In the reading “The Martyrs,” one of the things the author discusses is Christian persecution and its effects. I did not realize before reading this article that only a small percentage of Christians--according to the author--were persecuted. However, even though a minority of Christians were brutally murdered, Christians still had difficulties to deal with, such as deciding on whether or not it was God-honoring to bribe a local magistrate and receive a forged paper which stated that you had given the required sacrifice or not. Some refused, and these Christians were held in high esteem and spoken of as examples of Christian models when they were martyred. However, although these persecutions strengthened the church, they created an interesting problem when many people began worshipping martyrs and their relics. Martyrs’ bones were soon kept and revered instead of God’s truth. This is just another example of how the human race is just as sinful as it was thousands of years ago. It’s so easy to take something good--like a martyr who refused to compromise his/her faith--and twist it until we end up worshipping the material rather than the Creator. Even though we are teens in the U.S., it does not mean that the temptation to take something and make it your idol does not exist. This week’s reading served as a helpful reminder for me to give God the glory and and keep His gospel and truth at the center of my mind, and nothing else.
one thing that i thought was interesting was in the last paragraph or so, the author talked about the controversy that the church faced. "The question then was were you really baptized if you had been baptized by a bishop who fell away from the faith during the persecutions?" i liked reading about all the different approaches people came up with. there were two very distinct answers. "Well, people are repentant. We've all committed sins. They should just be forgiven and brought back in." and "once you handed over scripture, recanted the faith, done these various acts, there was no way you could ever be a Christian again." and to be honest i don't really know where i stand on this, i was hopping the author would gave a little more closure on the subject, like how the church handled it. i do fell like we have ALL sinned and God forgives us "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters." (Romans 14:1) , but i do think that is almost too easy on them. but im not sure. i said this in my class once...'if this situation arose im not sure my faith would be strong enough and id be tempted to "curse Christ" to save my life' i know that its bad but truthfully id be scared. and i pray that my faith does get to the point that i could say , with truth, that i would not curse Crist.
Before this year I had never read further explanations for the persecution of Christians, beyond the fact that they believed in one true God. This belief was very counter-cultural. From reading this article I noticed three main reasons behind the persecution of Christians. First, Christians were blamed and used as an “explanatory device” for why natural disasters hit. “Plague. Earthquake. Flood. It’s [was blamed] because the Christians, as gentiles [were not] doing their duty to heaven.” This made other gentiles upset and led them to talk to their governors and have Christians arrested and put to death. The next reason, which is a continuation of the first, is that Christians were persecuted because they weren’t sacrificing to the emperor. Finally, Christians were also persecuted because they were organized. This quote explains well the threat that Christianity posed to the government. “The Emperors recognized their [the Christians] counter-cultural tendencies and says, ‘This is dangerous - we can't have this large a group, which by the way, is also very highly organized, and, unlike other religious communities, is organized not just on a local basis, but is organized on an empire-wide basis. Something has to be done about it….’” All of these reasons led to the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.
One quote in this article caught my attention. After talking about the martyrdom of and how heroic she was, the author tells how she was actually killed by sort of helping the gladiator stab her. He says, "It's a kind of assisted suicide." My first thought was, "No, she is just speeding up what she knows is going to happen." It displays a powerful trust in God's will. I disagree that it is an assisted suicide.
But after finishing part 1 of Murder In the Cathedral, I started thinking there might also be some pride issues with Perpetua. In the play, the Archbishop, Thomas Becket, is tempted by four things. The first three are pleasure, power as chancellor, and power through supporting a rebellion. The final tempter is more sinister, tempting Thomas with what he has already thought of. He suggests that Thomas as a martyr would have power in heaven over all men. He tells Thomas to, “seek the way of martyrdom” (Eliot 39). (I got chills reading that.) Thomas admits he has thought of that, even begun it, by coming back to England when he knows he will likely die. But he resists and says, “The last temptation is the greatest treason: / To do the right thing for the wrong reason” (Eliot 44).
I don't know what Perpetua was thinking or what was in her heart, but to me she seemed awfully eager to be martyred, especially when the “Martyrs” author pointed out that there wasn’t a huge persecution going on at the time, and when the narrator of her diary says, “It was as though so great a woman, feared as she was by the unclean spirit, could not be dispatched unless she herself were willing.” There is a huge difference between being martyred and trying to be martyred. If she was pushing for it because she was prideful and wanted greater glory in heaven, that was not a good thing. However, I don’t know her thoughts, she may have not been doing anything of the sort. I still don’t think it was exactly an assisted suicide. But she could possibly have had some pride issues.
