The Seed Must Die
The Seed Must Die
"But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye." Act 4:19
This is a short book, a true story, written by Yong Choon Ahn, published by Inter-Varsity Fellowship in 1966, about a Korean pastor, Pastor Son, and how he was persecuted and imprisoned by the Japanese during WWII, because he refused to participate in Shinto Shrine Worship.
https://www.amazon.com/Seed-Must-Die-Yong-Choon/dp/B0011DBUTA
The book is a simple book, but being a true story, it is important, and the Forward gives a powerful presentation of the principle involved: do we obey God or man?
Here is the Forward of "The Seed Must Die," which I quote in full:
The comments in [ ] are mine, and I have made bold some points so they are not missed.
The events recorded in this story took place in Korea between 1940 and 1953. The courageous Christian testimony of which it tells is part of the fruit of missionary work which has been going on in that country for a century or more. This, however, is only a small span in the long history of this people, who have been a cultured nation for over 3,000 years; much longer, in fact, than Europe and America, and also much longer than her powerful neighbor Japan. But this old and great civilization did not prevent Korea from becoming increasingly a sphere of Japanese influence as that country became westernized and developed her military and economic empire.
In 1901 the Japanese 'trusteeship' of Korea changed abruptly into what can only be described as annexation. The thirty million people of Korea were reduced to the status of a colony, and progressively lost their freedom. The Japanese rule was cruel. By police pressure, exploitation, imprisonment, execution, and massacre they sought to reduce the Korean people to subjugation in a way that is reminiscent of the Dark Ages - though it probably owed its inspiration to the imperialistic wars of other nations in recent times. Eventually religious remaining freedom was also attacked, and the relatively large and flourishing Christian church came under fire as one of the remaining bulwarks of independence.
One of the main weapons in the campaign to unify and 'Japanize' the Koreans was the official doctrine of the deity of the emperor. [Emperor Hirohito, who died in 1989. Part of the peace treaty with the US that ended WWII, was his "Humanity Declaration," in which he repudiated the idea of his divinity.] With it went an insistence that all should take part in the national rites connected with Shinto shrine worship. School classes began with bowing to the Japanese flag, and at certain appointed times teachers had to lead their pupils, and ministers their congregations, to bow at the Shinto shrines. This, it was insisted, was not an act of religious worship, but merely an expression of national solidarity. However, the Shinto shrines were also places of pagan worship, and few Christians could feel happy about it. There was in fact a remarkable similarity to the demand in early Christian times that incense should be offered to the Roman emperor. Many ministers, in order to keep the churches open and religious instruction of any kind in existence, acquiesced in the demands of the ruling powers; but their freedom was gradually diminished. Certain hymns were banned and the doctrine of the final judgment and the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ had to be left out of their teaching.
The pressure for national solidarity was, naturally enough, most fierce in the years when Japan was at war with America and Great Britain (following the attack on Pearly Harbor in 1941). It came suddenly to an end with the defeat of Japan in 1945, only to be replaced soon after by the onslaught of Communism and the horrors of the Korean War, covering, at times, very large parts of the country and striking cruelly at those who were most faithful and outspoken in their testamentary to Jesus Christ. [Faithfulness to Christ, makes us a lightening rods for persecution!]
For from the beginning there had been many who would not give way. In 1937 the Mission Boards had closed all their schools rather than acquiesce. Far-seeing and conscientious Korean Christians prepared themselves to be sacrificed in the coming struggle, and began movements for the preservation of truth and righteousness. But the most effective weapon against the religions of nationalism and Communism was the faithfulness of individuals. This book is the story of one of these faithful pastors and his family.
To-date, we Christians in America have experienced nothing similar to what these people endured, nor what is endured by many of our brothers and sisters in various parts of the world, today, in 2025.
The above reference to ancient Rome is so fitting! Nobody wants to make those parallels to Rome and us today; in fact I cannot remember reading it made in any other book, but it is 110% correct. The Roman Emperors were also deified, and the Roman Government wanted everyone, as an oath of allegiance, to sprinkle a bit of incense on a sacred fire, and say "Caesar in Lord." Christians refused saying, "Jesus is Lord." NOTE: The Romans did not require a statement denying that Jesus was Lord, only an additional statement that "Caesar is Lord." But the Christians would not do that, they said, no there is only one Lord, and that is Jesus. For that stand for truth, they were sent to the Roman Games, to be torn apart by wild animals, and killed by the gladiators, to provide entertainment for the general pagan Roman population. These are historic facts, which you can read about with a few Internet clicks.
We Christians are law abiding people. We are told to obey those in authority over us, and we generally do, but when government laws oppose God's laws, we struggle.
We American Christians think we will not have to deal with this, after all, America is a Christian country. Without getting into the issue of whether our Founding Fathers were Evangelical Christians, or simply Deists, that was then, today is today! Think COVID! The government required churches to close, and we were called unpatriotic, threats to society, endangering the health of the nation, enemies of the State, traitors, etc if we did not comply with Government rules and suggestions.
In New Jersey, our home State, we were told the government wanted the churches closed, but the liquor stores were to remain open, because they were "essential services." Let them drown their fears in drink, but don't let them seek God!
This little book is the story of one family among our many Korean brothers and sisters in the 1940s, who suffered rather than obey the government laws which opposed God's laws. As Peter and John, they said they had to obey God, rather than man.
And I here commend my brother John MacArthur, for his defying state mandates that restricted church gatherings in California. You can Google: John MacArthur COVID Response.
And when the government requires me to say something is right, that I feel the bible says is wrong, then the issue broadens, and becomes much more relevant. Issues like: Evolution, Homosexuality, Abortion, and Gender issues; or calling it a "hate-crime" if I want to say another religion is teaching things that will not get a person to God or heaven.
This is NOT a political Blog site, but this little book hits a hot issue: the government forcing people to obey them, over God. It might not be an issue today in 2025, but it is lingering under the surface.
Consider this statement of Janet Reno, who was Attorney General under Bill Clinton from 1993-2001:
A Cultist is one who has a strong belief in the Bible and the Second Coming of Christ; who frequently attends Bible studies; who has a high level of financial giving to a Christian cause; who home schools his children; who has accumulated survival foods and has a strong belief in the 2nd Amendment, and who distrusts Big Government.
https://www.azquotes.com/author/12235-Janet_Reno
9 December 2025