CHAPTER 1

APOSTLES &
MARTYRS
FLOW OF DISCUSSION

1 4
FROM SAUL TO PAUL: A
APOSTLES
STORY OF CONVERSION

2 5 ROMANS AND EMPERORS AND

FACTORS FOR THE EARLY
PERSECUTION OF THE
EXPANSION OF CHRISTIANITY
CHRISTIANS

3 6
MARTYRS CONCLUSION

2
APOSTLES AND MARTYRS

WITNESSING OF JESUS
Christian history is made by men and women
through their life and example of faith and love in
Jesus, even against the test of pain and death.
3
APOSTLES AND MARTYRS

4
APOSTLES

EXEMPLARS OF COURAGE

After the death of Jesus, the twelve

apostles were never the same again.

They who were hiding in fear and

uncertainty at the time of Jesus’
arrest and crucifixion, and were
struggling to understand his person
and mission, became exemplars of
courage and conviction to their faith
in the risen Christ.

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Let us Recall the Commissioning of the Apostles

Mark 15:15-18

Go into the world and preach

the Gospel to the whole
creation. He who believes
and is baptized will be saved;
but he who does not believe
will be condemned.

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Let us Recall the Commissioning of the Apostles

Mark 15:15-18

All these signs will accompany those

who believe:
In my name they will cast out demons,
they will speak in new tongues,
they will pick up serpents,
they will not be poisoned,
they will lay their hand on the sick and
they will recover.

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THE ZEAL OF THE APOSTLES

BURNING ZEAL REKINDLED

And so the F I R E of the missionary

spirit was lit up and the heart of every
apostle was consumed by this
irresistible calling to be sent, to preach,
to heal, to exorcise, and to baptize in
the name of Jesus, their Lord and
Messiah.

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On the Day of Pentecost: Descent of the Holy Spirit
IMMEASURABLE
CONVICTION
Peter’s speech in the Acts of the
Apostles on the day of Pentecost
echoes with transforming Christian
conviction:
Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of
Nazareth, a man attested to you by God
with mighty works and wonders and
signs…who was delivered up according to
the plan of God…crucified and killed by
the hands of lawless men…But G o d
r a i s e d h i m u p …God has made him
both Lord and Christ… 9
On the Day of Pentecost: Descent of the Holy Spirit
CONVERSION OF
HEARTS
Further in that account, the people who
heard Peter were moved, convinced,
and converted.

Now when they heard this they were

c u t t o t h e h e a r t , and said to Peter
and the rest f the Apostles, “Brethren
what shall we do?” And Peter said to
them: ”Repent, and be baptized.”

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On the Day of Pentecost: Descent of the Holy Spirit

And there were added on that day about t hr ee t housand

souls, who devoted themselves to Apostles’ teachings.
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The Beginning of the Early Christians

IN MEMORY OF CHRIST AND

HIS COMMANDMENTS

Guided therefore by the Apostles,

the early Christians followed
b a p t i s m and the b r e a k i n g o f
t h e b r e a d as essential events
of being a Christian.

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The Beginning of the Early Christians
BURNING ZEAL OF
THE CHURCH
The restlessness to preach so
captivated the hearts of the disciples
that they started on a m i s s i o n a r y
j o u r n e y even beyond the borders of
Palestine, to the far ends of the
Mediterranean world.
As the fruit of their toil, converts were
not even won but groups and
communities were even built.
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The Beginning of the Early Christians
BURNING ZEAL OF
THE CHURCH
Christian communities sprang
from the Jewish capital of
J e r u s a l e m to the capital of
the pagan R o m a n E m p i r e .

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Factors of the Early Expansion of Christianity

THE ROMAN
EMPIRE

DIASPORA
JEWS DECAY OF
PAGANISM

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Factors of the Early Expansion of Christianity

The Roman Empire, which

dominated Palestine at that time,
made possible the efficient preaching
and spread of Christianity due to the
means of communication (Roman
Outposts), transportation
(messengers), infrastructure (roads),
and rule of law (order and security for
THE ROMAN missions)
EMPIRE 16
Factors of the Early Expansion of Christianity

Thus, the Apostles, who

were primarily Jews, and the
early Christians on mission way
initially received hospitality and
accommodation from their
fellow Jews in various foreign
places and cities.
DIASPORA
JEWS
17
Factors of the Early Expansion of Christianity

Christianity was born when

paganism had grown tired and cynical
of the pantheon of gods and
goddesses. Immorality and vice
had become part of the many
religious rites themselves.

DECAY OF
PAGANISM
18
Factors of the Early Expansion of Christianity

Vice has twisted the human hearts,

but this very disgust and exhaustion
cre ated a de sire f or goodnes s
and virtue which help prepare for
Christianity.

