My name is RobelChemeda. I am involved in the association of Ethiopian evangelical students
and graduates. Currently I am serving as a general secretary. I am grateful for this opportunity to
comment on the book written by our brother Adiamseged and other related issues.
I would like to begin by pointing out that if Christians want to practice the life of discipleship,
reading is very crucial in the process beginning from the day we receive the Lord Jesus.
Christianity requires discipline. There are some things we must do consciously and intentionally.
And reading is one of those things. But if we ask how much do today’s Christians read, we know
that they don’t read much. The habit of reading is growing from time to time among ministers,
the youth and students. However, I think it is still at a level that is not very satisfactory.
If a man wants to grow as a disciple, to grow in his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he has to read
and search the scriptures like the people of Beria. That’s very important. Our brother
Adiamseged has presented to us with about ten Bible study books including this one. I believe
this is a great contribution and I pray that God bless him in his service. When we look at
theological books, they are written for academic purpose. Besides, the youth that I am teaching
have no access to theological books. And even if they do get hold of them, they are not suitable
to their needs. But this book by Adiamseged is written in such a way that anyone can read and
learn from it. So, this is the kind of book I recommend for all people. In particular, I have seen
the commentary on the Gospel of John. It is a very helpful book for personal study of the Bible
and preparation for ministry.
*****
We hear that reading is not a popular hobby in Ethiopia. This is a book that will contribute to
developing the taste of reading. It is a book designed especially to make disciples of the youth
and show them how to study the Bible. As we know the Book of Ephesians has six chapters. But
he book is huge. However, we open it and start studying it, we will find that the book is not as
intimidating as its size makes it look. When we start reading the book, we will love it.
Developing the habit of reading takes commitment. We spend our time mostly in entertainment
that provides fleeting pleasure. But a person who reads will gain a lot of knowledge. Developing
the habit of reading also requires discipline. When people read, they grow and find the strength
to commit themselves to God. So, one of the ways to develop our reading taste is if families read
and encourage their children to read. If we don’t read but tell children to read, they see our
actions, meaning that we don’t read and they will not be interested in reading. So, we parents
ought to read in the sight of children and be an example for them. It is also important to give
them some incentives for reading. For example, we can encourage them with a reward for
completing a book.
The fact that our brother Adiamseged wrote this book while under the pressures of life in
America is nothing short of amazing. Even producing small articles takes time and commitment.
He has written not only this book but ten others also. I have gone through the study of Ephesians.
I would like to say, Keep up the good work. We can use this book in different ways. We may use
it as a study guide in family worship. They youth can bring it along to Bible study groups and
use it as a study guide because it is a rich resource. It is packed with knowledge. If the youth
commit themselves to study this book, they will be inspired to study the Bible in depth. This is a
book that encourages other writers also to prepare books that will be beneficial to generations.
The books we have been using until now are translations from English. However, this book,
written originally in Amharic takes our context and culture into consideration. As a result, it
shows us easily how to practice in life what we learn by reading. Thank you.
Alright, thank you. My name is Abel Eshetu. I am secretary of youth ministry within the
Ethiopian Kalehiwot Church. I am also a member of the executive board of the Ethiopian
Kalehiwot Church. The literature department of GHLU ministry has published a study of the
Book of Ephesians. I have had the opportunity of reading this book. Therefore, I am commenting
on this book and how beneficial it is to the youth. Books are beneficial to the youth as well as to
people in other age groups. I would like to point out the fact that Ethiopian youth, especially
evangelicals, need to develop reading habits. Reading is not a very popular hobby among us
Ethiopians, especially among Christians. I think most young people have not read the Bible
through at least once. Nowadays, many kinds of false teachings are spreading. And these false
teachings mainly target the youth. So, it is very important to develop reading habit in order to
prevent the spread of heresy. Some of the authors of the books in the Bible had once been young
people. For example, the Paul was a young man and some of the writers of the Old Testament
books were young men. So, if a written work is accepted as the word of God, it ought to be read.
