M’bra Barthelemy has been a Christian for 40 years. He lives in Côte d’Ivoire, a West African country known for rainforests and beaches. M’bra originally gave his life to Jesus on July 17th 1985, when another Christian told him the good news of Jesus. That person became the founder of Christian Missionary Alliance
Evangelical church in Sahabo, a parish M’bra still attends and where he is now an elder.
Since its publication in 2006, the Africa Bible Commentary has been supporting churches and people like M’bra to know and apply the Bible better.
Unpacking meaning in unfamiliar contexts
For many years when M’bra heard the Bible taught or read it himself, he lacked the understanding to make connections between life he saw in his community and what God had to say in His Word.
The introduction of the Africa Bible Commentary in the teaching and training at Sahabo Parish has made a huge difference.
M’bra says, “Through the commentary, we understand that the way we, as Africans live, our culture, is not to be banned, but how to adapt it to our Christian life.”
One big example of this is found in Isaiah 1:18 where it says: “Though your sins are scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are crimson red, they will be like wool.”
M’bra explains, “When the Bible says that our life will be ‘white like snow’, we don’t see what snow is. So we couldn’t understand the impact or the real meaning of life being like snow. But when they identify the snow as white cotton, we know cotton. And then say our life will be white like cotton, white like snow. And snow is the symbol. We can use cotton to show that verse. It helps us know exactly what the verse is talking about.”
This is just one small verse that shows how the commentary shapes M’bra and his whole church to better understand the Bible – and have their lives changed by it!
The importance of trained preachers
Kouadio Kouassi Guillaume is currently the Pastor of the Sahabo Parish. Unlike some past Pastors in the church, he has studied at Seminary College and likely will in time gain a PhD.
M’bra sees how having a trained leader and preacher has a great impact on the church, and is thankful for the effort of Pastor Guillaume.
He says, “It helps us not be given bad teaching, but to have the appropriate messages from the Bible. It’s very important to have somebody to go learn the Word, and then come to share with us, apply it to his own life and make us apply it in our own life. It makes us better as a community…because it helps us to be close to God, to be close to people and to share the gospel with them.”
Before knowing Jesus, M’bra wasn’t proud of who he was, and he now thanks God for how he has used his Word to change him. He says, “I used to drink alcohol and I did bad things. And I used to smoke a lot. And in the family, I wasn’t considered, because my decisions weren’t good ones. But since I gave my life to Jesus and then with the help of Bible studies, Bible stories and preaching, I recognise the importance of living a Christlike life. And nowadays, I have become an important person not only in my family but also in the church, being able to be effective enough to help the development of the church. This is how good preaching has helped me.”