The general bravery, love, care, and dedication of the Martyrs is very inspiring. The idea that they were willing to die for their faith in any capacity, is astounding and truly puts a lot of weight on our day to day decisions, whether we're choosing to do our homework well for the glory of God, or deciding not to disagree with someone we know on a Topic because we don't want them to judge us. Judgment may be a social torture, but it sure isn't a physical slow death. Generally speaking I found the reading inspiring and interesting, but when it came to Perpetual, the story seemed different.
Perpetua was so eager to be martyred, it sounded like she was running away from something, or trying to measure up. Although in the courtroom, when asked by her father to cooperate, she respond's boldly, "No. I am a Christian." To practically commit suicide in the arena because the gladiator doesn't have the gut to kill her, seems a little desperate. Obviously, if God opens a window, and the door to the basement falls down, you usually escape through the window! Perpetua elected to take the basement route. Which is interesting. Why was she so desperate to be martyred? That's my only question! If the gladiator couldn't kill her, why would she kill herself? Was she in that much pain? Was there something else in life that she couldn't bear/ didn't want to return to so she just committed suicide? Overall, something seemed backwards with her, something wasn't right, although what it was I cannot say.
Interestingly, however, upon reading the diary of Perpetual, a slightly different perspective is gained. Perpetua still seems to be almost too eager to be martyred, but her diary makes this much less obvious than the article. But the diary account also raises another question which popped into my mind while Perpetual was in the Prison cell:
Perpetua's vision tells her that she will be victorious over the devil, but what does it mean for her to be victorious? In the dream it meant life, but in reality she thought it meant glorious death for the cross! Even the author of the Epilogue to her diary comments that she seemed invincible unless she herself killed herself! Although I understand wanting to be put out of misery, that wasn't the air of Perpetua's intent. It would be interesting to read through these again and try to draw some more definite conclusions on Perpetua's Martyrdom.
(Perpetua’s Prison Diary) “This was the way my father spoke out of love for me, kissing my hands and throwing himself down before me. With tears in his eyes he no longer addressed me as his daughter but as a woman. I was sorry for my father’s sake, because he alone of all my kin would be unhappy to see me suffer.” As Christians, we must recognize that we are first and foremost under the authority of God. In addition, we are under the authority of our parents. The key theme that surfaces in this passage is world versus Heaven. For Perpetua to refuse her father’s requests and take a stand for her faith testifies to shifting authority. In the age of the Romans, the father was the head of the household and could potentially make the choice of whether a family member lives or dies. For Perpetua, the relationship between her and her father was probably most important, due to this fact. A Roman father would envision his daughter fulfilling her duty by honoring and taking care of him, and also by elevating their social status through a reputable marriage. Perpetua’s martyrdom went against her expectations in society, showing a shift from the obedience to worldly authority and customs to the obedience to God first.
As I was reading "The Martyrs," I found it inspiring to read about the furthering of God's kingdom. In the beginning of this article, the Christians are under question. The Emperor during this time (250 AD) said, "This is dangerous - we can't have this large a group, which by the way, is also very highly organized, and, unlike other religious communities, is organized not just on a local basis, but is organized on an empire-wide basis. Something has to be done about it...." Thus, the Roman Empire decided to do something about it. They persecuted the church and the Christians, in order to try and destroy Christianity. Yet, it failed. Instead of destroying the church, it strengthened it. What I found amazing from this is that God can turn anything that seems terrible, awful, etc into something amazing. The God we serve is truly an amazing God, capable of anything. Through this persecution, he strengthened the Church and the Christian faith and caused the spread of Christianity to increase rapidly. Through this persecution, you get famous martyrs that inspire many of us Christians to live lives full of the faith like they did. For example, we have Perpetua. She stood up for her faith; she would rather die than disavow her faith in Jesus Christ. And even though it is a little interesting that she was so eager to be martyred during a time with very little persecution, we can draw inspiration from how strong her faith in God was during this difficult time.
