Christians on Steve Jobs: Apple Co-Founder Helped 'Bring Gospel to Our Generation'

By Allison Summers, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, October 06, 2011

Christians are taking to Twitter to thank recently deceased Apple co-founder Steve Jobs for helping to "bring the Gospel to our generation."

Though Jobs was a Buddhist and not a Christian, it was not his religious views but his contribution to Christianity that many Christians are talking about.

Many people are discussing a blog post written Thursday by Harvest Christian Fellowship pastor Greg Laurie entitled, "Steve Jobs - The Man who Helped Bring the Gospel to our Generation."

"Steve Jobs helped pave the way for more people to hear the Gospel," said Laurie, who podcasts sermons from his Riverside-based church. "Even as the Romans built a road system and established a common language in all their territories that was used by the Apostles to bring the Gospel to their generation, Jobs did something similar for our generation."

Laurie said that before Jobs, there was no such thing as an iPod, an iPhone or and iPad

"Now these devices have become a part of our everyday lives," the pastor continued. "Most ministries now have a Podcast, which is an archived message that you can download and listen to at your convenience. Harvest ministries recently released an iPhone/iPad app that allows access to a ton of media content filled with the Gospel."

"I personally listen to podcasts everyday on my Apple Nano and I am typing this on a Apple Powerbook laptop and I read through the Bible in a year on the Harvest iPad app."

"Amen!," responded twitter user Nathan Toensing to the post. "He put a Bible in everyone's palm."

Other Christian users are tweeting their own tributes to Jobs, thanking him for helping to keep their faith alive through his devices.

Kiko Pangilinan tweeted, "Listening 2 gospel music/inspirational music in my ipod has bn how my prayer&reflection time wud go all these yrs. Thank you Steve Jobs. RIP."

Twitter user Marcus Pittman stated, "I don't think there is a man aliv today that has unknowingly had such an impact on the proclamation of the Gospel as Steve Jobs."

"I think Steve Jobs might have indirectly done more for the Gospel than some Christians," tweeted Naeem Fazal. "Ouch!"

Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, also lauded Jobs for his contribution to the world.

"Christians considering the life and death of Steve Jobs will do well to remember once again the power of an individual life," Mohler wrote in an op-ed Thursday.

"God has invested massive creative abilities in his human creatures. These are often used for good, and sometimes deployed to evil ends. Steve Jobs devoted his life to a technological dream that he thought would empower humanity. He led creative teams that developed technological wonders, and then he made them seemingly necessary for life in the digital age."