Book Review: Martyrs of Malatya

In John 15:25, Jesus tells His disciples, “But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.'” In the context, He is speaking that a servant is not greater than his master and since the world hates Jesus, they will hate His followers too. This truth comes to mind as I read and reflected on Martyrs of Malatya. Using a pen name, James White shares the story of three men, Necati Aydin, Ugur Yuksel, and Tilmann Geske, who were killed in Malatya, Turkey because they were Christians.

Martyrs of Malatya is a book which opens the believer’s eyes to the persecution and suffering going on all around the world for the sake of Christ and it reminds them each story has people involved. Sometimes in the West we can be so focused on our own lives that we forget our brothers and sisters in Christ live all around the world and some are even being persecuted unto death for their faith. The names Necati, Ugur, and Tilmann should not be a passing thread in our line of thought. These men were committed to Christ and were ultimately killed because of it. Moreover, these men leave behind families, friends, and loved ones. I appreciate how the book takes a great length (especially in chapters 1-8) to share the story of the lives of these men. It gives a personal touch that should move us to compassion. It also makes us aware of what is going on, which causes reactions, some good and some bad (see chapters 16 and 18). We are dealing with real life. We need to be mindful and prayerful about the universal body of Christ and global Christianity.

For these reasons, I recommend Martyrs of Malatya to any Christian who is committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This book will open your eyes to the awareness of what is going on around the world to Christians and will drive you to your knees in praying for the families affected by these events.

I received this book for free from EP Books via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and are my honest review of the book.