Monday, March 16, 2015

Not anymore

What did it mean to be a Christian, a true Christian, among the early followers of Jesus? The evidence suggests that a key element in this definition was suffering. A true Christian followed the example of Jesus to suffering and even death, and Peter and Paul were models for this. The Acts of Peter and Acts of Paul recount the many trials and persecutions that the apostles endured during their later careers. Often challenged and threatened, they eventually suffered martyrdom for bearing witness to the faith.—The Deaths of the Apostles: Ancient Accounts of the Martyrdoms of Peter and Paul, by David L. Eastman, Society of Biblical Literature, forthcoming.

<idle musing>
That would empty out a good number of churches, wouldn't it? : (
</idle musing>

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