Widow of Slain Christian: 'Forgive Them'

In an act that hit the front pages of the largest newspapers in Turkey, the widow of a martyred Christian told reporters she did not want revenge against the Muslims who killed her husband and two others, according to a new report from Voice of the Martyrs.

"Oh God, forgive them for they know not what they do," she said, agreeing with the words of Christ on Calvary (Luke 23.34), according to a letter Christians in Turkey have written to the worldwide church, a letter released through Voice of the Martyrs.

"In a country where blood-for-blood revenge is as normal as breathing, many many reports have come to the attention of the church of how this comment of Susanne Tilman has changed lives," the letter said. "One columnist wrote of her comment, 'She said in one sentence what 1,000 missionaries in 1,000 years could never do.'"

Necati Aydin, Tilman Geske and Ugur Yuksel, (L to R) who were martyred by Muslims in Turkey

She is the widow of Tilman Geske, a German citizen who along with two Turkish Christians were martyred recently – allegedly by five Muslims who met the three victims at a Christian publishing company for a Bible study.

Authorities have taken several suspects into custody, and their cases remain pending.

The letter titled "A letter to the Global Church from The Protestant Church of Smyrna" was received by VOM shortly after the slayings, and the ministry organization that works with the Persecuted Church worldwide is publicizing it.

"The Voice of the Martyrs has already been actively involved in assisting the families of these courageous Christians. We encourage you to pray for them as they grieve, and to pray that this will be a significant turning point for the gospel in Turkey," the organization said.

VOM noted that 2,000 years earlier, this location of Christians was addressed in Rev. 2:8-11: "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write… 'Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.'"

The letter describes the work Geske, 46, was doing on a new Turkish Study Bible. That morning, he went to the offices of Zirve Publishing, which produces and distributes Christian literature to Malatya and other parts of eastern Turkey, for a Bible study. Pastor Necati Aydin, the father of two, also left for the same office, as did Ugur Yuksel.

"None of these three men knew that what awaited them at the Bible study was the ultimate testing and application of their faith, which would conclude with their entrance into glory to receive their crown of righteousness from Christ," the letter said.

Also heading to the Bible study were five men thought to be "seekers" who had been guests of Pastor Necati at an invitation-only evangelistic service earlier.

"No one knows what happened in the hearts of those men as they listened to the gospel. Were they touched by the Holy Spirit? Were they convicted of sin? Did they hear the gospel in their heart of hearts? Today we only have the beginning of their story," the letter said.

"The young men got guns, bread knives, ropes and towels ready for their final act of service to Allah. They knew there would be a lot of blood. They arrived in time for the Bible study, around 10 o'clock," the letter said. "Reportedly, after Necati read a chapter from the Bible the assault began. The boys tied Ugur, Necati, and Tilman's hands and feet to chairs and as they videoed their work on their cellphones, they tortured our brothers for almost three hours."

"Tilman was stabbed 156 times, Necati 99 times and Ugur’s stabs were too numerous to count. They were disemboweled, and their intestines sliced up in front of their eyes. They were emasculated and watched as those body parts were destroyed. Fingers were chopped off, their noses and mouths and anuses were sliced open. Possibly the worst part was watching as their brothers were likewise tortured. Finally, their throats were sliced from ear to ear, heads practically decapitated."

The letter released by Voice of the Martyrs said neighbors thought the noise was a domestic argument so they did not respond.

Another believer, Gokhan, arrived about 12:30, but couldn't get in, so he called.

"Ugur answered his phone. 'We are not at the office. Go to the hotel meeting. We are there. We will come there,' he said cryptically. As Ugur spoke Gokhan heard in the telephone's background weeping and a strange snarling sound," the letter said. He called police.

When officers entered, they found, "Tilman and Necati had been slaughtered, practically decapitated with their necks slit from ear to ear. Ugur's throat was likewise slit and he was barely alive," the letter said.

Several assailants were caught in the room, and two nearby, including one who apparently tried to jump out a window to flee and was seriously hurt.

