February Church Library

A Book Review of Encyclopedia of Christian Martyrs by Chuck Schultz

How can an individual's death be beneficial for Christianity? The long list of Martyrs, starting with the disciples themselves, places a weighty support on the validity of the scriptures and the resurrection of Christ. If the disciples had stolen Christ’s body, they certainly would not have been willing to be tortured and killed for the “so called” deception. There are arguments that the Bible exists because Christians won the battle for the Canon of Scripture. How can this argument be true when, for 300 years, Christians were tortured and killed for placing their faith in Christ?

For the right to talk, walk, and touch Jesus, followers were martyred in these ways:

• Among the beheaded were Paul the Apostle, Matthias the Apostle, and John the Baptist
• Peter the Apostle was hung on a cross
• John the Apostle was boiled in oil

The persecution of Christians is more widespread in the present century than it was in the time of the Roman Empire. More than an estimated 160,000 believers were martyred in 1996 alone.