Jewish physician Boris Kornfeld was sentenced to a Siberian concentration camp after being found guilty of a political crime in Soviet Russia. While imprisoned, he was assigned to perform surgery on both guards and fellow prisoners. During this time, he encountered a Christian whose name remains unknown, but whose life and faith would leave an eternal impact.
That man was often overheard praying aloud, especially the Lord’s Prayer. The words deeply moved Dr. Kornfeld. One day, as he repaired a slashed artery in a guard, Kornfeld was tempted to suture it improperly, allowing the man to bleed slowly to death. In that dark moment, the words from the Lord’s Prayer rang in his heart: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
God was at work in Dr. Kornfeld’s heart. He began to resist inhumane or immoral orders, fully aware that doing so could cost him his life. Eventually, he placed his faith in Christ.
Later, while examining a patient recovering from cancer surgery, Dr. Kornfeld saw not only physical pain but deep spiritual anguish. He shared his newfound faith in Jesus with the man. That very night, Dr. Kornfeld was murdered in his sleep. But the man who had heard his testimony would survive the gulag and share Kornfeld’s story with the world.
That man’s name was Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. He would go on to become a Christian, a dissident, and a Nobel Prize-winning author, exposing the brutality of the Soviet prison system and giving voice to the suffering of millions.
I often say, “You cannot share the gospel with the wrong person.” Why? Because every person you meet needs to be forgiven of their sins, cleansed of all their unrighteousness and needs a reason to hope. The Apostle Peter reminds us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…” (I Peter 3:15).
We may never fully know the outcome of our witness on this side of eternity. Dr. Kornfeld never saw the fruit of his words, but one day, he will. And so will you.
As you go about your routine this week, remember: You cannot share the gospel with the wrong person.
