
Following his ordination at the age of 22, Riggs and his wife, Martha Jane Dalzel, set sail to Greece. First, he settled down in Athens and invested his time translating the Aramaic parts of the Bible into Greek. After that, he toured many parts of the country preaching the Gospel, distributing the tracts, and especially assisting in the translation ministry. He learned and did translation work in seven ancient and 14 modern languages including, the Armenian, Bulgarian, and Turkish languages. Apart from Bible translation ministry, he was a theological teacher, preacher, and editor of several spiritual books. Along with his wife, he also ran a girl’s school in Argos and ministered among the children.
His missionary career spanned over a period of 68 years, and during this time, he was rarely idle. He persevered the obstacles and setbacks and remained determined to use all his talents for the glory of God. His family members carried his legacy, out of which three sons became ministers and ten grandchildren became missionaries.
