Francis Chan explains why Korean Missionaries kidnapped by Taliban wish they were still in captivity

Best-selling author and popular Christian Pastor Francis Chan has recently revealed that some of the South Korean missionaries who were kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2007 wish they are still in captivity.

Chan was a featured speaker at International Christian Concern's annual Christian persecution conference called The Bridge 2017 which was held at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.

During his speech at the conference, he referenced Revelation 5:8 to highlight the importance of learning "obedience through suffering," which many Christians in the West may not learn by living their lives in comfort.

Chan wondered whether the Christians who have never experienced true suffering for their faith could be missing out on an opportunity to have a more intimate fellowship with Christ.

The best-selling author went on to share some details about his conversation with one of the 23 kidnapped Korean missionaries when he visited Seoul for the first time.

Chan recounted that the unnamed missionary talked about how he and the other captives got into an argument when they found out that they were going to be killed one at a time.

"This man I was having dinner with was saying to this other guy, 'Look, I know they are going to kill us one at a time. I die first,'" Chan narrated, as reported by The Christian Post.

"The other man said, 'No, I die first.' [The first] guy is going, 'No, I am your elder. I die first.' Then, the other man says, 'No, you have not been ordained as a pastor. I am an ordained minister. I die first.' That man was the first one that was executed," he continued.

Two missionaries, identified as 42-year-old Pastor Bae Hyeong-gyu and 29-year-old Shim Seong-min, were executed before a deal with the South Korean government was reached for the group's release.

Chan narrated that the Korean missionary told him that some of the 16 female missionaries who were with him have asked him if he ever wished he were still imprisoned by the Taliban.

"They tell me, 'When I was surrounded by these soldiers, I felt the presence of Jesus in there with me. Now that we are back in Seoul, I am trying to experience that intimacy with Him but I can't. I fast and I pray and I don't feel it. I would rather be back there because of the intimacy I had with him,'" Chan quoted the missionary as saying.

Chan suggested that the presence of Jesus felt by the Korean missionaries while they were under the threat of execution was probably similar to the experiences of certain martyrs in the Bible.

He pointed to the example of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were seen with a fourth man when they were thrown into the pit of fire. The author also noted that Stephen also saw Christ when he was about to be stoned to death. He then asked whether Christians are missing out on a special fellowship in suffering because of their desire for comfort.

Chan went on to say that he is afraid of suffering, but he is more afraid of comfort. He said that he wants to join the Apostle Paul and Jesus, and noted that it does not seem sensible to wish for more suffering, but it makes sense if the resurrection is real.