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THE EARLY CHURCH 
                  TO AD 313

 I. The Way of Martyrdom

            Sporadically, during the early period of the church, the church received persecution from the Roman Empire. During this early period, martyrdom was seen as the supreme and privileged means of showing one’s faith in God. Let's briefly examine two examples. 
           
Polycarp (died about 160) was a bishop in Smyrna (modern Turkey) in the early church who was martyred for refusing to deny Christ. He was burned as a heretic at a Roman stadium after refusing several times to deny his love of Christ.

             “For eighty six years I have been his servant, and he has never done me wrong: how can I blaspheme my king who saved me ?”  

To read the ancient account of Polycarp's martyrdom, click here.

A female Christian named Irene (died in 304) was another early Christian martyr. One of Irene’s ‘crimes’ was concealing Christian books (probably copies of the scriptures) in defiance of the emperor's order to burn them. She was believed to be leader in the Thessalonian Church. She and others attempted to flee the persecution but were caught and interrogated. Under questioning, she was asked why she persisted in refusing to eat meat that had been sacrificed offered to the gods. Her tormentors asked her who it was who advised her to defy the emperor. She responded:

           “It was Almighty God who bade us to love unto death. For this reason we did not dare to be traitors, but we chose to burned alive or suffer anything else that  might happen to us rather than betray the writings [Scripture].” Quoted in Praying with Passionate Women, Bridget Mary Meehan. New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1995, p. 32.  

For more information on Irene, click here.

? ~~ Questions for You ~~ 
            The Way of Martyrdom

  • During the period of the early church, why were Christians being persecuted? By whom? In what manner were Christians persecuted?

  • Look into the history of Polycarp’s life as a bishop.  

  • During the early church period, did many women suffer martyrdom or was Irene an exception?  

  • Try a web search on ‘martyrs,’ both ancient and current. Which periods of history have produced the most martyrs? 

  •  Where are martyrs dying for Christ in this century?
       

  • Try to get your mind around expressing your love for Christ by dying a painful death. What does this thought evoke in you?  

  • What are the common ways we express supreme devotion for Christ today? How are you manifesting your devotion to Christ in your life just now?  

URL Links to more information on martyrs:

To read about the decade in which the biblical apostles Peter and Paul suffered martyrdom (including some text written by a first century non-biblical historian), click here.

For a variety of articles on Christian martyrs from New Testament times to today, click here. 

To read about a tragic day (in the year 177) for Christians in what ultimately became France, click here.

For the story of the martyrdom of five women in Egypt in 203, click here.

To find several ancient accounts of Christian martyrdom, click here.

For more information on a variety of early Christian martyrs, click here.

To read about the most famous Christian book on martyrs, click here.

To read the text of Foxe's Book of Martyrs, click here.

To read more about Protestant martyrs following the 16th century Reformation, click here.

For a chart laying out the numbers of Christian martyrs over the last twenty centuries, click here.

For links to organizations dealing with contemporary persecution of Christians around the world, click here.

To learn about a weekly email message you can receive that will help you pray for persecuted Christians around the world, click here.

For more links relating to persecution and martyrdom of Christians, click here.


 

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