In “The Martyrs,” the following quote provides an interesting glimpse church history: “More Christians were persecuted by the Roman Government after the conversion of Constantine, than before. The difference is that's it's a Christian government who's persecuting the other Christians.” First of all, this quote reminded me that when we think of problems in the church, we tend to look outside of the church rather than inside it. We often think of hostile foreign governments and the resulting persecution of the Christians who live in those countries as one of the greatest issues faced by the Church today. But surprisingly, churches in places like Iran and Syria are growing at incredible rates, while the number of Americans who self-identify as Christians continues to dwindle. The explanation? Well, I believe persecution tends to drive people to God, because the very basis for Christianity is the suffering of Christ. When we look at both the current persecuted church, as well as the one in the third century, we see that God does incredible things when people are willing to take a stand for him. Secondly, I think that we often ignore the fact that historically, the church can be its own worst enemy. Dire circumstances such as persecution allow us to see that faith in Christ is of ultimate importance; but when we face no such threats, we frequently see a breakdown in church unity. We place too much importance on small issues, or in the case of the early church, we can let the power of being in the government go to our head. The fact that Christians persecuted more Christians than the pagans ever did really made me think about the need for churches to be united in their desire to follow Christ. Also, we should remember that the church’s greatest problems often come not from external forces, but from weaknesses within the church itself.
Reading the diary and account of the martyrdom of Perpetua was truly heart wrenching. As I read, I was struck again and again by the joy of Perpetua and the other Christians when facing death. A quote that really stuck out to me was, “The day of their victory dawned, and they marched from the prison to the amphitheatre joyfully as though they were going to heaven, with calm faces, trembling, if at all, with joy rather than fear.” This quote references the day of their death as the day of their victory. We don’t usually see death in such a light. Throughout her diary, there seemed to be a sense of peace that overpowered the difficulty of her circumstances. She had a faith that surpassed fear. This brings to mind 1 John 4:18 which says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” Perpetua had caught a glimpse of the perfect love that only Christ can give. Through the assurance of salvation, Perpetua and the other martyrs were able to face the most brutal of suffering with the greatest celebration. When seeing the bravery of those who suffered for Christ, I am reminded of two things. First, I am abundantly grateful that I live in a society where Christians are free from persecution. This is a blessing that we often take for granted. Second, I am inspired to boldly proclaim Christ despite the consequences that may or may not come with it. In the case of Perpetual, suffering was to come but it was not in vain. Her life and bravery have not been forgotten and will continue to inspire people to live boldly for Christ.
Something that’s been sticking out to me while reading “The Martyrs,” “Perpetua’s Account,” and similar stories in both History and Literature is the resounding battle cry of Christian strength. Christianity- literally being like Christ- was so unlike any other religion of the day. It stood out in many, many ways. The main way, obviously going along with this week’s reading, was its unbelievable strength in the face of horrifying persecution. The quote I want to talk about comes from “The Martyrs.” While speaking about the persecution Christians faced under Emperor Decius, the author writes, “And the odd thing is it fails… The net effect of this is that a new cult of the martyrs appears in Christianity, which strengthens the church, which feeds on anti-government sentiment in many segments of the empire… This simply brings those into the Christian fold and in many ways, it backfires.”
The Christian church of the third century doesn’t take a glance at the persecution coming its way, drop everything, and flee. Even after the violence begins and young men and women are being martyred for their faith and the law is viciously hostile to each and every professing Christian, the majority doesn’t abandon their beliefs. In fact, not only to not give up, they grow stronger. Like the quote says, the persecution actually backfires. When the smoke clears, the martyrs are suddenly a “heroic minority” (The Martyrs, pg. 5). “We don’t have tens of thousands of people being martyred. What we do have, is tens of thousands of people admiring the few who are martyred” (The Martyrs, pg. 5).
What does this say about Christianity back then? It was something real. It was something worth dying for. It was about as counter-cultural and different as a religion could get, and it this difference that produced the persecution. Yet, the persecution backfired and the Christian church only grew stronger. I believe this kind of genuine Christianity, although hardly as harshly tested in today’s American society, is something we as Christ’s followers should strive for. And then when the persecution comes—as it will—we too will only grow stronger.
One thing that has been bothering me ever since I finished reading “Martyrs” is the fact that people asked to be martyred. They brought the governments attention onto themselves in order to become a Christian Martyr. Others offered themselves to be killed in order that they might be remembered. In my opinion this was a foolish decision and shows the pride these Christians were suffering from. Martyrs have been looked up too and admired since their deaths. But the people who were living a peaceful life, obeying the government (unless it contradicted the instruction from the Bible), taken captive by the leadership of the country, tried for their faith and put to death, these are the martyrs who should be given the most honor. They had done nothing wrong yet they stood firm in their beliefs, honoring God in their death. Those looking on would see there was something truly special and different about Christians, because they did not grumble, complain or become agree after doing nothing wrong. Asking to be martyred was also an issue with pride. Christians respect martyrs because of their strong faith. Pleading to be martyred portrayed that you want to be remembered and respected by Christians. Coming to the government and asking to be martyred is done out of all the wrong reasons because of the honor they wished to receive after their death. Even though some martyr’s original motives may have been wrong, they are respected and looked up to because of their strong faith.
