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Christianity Today, February, 2009 |

Smuggling Debate

Ministries disagree on how best to provide Bibles to Chinese Christians.

Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra | posted 1/27/2009 10:20AM

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Daniel Willis said the new facilities at Amity Printing Company render smuggling obsolete. Amity, the only press in China allowed by the communist government to print Bibles, last May opened a new ...

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Mel	Posted: February 06, 2009 3:08 PM


Faith without works is dead. there are still millions of people who have not heard the gospel. We must go.

Nandi

Posted: February 02, 2009 12:30 AM


God rose Jesus Christ from the dead, thus with the strongest power ever known, with that Power God can even let people distrubute Bibles in ANY country no matter what the law states. ABOVE ALL GOD REIGHNS ABOVE ALL NATIONS AND HUMAN MADE LAWS.

Joe	Posted: January 28, 2009 10:37 AM

It is naive to have one practice. There are so many people in China living in a vast geographical areas. For those who work with the local government (typically in cities), they may have more access to Chinese Bibles. But for the other areas, mostly in inland and rural areas, Chinese Bibles are hard to come by. So let us not try to come up with one strategy for reaching 1.3 billion people. The Bible has given us clear principles: it is more important to obey God and preach the gospel than to obey man.

Philip

Posted: January 28, 2009 1:00 AM


Why would the Chinese government fear the Bible? The Bible does not teach democracy or human rights. It teaches obedience to God's Word, honouring parents, following the government of the land He has ordained. No powers are there by chance. God put up the Chinese government because corruption was rampant during the time when the West raped China.

Irene Voysey

Posted: January 27, 2009 5:07 PM

I was the Editor of the Bible Society in Australia's national magazine for 10 years, but I know from personal experience that Open Doors does far more than provide Bibles. They truly care for persecuted people. I have lobbied our government to accept a former Bible Society staffer in Iraq. He was captured by Al Queda when his contact details were found on cartons of Bibles, & released, under threat of death, when a ransom was paid. Open Doors has given me every assistance in finding a safe haven for this man and his young family. I met Brother Andrew in Jordan and was deeply impressed by this man of God. Like OD, I will give a Bible to anyone, anywhere. God is sovereign.

Arthur Roberts

Posted: January 27, 2009 4:56 PM

When I traveled across China with a George Fox College group in 1981, Christians told us that programs of Bible smuggling only made things harder for them. They felt such actions vlolated traditional Chinese codes of acceptable behavior, put Christianity in a bad light, and resulted in suffering for them. Bringing a bible as a personal gift to a host, as we did, was acceptable. Perhaps times have changed the situation. When we were there Nanking seminary had just reopened, in some places Christians, having lost loved ones, were uncertain about worshipping with us. We did find the Rice Street Church in Beijing packed with persons of all ages, and we received warm welcome. Our tour guide, a former Red Guard with questions about economic determinism, eventually came to our college, became a Christian, graduated, and remains a loving friend of the family. GFU now enrolls many Chinese students. Does this illustrate a better way? Perhaps

lewsta

Posted: January 27, 2009 4:28 PM

so what's the problem? Those who play the mule and pack them into China (or other places where they are contraband), those who distribute them in country, those who print them in country, all should continue as the Lord leads and enables them, There is NO place for one "faction" to denigrate what any of the others might be/not be doing. If obedient servants of the Living God cease stepping forward to do His bidding, He is able to raise up trees that will bear printed bibles and drop them on the ground. But this is no reason to still those who would obey Him. Such people will be blessed in the doing of their appointed work. As will those who print them inside China. As to the numbers printed in China, I am not in the least surprised the government figures include the vast majority of them printed and exported. Nor that we have not heard that so many leave the country. Considering the nature of that government, this is to be expected. Thanks for the finer details.

Nancy

Posted: January 27, 2009 4:20 PM

I also have smuggled Bibles. It is a debate of many, breaking man-made laws to do God's work. Personally, I follow the Scriptures...God was good to the midwives of Egypt who broke the law of the king by allowing the Hebrew baby boys to live. Then they lied to the king about what they had done. They broke the law of man because they feared God more than they feared the king. As a result, God was good to the midwives. This is not an isolated case..think of Rahab, Daniel, even the wisemen who didn't report on the location of the Christ child. In all circumstances we need to obey the higher laws of God. God will direct your paths as to whether or not to smuggle or lie. There is a place for both methods to be used. With the Holy Spirit's guidance we should do whatever God asks us to do... whether it is right or wrong in man's opinion.

Barry G. Clark

Posted: January 27, 2009 3:25 PM

"Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." Matthew 22:21 PARTIAL QUOTE. We are to follow God's laws, but as a part of following God's laws, he directs us to also follow the laws put forth by a rulers, presidents, kings, etc. It is up to God to prevail upon the hearts of those rulers and kings and presidents. Our job as faithful Christians is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but not by breaking laws in doing so. Continual and constant prayer, and persistent counsel with said rulers and presidents and kings, will provide for God's intervention where He deems it appropriate. You can not do good, by doing bad in the name of good. I am a sinner who knows nothing for sure. I must, through faith, rely on God's Word, The Bible. The answers to our lives are in God's Word, The Bible. He will reveal them to us if we are faithful, read His Word, and pray for guidance. May God Bless & Keep You All.

Dr.Dan

Posted: January 27, 2009 3:14 PM

It is a mute conversation - the Word of God will go forth - those who smuggle the precious Word of God to forbiddeen countries will continue to do it - not by those who talk about it - but those who do it with the heart and Spirit that God has lead them with. It is not for discussion - warriors never make their plans and tactics public. Those that do hurt their own purposes - and if one does not do what God has called them to do then "help will arise from another source whom God calls". So let the secret plans and ways of God remain secret. This article should not even be a subject for discussion - only a discussion for the enemy.

Kate	Posted: January 27, 2009 2:49 PM


This article only rehashes the same discussions that have been held for two decades. There is no new information here.

Atilla

Posted: January 27, 2009 2:48 PM

I lived in an iron curtain country, and smuggled Bibles into other such countries since I was a new born. Bruce, your comments are right on. Additionally, China has many languages, not just "Chinese" (i.e. Mandarin). Not all people cannot read or understand the government printed Bibles, should they be blessed to get one. That's 1 Bible to 40 Christians. I would love to see any US Christian church that would accept that. Mr. Daniel Willis is sadly misguided and needs strong and loving rebuking.

Bruce

Posted: January 27, 2009 2:16 PM

Having taken Bibles into a communist country in the past I must comment that there are many facets to this operation. We are talking about a country that is by design hostile to Christianity. So not only is there the need to get Bibles to Christians but the process of delivery is also a way to show concern to brothers and sisters. This can be done, as it was behind the iron curtain, with discretion and wisdom. Not only is the Bible delivered but prayer and, albeit brief, a word of encouragement is given too. Secondly it is very insightful to the Christian who carries the Bibles into a country to see what is happening in these societies. This also should be done as wisely and quietly, not bringing attention to the action. I say keep printing the Bible but allow for a dual path of Christians carrying into China Bibles.

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