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Scriptural abyss
It was in the midst of a still-Communist Russia that Pavel
first heard the message of the Gospel. A Christian group
had formed in his village, and he was immediately intrigued
by a copy of the New Testament the members had. His curiosity
soon led him to one of their group meetings.
In the midst of that small group study,
the Word of God touched Pavel’s heart in a way that he had never experienced
before. He vowed to start saving for his own copy of the New
Testament immediately. At the time, the
value of a New Testament was $100—much more than Pavel could possibly afford—so
he knew he had a long wait ahead of him.
Cherished treasure
In the meantime, Pavel asked if he could borrow the group’s
New Testament. He craved the Scriptures so badly that he was
more than willing to copy it all by hand. But he knew he’d
have to be careful. Not only would he face reprisal from Communist
officials, but his Orthodox family would also persecute him
if they knew what he was doing.
Pavel hid a kerosene lantern, the New Testament,
and a notebook under the blanket every evening. He’d
carefully copy as much as he could until he needed to come
out for fresh air. He repeated this process night after night
for almost one year, until he had his very own hand-copied
New Testament to read and cherish.
Now others have this treasure
Today, Pavel is thankful that through the Bible League,
many more Christians are receiving their own copies of the
Word of God. As a Bible League-trained worker, Pavel is using
Bible studies to evangelize and disciple new believers. As
his fellow Russians complete a study, they each earn a New
Testament or a Bible of their very own.
Pavel points to a shelf full of Bibles
that he uses with those he helps. “I
can’t believe how blessed I am today to have more than
one Bible to share after copying my first New Testament by
hand!”
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Handwritten
treasure
