Thought for the week: Pray for Christians in Iran today and peace in this ancient country
Henry Martyn graduated from Cambridge University with a first-class honour’s degree in mathematics.
But after receiving the award, he declared: "I was surprised to find that I had grasped a shadow".
While studying at Cambridge he had been challenged by the ministry of Rev Charles Simeon of the need for missionaries in India, and of the good done in India by a single missionary, William Carey.
Also, some time afterwards, he read the life of David Brainerd, a young American who had given his short life to missionary work among the Red Indian people. Henry was deeply moved by Brainerd’s self-sacrifice and devotion. As a result, he abandoned the opportunity of a promising legal career and resolved to become a missionary.
He later stated: "I almost think that to be prevented going among the heathen as a missionary would break my heart".
In July 1805 Henry sailed for India to commence his missionary labours as a chaplain of the British East India Company. The work that he did in India included preaching the gospel and establishing schools. But he was a gifted linguist and had a passion for Bible translation. Therefore, it was in that area that he did his most important work.
In India he translated the entire New Testament into two of the local languages and translated the New Testament twice into Persian.
Henry was then led to missionary work in Persia or modern-day Iran by three significant factors. He had a burning desire to bring the Christian gospel to the Muslims, and he wanted to perfect his Persian translation by working with local scholars in the country where the language was spoken. But he had also contracted tuberculosis and had been advised by a doctor to take a sea voyage to a dryer climate to help regain his health.
Henry Martyn arrived in Persia in early 1811 and had his Persian New Testament presented to the Shah. But in October the following year he passed away at just 31 years of age.
On the day of Pentecost there were people present from three regions in Iran. They were, the Parthians, the Medes and the Elamites (Acts 2:9). Many of those people experienced God’s Salvation that day and the took the Gospel message back to their own land. As a result, Christianity was established in Persia at that time and has continued ever since, but at times the witness has not been very strong.
Let me encourage you to pray for the Christians in Iran today, and for Iran to become an open door for missionary work. Let me also challenge you about following Henry Martyn’s example and devoting your life to bringing the gspel message to the Iranian people.