Persecution- A brief history

The First Martyr

We tend to focus on the New Testament when we think of martyrdom and why Christians are persecuted. This is understandable considering the persecution that befell the early church as they went out to evangelize.

However, martyrdom and why Christians are persecuted go back much farther, as far as the book of Genesis when Cain killed his brother Abel.

Genesis 4:1-15 relates the well-known account of how Cain's sacrifice to God was not accepted, as was Abel's. And for this, Cain took out his anger on Abel and killed him.

In Matt. 23:25, Jesus, speaking to the Scribes and Pharisees, said, "That on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel..."

And in Hebrews 11:4, we read, "Through which he (Abel) obtained witness that he was righteous..."

Through these references we believe it is safe to conclude that Abel was the first martyr (witness) and that he was martyred for his "faith" and "act of righteousness." And from this, we believe all persecution derives.

Persecution will exist as long as God's children continue to engage in acts of righteousness in a sinful world (2 Tim. 3:12)

The Old Testament

The writer of Hebrews spoke of those "of whom the world was not worthy":

"Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trials of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented--of whom the world was not worthy..." (Heb. 11:35-38)

We often think of the prophets of old escaping persecution, like Daniel as he faced the lions. But Daniel had to be willing to be ripped from limb to limb as he was lowered down in the den of lions refusing to deny his God.
Not an easy task!

The New Testament

With the arrival of Christ came a new wave of persecution upon His birth announcement (Matt. 2:16)

Even before the crucifixion of Jesus, John the Baptist was beheaded (Mark 6:21-29)

After Jesus' crucifixion, Stephen was stoned while a man named Saul stood watching, "And they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul" (Acts 7:58)

Before dying, Stephen looked up to heaven and saw Jesus standing. "But he, being full of hte Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:55).

Regarding the fate of the apostles, with only the death of James recorded in the New Testament, we learn from early writings that all except for John were killed.

The Church (A.D. 54-304)

Nero was believed to have set Rome on fire and blamed the Christians. Some of the most hideous forms of persection took place under Nero's rule. Christians were sewn into the skins of wild animals and thrown before fierce dogs. Others were covered with wax, setting these human candles on fire to help light Nero's garden.

Under Emperor Domitian, persecution continued. Domitian issued an order stating, "No Christian, once brought before the tribunal, should be exempt from punishment." During this time Timothy was beaten to death.

In A.D. 110, Ignatius, overseer of the church of Antioch, was fed to lions. Over the roar of the hungry animals, he was heard saying, "I am the wheat of Christ: I am going to be ground with the teeth of wild beasts that I may be found pure bread."

Following Ignatius' martyrdom, Adrian came to power, under whom about 10,000 Christians were put to death---many by crucifixion with crown of thorns on their heads.

Under the rule of Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Polycarp was martyred. He was tied to a stake in the marketplace. Wood was piled around him and set on fire but the flames did not touch him. He was then pierced with a sword. Other Christians were tortured during this time, experiencing horrendous tortures.

Persecutions continued under Emperor Lucius Septimus Severus and Emperor Marcus Clodius Pupienus Maximus.

In A.D. 249, a seventy-year-old Christian woman named Applonia was tied to a stake to be burned. After the fire was set she begged to be set free.  The mob, believing she would deny Christ, set her free only to witness her throwing herself back into the flames.

Persecution spread to Africa, Spain, France and Britain. Hatred of Christians continued to grow, as did the church. By A.D. 304, the persecution of Christians reached the peak of its magnitude and cruelty.
 

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The Dark Ages

During this time the church lost much of its passion and began taking up pagan doctrines that would benefit church leaders. All    who opposed were labeled heretics and swiftly executed.

About A.D. 1000, a man named Berengarius began preaching from the Scriptures gaining thousands of followers. Over the next 200 years many"reformers" were captured and burned at the stake. Others disappeared in dungeons.

In a continued attempt to stop those who opposed the "doctrines" of the organized church came the birth of the Inquisition. Each Inquisition was comprised of about twenty officials. But their methods were cruel and they had little cause for mercy among those accused of heresy.

There is no record of how many Christians fell victim to the Inquisition. It is believed millions. Despite the eventual decline in cruelty, the Inquisition remained in effect into the nineteenth century.

The English Bible

In 1380, a free-thinking theologian named John Wycliffe translated the first English Bible from the Latin Vulgate. He also called for the reform of the organized church.

Wycliffe died in his sleep in 1384, but 31 years later the Council of Constance removed his remains and had them burned. The ashes were thrown
into the river in a vain attempt to eliminate his influence, but his legacy remained.

Around 1484, another man was born who changed the course of history—William Tyndale. Tyndale declared, "If God spare my life, it will not be many years before I will cause a plow boy to know more of the Scriptures than the Pope." And with that declaration, William Tyndale went into hiding and began translating the English New Testament from the original Greek.

Scripture in the English language was completely forbidden. Ten Christians were even burned at the stake for teaching their children the Lord's Prayer in English.

William Tyndale's new translation went into print in 1525 but was not completed until 1526. The English Bibles had to he smuggled in bales of cotton. Anyone caught possessing one was put to death.

In 1535, William Tyndale was arrested, and burned at the stake in October 1536. With the English Bible still illegal, his last words were, "Lord, open the King's eyes!" His prayers were answered one year later when the King gave official permission to print and distribute the English Scripture (74 years before the first King James Bible).

China and the Iron Curtain

A few hundred years later, persecution became evident in Asia. The Boxer Rebellion started in 1899 when a secret society of Chinese, coined "boxers" by the Western press, began a terror against Christian missionaries in China. Officially, the Boxers were denounced, but unofficially supported. Their activity continued through 1900.

Humiliated from the outside, the Chinese officials signed a peace treaty with the Boxers in September 1901, but not before 30,000 Christians and 250 missionaries were martyred.

Communism's father, Karl Marx, once stated, "The idea of God is the keynote of a perverted civilization. It must be destroyed."

Communism spread rapidly throughout the 1900's. With its spread came the destruction of churches and the imprisonment of Christians. During communism's height, it was estimated that 330,000 Christians were killed each year. Millions of others suffered at the hands of cruel dictators like Enver Hoxha, Nicolae Ceausescu, and Mao Zedong.

During this time men like Pastor Richard Wurmbrand emerged from years of imprisonment, torture and solitary confinement to speak of the atrocities and overcoming faith of those who boldly faced death rather than deny Christ.

Today Christians continue to suffer under Communist ideology in countries like China, North Korea, Vietnam and Laos. Believers remain in prison and Christians continue to risk all to simply own a Bible.

Persecution Today

Even though persecution continues in a number of Communist countries, the greatest threat comes from Muslim nations imposing Islamic rule on its citizens. In many Islamic nations, one can be put to death simply for converting from the Muslim faith to Christianity.

In spite of the increased persecutions in Sudan and other Muslim nations, the church continues to grow at astonishing rates. The boldness of the believers mirrors that of the early church who rejoiced "that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41).

The patterns of persecution and the testimony of faithful believers have surrounded the children of God for thousands of years. It is not an issue, or an event, but a faith-based reality for those who choose a life of faith and righteousness. As we enter the third millennium, may we be found worthy of its calling.
 

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Typed in/adapted from The Voice of The Martyrs December 1999 issue, page 11
 
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