Three Generations of Suffering

For what are we being tried? For free faith in Christ! In fact, it is not we who are on trial, but Christ! We are merely His twentieth-century disciples, and we are saying and doing nothing new. We continue to witness to the Gospel about the salvation of man and about eternal life in Christ.

Our interrogators, procurators, and judges have not come very far from those who participated in Christ's trial in the first century-they use the same methods: slander, falsehood, and hatred for God's truth.

I prepare for the trial . . . By now I have pencil and paper. My first thought: we are appearing here (before the court), not for robbery, not for rioting, not for gold, not for hooliganism.

The trial of Jesus Christ is continuing here today, the trial which was begun in the time of the Roman procurator in Judea, Pontius Pilate.

It is faith in the bright future of humanity that is on trial. Christ was calm, full of spiritual strength, and confident of the victory of the cause of the Gospel. His confidence is transmitted even to us.-Georgi Vins