“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” As many of you know, the early centuries of the Christian church were marked by sporadic, and at times, intense persecution. Following in the footsteps of Jesus their leader, many early Christians refused to modify or deny their faith in Christ, even when threatened with brutal execution. And yet, try as they might, the powers of this world were not able to stamp out the Christian teaching. Indeed, the persecution seemed only to fuel the public witness of the faith and to magnify the response. Thus, Tertullian, an early Christian writer, could claim that, rather than diminish the power of Christianity, the persecution of believers only served to increase the Church. The Church sprouted and flourished despite (perhaps, because of?) the witness amidst suffering of her members. Thus, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
This was especially true of the original disciples. Of the original disciples, we know from the Scriptures or from church history and legend that every one of them suffered greatly for the Gospel, and all but the Apostle John were martyred for their faith. Following the beheading of John’s brother, the Apostle James, as recorded in Acts 12, the apostles scattered throughout the world, carrying the Gospel message to all peoples. From Rome to Ethiopia, from Eastern Europe to India, the original disciples preached the love and grace of Jesus Christ. And everywhere they met with those who embraced the message, experiencing new life in the Lord, as well as those who rose up against it. Many, like Jesus Himself, were crucified, some beheaded, stabbed, hacked to death, or stoned. Each grisly death, however, advanced the Gospel message. “The blood of the martyrs… seeding the church.”
And, this experience—of persecution and resounding victory—is hardly limited to the original disciples. You can perhaps imagine their early passion and commitment; after all, they had walked with Jesus, seen His crucifixion, witnessed His resurrection and ascension. Perhaps one can understand their determination; but what of others? For centuries, believers have gone to their deaths with confidence and assurance in the salvation of the Lord. The Roman Empire devised horrific means of breaking the church—Emperor Nero’s scapegoating of Christians, including the crucifixion of so many and the beheading of the Apostle Paul, should have squashed the Church, yet it flourished in the following decades. The martyrdom of Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin, Fabian, Sebastian, Perpetua and Felicity, and so many others, rather than squelching the church, their suffering served to spread far and wide the power of faith in Jesus Christ. [For a taste and feel of the power of their witness, I suggest the inspirational collection of martyr stories, John Foxe, Book of the Martyrs].
Of course, this seed of the Church continues today. With great sorrow and sadness, yet with the hope of the advancement of the Gospel, we recognize the continual sacrifice of our brothers and sisters worldwide during the ongoing persecution of Christians. All believers should have some prayerful awareness of the work of the organization, Voice of the Martyrs. A quick look online reveals the growth of the Church in China following its attempted extermination during Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Perhaps one of the most moving, inspiring, and awe-inducing stories of the recent advance of the Gospel despite persecution is extremely well-told in Chuck Colson’s, The Body, the story of the Romanian Revolution at the end of the Cold War. I can’t recommend it enough.
This truism, that the Gospel advances in God’s hands, despite the powers of Hell raging against it, is well captured again by our text this week. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Let us, as a church family, gather in worship together this Sunday.
As you prepare for worship this Sunday, read Acts 4:1-31.
- In verse 2, why would the authorities be “greatly annoyed” that the Apostles were teaching and proclaiming the resurrection from the dead? What might have drawn their frustration? How is that parallel frustration experienced by Christians today?
- What does the question the authorities ask in verse 7 say about the healing of the lame man (chapter 3)? Why are they interested in the “power” or “name”?
- In verse 13, “boldness,” “common men,” “astonished,” and “with Jesus” are all linked. How so? What would prevent someone from seeing that link in your life today?
- What is the implied answer to Peter and John’s comment in verse 19? Is there any ambiguity here?
- In verse 31, we see the power of the Holy Spirit once again manifested. Why? How so? In what ways might we expect to see such a similar manifestation today?
By Henry Knapp