Module 1

Lesson 4

Acts 4:1-37- ______and ______appeared before the Jewish Council for healing a crippled beggar. Challenged: By whose authority do you perform miracles? They answered: Healed in the name of the man you rejected. There is no salvation outside of him. Council’s warning: told never to preach in that name again. Answer: Why would we obey you rather than him? Lesson: persecution came from ______first who saw these type of actions as a challenge to their religious authority and cultural practices of deference to the learned religious leaders. Application: record the promise of Matt. 10:32 ______They prayed for help through the problem not to have all problems removed.

Acts 5- Apostles jailed and put on trial- refuse to stop preaching. Flogged but released after ______words of caution that martyrdom would lead to greater strength of the movement.

Acts 6Martyrdom of ______- he converts to Christianity but faced social ostracism and was cut off from families. As an agent of the gospel and an elder he administrated the distribution of food to the body of believers. Hauled before the Council on grounds that he wanted to change Mosaic Law, he defended himself with an overview of Jewish history and charged the Council with failing to obey the laws. He sees a vision of Jesus standing at the right hand side of God. They ______him to death- thus he becomes the first martyr. (Witnessed by Saul, later called Paul). Church scatters as Saul goes from house to house. James asked to stand on Temple wall and deny Christ, preached instead. Thrown from wall, stoned and beat with clubs- 11th year of Nero’s reign but died at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders. By the days of Peter and Paul Nero’s persecution of the Jews led to a general persecution of Christians in and around Rome (not the Empire at large).

The last days were the most severe of the persecutions. Heathenism having spent its fury and exhausted its strength saw its last days. But why Roman persecution? Under Roman Empire no new religion allowed but Christianity seen as a small sect with exclusive claims to salvation, refusal to participate in blind worship of emperors, the State or pagan ritualistic worship to Roman gods etc. Classified as enemies of the state, rumored to be cannibals (because of the communion)and generally at odds with Roman politics, religion, law, societal and moral values.Christians “were persecuted, imprisoned, sentenced to exile or condemned to death. Unable to profess their faith openly, the Christians made use of symbols, which they depicted on the walls of the catacombs and, more often, carved them on the marble-slabs which sealed the tombs.The fish. In Greek one says IXTHYS (ichtùs). Placed vertically, the letters of this word form an acrostic: IesùsChristòsTheòuUiòsSotèr = Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour. (Christian Catacombs of Rome)

Famous Martyrs: Ignatius (67-110) Bishop from Antioch- arrested and thrown to wild beasts in Rome. Famous for his view of martyrdom- embraced it. “May the wild beasts be eager to rush upon me. If they be unwilling I will compel them….come tearings and manglings, wracking of bones and hacking of limbs…only let me attain unto Christ. Polycarp (Bishop from Smyrna) famous for his view of martyrdom. Accepted it as an honor but did not embrace it. Brought before the crowds, told to renounce his beliefs. His response, “86 years I have served him, and he has never done me wrong; how can I blaspheme Him, my King, who has saved me?” He was sentenced to die by burning. Polycarp requested not to be fastened to the wood pile stating, “He who strengthens me to endure the flames will also enable me to stand firm at the stake without being fastened with nails.” Blandina, a young mother thrown to the wild beasts.

Questions:

  1. Name the key persecutors of the Church. Bullet 3 famous examples of Christian martyrs and what happened to those martyrs.
  1. Why did some Christians seek martyrdom and how did their views of martyrdom differ?
  1. Why did the Romans persecute the Christians?
  1. How do you honestly feel/act upon about martyrdom and the promise in Matt. 10:32?