Recently, I traveled to a county in Shaanxi Province to visit a longtime pastoral friend and learn about his ongoing Bible-copying ministry, whose impact and spiritual significance left a deep impression on me.
The pastor (whose name is not disclosed for safety reasons) shared with heartfelt conviction, "Without immersing oneself in God's Word, one's spiritual eyes remain blind."
Now in his sixties, the pastor, a graduate of Yanjing Theological Seminary, started to copy the Bible by hand in 2017, inspired by a Bible-copying initiative initiated by the seminary and the Three Revelation Society (Revelation, Enlightenment, Initiation). That year was also the centennial year of the Chinese Union Version Bible. For many years, he has actively promoted the practice of Bible copying, encouraging believers to sit quietly before the Lord and faithfully write out Scripture by hand.
At first, he received a copybook valued at 500 yuan. After transcribing the whole Bible, he found the practice to be a profound way to deepen one's relationship with God, leading him to begin promoting it.
However, there was no suitable paper available locally, so he purchased it wholesale in the provincial capital and asked a Christian brother working in printing to design templates, print them, and distribute them to believers free of charge. He then traveled to more than 40 churches across the county, urging believers to take the paper freely and participate in hand-copying Scripture.
To date, over 100 believers in the county have joined the initiative, with more than 10 completing the full Bible once. Finished manuscripts are bound into volumes categorized as the Pentateuch, historical books, wisdom literature, prophetic books, the four Gospels, and the epistles.
He shared stories of spiritual transformation through Bible copying: One retiree, known for his elegant handwriting but also for his bad temper and frequent scolding of his wife, initially refused the pastor's invitation to copy Scripture. His wife continued to pray for him, and after recovering from an illness, he eventually began copying the Scripture. Over time, his temperament softened. He started accompanying his wife to church, listening to sermons, and even engaging the pastor in earnest conversations about faith.
Another story involved an elderly sister who was illiterate. She asked her daughter to copy the Bible on her behalf, and the daughter later joined the church's ministry team.
Piles of handwritten pages testify to years of dedication from the pastor and church co-workers. The number of sheets freely distributed is beyond counting. Despite the bitter winters in the Northwest and the lack of heating in his home, he devotes himself willingly to this ministry, choosing to bear discomfort for the Lord. He reflected, "I have received so much grace from God throughout my life. If, as a minister, I am unwilling to give to the Lord and fulfill my calling with faithfulness, then what kind of minister would I be?"
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times, and the author is a church co-worker in Shanxi.)
- Edited and translated by Poppy Chan
