|TOP|As Christians continue to face persecution in the Middle East, the World Bible Translation Centre has expressed excitement at its landmark launch of a new CD version of the Arabic New Testament which is certain to help make major inroads into the Arabic-speaking world.

While it remains dangerous for many Christians to even carry a Bible publicly in many Muslim countries, the CD version has the benefit of not looking like the printed text Bible, making it much safer for Christians there to carry the Bible around with them. The CD is also usable on a computer, reports Mission Network News, allowing the reader greater discretion.

According to the World Bible Translation Centre’s Gary Bishop, the centre has already set to work on a second version of the CD which will incorporate both text and audio versions of the Bible.

It is also possible for other digital media devices to be added to the CD in the future. The CD New Testament also makes it much easier to reproduce the Bible text throughout the Arab-speaking world.

|AD|Bishop is excited that developments in technology are affording great opportunities at this time to provide a digital Arabic Bible resource, “which would just make it more widely available to anyone in an Arabic-speaking country that wants to choose to listen to God's Word,” he said.

“And you know, so many of them are curious right now, and it's a perfect time to do that."

Bishop also said that the volatile situation in the Middle East is perfect for God to work through His Word.

"Only the love of God and only His redeeming message of redemption and restoration of man to God and forgiveness and peace, will be the thing that changes those hearts.

“And so, we're excited for the opportunity to get God's Word there, to actually change the hearts of Islamic and Arabic people."