Special edition New Testament celebrates Bucharest's 550th birthday

|PIC1|World Vision Romania and Biblica Europe have teamed up to print a special edition of the New Testament to celebrate the 550th anniversary of Bucharest.

Also involved in the collaboration are 10 churches in the Romanian capital. Together, they are printing and distributing 10,000 copies of the Bucharest City New Testament around the city to mark the 550th anniversary this year.

The customised New Testament uses Biblica's New Romanian Translation and displays Bucharest on the front cover. It also includes personal testimonies from a senior civil servant, a football player, an actress, and prominent lawyer.

“I am delighted that these Bucharest churches have a passion to share God’s Word,” said Graham Sopp, Biblica Europe Ministries Director.

Bucharest has had a varied history since Prince Vlad Tepes - also known as Vlad the Impaler - established his court there in 1459. It was burned down by the Ottomans and hit by devastating earthquakes and fires, before being occupied by foreign powers, badly bombed by both sides during World War II, and subjected to the erratic leadership of Nicolae Ceausescu during the communist era.

The Romanian Church's story is also one of remarkable resilience, surviving the Turkish Ottoman Empire and communist rule.

The same spirit infuses the Romanian Church, which survived both the Turkish Ottoman Empire and communist rule.

In an increasingly secular, materialistic, and post-Christian Romania, however, the Church is facing new challenges to bring the Gospel message to the people.

The New Romanian Translation was developed over more than 10 years by Biblica - formerly IBS-STL - out of recognition that the language in existing Romanian Bibles had become outdated.

“It is wonderful to see the NTR Bible translation being used in this way," said Sopp. "Please pray for the impact of these New Testaments on those who receive them.”