Christian Life as Sacrifice: Martyrdom in the early church

Julius Okojie

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did
not love their lives so much as to shrink from death
Rev. 12:11

For their refusal to proclaim Caesar as god, Christians from the late first century till early
fourth century became subjects of a widespread persecution within the Roman Empire. It
was in the context of these persecutions that the early church’s theology of martyrdom as
‘witnessing’ was developed. The word, “martyr” is derived from the Greek, “µάρτυς”
which literally means ‘witness.” It was a technical term for persons who gave up their
lives proclaiming their faith in Christ rather than publicly denying him or offering
sacrifice to any god or the emperor. Although the Christians lived as good citizens, were
law abiding, and avoided crimes, they nevertheless were resistant to any decree that
called for the violation of their deepest convictions. They found in the example and
teachings of Christ as well as those of the apostles, the impetus to continue to confess
Christ even in the face of brutal Roman regimes. They counted their suffering as nothing
compared to the glory that lay ahead of them. Thus, their bodily suffering and death were
temporary, and an imitation of Christ, who willingly, in obedience to the Father, gave his
life up for the redemption of the world. Although they did not call themselves martyrs,
and would refuse the title, these Christians zealously approached their death in the full
view of cheering pagan crowds. To them, martyrdom was a participation in the sufferings
of Christ.

While acknowledging that although martyrdom is lauded as honorable, it is not to be

courted, Clement of Alexandria in his Stromateis calls martyrdom “perfection” because
the martyr has exhibited the perfect work of love. And following the teaching of Jesus,
they believed that those who suffer persecution on account of righteousness are blessed
(Mt. 5:39). Similarly, there were evidence in the New Testament that suffering
persecution on account of Christ is something desirable and commendable. Christians are
to “rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings that you may rejoice and be glad
when his glory is revealed” (1 Pet. 4:13). Thus Christians counted themselves blessed to
have being considered worthy to suffer, and even die on account of the name,
“Christian.” There was also a sense that in persecuting them, the Romans were
persecuting Christ (Acts 9:5; John 15:20).

In some accounts of the experiences of the early Christian martyrs, we see the use of
vivid athletic metaphors and imageries drawn from pagan sports at the coliseum, with
fighters competing for awards. A common imagery was that of women and children
doing battle against spiritual wickedness. Prior to her death, Perpetua narrates in her
prison diary that she had a vision in which she defeated an Egyptian wrestler before
Christ, the heavenly umpire. As an award for her victory over this symbol of the Evil

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One, she was awarded apples, the prize in Apollo’s games at Carthage. Another martyr,
Blandina, was described as “she the small, the weak, the despised, who had put on Christ
the great and invincible Champion, and who in many rounds vanquished the adversary
and through conflict was crowned with the crown of incorruptibility.”

It is amazing how frail human beings could undergo the torture these Christians were
subjected to. Even the pagans acknowledged that they had never seen a woman endure as
much suffering as Blandina, one of the martyrs in Lyons, endured. They were exposed to
wild animals, burnt on the stakes and taken back to prison, with no medical care. From
the writings on these heroes of the Christian faith, it is said that Christ was present with
them at these moments, urging them to be courageous and not to lose heart. Polycarp was
urged on by Christ to be courageous. While they were going through their ordeal, in their
torments, the martyrs of Lyons saw with their physical eyes, in their sister, Blandina,
“him who was crucified for them…” The church understood the source of the martyrs’
strength and testimony to be the Holy Spirit. Only by his inspiration could such powerful
proclamation be given before hostile authorities. Those who confessed their faith in the
face of persecution were seen as receiving a word of revelation and proclamation much
like the Old Testament prophets. Vettius, spokesman for the martyrs of Lyons, was
described as possessing the Advocate within him, the Spirit that filled Zachary, the Spirit-
possessed prophet of Luke 1:67. The Spirit fell on both slave and free, baptized and
unbaptized, granting dreams and visions as he saw fit. For example, Polycarp, the
martyred bishop of Smyrna, saw his pillow on fire, which he interpreted to be a prophecy
of the kind of death he would die.

But why were the Christians prepared to die, and even volunteer to be killed? The belief
in the virtue of martyrdom generated the phenomenon of “volunteering,” whereby
numbers of Christians actively sought persecution and death. Although the death and
resurrection of Christ remained central to the Church’s proclamation of salvation, it was
believed that a martyr’s death effaced all sins committed after baptism. As such, many
who volunteered probably saw martyrdom as a ticket to heaven. Melito of Sardis
claimed, “There are two things which give remission of sins: baptism and suffering for
the sake of Christ.”

To venerate the memory of the martyrs, their bones were gathered up and their “heavenly
birthdays” (i.e., the anniversaries of their deaths) was celebrated annually. The
celebration service was held at the grave of the deceased with prayer, oblations,
Communion, and a reading of the martyr’s history of suffering and death. This practice
was in clear contrast to the teaching of Judaism, which held that a grave was unclean.
One can see in this practice a vivid expression of Christianity’s conscious effort to
separate itself from its Jewish roots.

Martyrdom as understood by the early 2nd century Christians must be distinguished from
suicide. Whereas they both imply some voluntary giving up of one’s life, the motivations
are clearly different. The early Christians did not give up their life as a rejection of
earthly life but they considered their faith in Christ too important to forfeit in preference
for earthly existence. By renouncing life, they proclaimed faith in a life beyond, and thus

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saw martyrdom as a path to attaining unity with Christ who had gone before them. By
dying for their faith, they identify with Christ, the proto-martyr. On the other hand, to
commit suicide is to hold earthly life in disdain without a hope for a life hereafter. It is in
fact, this hopelessness that fuels suicide in the first place. Suicide is nihilistic in its
motivation.

In conclusion, it can be seen that the suffering and death of Christ is re-enacted, albeit, in
a figurative way, in the death of the Christian martyrs. In his letter to the church in Rome,
on his way to his martyr’s death, Ignatius of Antioch pleaded with them to take no action
to prevent his death, for he wished to “attain to Christ and to be an imitator of the passion
of Christ, my God.” This may not fit into what was customary in the early church, which
did not advocate voluntary martyrdom. Clement specifically warned against volunteering
oneself for martyrdom, and Jesus himself in Matthew's gospel advised fleeing when
persecution was imminent. By their faithfulness to Christ in spite of torture and death, the
early Christian martyrs proclaimed to the world that Jesus, and not Caesar, is Lord.