The Value Placed on Scripture by Chinese Christians in the Novel Safely Home

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The Value Placed on Scripture by Chinese Christians in the Novel Safely Home.

Safely Home is a fictional novel, written by Randy Alcorn, narrating the life of Li Quan, a persecuted Chinese Christian. Throughout the novel, due to his faith, he suffers constant prejudices with his family. The story line consists also of Ben, the protagonist, an ignorant businessman who believes most of the killing is due to citizen rebellion. What he does not understand is that the Chinese are being punished because of their Christian faith and loyalty to God. (94-95) To further the concept of persecution, Christians in China guard Shengjing with their lives, the Chinese Bible, a book holding a “house of gold”.(58)
“The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold”, (Psalms 119:72) The Word from the mouth of God is jade for the Church in China. Shengjing is valued as bread of life and the everlasting fountain of living waters.( (185)
The Bible is the most powerful tool given to the martyrs. Military forces do not prevail against the sacred Word from being spread. Scripture is passed from Li Quan's wife Ming, Quan's son Li Shen, and Quan's old roommate Ben to Quan. It is passed while Quan is in prison by writing them within a shirt. His family keeps in mind, Bibles in China are considered illegal literature, but the need to deliver the divine words is far greater than death. (197) In order to deliver the material Ben bribes a prison guard. What is astonishing to me is that the guard does not follow protocol to search the shirt. What makes the guard trust in Ben's answer that his friend likes extra large shirts? Whatever the case, Quan is able to read the scripture written on the inside of the extra la...

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...vine word so that his followers may read and gain instruction from it. In doing so he makes available a book worth more than precious jade. No man was able to keep the Gospel from spreading, nor unclean spirit able to refrain the law from his mouth to being spoken.(162) Li Quan was beaten time and time again by Tai Hong, but Li Quan did not renounce his faith and remains faithful just as his forefathers did. The law remains strong in those grasping the fullness of God's given knowledge. God allowing peace into the hearts who are willing to accept his word to be written upon them. Thus, the greatest reward for cherishing the Lord's bread and meat is being in everlasting “holy worship of Yesu”. Yesu, the man who saved their Soul through the finest of golds, Shengjing. (134)

Works Cited
Alcorn, Randy. Safely Home. Carol Stream: Tyndale House, 2001. Print.

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