The letter said persecution of Christians – bombings, physical attacks, verbal and written abuse as well as media propaganda -- moved into the intense range following a decision in 2001 by the National Security Council of Turkey to consider Christians a threat to national security on the same level as al-Qaida.

The letter described cameras in churches to promote fear and antagonism towards Christians.

What Turkey witnessed from its Christians was something else. "Hundreds of believers and dozens of pastors flew in as fast as they could to stand by the small church of Malatya and encourage the believers, take care of legal issues, and represent Christians to the media," the letter said.

When Susanne Tilman desired to bury her husband in Malatya, the local officials spread rumors it was a sin to dig a grave for a Christian, so volunteers from the church in Adana dug the grave in an untended 100-year-old Armenian graveyard, the letter said.

Ugur was buried with "his believing fiancée watching from the shadows as his family and friends refused to accept in death the faith Ugur had so long professed and died for," the letter said.

"Necati's funeral took place in his hometown of Izmir, the city where he came to faith. The darkness does not understand the light. Though the churches expressed their forgiveness for the event, Christians were not to be trusted. Before they would load the coffin onto the plane from Malatya, it went through two separate X-ray exams to make sure it was not loaded with explosives," the letter said. "Necati's funeral was a beautiful event. Like a glimpse of heaven, thousands of Turkish Christians and missionaries came to show their love for Christ, and their honor for this man chosen to die for Christ. Necati's wife Shemsa told the world, 'His death was full of meaning, because he died for Christ and he lived for Christ… Necati was a gift from God. I feel honored that he was in my life, I feel crowned with honor. I want to be worthy of that honor.'"

Then Susanne Tilman expressed her forgiveness in a television interview that was reported on front pages across Turkey.

The letter said the Malatya missionaries most likely will move, as they've been identified as targets in that hostile city, and the remaining 10 believers have gone into hiding.

"What will happen to this church, this light in the darkness? Most likely it will go underground. Pray for wisdom, that Turkish brothers from other cities will go to lead the leadership church," the letter said.

"Please pray for the Church in Turkey," wrote Pastor Fikret Bocek. "Don't pray against persecution, pray for perseverance."

"This we know. Christ Jesus was there when our brothers were giving their lives for Him. He was there, like He was when Stephen was being stoned in the sight of Saul of Tarsus," the letter said. "Someday the video of the deaths of our brothers may reveal more to us about the strength that we know Christ gave them to endure their last cross, about the peace the Spirit of God endowed them with to suffer for their beloved Savior. But we know He did not leave their side."

"We pray – and urge you to pray – that someday at least one of those five boys will come to faith because of the testimony in death of Tilman Geske, who gave his life as a missionary to his beloved Turks, and the testimonies in death of Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, the first martyrs for Christ out of the Turkish Church," the letter said.

Susanne said she planned to remain in Turkey with her children, Michal Janina, 13, Lukas, 10, and Miriam, 8.

Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, interdenominational ministry working worldwide to help Christians who are persecuted for their faith, and to educate the world about that persecution. Its headquarters are in Bartlesville, Okla., and it has 30 affiliated international offices.

It was launched by the late Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, who started smuggling Russian Gospels into Russia in 1947, just months before Richard was abducted and imprisoned in Romania where he was tortured for his refusal to recant Christianity.

He eventually was released in 1964 and the next year he testified about the persecution of Christians before the U.S. Senate's Internal Security Subcommittee, stripping to the waist to show the deep torture wound scars on his body.

The group that later was renamed The Voice of the Martyrs was organized in 1967, when his book, "Tortured for Christ," was released.

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Just because the Bible refers to forgiving those who repent, doesn’t mean that it is stating not to forgive those who don’t.

Actually it does say just that. Luke 17:3- "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

Just curious, what is your background that makes you such an “expert” on Christianity?

I can read.