DECAY OF
PAGANISM
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THE MARTYRS

PERSECUTION OF
CHRISTIANS
There was a time that the life-
giving conviction of the early
Christians that Jesus is the God-
sent Messiah faced its adversary –
the test of persecution and
death.

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THE MARTYRS

PERSECUTION OF
CHRISTIANS
The Jewish authorities initiated
a religious persecution of
Christians who were accused
of deifying a condemned and
crucified criminal Jesus of
Nazareth.

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THE MARTYRS
PERSECUTION OF
CHRISTIANS
For these authorities, the act of
worshipping a crucified person
was an act of abhorrence before
God, equal to idolatry and
blasphemy. Thus, Stephen the
f i r st Chr i st i an mar t yr , was
put to trial and later, st oned t o
deat h due to his refusal to
denounce his faith in Jesus.
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THE MARTYRS
ACTS 7:58-8:1
They cast him out of the city and
st oned him. And as they were
stoning Stephen, he pr ayed ,
“Lord Jesus receive my spirit.” And
he knelt down and cried with a
loud voice, “Lor d do not hol d
t hi s si n agai nst t hem ,” and
when he said this, he fell to the
ground. And Saul was consenting
to his death.
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 ACTS 7:58-8:1
Being overly committed to his own
conviction that the Christians and
their faith in Jesus as Lord and
Savior are abominations before the
“God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac,”
Saul consented and even carried out
persecutions against them.

From
SAUL to PAUL 24
 ACTS 9:1-2
But Saul still breathing t hr eat s and
mur der against the disciples of the
Lord, went to the high priest and ask
him for letters to the synagogue at
Damascus, so that if he found any
belonging to the WAY (Christians),
men or women, he might bring them
bound to Jerusalem.

25
 THE PERSECUTOR
He then rushed to Damascus with
the intention of bringing the
Christians to t r i al for they deserve
t o be puni shed , based on his
personal prejudice. He was chasing
after the Christians but he had no
slightest idea that the risen Christ
had prepared for the greatest
t r ansf ormat i on of his life.
From
SAUL to PAUL 26
 DAMASCUS ENCOUNTER

Acts 9:3-9
Now as he journeyed he
approached Damascus, and
suddenly a light from the
heaven flashed out about him.
He fell to the ground and
heard a voice saying to him,
“Saul, Saul, why do you
From persecute me?”
SAUL to PAUL 27
 Saul must have been very
shocked about the person
who just called him by his
name. We may wonder if we
are placed on that same
situation – should we
p a n i c or r u n i n f e a r and
d i s b e l i e f or l i s t e n to the
that voice who is calling.

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 DAMASCUS ENCOUNTER

Acts 9:5
As to Saul, he replied:
“Who are you sir?” And the voice
said, I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting; but rise and enter
the city, and you will be told what
you are to do.

From
SAUL to PAUL 29
SAUL CARRIED TO DAMASCUS

Further on that
account, Saul became
blind, and he was
helped by a Christian
named ANANIAS ,
who also restored his
sight.

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SAUL BECAME PAUL

The Apostles heard about Saul

through the recommendation and
testimony of BARNABAS to the
Apostles Peter and James on the
account of his conversion in
Damascus.

The Apostles accepted Saul (and

renamed him Paul) as a member of
the Jerusalem Church.

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SAUL CARRIED TO DAMASCUS

Later in his life as a

convert, he earned the title
of being the “A p o s t l e t o
t h e G e n t i l e s ” because it
was he who brought many
Gentile converts to the
Christian faith.

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Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

NERO TRAJAN SEPTIMUS SEVERUS DECIUS

33
Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

VALERIAN GALIENUS DIOCLETIAN GALERIUS

34
Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

The persecution of Christians

continued and increased. This time
the Roman Empire, through Nero in
64 C.E. who initiated the widespread
and brutal persecution of Christians.

35
Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians
Cited in the words of the historian
HUBERT JEDIN (1993).

After Rome burned in 64 CE, based on the

report of Tacitus. To quell the persistent
rumor that that Nero himself was
responsible for the conflagration (intense
fire) which consumed much of the city on
16 July 64, the emperor diverted the
blame onto the Christian community. That
is why Christians were hated by the
Roman people.
36
Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

Large numbers (ingens multitudo) of

Christians were arrested and
executed in the ways reserved for
arsonists: some were sewn into the
skins of the animals and thrown to
the wild dogs, others were clothed in
inflammable materials and used as
living torches by NERO to light his
garden, which he opened to the
public for the spectacle.

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Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

The Christians at Rome in the 7th decade

of the 1st Century were many in numbers
(ingens multitudo).

The Christians were unjustly accused of

arson. Nero persecuted the Christians not
because he felt them as a threat to the
state, but was aimed rather at individual
Christians. He wanted the annihilation of
the religion.