What I am encouraged and challenged by in "The Martyrs" is the outward focused mindset taken on by Perpetua. Directly before the gladiator slaughters her, she commands, "You must all stand fast in the faith and love one another, and do not be weakened by what we have gone through." I haven't experienced a situation like that personally, but I can imagine that if I were to be under life-threatening circumstances, I would not be putting much thought into others' faith. Her selflessness clearly shows her genuine faith and love for Jesus Christ. As I was reading "Murder in the Cathedral" this week, there was one quotation which directly applies to Perpetua's martyrdom (this is from the mouth of Archbishop Thomas Becket):
"Beloved, we do not think of a martyr simply as a good Christian who has been killed because he is Christian, for that would be solely to mourn. We do not think of him solely as a good Christian who has been elevated to the company of saints, for that would be simply to rejoice...A martyrdom is always the design of God, for His love of men, to warn them and to lead them, to bring them back to His ways. It is never the design of man; for the true martyr is he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost his will in the will of God, and who no longer desires anything for himself, not even the glory of being a martyr."
I strongly desire to read more about the short months before Perpetua's imprisonment, for I am confident that it will reflect that her "will was lost in the will of God."
I've noticed that God becomes more prominent in my life when something troubling comes along. When we need Him, He suddenly appears as a solution. It's a sad but real truth. Thankfully this comes with a good side. Troubling times also strengthen our faith in God. In a way, God's power and love is amplified in hardship. In day to day life, our need for God seems like it is very little. I know our need for Him is always at 100%, but it seems insignificant due to our prideful human nature. To have that barrier slightly fade during persecution is a traumatizing experience, but a strengthening one. This must have been true with the Christians that were being persecuted. God was probably on their minds constantly. Those who persevered must have been so strong in their faith. Do you get my point? I hope so. This is complicated psychology that is difficult to explain. I saw my human nature in their persecution become more Godly and solidified in it. I understand if you disagree, but this is my humble speculation.
I have always had much respect for the early christian martyrs. Admiring their courage and faith, the stories of these men and women will forever astound me. But ever since I learned about the martyrs, the fact that the remains of these people were saved and worshiped has bothered me. Elizabeth Clark, one of the professors interviewed in the reading, summarized the story of Polycarp. She said: “An interesting feature of the story is that his father must go and collect his bones after he has been put to death. This becomes one of [the] first instances we have of what turns into the cult of the martyrs... [the practice] of preserving bits and pieces of the bodies of martyred people and holding these in great honor and esteem. Many of the martyrdoms written after the time of Polycarp tend to follow this basic model.” To me, this seems just as “unholy” as burning a bit of incense to Caesar or sacrificing to the pagan gods. Exodus 20:3, the first of the 10 commandments, says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Perhaps it is an overstatement to say that the martyrs were viewed as gods, but I see something fundamentally wrong with the worship of them. I believe they should be admired, honored, remembered and seen as roll models, but nothing more. Paula Redriksen said “There’s an incredible energy involved in worshipping at the tombs of the martyrs after the age of martyrs have..... has stopped.” I can’t comprehend worshipping at the tomb of a martyr. Furthermore, I don’t think that was the intent of the men and women who sacrificed themselves for the faith. God is the only one who should be worshipped and many misunderstood this when they exalted the martyrs.
It was really refreshing to me to see people who really understand and believe that these present sufferings pale in comparison to all that heaven is. Perpetua time and time again rejoices at her sufferings because she has something far greater that is coming. Usually when Christians face suffering or hardships, they turn to God and ask why me? Why is this happening? But in the face of all the suffering Christ went through for us just so we could receive His inheritance, we should be able to humbly accept what God has for us, and even count it joy, just like Perpetua and the other martyrs. Just the fact that Felicitas requested prayer that she may give birth before her scheduled execution so she could be martyred with the rest of the Christians is an amazing reminder of the devotion and spirit of some of the early Church members.
