In the first Langham Live event of 2023, we were joined by our brother Danillo Augusto Santos who lives in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Danillo is a Langham Scholar who teaches as a New Testament Professor in a Christian seminary and works as an assistant pastor in a local church. He and his wife Alison have three children: Joel, Laura, and Samuel.
Watch a recording of the Langham Live call (Thursday 26 January 2023)
Read on to learn how Danillo’s calling has impacted the people of Brazil and how his work will help spread the gospel message as he translates the Bible into Portuguese for a modern audience.
Impact of the Langham Scholar Programme
Danillo was first introduced to Langham Partnership after completing his Master’s degree while attending the Westminster Theological Centre in Philadelphia, USA. Through close friends, he learned about the Langham Scholars programme and applied to begin his PhD. He chose the topic of ‘The language of the priesthood according to the Apostle Paul’, a topic that was seldom covered among theologians from a Pauline perspective.
He believes that Paul’s concept of believer’s priesthood can be found in the book of Romans, Philippians, and 1st and 2nd Corinthians. The ‘temple’ language that Paul utilises promotes the message that all believers are part of God’s temple which is the true Church, the body of Christ. We are to be a kingdom of priests with God in the centre and strive to be holy just as He is holy.
Danillo’s passion for the importance of Biblical interpretation in people’s lives really shone through during the Langham Live event. His studies bolstered his belief that modern clergy as well as many believers need to get back to what the Bible actually says.
People don’t think through issues theologically – Danillo Santos
His goal is to promote fundamental Biblical teachings amongst a global network of scholars, each with a different evangelical background. That is what led him to travel to Brazil with the desire to become a New Testament professor, teaching groups of 20-30 first and second-year students sound Biblical doctrine.
However, not everything went to plan.
Family Challenges & God’s Grace
When Danillo and his family moved to Brazil in 2018, his young daughter Laura fell ill. The doctors discovered a tumour in her adrenal gland. At a time when Danillo wanted to watch his vision grow, this tragic news forced him to shift his goals and take care of his child.
However, by God’s good grace, the treatments cured her and today she and her two brothers are happy and well. Danillo’s wife Alison introduced the Santos children during the call and thanked everyone for their prayers and support, especially those who donated to the Langham Scholars programme.
Today, Danillo not only lectures in Belo Horizonte (which means Beautiful Horizon) but is also part of the leadership team in a local church. He helps with the youth work and assists the other pastors in a congregation of two hundred.
A New Hope For Brazil
With the recent turmoil in the Brazilian political elections, Danillo shared his desire to see all leaders strive to be holy in their personal and professional lives. He was saddened to see Christians involved in the disturbances and called on everyone to return to the Word and obey what God has written, not what tradition would dictate.
With that sentiment in mind, he shared his current work with the group: developing a new NIV version of the Bible in Portuguese to reach a modern audience.
Danillo explained the difficulty in translating certain words. They needed to be accurate to the original text but also not become a hindrance to the reader. He cited Genesis 2 and the word ‘helper’ for Eve and said that ‘ally’ might be more applicable. His prayer was that God would give him guidance during this essential work and to always be Spirit-led.
Prayer Requests
Please pray for the Santos family, that they may continue to be supported financially and spiritually as Danillo carries out his work in the seminary and church.
Pray that the church and political leaders in Brazil may have a better understanding of the Bible and strive to be holy.
Pray that the NIV revision project will be blessed by God and reach over 2 million Christians in the country and beyond.
Pray that God will grant Danillo and the team access to essential resources as required, especially with the large tax levies imposed by the state.
If you would like to join the Langham Live event then please visit this page. We would love to have you with us to encourage and pray for our guest speakers and the Langham Partnership team.
