Martyrs for God's Word
We are the children of the martyrs!
We are the children of those who perished in the flames!
Over 65 million have been martyred since the time of Christ.
The Martyrdom of the Apostles
By Grant R. Jeffrey
(From his book "The Signature of God")
(From his book "The Signature of God")
Some atheists have suggested that the disciples, during the decades following His death, simply invented their accounts of Jesus. These Bible critics say that the disciples, in an attempt to enhance His authority, then published the story that Jesus claimed to be God and was resurrected. Any fair-minded reader should consider the historical evidence.
First, the apostles were continually threatened and pressured to deny their Lord during their ministry; especially as they faced torture and martyrdom. However, none of these men who spent time with Jesus chose to save their lives by denying their faith in Him. Consider this hypothetical situation: Suppose these men had conspired to form a new religion based on their imagination. How long would anyone continue to proclaim something they knew was a lie when faced with lengthy tortures and an inescapable, painful death? All they had to do to escape martyrdom was to admit they had concocted a lie and simply deny their faith and claims about Jesus as God. It defies both common sense and the evidence of history that anyone, let alone a group of twelve men, would persist in proclaiming a lie when they could walk away by admitting that it was a fraud.
Yet, history reveals that not one of these men, who knew Jesus personally, ever denied their testimony about Him despite the threat and reality of imminent death. This proves to any fair-minded observer that these men possessed an absolute unshakable personal knowledge about the truth of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Each of the apostles were called upon to pay the ultimate price to prove their faith in Jesus, affirming with their life's blood that Jesus was the true Messiah, the Son of God, and the only hope of salvation for a sinful humanity.
Most of our information about the deaths of the apostles is derived from early church traditions. While tradition is unreliable as to small details, it very seldom contains outright inventions. Eusebius, the most important of the early church historians wrote his history of the early church in A.D. 325. He wrote, "The apostles and disciples of the Savior scattered over the whole world, preached the Gospel everywhere." The Church historian Schumacher researched the lives of the apostles and recounted the history of their martyrdoms.
First, the apostles were continually threatened and pressured to deny their Lord during their ministry; especially as they faced torture and martyrdom. However, none of these men who spent time with Jesus chose to save their lives by denying their faith in Him. Consider this hypothetical situation: Suppose these men had conspired to form a new religion based on their imagination. How long would anyone continue to proclaim something they knew was a lie when faced with lengthy tortures and an inescapable, painful death? All they had to do to escape martyrdom was to admit they had concocted a lie and simply deny their faith and claims about Jesus as God. It defies both common sense and the evidence of history that anyone, let alone a group of twelve men, would persist in proclaiming a lie when they could walk away by admitting that it was a fraud.
Yet, history reveals that not one of these men, who knew Jesus personally, ever denied their testimony about Him despite the threat and reality of imminent death. This proves to any fair-minded observer that these men possessed an absolute unshakable personal knowledge about the truth of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Each of the apostles were called upon to pay the ultimate price to prove their faith in Jesus, affirming with their life's blood that Jesus was the true Messiah, the Son of God, and the only hope of salvation for a sinful humanity.
Most of our information about the deaths of the apostles is derived from early church traditions. While tradition is unreliable as to small details, it very seldom contains outright inventions. Eusebius, the most important of the early church historians wrote his history of the early church in A.D. 325. He wrote, "The apostles and disciples of the Savior scattered over the whole world, preached the Gospel everywhere." The Church historian Schumacher researched the lives of the apostles and recounted the history of their martyrdoms.
Matthew suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound.
Mark died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.
Luke was hanged by idolatrous priests on an olive tree in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.
John faced martyrdom when he was boiled in a huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.
Peter was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ was crucified.
James the Just, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club. This was the same pinnacle where Jesus went to during his Temptation.
James the Greater, a son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.
Bartholomew, also know as Nathanael, was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed to our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia when he was flayed to death by a whip.
Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: "I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it." He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.
Thomas was stabbed with a spear (lance) in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the subcontinent.
Jude, the brother of Jesus, was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.
Barnabas, one of the group of seventy disciples, wrote the Epistle of Barnabas. He preached throughout Italy and Cyprus. Barnabas was stoned to death at Salonica.
Paul was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero in Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.
Mark died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.
Luke was hanged by idolatrous priests on an olive tree in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.
John faced martyrdom when he was boiled in a huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.
Peter was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ was crucified.
James the Just, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club. This was the same pinnacle where Jesus went to during his Temptation.
James the Greater, a son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.
Bartholomew, also know as Nathanael, was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed to our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia when he was flayed to death by a whip.
Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: "I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it." He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.
