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Martyrdom
From boyhood
one of my
favorite stories has been the forty martyrs of Sabaste. These forty soldiers
all Christians
were members of the famed Twelfth Legion of Rome's imperial
army. One day their captain told them Emperor Licinius had sent out an edict
that all soldiers were to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. These Christians
replied
"You can have our armor and even our bodies
but our hearts'
allegiance belongs to Jesus Christ."
It was midwinter of A.D.
320
and the captain had them marched onto a nearby frozen lake. He stripped
them of their clothes and said they would either die or renounce Christ.
Throughout the night these men huddled together singing their song
"Forty
martyrs for Christ." One by one the temperature took its toll and they
fell to the ice.
At last there was only one
man left. He lost courage and stumbled to the shore
where he renounced Christ.
The officer of the guards had been watching all this. Unknown to the others
he
had secretly come to believe in Christ. When he saw this last man break rank
he walked out onto the ice
threw off his clothes
and confessed that he also
was a Christian. When the sun rose the next morning
there were forty bodies of
soldiers who had fought to the death for Christ.
Lieghton Ford
Good
News is for Sharing
1977
David C. Cook Publishing Co.
p. 16.
George Atley was killed
while serving with the Central African Mission. There were no witnesses
but
the evidence indicates that Atley was confronted by a band of hostile tribesmen.
He was carrying a fully loaded
10-chamber Winchester rifle and had to choose
either to shoot his attackers and run the risk of negating the work of the
mission in that area
or not to defend himself and be killed. When his body was
later found in a stream
it was evident that he had chosen the latter. Nearby
lay his rifle -- all 10 chambers still loaded. He had made the supreme
sacrifice
motivated by his burden for lost souls and his unswerving devotion
to his Savior. With the apostle Paul
he wanted Christ to be magnified in his
body
"whether by life or by death."
Writing on Philippians
1:20 in The Bible Knowledge Commentary
Robert P. Lightner said
"Paul's concern was not what would happen to him but what testimony would
be left for his Lord. Release would allow him to continue preaching Christ. But
martyrdom would also advance the cause of Christ."
Daily Bread.
I am not come hither to
deny my Lord and Master.
Anne Askew--July 16
1545/burned at the stake after torture on the rack
at the age of 25.
Margaret Wilson
a
Scottish girl of eighteen
was tied to a stake where the tide was due to come
in. The water covered her while she was engaged in prayer; but before life was
gone
they pulled her up till she recovered the power of speech
when she was
asked by Major Windram
who commanded
if she would pray for the king. She
replied that "She wished the salvation of all men
and the damnation of
none."
"Dear
Margaret
" said one of the by- standers
deeply affected
"say God
save the king."
She answered with great
steadiness
"God save him
if he will
for it is his salvation I
desire." "Sir
they cried to the major
"she has said it; she
has said it!"
The major
approaching her
on hearing this
offered her the abjuration oath
charging her instantly to
swear it
otherwise to return to the water. The poor young woman...firmly
replied
"I will not; I am one of Christ's children! let me go." Upon
which she was again thrust into the water
and drowned.
Margaret Wilson--Early
1680's/drowned for faithfulness to the Reformation.
Polycarp (A.D. 70-155) was
bishop of Smyrna and a godly man. He had known the apostle John personally.
When he was urged by the Roman proconsul to renounce Christ
Polycarp said:
"Eighty and six years have I served Him
and He never did me any injury.
How then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?" "I have respect for
your age
" said the official. "Simply say
'Away with the atheists!'
and be set free." The aged Polycarp pointed to the pagan crowd and said
"Away with the atheists!" He was burned at the stake and gave joyful
testimony of his faith in Jesus Christ.
W. Wiersbe
Wycliffe
Handbook of Preaching & Preachers
p. 214.
Polycarp was a disciple of
the Apostle John and an early church leader whose life ended when he refused to
betray his Lord. Asked one last time to disavow his Christ
the old man
replied
"Eighty and six years have I served Him
and He has done me no
wrong. How can I speak evil of my King who saved me?"
Here is his martyr's
prayer
as recorded by the historian Eusebius. "Father of Your beloved and
blessed Son Jesus Christ
through whom we have received the knowledge of You
I
bless You that You have counted me worthy of this day and hour
that I might be
in the number of the martyrs. Among these may I be received before You today in
a rich and acceptable sacrifice
as You have beforehand prepared and revealed.
Wherefore I also praise You also for everything; I bless You; I glorify You
through the eternal High Priest Jesus Christ
Your beloved Son
through whom
with Him
in the Holy Spirit
be glory unto You both now and for the ages to
come. Amen." Eusebius adds: "When he had offered up his amen and had
finished his prayer
the firemen lighted the fire."
Quoted in Closer Walk
July
1988
p. 22.
The Bohemian reformer John
Hus was a man who believed the Scriptures to be the infallible and supreme
authority in all matters. He died at the stake for that belief in Constance
Germany
on his forty-second birthday. As he refused a final plea to renounce
his faith
Hus's last words were
"What I taught with my lips
I seal with
my blood."
Source Unknown.
Tradition holds that the
Apostles died in the following manner: Matthew suffered martyrdom by being
slain with a sword at a distant city of Ethiopia. Mark expired at Alexandria
after being cruelly dragged through the streets of that city. Luke was hanged
upon an olive tree in the classic land of Greece. John was put in a caldron of
boiling oil
but escaped death in a miraculous manner
and was afterward
banished to Patmos. Peter was crucified at Rome with his head downward. James
the Greater
was beheaded at Jerusalem. James
the Less
was thrown from a
lofty pinnacle of the temple
and then beaten to death with a fuller's club.
Bartholomew was flayed alive. Andrew was bound to a cross
whence he preached
to his persecutors until he died. Thomas was run through the body with a lance
at Coromandel in the East Indies. Jude was shot to death with arrows. Matthais
was first stoned and then beheaded. Barnabas of the Gentiles was stoned to
death at Salonica. Paul
after various tortures and persecutions
was at length
beheaded at Rome by the Emperor Nero.
When it was built for an
international exposition in the last century
the structure was called
monstrous by the citizens of the city
who demanded it be torn down as soon as
the exposition was over. Yet from the moment its architect first conceived it
he took pride in it and loyally defended it from those who wished to destroy
it. He knew it was destined for greatness. Today it is one of the architectural
wonders of the modern world and stands as the primary landmark of Paris
France. The architect
of course
was Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. His famous
tower was built in in 1889. In the same way we are struck by Jesus' loyalty to
another structure--the church--which he entrusted to an unlikely band of
disciples
whom he defended
prayed for
and prepared to spread the gospel. To
outsiders they (and we) must seem like incapable blunderers. But Jesus
the
architect of the church
knows this structure is destined for greatness when he
returns. -
John Berstecher.