Martyr

    Click here for Pastor Omar's sermon, "The Glory of God in the Death of His Saints"

    Martyrdom

    The word martyr comes from the Greek word, martureo, which means witness. For Christianity a martyr is someone who has given witness to the gospel by the loss of their life.

    The **Center for the Study of Global Christianity ** at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary has defined martyrs as “believers in Christ who have lost their lives prematurely, in situations of witness, as a result of human hostility.”

    It can be tempting to think that martyrdom is a thing of the past. But the Center for the Study of Global of Christianity estimates that of the 7 million Christians who have been martyred throughout history over half were killed during the 20th century.

    In the early 21st century they estimate that on average over the 10-year period from 2000–2010 there were approximately 100,000 Christians killed each year (1 million total). You can read their report here.

    We need to work to develop an understanding of both what Scripture and church history teach us about martyrdom. In other words, we need a theology of martyrdom.

    Here are six reasons why I think it is important for us to have a theology of martyrdom.

    1. Because we have brothers and sisters who are being killed.

    2. Because the only religion that has a voice regarding martyrdom in our day is Islam – and their voice corrupts. For them martyrdom is rooted in violence and love of death. For the Christian martyrdom is rooted in love of God.

    3. Because Scripture teaches us about it (Rom. 8:35–39; Heb. 11:35–37; Rev. 6:9–11) – and if we want to be people who are led by Scripture we need to know what is says about all things – including martyrdom.

    4. Because we can never be certain how we will respond to the call of martyrdom if we have never been taught about it. (John 16:1–4; 21:18–19)

    5. Because our understanding of martyrdom will affect how we pray for those who are being or will be martyred.

    6. Because scripture teaches us that Christ will not return until the full number of martyrs have been killed. (Rev. 6:9–11)

    Resources for Understanding the History of Martyrdom

    Resources for Praying for Martyrs

    • Open Doors' Word Watch List is a resource that provides information on the top places where persecution is currently occurring. You can see the online version of the list here. You can order a printed version of the report here.
    • Voice of the Martyrs is a ministry that provides regular updates on persecution around the world. They post regular prayer updates on their website.

    Books About Martyrs for Children

    Works by Martyrs of the Church