A Practical Guide to the Logic, Philosophy and Thoughts of Christianity

Section 2 - Article 7

Article 7 – Martyrdom

This article deals with the issues of martyrdom and suggests that there are more of such cases throughout the Bible than commonly realized. It suggests that martyrdom can be initiated from the Lord with or without the individual's awareness.

As one reads the Bible, one may struggle with the biblical account of "unnecessary" deaths in the Bible. These accounts include the deaths of the infants that were massacred by Pharaoh during Moses' time, and the children killed by Herod to prevent the birth of the Lord Jesus. Others areas may include the killing of the priests that protected David from Saul. Why would God allow such injustice? Why would the Lord pave the way of His prophets, and His Salvation plan through the Lord Jesus Christ, to be filled with the blood of innocents? To some, this question is troubling.

The answer is martyrdom. The kind chosen by the Lord, not one that is chosen by the martyr themselves. What is the difference? A martyr is one who dies standing by one's own beliefs. While it is a "heroic" act, it is not always for what is right, for it can also reflect stubbornness or deception. I can die a martyr insisting that green is red as a result of being color-blind, I can die insisting that it is fine to massacre entire populations if I had been brainwashed to do so. Yet in all these examples, I could not be more far from the 'truth'. The 'objective and universal 'truth'. The truth of the Lord God.

A martyr can be "heroically" killed in stubborn belief, and the stubborn belief can be one that is completely wrong. However, the martyrdom or sacrifice appointed by the Lord God Himself is carefully chosen and is for His divine purpose. It is a sacrifice for the right cause, and for His divine purpose. And the greatest example of this in all of history and the Bible, is the appointed sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who was born to redeem all creation in His death.

Let me further explain this sacrificial martyrdom where the definition of dying for one's beliefs may be a stumbling block in appreciating these occurrences as martyrdom. One area of difficulty is the issue of time, but remember God is outside time, so to explain this, we will have to put our understanding of time away. In Revelations, it is foretold that in the End, every tongue will confess and every knee shall bow. The word 'confess', indicates a declaration of what is believed, or known, or acknowledged. While this has another implication stating that current unbelievers are in a state of denial or lying, this implication will not be discussed here.

Taking this eventual confession to indicate that at the final judgment, all of Man have believed or acknowledged this truth, the "unnecessary dead" will also see that their blood paved the way for God's purpose. In this, it simply means that these dead will realize (if they had not already known) that they have been martyred. Perhaps these individuals will be the proudest and be able to boast in the Lord then, for they have been martyred at a time without knowledge of the greatness bestowed upon them. Therefore, in some sense it is 'true martyrdom'.

1) They died for the true cause, and were chosen by the Lord Himself that they believed in, for sacrifice.

2) They were martyred without knowledge and had the expectation of the greatness thereafter. Basically, many of them did not have the security of deliverance at the point of death.

Perhaps those familiar and appreciative of Imperialism will appreciate the grandeur of being chosen by the Supreme Authority better. Yet Imperialism is the service of fallen men, therefore it must be even grander to be chosen for service by the Supreme Authority. The "unnecessarily dead" have died, chosen by the very Supreme God that they believe in! At that moment of realization upon the passing of the event, the dead would know their deaths were for a divine cause by the God whom they believe in, and for a God Who does things for their best interest (Rom 8:28).