Thomas was stabbed with a spear (lance) in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the subcontinent.
Jude, the brother of Jesus, was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.
Barnabas, one of the group of seventy disciples, wrote the Epistle of Barnabas. He preached throughout Italy and Cyprus. Barnabas was stoned to death at Salonica.
Paul was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero in Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.
The details of the martyrdoms of the disciples and apostles are found in traditional early church sources. These traditions were recounted in the writings of the church fathers and the first official church history written by the historian Eusebius in A.D. 325. Although we can not at this time verify every detail historically, the universal belief of the early Christian writers was that each of the apostles had faced martyrdom faithfully without denying their faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
THE APOSTLES DEATHS PROVE THEY BELIEVED IN THE RESURRECTION!
The only apostle whose death the Bible records is James (Acts 12:2). King Herod had James “put to death with the sword,” likely a reference to beheading. The circumstances of the deaths of the other apostles are related through church tradition, so we should not put too much weight on any of the other accounts. The most commonly accepted church tradition in regard to the death of an apostle is that the apostle Peter was crucified upside-down on an x-shaped cross in Rome in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy (John 21:18). The following are the most popular “traditions” concerning the deaths of the other apostles:
Matthew suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound. John faced martyrdom when he was boiled in a huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic book of Revelation on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed and returned to what is now modern-day Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.
James, the brother of Jesus (not officially an apostle), was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He was thrown from the southeast pinnacle of the temple (over a hundred feet down) when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a club. This is thought to be the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the temptation.
Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed in present-day Turkey and was martyred for his preaching in Armenia, being flayed to death by a whip. Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers, they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: “I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.” He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he died. The apostle Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church there. Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded. The apostle Paul was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero in Rome in A.D. 67. There are traditions regarding the other apostles as well, but none with any reliable historical or traditional support.
It is not so important how the apostles died. What is important is the fact that they were all willing to die for their faith. If Jesus had not been resurrected, the disciples would have known it. People will not die for something they know to be a lie. The fact that all of the apostles were willing to die horrible deaths, refusing to renounce their faith in Christ, is tremendous evidence that they had truly witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Recommended Resource: Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe.
Matthew suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound. John faced martyrdom when he was boiled in a huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic book of Revelation on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed and returned to what is now modern-day Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.
James, the brother of Jesus (not officially an apostle), was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He was thrown from the southeast pinnacle of the temple (over a hundred feet down) when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a club. This is thought to be the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the temptation.
Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed in present-day Turkey and was martyred for his preaching in Armenia, being flayed to death by a whip. Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers, they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: “I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.” He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he died. The apostle Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church there. Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded. The apostle Paul was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero in Rome in A.D. 67. There are traditions regarding the other apostles as well, but none with any reliable historical or traditional support.
It is not so important how the apostles died. What is important is the fact that they were all willing to die for their faith. If Jesus had not been resurrected, the disciples would have known it. People will not die for something they know to be a lie. The fact that all of the apostles were willing to die horrible deaths, refusing to renounce their faith in Christ, is tremendous evidence that they had truly witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Recommended Resource: Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe.
Martyrdom of William Tyndale depicted
"And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake:
But he that endureth to the end shall be saved."
Matthew 10:22
But he that endureth to the end shall be saved."
Matthew 10:22
Click...Preparing for Martyrdom
"The tyrant dies and his rule ends, the martyr die and his rule begins."
Søren A. Kierkegaard
"No makes us afraid or leads us into captivity as we have set our faith on Jesus. For though we are beheaded, and crucified, and exposed to beasts and chains and fire and all other forms of torture.
"It is plain that we do not forsake the confession of our faith, but the more things of this kind which happen to us, the more are there others who become believers and truly religious through the name of Jesus Christ."
Justin Martyr
Through out the years there have been countless individuals who have given their lives in the name of Jesus Christ.
With this page I will attempt to list and provide information on some of them.
Christian martyrs suffered persecution for their faith simply because they were children of God who were totally devoted towards the teachings of Jesus Christ and His cause that dealt with the salvation and redemption of humanity.
You must understand, that the children of the world hated the children of God; and will do anything in their power to discourage, or even kill those individuals, who will not bow down, or compromise their beliefs.
Because of their stance and their willingness not to compromise, when it comes to their beliefs; Christian martyrs have been imprisoned, unjustly condemned, falsely accused, ridiculed, scorned, crucified and murdered for standing up for their Christian faith and beliefs.
We must also understand that the children of the world have a malicious, spiteful and envious spirits when it comes to people who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. For the children of the world, are totally devoted to the wickedness and corruption that are found to be in it; and the temporal and material things that come from it.