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Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

HORORS AND BRUTALITY

But Nero’s act did not win the

sympathy of all his fellowmen for the
victims were pitied, for it was felt that
they (Christians) were being sacrificed
to one man’s brutality rather to the
national interest.

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Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

THE ROYAL DECREE

Trajan wrote a letter to Pliny the

Younger his governor in Asia Minor,
setting his royal decree on how to deal
with the Christians in a proper inquiry
based on the following procedures.

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Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

DENY OR DIE
They are not to be hunted out. If they
are convicted, they are to be punished.
But, he who denies that he is a
Christian and proves it by supplicating
our gods, although suspected in the
past, may gain pardon from penitence.
Anonymous accusations shall not be
entertained with respect or any crime.

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Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

The situation became worst for the

Christians. In 202 Septimus Severus
intensified the campaign for the
persecution with greater severity.

He forbade conversion to Christianity,

and baptism was considered a criminal
act. The Christians were still pardoned
however, if they denied the faith.

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Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

The policy stepped up the governments

active persecution of Christians
because the police sought out the
newly baptized Christians.

The famous martyrdom of Per pet ua

and Fel i ci t y took place at Carthage
during the time of Septimus Severus
(193-211)

43
Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

In 250 C.E. The Roman emperor

Decius directed that all citizens of
the Empire must worship the gods
of the Romans and secure a
certification from the government.

44
Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

According to the historian Richard

Cronin, “many Christians, it seems,
actually bought such certificates,
others performed the act of worship
required, and others who refused were
martyred. The magnitude of inhumanity
to the Christians heightened.

45
Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

Valerian continued the persecution in

257 by ordering the close and
confiscation of Christian Churches, and
by exiling and killing the bishops.

He commanded Christian clergy to

perform sacrifices to the Roman gods
or face banishment and death.

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Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

But the son of Valerian by the name

Galienus, st opped his father’s order
of persecution and returned
confiscated Church property.

After the death of his father, Galienus

granted liberty of worship to
the Christians.

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Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

The era of Roman persecution

resumed its implementation at the
time of Diocletian. He renewed the
former edicts of persecution by Decius
and Valerian, but added the
confiscation of Christian writings as
well as Church buildings.

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Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

The persecution under his reign

according to the historian William
Hugh Clifford Frend, was a product of
well-thought and well-planned attack
on the Christians.

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Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians
William Hugh Clifford Frend, in his book the
Rise of Christianity mentioned:

Diocletian recognized the danger of making

Christians martyr. No blood, he insisted
must be shed. The aim was to recall the
Christians to their duty of r e c o g n i z i n g the
majesty of the R o m a n g o d s .

The edict he promulgated on February 24

ordered that throughout the empire
Churches were to be destroyed, and sacred
books to be burned.
50
Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

Christians from public offices were to

be removed. Christians in the upper
classes were to lose their privileges.
Christian slaves may not be freed. The
attacked was concentrated on the
organization of Churches.

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Persecution of Christians
Some Christians fled to remote places to freely p r a c t i c e t h e i r
f a i t h . Others submitted to the authorities. But there were those who
complained, fought for their rights and persisted to uphold their
freedom. Thus, they ended up tortured, executed and burned in public.

52
Roman Emperors and Persecution of Christians

Persecution finally met its end at the time

of Galerius in 311. He maintained the
persecution of the Christians.

In the winter of 310–311, however, he

became incapacitated with a painful
disease. Fearing, perhaps, that his illness
was the vengeance of the Christian God,
he issued on April 30, 311, an edict
unwillingly granting toleration and lifting
some of his persecution.

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Decades of Christian Persecution by Rome Ended

In 313, E m p e r o r C o n s t a n t i n e
together with L i c i n u s issued the
Edict of Milan which declared
religious freedom to all citizens of
the Empire, after so many
decades of prolonged agony and
torture.

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CONCLUSION
Centuries ago, to be a Christian was a decision
of life and death. It was a decision that
manifests unwavering courage. Tertullian’s
words capture the legacy of the era of the
martyrs: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of
Christians.”
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 We can observe today some n o m i n a l
C a t h o l i c s (Catholics by name only) who openly
preach that they are Catholic but withdraw to
CONCLUSION their comfort ones when ask to serve the
Church, to sacrifice their time and personal
plans, to give what is due to the poor, and to
fight for advocacies.

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 Perhaps the lives of the apostles and martyrs are
challenging us to search our hearts, and ask
ourselves: In what ways have I made acts of
Christian generosity, dedication and heroism for
my faith and love in Jesus?
CONCLUSION
From the witness of the apostles and early
Christians who lived and died for their faith in
Jesus, we are invited to sincerely ask ourselves:
Has our religion become a proof of our conviction,
or has it plainly evolved into a mere religion of
convenience?

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