I thought you might come back with that, but I waited. Actually it is not Luke who is commanding this, but Christ, who IS NOT setting conditional demands for forgiveness, but rather demanding that if this happens, you MUST forgive. He is NOT saying “you need not forgive if the person does not come and ask” That is the most fundamental of logical fallacies, the unsupported middle. Following your logic, Jesus himself violated his own directive by praying for the forgiveness of his unrepentant torturers on the cross. So, while Jesus says explicitly that if a person shows remorse that we must receive his repentance as genuine, you may not twist that teaching into saying that we are NOT to forgive if he does not come. Nothing in the passage intimates that, and it is in fact a violation of other clear biblical teaching. (I generally don’t like to proof text, but if you want, I’ll give em to you).

but Christ, who IS NOT setting conditional demands for forgiveness, but rather demanding that if this happens, you MUST forgive

Logical fallacy my man. Why state that if someone repents, then you must forgive when one sentence before we are told to rebuke sinners who don't repent? Your argument makes no sense. Why not just say "Forgive everyone whether they repent or not? Why talk about the whole rebuking thing at all? Why put the conditional "if they repent" in there?

Jesus himself violated his own directive by praying for the forgiveness of his unrepentant torturers on the cross

No he didn't. He asked His Father to forgive them. "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." Big difference.

Nothing in the passage intimates that,

I guess you define 'rebuke' differently than most folks.

I read with amusement this line you posted:

Highly doubtful if these animals would really seek forgiveness.

And was reminded of a sweet little Christian girl I knew in high school, who, upon hearing that I had been converted to Christ, went into her room, got down on her knees, and prayed "God, if you can save THAT guy you can save anyone."

Remember these words "I did not come for the righteous, but sinners." The bigger sinners they are, the more of an indication they are indeed, the people for whom Christ came. On the other hand, the more you think they are horrid filthy worthless beings, the more that is an indication that you think of yourself as "righteous" (at least in comparison to them), and the less you believe that Christ came for YOU....., and that is a bad bad bad state to be in. Just for thought.

Let us define, then, what you mean by “forgiving” them.

My own definition, which I think is biblical, is not to hold someone’s offence against you, but to cease the desire to retaliate and entrust that person’s future to God, as you have entrusted your own to Him.

Would you accept that as a working definition?

43”You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. — and do not quibble about the mechanical absence of the word “forgive” It is impossible to do these things WITHOUT forgiving.

Moses prayed for the unrepentant Israelites in Exodus 32, SPECIFICALLY asking for forgiveness

Matt 6:12 specifically says that we should ask to be forgiven just as we forgive. It says nothing about worthy attitudes by which we “earn” forgiveness.

Matthew 18:35 says you will not be forgiven if you do not forgive.

Mark 11:25 says you should forgive WHEN YOU REMEMBER THAT YOUR BROTHER HAS SINNED.... AS YOU ARE PRAYING. It says nothing about this person coming to you and asking you for it. In fact, it specifically FORBIDS you waiting to do so.

If you need more, I have em

Would you accept that as a working definition?

No. The Christian Bible states that forgiveness is acting as though the sin or transgression never happened. That's stated quite clearly in Matthew I believe.

Here's the one I use:

Too often Christians are told to GIVE forgiveness for their own health or so that their sins can be forgiven, even if the sinner is unrepentant--this is unbiblical and destructive to the individual believer, the sinner who is unrepentant, and to the body of Christ, HIS Church, as well as to the non-believer.

A heart of forgiveness patiently/eagerly waits to give forgiveness, as displayed in Matthew 18:21-35 knowing that their sin against God is far greater than another human's sin against them, and by God's grace, the heart of forgiveness shows Christ's love, mercy, compassion, patience, grace, etc. thereby inviting the sinner to repent and enjoy God's wonderfulness and Christian community through repentance and believing in Christ's forgiveness of their sins and adding their forgiveness, their covenant to not hold their sins against them.

God does NOT forgive where there is no repentance but God does show common grace and mercy as HE invites sinners to HIM through Godly repentance.

This idea of forgiving everyone willy nilly whether they've sincerely repented or not is postively un-Biblical.

and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

Does 'pray' mean 'forgive'? Are the two words interchangeable?

It is impossible to do these things WITHOUT forgiving.