In the reading “The Martyrs,” one of the things the author discusses is Christian persecution and its effects. I did not realize before reading this article that only a small percentage of Christians--according to the author--were persecuted. However, even though a minority of Christians were brutally murdered, Christians still had difficulties to deal with, such as deciding on whether or not it was God-honoring to bribe a local magistrate and receive a forged paper which stated that you had given the required sacrifice or not. Some refused, and these Christians were held in high esteem and spoken of as examples of Christian models when they were martyred. However, although these persecutions strengthened the church, they created an interesting problem when many people began worshipping martyrs and their relics. Martyrs’ bones were soon kept and revered instead of God’s truth. This is just another example of how the human race is just as sinful as it was thousands of years ago. It’s so easy to take something good--like a martyr who refused to compromise his/her faith--and twist it until we end up worshipping the material rather than the Creator. Even though we are teens in the U.S., it does not mean that the temptation to take something and make it your idol does not exist. This week’s reading served as a helpful reminder for me to give God the glory and and keep His gospel and truth at the center of my mind, and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteone thing that i thought was interesting was in the last paragraph or so, the author talked about the controversy that the church faced. "The question then was were you really baptized if you had been baptized by a bishop who fell away from the faith during the persecutions?" i liked reading about all the different approaches people came up with. there were two very distinct answers. "Well, people are repentant. We've all committed sins. They should just be forgiven and brought back in." and "once you handed over scripture, recanted the faith, done these various acts, there was no way you could ever be a Christian again." and to be honest i don't really know where i stand on this, i was hopping the author would gave a little more closure on the subject, like how the church handled it. i do fell like we have ALL sinned and God forgives us "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters." (Romans 14:1) , but i do think that is almost too easy on them. but im not sure. i said this in my class once...'if this situation arose im not sure my faith would be strong enough and id be tempted to "curse Christ" to save my life' i know that its bad but truthfully id be scared. and i pray that my faith does get to the point that i could say , with truth, that i would not curse Crist.
ReplyDeleteBefore this year I had never read further explanations for the persecution of Christians, beyond the fact that they believed in one true God. This belief was very counter-cultural. From reading this article I noticed three main reasons behind the persecution of Christians. First, Christians were blamed and used as an “explanatory device” for why natural disasters hit. “Plague. Earthquake. Flood. It’s [was blamed] because the Christians, as gentiles [were not] doing their duty to heaven.” This made other gentiles upset and led them to talk to their governors and have Christians arrested and put to death. The next reason, which is a continuation of the first, is that Christians were persecuted because they weren’t sacrificing to the emperor. Finally, Christians were also persecuted because they were organized. This quote explains well the threat that Christianity posed to the government. “The Emperors recognized their [the Christians] counter-cultural tendencies and says, ‘This is dangerous - we can't have this large a group, which by the way, is also very highly organized, and, unlike other religious communities, is organized not just on a local basis, but is organized on an empire-wide basis. Something has to be done about it….’” All of these reasons led to the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.
ReplyDeleteOne quote in this article caught my attention. After talking about the martyrdom of and how heroic she was, the author tells how she was actually killed by sort of helping the gladiator stab her. He says, "It's a kind of assisted suicide." My first thought was, "No, she is just speeding up what she knows is going to happen." It displays a powerful trust in God's will. I disagree that it is an assisted suicide.
ReplyDeleteBut after finishing part 1 of Murder In the Cathedral, I started thinking there might also be some pride issues with Perpetua. In the play, the Archbishop, Thomas Becket, is tempted by four things. The first three are pleasure, power as chancellor, and power through supporting a rebellion. The final tempter is more sinister, tempting Thomas with what he has already thought of. He suggests that Thomas as a martyr would have power in heaven over all men. He tells Thomas to, “seek the way of martyrdom” (Eliot 39). (I got chills reading that.) Thomas admits he has thought of that, even begun it, by coming back to England when he knows he will likely die. But he resists and says, “The last temptation is the greatest treason: / To do the right thing for the wrong reason” (Eliot 44).
I don't know what Perpetua was thinking or what was in her heart, but to me she seemed awfully eager to be martyred, especially when the “Martyrs” author pointed out that there wasn’t a huge persecution going on at the time, and when the narrator of her diary says, “It was as though so great a woman, feared as she was by the unclean spirit, could not be dispatched unless she herself were willing.” There is a huge difference between being martyred and trying to be martyred. If she was pushing for it because she was prideful and wanted greater glory in heaven, that was not a good thing. However, I don’t know her thoughts, she may have not been doing anything of the sort. I still don’t think it was exactly an assisted suicide. But she could possibly have had some pride issues.