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as it own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me."
(John 15:18-21)
Jesus Christ
Types of torture, martyrdom our ancesters suffered.
Arms cut off
Torturous slow burning e.g., burn soles of feet, then up to ankles, mid-calf, etc. until dead
Bellies burnt until bowels fell out
Women stripped, hung from tree by their hair and scourged
Tourniquet placed on head and twisted until eyes came out
Ears bored out
Tongue cut out
Set down (by pulley) into a fire by degrees
Thrown to dogs
Hung up by the heels and choked with smoke
Smothered in caves on mountains
Hearts pulled out, which the papists gnawed with their teeth.
Some roasted upon spits over a soft fire
Some had their bowels pulled out
A smith had his brains beaten out on his anvil with a hammer
Some had sharp instruments forced under their nails and other body parts
Some racked until their bowels broke out
Some had their throats cut with butcher knives
Knocked on the head with axes
Naked women left hung up by one leg on trees until they died
Some slain and their body parts set on stakes for 30 miles streches
Some had their noses and breasts pulled off with red hot pinchers
Some had their flesh torn with the claws of wild animals
Murdered in a church during sermon
Some hanged by one foot, their hands and breasts in the water
Some hung up by one hand with weights of lead at their heels
Two tied together and slain
Some were torn in pieces by horses
A legion of soldiers cut some to pieces with swords
Some had boots of boiling oil put on their legs over a small fire.
Some hung up on trees by the middle til they died of hunger
Women's bellies ripped up and their children trod underfeet
Torturous slow burning e.g., burn soles of feet, then up to ankles, mid-calf, etc. until dead
Bellies burnt until bowels fell out
Women stripped, hung from tree by their hair and scourged
Tourniquet placed on head and twisted until eyes came out
Ears bored out
Tongue cut out
Set down (by pulley) into a fire by degrees
Thrown to dogs
Hung up by the heels and choked with smoke
Smothered in caves on mountains
Hearts pulled out, which the papists gnawed with their teeth.
Some roasted upon spits over a soft fire
Some had their bowels pulled out
A smith had his brains beaten out on his anvil with a hammer
Some had sharp instruments forced under their nails and other body parts
Some racked until their bowels broke out
Some had their throats cut with butcher knives
Knocked on the head with axes
Naked women left hung up by one leg on trees until they died
Some slain and their body parts set on stakes for 30 miles streches
Some had their noses and breasts pulled off with red hot pinchers
Some had their flesh torn with the claws of wild animals
Murdered in a church during sermon
Some hanged by one foot, their hands and breasts in the water
Some hung up by one hand with weights of lead at their heels
Two tied together and slain
Some were torn in pieces by horses
A legion of soldiers cut some to pieces with swords
Some had boots of boiling oil put on their legs over a small fire.
Some hung up on trees by the middle til they died of hunger
Women's bellies ripped up and their children trod underfeet
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Apostolic Age—1st century
Anne Boleyn Queen of England
Apostolic Age—1st century
Saint Stephen, Protomartyr
James the Great (Son of Zebedee) was beheaded in 44 AD.
Philip the Apostle was crucified in 54 AD.
Matthew the Evangelist killed with a halberd in 60 AD.
James the Just, beaten to death with a club after being crucified and stoned.
Matthias was stoned and beheaded.
Saint Andrew, St. Peter's brother, was crucified.
Saint Mark the Evangelist, was dragged in the streets of Alexandria then beheaded
Saint Peter, crucified upside-down.
Apostle Paul, beheaded in Rome.
Saint Jude was crucified.
Saint Bartholomew flayed alive and crucified.
Thomas the Apostle was killed by a spear in Mylapore, Madras, India in AD 72.
Luke the Evangelist was hanged.
Simon the Zealot was crucified in 74 AD.
Antipas of Pergamum, according to tradition, roasted to death in a brazen bull during the persecutions of EmperorDomitian, c. 92 A. D.
John the Evangelist according to legend was cooked in boiling hot oil but survived. He was the only one of the original twelve Apostles who was not martyre
"Martyrdom of
St. Paul", from an 1887 edition ofFoxe's Book of Martyrs
Apostolic Age—1st century
Saint Stephen, Protomartyr
James the Great (Son of Zebedee) was beheaded in 44 AD.
Philip the Apostle was crucified in 54 AD.
Matthew the Evangelist killed with a halberd in 60 AD.
James the Just, beaten to death with a club after being crucified and stoned.
Matthias was stoned and beheaded.
Saint Andrew, St. Peter's brother, was crucified.