Wrong. Of course I can pray for them without forgiving them. I can pray for them to repent so I can then forgive them, thus fullfilling the Masters commands. If they aren' sincerely repentant, then forgiveness is not only useless, it's destructive.

“She is saying that the gospel of Jesus Christ says that evil will be defeated by overcoming evil with good.”

I agree, though I also believe we live in a fallen world. Your argument is the same as the Quakers and other pacifists who use Jesus as a justification for not responding appropriately to threats.

Why state that if someone repents, then you must forgive when one sentence before we are told to rebuke sinners who don't repent? You don't understand what forgiveness is. It does not mean this poor woman being unaware of the men who murdered her husband. It is not as though she is commanded to believe they are somehow NOT wicked men. It is more like Betty Elliot, who, after the Aucas murdered her husband, went into the tribe and met and forgave the indians who did it. My wife met one of these Auca pastors, and the tribe opened up to the gospel due to the FORGIVENESS and love that Elisabeth Elliot (and Rachel Saint). When you hate those who do evil to you, you act (per: Jesus) "just like the heathen" who hate naturally. It is love for hatred, forgiveness for wrongdoing, mercy for savagery and good for bad that is absolutely inexplicable to the non-Christian world.

I was in Colombia SA a few years back and "Alpha Omega"(latin america Campus Crusade) had a campus event to preach the gospel. Marxism was very strong, and the students were attacked and beaten. These young men witnessed to their attackers of the love of Christ WHILE they were pelted with rocks, bricks, and other stuff (yeah, they dodged them). They did not just act like idiots, though. Latino culture is VERY "gallant" in that they simply will not attack women, so the girls in AO formed a protective cordon around the guys and locked arms, and the men kept on witnessing. The love of Christ was so powerful that day that many were profoundly moved and more than a few became Christians.

These people understand that loving your enemies and forgiving are part of the same package. You can't do one without the other.

Your argument is the same as the Quakers and other pacifists who use Jesus as a justification for not responding appropriately to threats.

Actually, check a little further down. The state bears the sword, not individuals. The state dispenses justice, not mercy. We dispense mercy and forgiveness, not the state. Quakers and pacifists err in applying Jesus's command to individuals as though they were directed to people acting in offices of the state. If that were so, John the Baptist, when asked by soldiers what they should do, would have said to lay down their arms and leave the army. He did not. Again, that is a misapplied command, which carried out, would result in civil anarchy if the majority of the population were converted, as Christians would be commanded to leave all positions which use force to maintain justice. This is silly, especially in light of Romans 12.

Repentance requires conviction of sin and an application oriented faith which qualifies one for the forgiveness of their sins. But this is not salvation by works. It was Christ's death on the cross which actually paid the penalty for the sins of the world.

But having done so, the demands of justice were satisfied, and as such God could now freely forgive people of their sins. He could have forgiven people unconditionally, but instead he decided to require people to be qualified to receive such forgiveness, and thus although such forgiveness is free for those who are qualified, it is not unconditional.

One thing to note here is the condition for forgiveness which is often overlooked in practice. "If he repents". Yes, just as Jesus forgave those who crucified him there are times to forgive sins committed against us done in ignorance, but for those of which were done consciously, it is appropriate that repentance be required before granting such forgiveness. For in doing so we are forgiving just as God has forgiven us - freely but not unconditionally.

Source

I am not going to fight over the word “forgiveness.” From the best I can make out, you seem to be implying that forgiveness implies that I affirm some kind of repentance/faith on the persons part, and pronounce that since God has declared them not guilty in eternity, I must do so too. While I will disagree, in that this is a HIGHLY selective use of the word, and that it is much broader in its demands on us than that, we could shoot the same rabbit by pointing to the gospel demands that we love those who hate us, that we do good to those who hurt us, that we turn the cheek to those who slap us. I see this as the beauty of the gospel, and the fragrance of Christ in this precious story of a woman who is determined to emulate her savior rather than descend into a panegyric of hatred for those who have murdered her husband. That is clearly closer to the spirit of the Lord than the shriveled, dessicated, sick and twisted professions of hatred for those who killed him. Can’t you agree to that?

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