The general bravery, love, care, and dedication of the Martyrs is very inspiring. The idea that they were willing to die for their faith in any capacity, is astounding and truly puts a lot of weight on our day to day decisions, whether we're choosing to do our homework well for the glory of God, or deciding not to disagree with someone we know on a Topic because we don't want them to judge us. Judgment may be a social torture, but it sure isn't a physical slow death. Generally speaking I found the reading inspiring and interesting, but when it came to Perpetual, the story seemed different.
ReplyDeletePerpetua was so eager to be martyred, it sounded like she was running away from something, or trying to measure up. Although in the courtroom, when asked by her father to cooperate, she respond's boldly, "No. I am a Christian." To practically commit suicide in the arena because the gladiator doesn't have the gut to kill her, seems a little desperate. Obviously, if God opens a window, and the door to the basement falls down, you usually escape through the window! Perpetua elected to take the basement route. Which is interesting. Why was she so desperate to be martyred? That's my only question! If the gladiator couldn't kill her, why would she kill herself? Was she in that much pain? Was there something else in life that she couldn't bear/ didn't want to return to so she just committed suicide? Overall, something seemed backwards with her, something wasn't right, although what it was I cannot say.
Interestingly, however, upon reading the diary of Perpetual, a slightly different perspective is gained. Perpetua still seems to be almost too eager to be martyred, but her diary makes this much less obvious than the article. But the diary account also raises another question which popped into my mind while Perpetual was in the Prison cell:
Perpetua's vision tells her that she will be victorious over the devil, but what does it mean for her to be victorious? In the dream it meant life, but in reality she thought it meant glorious death for the cross! Even the author of the Epilogue to her diary comments that she seemed invincible unless she herself killed herself! Although I understand wanting to be put out of misery, that wasn't the air of Perpetua's intent. It would be interesting to read through these again and try to draw some more definite conclusions on Perpetua's Martyrdom.
(Perpetua’s Prison Diary) “This was the way my father spoke out of love for me, kissing my hands and throwing himself down before me. With tears in his eyes he no longer addressed me as his daughter but as a woman. I was sorry for my father’s sake, because he alone of all my kin would be unhappy to see me suffer.”
ReplyDeleteAs Christians, we must recognize that we are first and foremost under the authority of God. In addition, we are under the authority of our parents. The key theme that surfaces in this passage is world versus Heaven. For Perpetua to refuse her father’s requests and take a stand for her faith testifies to shifting authority. In the age of the Romans, the father was the head of the household and could potentially make the choice of whether a family member lives or dies. For Perpetua, the relationship between her and her father was probably most important, due to this fact. A Roman father would envision his daughter fulfilling her duty by honoring and taking care of him, and also by elevating their social status through a reputable marriage. Perpetua’s martyrdom went against her expectations in society, showing a shift from the obedience to worldly authority and customs to the obedience to God first.
As I was reading "The Martyrs," I found it inspiring to read about the furthering of God's kingdom. In the beginning of this article, the Christians are under question. The Emperor during this time (250 AD) said, "This is dangerous - we can't have this large a group, which by the way, is also very highly organized, and, unlike other religious communities, is organized not just on a local basis, but is organized on an empire-wide basis. Something has to be done about it...." Thus, the Roman Empire decided to do something about it. They persecuted the church and the Christians, in order to try and destroy Christianity. Yet, it failed. Instead of destroying the church, it strengthened it. What I found amazing from this is that God can turn anything that seems terrible, awful, etc into something amazing. The God we serve is truly an amazing God, capable of anything. Through this persecution, he strengthened the Church and the Christian faith and caused the spread of Christianity to increase rapidly. Through this persecution, you get famous martyrs that inspire many of us Christians to live lives full of the faith like they did. For example, we have Perpetua. She stood up for her faith; she would rather die than disavow her faith in Jesus Christ. And even though it is a little interesting that she was so eager to be martyred during a time with very little persecution, we can draw inspiration from how strong her faith in God was during this difficult time.
ReplyDeleteIn “The Martyrs,” the following quote provides an interesting glimpse church history:
ReplyDelete“More Christians were persecuted by the Roman Government after the conversion of Constantine, than before. The difference is that's it's a Christian government who's persecuting the other Christians.”