Saint Mark the Evangelist, was dragged in the streets of Alexandria then beheaded
Saint Peter, crucified upside-down.
Apostle Paul, beheaded in Rome.
Saint Jude was crucified.
Saint Bartholomew flayed alive and crucified.
Thomas the Apostle was killed by a spear in Mylapore, Madras, India in AD 72.
Luke the Evangelist was hanged.
Simon the Zealot was crucified in 74 AD.
Antipas of Pergamum, according to tradition, roasted to death in a brazen bull during the persecutions of EmperorDomitian, c. 92 A. D.
John the Evangelist according to legend was cooked in boiling hot oil but survived. He was the only one of the original twelve Apostles who was not martyre
"Martyrdom of
St. Paul", from an 1887 edition ofFoxe's Book of Martyrs
Middle Ages—5th to 15th centuries and Age of Martyrdom—2nd to 4th centuries
Ignatius of Antioch in 107 AD.
Justin Martyr of Palestine in 165 AD.
Polycarp of Smyrna, probably around 160 AD.
Saint Alban, Britain in c.283 AD.
Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, died in what is now Armenia under the Roman Imperial persecutions of 320 AD.
Middle Ages—5th to 15th centuries
Valentine and Engratia, ca. 715, Hermit martyrs of Segovia
King Edward the Martyr, 979
Thomas Becket, 1170
John Huss (Jan Huss), 1415
Jerome of Prague1416
Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc), 1431
Justin Martyr of Palestine in 165 AD.
Polycarp of Smyrna, probably around 160 AD.
Saint Alban, Britain in c.283 AD.
Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, died in what is now Armenia under the Roman Imperial persecutions of 320 AD.
Middle Ages—5th to 15th centuries
Valentine and Engratia, ca. 715, Hermit martyrs of Segovia
King Edward the Martyr, 979
Thomas Becket, 1170
John Huss (Jan Huss), 1415
Jerome of Prague1416
Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc), 1431
Reformation Era—16th century
"Death of
Cranmer", from the 1887 Foxe's Book of Martyrs
Diego Botello,
Fernando Salzedo, Spanish missionary in the Caribbean, 1516
Jan de Bakker, 1525Spanish missionary in the Caribbean, 1516
Felix Manz, 1527
Patrick Hamilton, 1528
George Blaurock, 1529
Thomas More, 1535
Dirk Willems etching from Martyrs Mirror.
John Fisher, 1535
William Tyndale, 1535
Anne Askew, 1546
George Wishart, 1546
Matthew Hammond, 1549
Hugh Latimer, 1555
Nicholas Ridley , 1555
Rowland Taylor, 1555
John Hooper, 1555
John Rogers, 1555
William Hunter, 1555
Lawrence Saunders, 1555
Thomas Cranmer, 1556
Dirk Willems, 1569
Margaret Ball, 1584
Cranmer", from the 1887 Foxe's Book of Martyrs
Diego Botello,
Fernando Salzedo, Spanish missionary in the Caribbean, 1516
Jan de Bakker, 1525Spanish missionary in the Caribbean, 1516
Felix Manz, 1527
Patrick Hamilton, 1528
George Blaurock, 1529
Thomas More, 1535
Dirk Willems etching from Martyrs Mirror.
John Fisher, 1535
William Tyndale, 1535
Anne Askew, 1546
George Wishart, 1546
Matthew Hammond, 1549
Hugh Latimer, 1555
Nicholas Ridley , 1555
Rowland Taylor, 1555
John Hooper, 1555
John Rogers, 1555
William Hunter, 1555
Lawrence Saunders, 1555
Thomas Cranmer, 1556
Dirk Willems, 1569
Margaret Ball, 1584
Most people have some knowledge of the holocaust. The 6 years of torture and atrocities that the Jews suffered under Hitler and the Nazis during the Second World War. While in no way downplaying the terrible events of the holocaust, such a massacre does not compare to the severity to the torture and murder that took place under Papal authority during the 605 years of the Inquisition. From the beginning of the Papacy, until the present time, it is estimated by credible historians that more than 50,000,000, men and women have been slaughtered for the crime of heresy charged against them by Papal Rome. This Video contains actual photographs of some of the instruments of torture that were used. Since we consider this Video on the Inquisition one of the more important message that we have given, please make it known to others, and if possible post the link on your own website. For an interactive exchange of comments - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx8PdvOELvY
Video : The Catholic Inquisition
Berean Beacon - Catholic Inquisition Torture (2007)
Video : The Catholic Inquisition
We are the children of the martyrs!
We are the children of those who perished in the flames!
Video : The Catholic Inquisition
We are the children of the martyrs!
We are the children of those who perished in the flames!
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