A comment I wrote on Daniel Akin’s new book, Ten Who Changed the World (B&H, 2012; foreword by David Platt):
“Christian biography is a gift from God to the church, recounting the faithfulness and foibles of ordinary men and women who, by God’s grace, became those of whom the world is not worthy. Think of this book as a spread of ten appetizers, whetting your appetite for more. Dr. Akin skillfully weaves the life and lessons from ten missionaries with a key text from Scripture. I expect that the Lord will use this warm and winsome book to encourage and inspire many readers to reach the nations for the glory of God!”
Here is the publisher’s description:
Ten Who Changed the World is seminary president Daniel Akin’s powerful tribute to the transformational work done by some truly inspiring Christian missionaries. With each profile, he journeys into the heart of that gospel servant’s mission-minded story and makes a compelling connection to a similar account from the Bible.
David Brainerd (1718-1747; missionary to Native Americans) reminds Akin of Paul’s missionary life in 2 Timothy.
The faithful ministry of George Leile (1750-1820; missionary to Jamaica) is aligned with Galatians 6.
William Carey (1761-1834; missionary to India) lives out the Great Commission of Matthew 28.
There are parallels between Adoniran Judson (1788-1850; missionary to Burma) and Romans 8.
Lottie Moon (1840-1912; missionary to China) displays the power of a consecrated life described in Romans 12.
The work of James Fraser (1886-1938; missionary to China) illustrates Revelation 5.
Eric Liddell (1902-1945; missionary to China), his life documented in the film Chariots of Fire, illuminates Hebrews 12.