Coffee Talk Redux is a reflection on things God is teaching me. In some cases the ideas for these topics come from the Coffee Talk group that I meet with weekly at the Vintage Coffee Bistro located in Lambertville, Michigan. At other times the Redux topic may arise from some conversation I may have had with someone, or a thought that crossed my mind, or perhaps something I read somewhere, or maybe a combination of all of these. In any case think of this as a discussion on what God is teaching us to help us grow in our understanding of His will.
In Matthew 16:13 Jesus asks His disciples a very simple question, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? This was a tough question and based on what they had seen and heard so far they believed that Jesus was thought by many to be another prophet of at least the same status as John the Baptist or Elijah. But then Jesus asks them, But who do you say that I am? Now Jesus brings the question to a personal level, He is not asking what others may say about who He is, but what do you say? Who do you say I am? This is a question that Christ is still asking us as Christians today. As followers of Christ we need to offer our public witness to others. Christ’s message of forgiveness and redemption is as much alive today as it was 2000 years ago. Our response cannot be tentative like the disciples and give a response that is evasive, or nuanced, or equivocal. Like Peter we must boldly say that Christ is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. The power of the Word and its ability to rattle the souls of those with hardened hearts is seen in Hebrews 4:12-13, wherein we are told that the Word of God is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before Him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one whom we must render an account.
Although this message of Christ pierces it also divides and Christians today as in the past must stand and bear witness to their faith. Being a witness to Christ is not easy and even Christ tells us in Matthew 10:22 that all men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Christianity today is still under attack but now by the seemingly sophisticated arguments of those embracing a form of new age rationalism. In many respects these arguments are the same ones that were used in the days of the early Church in the days of the Roman Empire absent the lions in the arena. It is therefore interesting to take a look at how the early Christians witnessed their faith and withstood persecution as a result of their faith.
As Christianity was spreading throughout the Roman Empire oftentimes the Christians were singled out and blamed for many misfortunes and calamities. As a result Christians were frequently persecuted because of their faith and killed by those that were in power. Other Christians at that time were also embracing virginity as a way for uniting themselves more closely with God. Our understanding of martyrdom and virginity during the first few centuries of Christianity is based on eyewitness accounts and reports that have been preserved in early Christian writings.
To be a martyr means to be a faithful witness to Christ. However, a Christian does not necessarily want to become a martyr. A Christian tries to avoid any confrontation with the authorities and does not want to be persecuted simply because of their belief in Christ. However, if a Christian were arrested because of his faith he would continue to maintain his witness to Christ even if this brought about his own horrible death. Martyrdom as the ultimate sacrifice was therefore considered to be a grace or a charism given by God and not something that could be demanded. Because martyrdom is a grace from God it cannot be considered as a foolish act but instead it is a virtuous act that shows that the martyr has given himself completely to God.
Martyrdom was seen as a privileged state since the martyr bore a witness to Christ that was similar in many respects to His suffering and death. The martyr was believed to be a faithful witness to Christ even experiencing His presence during those moments of their suffering. Through God’s grace the martyr could withstand the horrible pain that was inflicted through the union of his sufferings with those of Christ becoming a true witness to the faith. The martyrs’ union with Christ was thought to be so strong that the martyr felt no pain and they were believed to be in such a state of joy while being martyred that they were like Stephen in Acts 6:15 whose face was like the face of an angel.
Martyrdom at the time of the early Church in some respects was elevated to the same status as Baptism and the Eucharist. Like these sacraments martyrdom as an extreme witness to Christ was considered to be one of the mysteries of faith and to be martyred for Christ was to be given a unique veneration. Hence some believed that martyrdom was like the Eucharist drawing the analogy between Christ’s blood and the blood of the martyr. In some respects martyrdom was considered to be greater than baptism, wherein baptism was seen as forgiveness but martyrdom was the reward. To be martyred was to be baptized in blood and Origen even saw this as a vicarious offering and a ransom that was paid for all. The suffering of the martyr was then seen as the most profound gift that one could make to God.
Those that had been tortured and held in prison and then released were also called confessors and they were granted a special veneration like that given to the martyrs. Oftentimes confessors were also called martyrs as well. However, some confessors and the followers of martyrs took advantage of their privileged status and by the beginning of the fifth century they began to interfere with the authority vested in the Church through its episcopacy. This lead in some cases to schisms that threatened the unity of the Church and lead Augustine to say that with respect to being a martyr the reason is more important than the actual suffering. Martyrdom therefore cannot exist outside the Church and according to Tertullian it was the blood of the Christians that made the Church grow.
By the end of the third century virginity was also being likened to martyrdom since it has a similar effect being in a sense death to the self. However, Augustine cautioned that no one should ever consider virginity to be a sacrifice greater than martyrdom. Virginity was often viewed in the early Church as a better alternative to marriage. Marriage was seen to have many disadvantages and Gregory of Nyssa says that marriage does not need to be defended since the pleasures of marriage are its rewards.
Many of the Fathers of the Church saw marriage as just a remedy for concupiscence and that the need for the sexual act was a result of the Fall of Adam and Eve. Virginity was therefore seen as an uncorrupted state that represents a special closeness to God, which becomes apparent when the Greek word for virginity (parthenia) is compared to the Greek word for nearness to God (partheia). It was thought that only through virginity was one able to attain to the likeness of God. Virginity eventually was seen as a spiritual marriage wherein the virgin became the bride of Christ much like the relationship the Virgin Mary had with God. In some respects virginity was also seen as the first step toward reclaiming that state of innocence before the Fall. By this return to paradise through virginity one was essentially released from death and virginity was seen as an image of the resurrection. Cyprian even saw the state of virginity as being equal to that of angels and Ambrose said that virgins are not subject to the flesh and are like angels on earth. Virginity was also viewed as a special mark of the Church since it was believed that prior to Christ and the Church there was no virginity. Athanasius even argued that virginity within the Church was a unique practice and that it was proof that Christianity was the true and authentic religion.
Martyrdom and virginity were seen to be the answer to the many persecutions that were being faced by the early Church. They were a true witness to the Christian faith since no one ever died or withheld bodily pleasures for a philosopher like Socrates. Martyrdom and virginity both represented the complete giving of one’s self to God and symbolized the ultimate expression of love for Christ and His Gospel message. Through the witness of the martyrs and the virgins the Church through their blood and devotion was able to survive these persecutions and grow and prosper. © Ronald L. Fournier – 2008
