What does it mean to be a martyr?
The word “martyr” has been in the news quite a bit over the last few years. It’s most commonly mentioned in reference to terrorism, since terrorist groups often describe suicide bombers or slain militants as martyrs.
Occasionally, one hears of Christians, Buddhists, or adherents of other religions being martyred—typically when they’re killed by an oppressive government or angry mob because of their faith. Nearly every major religion throughout history can point to martyrs who have died rather than abandon their beliefs.
But what does it really mean, theologically speaking, to be a martyr?
A new article at Answers in Genesis delves into the topic of martyrdom, and concludes that martyrdom means something different for Christians than it does for other religions. In the days of the early Christian church, martyrdom meant something more specific than the modern idea of “somebody who dies because of their beliefs.” What makes Christian martyrdom different than, say, Buddhist or Hindu martyrdom?
The article draws on the famous story of the martyrdom of Stephen, so you might want to familiarize yourself with that Bible passage before diving into the essay.
