The Message of the Martyrs
I’ve been trying to think of something substantive to write about. No one really cares to read about my day-to-day life, its just not very exciting. One of the things that inevitably comes up when reading about the early church is martyrdom. Until recently I was under the impression, like I think most people are, that martyrdom was really common in the early church. I guess that’s not the case. Martyrdom was a real threat and it was certainly dangerous to be a Christian. But I guess the biggest problem was the constant threat of martyrdom, you never knew when the hammer was gonna fall, but it was always looming overhead.
Persecutions were always possible and when they happened they were intense. They were usually quick and devastating, though rarely prolonged.The great persecution, started by Diocletian lasted from 303 to 313.
The accounts we have of these persecutions are pretty intense. It’s hard to know how reliable some of the accounts are. Stuff likeThe Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity have some pretty fanciful sections filled with visions, prophecies and lady more concerned with their modesty than the Tiger about to chomp them. According to the legend Perpetua was so special that she had to help the young gladiator raise his sword to her throat to kill her. I’d like to believe these tales are true. It would be awesome to really believe that Saturus felt now pain while being tortured and then pointed out the leopard that would kill him in one bite. I hope it’s true.
The stories of the martyrs, however true they are, do help me appreciate the severity of persecution and the incredible faith that the early church displayed, and that I think is the real point of documents like Perpetua and Felicity. To encourage and embolden the believers and to inspire the unbelievers. I have no doubt that many young women like Perpetua faced unspeakable horrors and with far more faith, hope and love than I could. I hope that should the time come I will remember their testimony and step up.