First of all, this quote reminded me that when we think of problems in the church, we tend to look outside of the church rather than inside it. We often think of hostile foreign governments and the resulting persecution of the Christians who live in those countries as one of the greatest issues faced by the Church today. But surprisingly, churches in places like Iran and Syria are growing at incredible rates, while the number of Americans who self-identify as Christians continues to dwindle. The explanation? Well, I believe persecution tends to drive people to God, because the very basis for Christianity is the suffering of Christ. When we look at both the current persecuted church, as well as the one in the third century, we see that God does incredible things when people are willing to take a stand for him.
Secondly, I think that we often ignore the fact that historically, the church can be its own worst enemy. Dire circumstances such as persecution allow us to see that faith in Christ is of ultimate importance; but when we face no such threats, we frequently see a breakdown in church unity. We place too much importance on small issues, or in the case of the early church, we can let the power of being in the government go to our head. The fact that Christians persecuted more Christians than the pagans ever did really made me think about the need for churches to be united in their desire to follow Christ. Also, we should remember that the church’s greatest problems often come not from external forces, but from weaknesses within the church itself.
Reading the diary and account of the martyrdom of Perpetua was truly heart wrenching. As I read, I was struck again and again by the joy of Perpetua and the other Christians when facing death. A quote that really stuck out to me was, “The day of their victory dawned, and they marched from the prison to the amphitheatre joyfully as though they were going to heaven, with calm faces, trembling, if at all, with joy rather than fear.” This quote references the day of their death as the day of their victory. We don’t usually see death in such a light. Throughout her diary, there seemed to be a sense of peace that overpowered the difficulty of her circumstances. She had a faith that surpassed fear. This brings to mind 1 John 4:18 which says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” Perpetua had caught a glimpse of the perfect love that only Christ can give. Through the assurance of salvation, Perpetua and the other martyrs were able to face the most brutal of suffering with the greatest celebration. When seeing the bravery of those who suffered for Christ, I am reminded of two things. First, I am abundantly grateful that I live in a society where Christians are free from persecution. This is a blessing that we often take for granted. Second, I am inspired to boldly proclaim Christ despite the consequences that may or may not come with it. In the case of Perpetual, suffering was to come but it was not in vain. Her life and bravery have not been forgotten and will continue to inspire people to live boldly for Christ.
ReplyDeleteSomething that’s been sticking out to me while reading “The Martyrs,” “Perpetua’s Account,” and similar stories in both History and Literature is the resounding battle cry of Christian strength. Christianity- literally being like Christ- was so unlike any other religion of the day. It stood out in many, many ways. The main way, obviously going along with this week’s reading, was its unbelievable strength in the face of horrifying persecution. The quote I want to talk about comes from “The Martyrs.” While speaking about the persecution Christians faced under Emperor Decius, the author writes, “And the odd thing is it fails… The net effect of this is that a new cult of the martyrs appears in Christianity, which strengthens the church, which feeds on anti-government sentiment in many segments of the empire… This simply brings those into the Christian fold and in many ways, it backfires.”
ReplyDeleteThe Christian church of the third century doesn’t take a glance at the persecution coming its way, drop everything, and flee. Even after the violence begins and young men and women are being martyred for their faith and the law is viciously hostile to each and every professing Christian, the majority doesn’t abandon their beliefs. In fact, not only to not give up, they grow stronger. Like the quote says, the persecution actually backfires. When the smoke clears, the martyrs are suddenly a “heroic minority” (The Martyrs, pg. 5). “We don’t have tens of thousands of people being martyred. What we do have, is tens of thousands of people admiring the few who are martyred” (The Martyrs, pg. 5).
What does this say about Christianity back then? It was something real. It was something worth dying for. It was about as counter-cultural and different as a religion could get, and it this difference that produced the persecution. Yet, the persecution backfired and the Christian church only grew stronger. I believe this kind of genuine Christianity, although hardly as harshly tested in today’s American society, is something we as Christ’s followers should strive for. And then when the persecution comes—as it will—we too will only grow stronger.
