In the Western world, we often see persecution as an obstacle to the church's growth. But biblically speaking, it is often the opposite. Jesus says in John 12:24: “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
For persecuted Christians, this is not just theory; it is reality. History has shown us that when the church is pressured, it spreads. When the first church in Jerusalem was persecuted, the believers fled, but they “went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).
Persecution became the wind that carried the seeds to the unreached areas. Persecuted Christians rarely ask for persecution to stop; they ask for strength to stand firm and boldness to share the gospel amidst opposition.
Mission among unreached peoples is about crossing the final frontiers—geographical, cultural, and linguistic. It is often here that resistance is greatest, because the gospel challenges existing power structures and darkness. Paul's calling was clear: ’and thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, lest I build on another man's foundation“ (Romans 15:20).
This pioneering spirit requires courage and equipment, because the price of reaching those who have never heard can be personal freedom or safety. Their testimony is an important voice for us in safe surroundings: the Gospel is worth dying for, because it is the only thing that gives eternal life.
By Charley Stephansen, priest at Vestermarkskirken in Grindsted