Therefore, I advise young people that they should develop a taste for reading. The Bible says that
every book that is inspired by God’s spirit is beneficial for teaching, for reprove and for
correction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect and ready for every good work.
The letters Paul wrote at various times indicate that he wrote them with his own hand. So, a book
is meant to read and I advise the youth to edify themselves by reading consistently. One of the
obstacles in the Christian circle to publishing many books is the fear of finding enough readers.
When a book is published in Ethiopia the number of copies does not exceed fifteen thousand. In
the western world, however, books are published in millions of copies and are reprinted many
times. The history of publishing in Ethiopia exposes the fact that reading is not a popular hobby.
But when a reading generation arises, writers too will arise. I want to encourage everyone to be a
reader.
Now, our brother Adiamseged has written a wonderful book on the Epistle to the Ephesians. I
have had the opportunity to read the book. I could see how much of his time our brother has
sacrificed to put this book together. To begin with, the book is of unusually big volume.
Moreover, the letter to the Ephesians is analyzed phrase by phrase presenting not only his
understanding but also the views of others who have written on the letter to the Ephesians. I can
see that it took him a long time and cost him a lot of energy. Therefore, I encourage the youth to
get hold of this important book and read it. Why do I recommend it so highly? I recommend it
because the letter to the Ephesians contains some of the most important Christian doctrines
including salvation and the second coming of Christ. The book is designed to help a new
Christian as well as one who thinks he is mature and those youth who are involved in ministry. It
is written in a way that encourages readers or in a style that English speakers call reader-friendly.
It is written in a way that once you start reading it you will be unable to put it down. I believe
that the youth can be attracted to books written in this style and read them. I also believe that this
kind of book greatly contributes to their growth in discipleship. This is so because discipleship is
growth in the Word of God, in fellowship with other saints and in preaching the gospel. A
disciple is one who keeps growing in these four areas.
So, for a solid foundation in the Word of God, one needs to take time to study the Bible. As we
all know, the Bible is written in a kind of Amharic that is challenging for the youth today. Even
the latest translation which is supposed to be an easy read is not really very easy because it tells
of events that took place thousands of years ago. Therefore, without books that assist in study,
the Bible is a tough book to understand. So, study helps, especially the books written by our
brother Adiamseged, can help easily grasp the message of the Bible. I would like to encourage
the youth to take this book along while reading the Bible and to build themselves up. If they do
so, they will grow in their spiritual life and grow in the knowledge of God, bear the fruit of the
spirit, learn to properly use the gifts of the Spirit. The book can help of understand their liberty in
Christ and lay a strong foundation in knowledge. I have had the opportunity to see many
reference books written by various authors. The majority are not by Ethiopian writers. And they
are not written in Amharic. Not many youth can read English. Being written in Amharic,
Adiamseged’s book can reach out to the youth in the city as well as in the country. So, I can
testify that it is a wonderful work.
I would like to add that our brother has written not only a book on the epistle to the Ephesians
but also many other books. I have been following him on Facebook for a long time. I have
listened to some of his teachings on videos and have read his books. Some of his books are in
soft copies. If he can devote so much time to writing while living in a foreign land where life is
so hectic and demanding, I think people should support his efforts in various ways. They can
support him by their technical skills, with their knowledge in his field. There are many people in
Ethiopia who have graduated in theology and have great potential. But they may not have the
patience and the endurance to write like him. So, I would like to say that writing books like him
is leaving a worthy legacy and therefore, they should follow in his footsteps. Part of following
his footsteps could be typing his manuscripts, or developing and expanding ideas. Publishing a
book is an expensive venture. Some people can support financially by covering a percentage of
the printing cost. I would like to say that all Christians ought to support this effort. I especially
encourage Kalehiwot youth to get this book and learn from it. I know our brother Adiamseged
has many followers on YouTube and Facebooks and so he can reach many people. I would like
to call upon all who have been blessed by his ministry to support his works in every way
possible. God bless you all.
