PERU — Many senior officers of the Peruvian police, army, air force and navy are happy to allow groups like the Bible Society to present Bibles to serving personnel because they recognise the positive impact of the Bible’s teaching. However, it is not an uncommon attitude among many servicemen that the Bible is a book for the weak or else it is a sign of weakness to read it.

"I have seen many great changes in the lives of men and women who have begun to read the Bible thoughtfully and have committed themselves to God," he continued, adding that he had often been inundated with requests for him to return and teach them more.

He Trained Men to Kill

Most striking is Orlando’s story of his encounter with Ricardo in 1984, the commander of a training unit for special forces soldiers, a powerfully-built man whose whole demeanour seemed threatening. "He told me that he trained men to kill and asked me if I was seriously suggesting he should read the Bible since his work must surely be in opposition to biblical teaching.

"I told him that to train people to defend our country was right and proper, and that he should consider that God had put him there to be an instructor for that purpose, but that he should not let his work affect his other responsibilities in life – to his wife and family. This struck home and he admitted that he had often mistreated his family because of the consuming tension in his work. ‘When I take these problems home I am not a very nice person,’ he told me.

"I read him a number of Bible verses and helped him to see that he ought to let God speak to him. This strong, powerful man began to cry because he recognised that his home life was deteriorating because of his behaviour."

Soon after accepting a gift of a Bible, Ricardo began to study it and from time to time would call Mr Vargas to say how he had found much teaching in the Bible which was useful to the soldier, such as the way Joshua had prepared spiritually for battle for the Lord.

"After several months he was convinced of his own sin and recognised his need of a saviour, and since that time he has come to faith in Christ and is now a completely different person," added Mr Vargas.

Such was the tremendous change in Ricardo’s life that his wife and two daughters also become Christians. She too, is a serving officer, in charge of a special welfare unit working with battered wives and children, and daily she conducts Bible studies for her own staff.

As a married couple they have many opportunities to give spiritual support and teaching to others, and at weekends they usually invite couples into their home for counselling.

Today, Commander Ricardo is still recognised as one of the country’s leading army instructors but he is also known as a friend and counsellor to the men under his command, and he even teaches them biblical principles.

Careful Distribution

From 1992, when this program officially started, until late 1996, 150,000 Bibles had been distributed among the armed forces, but Mr Vargas outlined that it is not just a case of random distribution. "First, we give a lecture on the best way to read the Bible and to make people aware of its meaning," he said. "Many do not know the Bible or what it really is about, and some, perhaps even most, have never read it before."

Even the military psychologists recognise the great effect that the Bible has upon the men and women of the armed forces; their research having shown that there are three levels of benefit – psychological, ethical and spiritual. With such recommendations, it is all the more of a challenge to the Bible Society that there are perhaps 80,000 services personnel who have yet to be presented with a Bible.