One thing that has been bothering me ever since I finished reading “Martyrs” is the fact that people asked to be martyred. They brought the governments attention onto themselves in order to become a Christian Martyr. Others offered themselves to be killed in order that they might be remembered. In my opinion this was a foolish decision and shows the pride these Christians were suffering from. Martyrs have been looked up too and admired since their deaths. But the people who were living a peaceful life, obeying the government (unless it contradicted the instruction from the Bible), taken captive by the leadership of the country, tried for their faith and put to death, these are the martyrs who should be given the most honor. They had done nothing wrong yet they stood firm in their beliefs, honoring God in their death. Those looking on would see there was something truly special and different about Christians, because they did not grumble, complain or become agree after doing nothing wrong. Asking to be martyred was also an issue with pride. Christians respect martyrs because of their strong faith. Pleading to be martyred portrayed that you want to be remembered and respected by Christians. Coming to the government and asking to be martyred is done out of all the wrong reasons because of the honor they wished to receive after their death. Even though some martyr’s original motives may have been wrong, they are respected and looked up to because of their strong faith.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am encouraged and challenged by in "The Martyrs" is the outward focused mindset taken on by Perpetua. Directly before the gladiator slaughters her, she commands, "You must all stand fast in the faith and love one another, and do not be weakened by what we have gone through." I haven't experienced a situation like that personally, but I can imagine that if I were to be under life-threatening circumstances, I would not be putting much thought into others' faith. Her selflessness clearly shows her genuine faith and love for Jesus Christ. As I was reading "Murder in the Cathedral" this week, there was one quotation which directly applies to Perpetua's martyrdom (this is from the mouth of Archbishop Thomas Becket):
ReplyDelete"Beloved, we do not think of a martyr simply as a good Christian who has been killed because he is Christian, for that would be solely to mourn. We do not think of him solely as a good Christian who has been elevated to the company of saints, for that would be simply to rejoice...A martyrdom is always the design of God, for His love of men, to warn them and to lead them, to bring them back to His ways. It is never the design of man; for the true martyr is he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost his will in the will of God, and who no longer desires anything for himself, not even the glory of being a martyr."
I strongly desire to read more about the short months before Perpetua's imprisonment, for I am confident that it will reflect that her "will was lost in the will of God."
I've noticed that God becomes more prominent in my life when something troubling comes along. When we need Him, He suddenly appears as a solution. It's a sad but real truth. Thankfully this comes with a good side. Troubling times also strengthen our faith in God. In a way, God's power and love is amplified in hardship. In day to day life, our need for God seems like it is very little. I know our need for Him is always at 100%, but it seems insignificant due to our prideful human nature. To have that barrier slightly fade during persecution is a traumatizing experience, but a strengthening one. This must have been true with the Christians that were being persecuted. God was probably on their minds constantly. Those who persevered must have been so strong in their faith. Do you get my point? I hope so. This is complicated psychology that is difficult to explain. I saw my human nature in their persecution become more Godly and solidified in it. I understand if you disagree, but this is my humble speculation.
ReplyDeleteI have always had much respect for the early christian martyrs. Admiring their courage and faith, the stories of these men and women will forever astound me. But ever since I learned about the martyrs, the fact that the remains of these people were saved and worshiped has bothered me. Elizabeth Clark, one of the professors interviewed in the reading, summarized the story of Polycarp. She said:
ReplyDelete“An interesting feature of the story is that his father must go and collect his bones after he has been put to death. This becomes one of [the] first instances we have of what turns into the cult of the martyrs... [the practice] of preserving bits and pieces of the bodies of martyred people and holding these in great honor and esteem. Many of the martyrdoms written after the time of Polycarp tend to follow this basic model.”
To me, this seems just as “unholy” as burning a bit of incense to Caesar or sacrificing to the pagan gods. Exodus 20:3, the first of the 10 commandments, says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Perhaps it is an overstatement to say that the martyrs were viewed as gods, but I see something fundamentally wrong with the worship of them. I believe they should be admired, honored, remembered and seen as roll models, but nothing more. Paula Redriksen said “There’s an incredible energy involved in worshipping at the tombs of the martyrs after the age of martyrs have..... has stopped.” I can’t comprehend worshipping at the tomb of a martyr. Furthermore, I don’t think that was the intent of the men and women who sacrificed themselves for the faith. God is the only one who should be worshipped and many misunderstood this when they exalted the martyrs.
It was really refreshing to me to see people who really understand and believe that these present sufferings pale in comparison to all that heaven is. Perpetua time and time again rejoices at her sufferings because she has something far greater that is coming. Usually when Christians face suffering or hardships, they turn to God and ask why me? Why is this happening? But in the face of all the suffering Christ went through for us just so we could receive His inheritance, we should be able to humbly accept what God has for us, and even count it joy, just like Perpetua and the other martyrs. Just the fact that Felicitas requested prayer that she may give birth before her scheduled execution so she could be martyred with the rest of the Christians is an amazing reminder of the devotion and spirit of some of the early Church members.
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