After Being in a Pit (Prison) for 13 Years, Gregory Changed the Nation.

It is a profoundly intriguing story.

Gregory was the son of Anak. In 252 AD, Anak assassinated Khosorov II, the King of Armenia. At that point, Khosorov’s son Tiridates became the king.

Gregory, the son of the assassin (Anak), at first fled, then returned to Armenia to meet Tiradates. According to some accounts, Gregory apologized to the King for the fact that his father (Anak) had killed King Tiridates' father (Khorosov).

How did King Tiridates respond? He threw Gregory into a deep, dark pit (prison) and tortured him for 13 years.

When King Tiridates became ill, his sister (don’t even try to pronounce her name – Khosrovidukht) suggested that the man who he had thrown into the pit might be able to help him. Gregory was brought out of the pit and he prayed for King Tiridates. Tiridates was healed.

The King was overjoyed and saw that Gregory worshipped the true God and thus declared Armenia to be a Christian nation. The year was 301 AD, well before the Roman Empire was declared by Constantine to be “Christian.”
 
(NOTE: Declaring a nation to be “Christian” does not mean that every citizen truly is a Christian. Not at all. In fact, they can become “CINOs:” “Christians in name only.” We need to remember that throughout most of history it was assumed that every person in a nation had to believe the same way – religiously and politically. Thus a nation was either Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist etc.

It was not until William Penn’s great experiment called Pennsylvania in the New World – America – that religious pluralism and religious liberty was self-consciously and deliberately permitted and even encouraged. We often forget that America’s First Amendment regarding religious freedom is a rather new phenomenon in history. 
 
When present-day countries – such as Armenia or Hungary, etc – say they are “Christian,” it means that their laws and traditions are founded upon Judeo-Christian values.

America has the same history, with laws founded upon the Scriptures. That is what is meant when one says, “America is a Christian nation.” It does not mean that every policy is right, nor that every person must become a Christian. It merely means that the basis of law is the Bible.)

However, the Gospel had come to Armenia long before 301 AD. The message of the cross of Christ arrived in Armenia very soon after the resurrection of Jesus. Some of the original followers of Christ, Apostles Thaddeus (Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18) and Bartholomew (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:14, and Acts 1:13), first proclaimed the Gospel in Armenia in the First Century.

When you visit Armenia, they will proudly show you where these disciples proclaimed the Gospel, not too far from the towering Mt. Ararat, the traditional site of Noah’s ark.

But, you live a long way from Armenia. So why should you care about it?

Let’s review: Where is Armenia? See the map. Look at some of its neighbors, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey. It is in a rough “neighborhood.”

But I want you to focus on one part. It is called Nagorno-Karabakh. It has another name, easier to remember: Artsakh. Either way, there is great pain there. Over 120,000 Christians have been displaced, with some being tortured, raped and murdered by the Islamic Azerbaijan.

I interviewed brothers Emanuel and Vladimir Khachaturov from Armenia about the violent threats coming from the Muslim nation to the east, Azerbaijan. They got up at 3:30am to be on our World Prayer Network call. In addition, Dan Harre and Matius Pertula of “Save Armenia” shared the solemn truth regarding Azerbaijan’s aggression. 
 
Please listen to the interview here: Watch now. And then I ask you to pray and act. Listen to the call to action.

Blessings,
Dr. Jim Garlow
CEO/Founder
Well Versed

Rosemary Schindler Garlow
Co-Founder
Well Versed