Tortured for Christ

Reading this book, how did I react? Honestly, with envy. The Underground Church members' persecution forces them to stay in their Lord's protecting arms all the time with all possible distractions, worldly interests, taken away. Their devotion to Him is enormous.

The copyright says this book was published in 1967 or 1969. I wonder what the state of Christianity in Russia and former Soviet states is now, since it probably doesn't have to stay underground.

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10/12/2019

I recently read Tortured for Christ again, and seem to have paid more attention to Richard Wurmbrand's attitude toward other churches and the remarks it led him to make about them. I have seen some readers here in the West react indignantly show more to such remarks, for not bothering to absorb Wurmbrand's point of view.

Other churches? Well, the official denomination Wurmbrand pastored--before his imprisonment--was Lutheran, but that's actually completely irrelevant. From the point of his imprisonment on, Wurmbrand's church wasn't the Lutheran church, it was the Underground Church. All other church groups were at least potentially the Underground Church's enemy, because various congregations in Russia and other Communist countries had corrupt leaders who betrayed Jesus by preaching what Communist governments told them to preach, and/or sold out Christians by informing on believers to get them sent to prison. That is, into the Underground Church.

These denominations with churches led by government-sanctioned pastors included Lutheran; Baptist (my denomination); Orthodox; and Roman Catholic. Wurmbrand uses the term "papists," but I can figure out that he's not throwing a slur at Catholic laypersons or clerics. He's using the term broadly to describe hypocritical church leadership in all churches behind the Iron Curtain. There may not be another word to describe this type, because congregational church polities (e.g., Protestant churches) have nothing like a pope and, although I don't know very much about the Orthodox Church, I understand it has no pope either. If there's a synonym with less provocative connotations and Wurmbrand didn't know it--Wurmbrand was a prisoner, not a language teacher. And if the use of "papist" offends, then it does; but are the offended bothering to consider that Wurmbrand and the saints in the Underground Church were put there by the betrayal led by the leaders of the "above-ground church"? If he felt distrust toward them, why not? They (not believers in any church) are what George Orwell symbolized in Animal Farm's character Moses the raven--look him up.

It dovetails well enough with an idea I thought of within the last few years: "the church within the church." A church of believers among a larger church of hypocrites--it's always there. show less

This is a short biographical account of a Romanian Pastor imprisoned and tortured for his Christian faith by the Communists just after the second world war. He spent a total of 14 years in prison, was eventually ransomed and released and moved to the West to encourage others to support "The Underground (persecuted) Church" in many countries. He founded "Voice of the Martyrs," which continues to work in countries around the world to this day.

Although the author states that he cannot go into graphic detail about the torture he endured at the hands of evil men. He proceeds to give seriously disturbing detail which some readers may not appreciate. He was placed in solitary confinement for 3 years!

"In solitary confinement, we could not pray show more as before. We were unimaginably hungry; we had been drugged until we acted like idiots. We were as weak as skeletons. The Lord's prayer was much too long for us- we could not concentrate enough to say it. My only prayer repeated again and again was, "Jesus, I love You."

Personally I felt challenged when reading this and forced to ask myself questions about how far I would be willing to go for my Christian faith. The detail is not in any way included for entertainment or to assist the author in obtaining spiritual one-up-man-ship. I believe the author's main purpose in writing these things was to try and shock people into doing something to help the persecuted church. His passion, dedication and commitment to the cause resonate throughout the book and are compelling. Many Christian's have been and will continue to be seriously convicted about their own roles in this Gospel and help ministry to those that are suffering for Christ, this can only be a good thing.

I note the complaints in various reviews about the author's negative/judgemental comments about Western Christian's. His attitude is that they are unconcerned, indifferent, apathetic and lacking in prayer for their brethren in crisis in other parts of the world. One reviewer's response which I would echo is that when reading/hearing criticism of ourselves we should examine (through Scripture and prayer) whether the things that are being said are true. If they are we should seek to address them and if they are not we should disregard them. Wurmbrand's opinion about Western Christian's may or may not be accurate, (in my view it is pretty accurate and has become more so in recent decades as this book was written a long time ago.) But, we cannot disregard his experiences and fail to help the persecuted church based on our prejudice towards him as an individual and how he chose to express himself. The things he experienced are happening around the world and the underground church does need help.

To those that don't believe the content of the book (which I also read in some reviews.) I can understand the skepticism due to various Christian Biographical books being removed from sale due to the "made-up" stories. Wurmbrand has on his body the scars from the torture he endured at the hands of his persecutors as he revealed this during a public meeting. Again I believe he did this to capture the attention of people rather than for personal gain.

I tend to believe the content of this book and that the author (who has since died) was a sincere soul seeking to follow Jesus and being willing to give up everything for that call. Ultimately only God knows his heart but we can all be challenged by his story and encouraged to get more involved in helping those suffering persecution in any way that we can.

I would encourage adult Christians to read this book. show less

It was okay. I’m sure in an older time this was a “messages from the field”/surprise to Western churches of the horrors of persecution. The story is definitely eye-opening of the methods the persecutors (Communists in this case)went to catch and dehumanize their prisoners, and attempt to intimidate others. But I think it is informative from even a political perspective…what Communist ideology leads to.
I’ve heard the story, bits and pieces, or in sermon texts but just hadn’t read from cover to cover so I did.

This is a story that I don't think I will ever forget. A story of courage, faith and endurance through horrible and unspeakable persecution, and a story of hope. It caused me to realize what many are going through in countries where freedom to share a Christian witness is forbidden. These Christians though are standing firm in their testimony for their Lord. I can understand how and why the "Voice of the Martyrs" began and it gave me pause to realize how little I knew about what other Christians are experiencing around the world. I encourage all to read and be moved beyond words to pray and help those who are a part of the "underground church" around the world.

Tortured for Christ is not just a book for Christians. It is a great historical reference, written by a Jewish man R. Wurmbrand. He tells a story that never hit main stream news do to political interference. One will discover a whole chunk of history they never read in their text books in school.

The author does do a good job at times of refocusing us on things that are truly important. He speaks of being tortured for years and praying and loving his torturers and speaking to them about Christ in hopes that they might come to know Jesus. He says that we are to love the sinner but hate the evil.

On page 51 the author says: "The value of Bibles smuggled in by these men cannot be understood by an American or an English Christian who `swims' show more in Bibles." That truly is something to ponder. We live in a place that has an abundance of Bibles and many people own more than one and yet we tend to be illiterate when it comes to the Bible. So he does make good points and has given me a lot to think about.

You really will do well to read this book and perhaps make it a habit to read even once a year a book on martyred Christians to help keep in perspective what is really important. show less

After years of imprisonment and solitary confinement, enduring inhumane torture, Richard Wurmbrand emerges with a powerful testimony of courageous faith. Even today, believers are suffering and dying for Christ, yet their faith will not falter under the most unthinkable persecutions. In this stirring account, Wurmbrand (founder of The Voice of the Martyrs) encourages us to remember those in chains and equips us to help our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.

A hard book to read, but if a man who has endured this much pain and sorrow can still love his fellow men, well, it inspires me to try harder to find what God sees in others and to see them that way.