Suffering for the Salvation of Others

“The only chance a torturer has to be saved may be through a Christian prisoner. They never go to church or read the Holy Bible. But a Christian prisoner can speak love to them, even while being beaten.” Such is the belief of an underground church member.

    Another woman who had spent her years serving Christ under danger of torment said, “Throughout church history, many Christian prisoners have brought their tormentors to heaven. There is a plaque in a Roman jail containing the names of those converted while Paul was in prison there. They would be in hell if Paul had not given them the chance to beat him.” She paused. “I don’t mind suffering if the salvation of torturers is the result.”

    Bishop Hannington knew the risk was high when he decided to bring the message of Christ to the cannibals in Uganda. A few weeks after the bishop arrived, the cannibals rejected his message and executed him. Before Hannington died, the cannibals heard the following words in a loud voice, “Love your enemies . . . pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

    This was the same message the bishop’s two sons carried with them when they set out for the same village after their father’s death. They were determined to continue evangelizing the same people who had killed their father.

Some suppose Christ’s death and resurrection to be merely a hoax made up by wishful thinkers who wanted the memory of their beloved teacher to live on. However, how does that explain for the martyrdom of most of his disciples and generations more after them? It seems reasonable that they would admit their folly at the moment of their arrest and certainly before their certain death. Why would they willingly carry a supposed hoax that far? In fact, history documents their attempts to convert their torturers right down to the last minute. Their extreme evangelism was evidence of their conviction: This was the very gospel of God. How convinced are you of the gospel message? Are you willing to carry it as far as the brink of the extreme?