By Rex Butler, Professor of Church History and Patristics at NOBTS
In his book on contemporary martyrs, Faith that Endures, Ronald Boyd-MacMillan observed, “It is the devil, the demonic hatred that is behind all anti-Christian violence.”
The devil is “waging his cosmic battle of spite against Jesus Christ.” The early Christians who faced persecution held that same view: that their ultimate enemy was not the Roman government or the mob but Satan.
One account of persecution in the second century reported that “with all his strength, Satan fell upon us, giving us a foretaste of the future, unrestrained activity against us. The enemy used every means to goad his own subjects against the servants of God.” (The Letter of the Churches of Lyons and Vienne as preserved in Eusebius, Church History 5.1.5).
In the summer of 177 A.D., persecution broke out against Christians in Lyons and Vienne in Gaul, a Roman region in modern-day southern France. This persecution was not instigated by an emperor’s edict, although the governor of the province oversaw the imprisonments, tortures, and executions, but the residents of these towns rose up in mob violence against their Christian neighbors. This hatred was fanned by false accusations of such atrocities as cannibalism and atheism. The former charge stemmed from a slanderous misinterpretation of the Lord’s Supper – Christians were said to eat flesh and drink blood. The latter charge was based on Christians worshipping an invisible God rather than idols in heathen temples.
Knowledge of this persecution comes from a letter written by a member of the Christian community in Gaul to congregations “back home” in Asia and Phrygia, provinces of what is now Turkey. This account reveals that Christians from the Gallic churches endured insults, beatings, robberies, and stoning. Many were placed in prison where some died from starvation or suffocation.
When he arrived, the governor interrogated the 90-year-old bishop of Lyons, Pothinus and asked, “Who is the God of the Christians?”
Pothinus answered, “If you are worthy, you will know.” The interview ended with the aged bishop being dragged off by the soldiers and beaten and stoned by the mob. Two days later, he died in prison.
Among the spectators to the trial was Vettius Epagathus, who, although a young man, was described in the same way as the venerable Zacharias: “righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord,” – Luke 1:6. He approached the governor to defend the Christians as innocent of the charges of impiety. The governor, however, would not listen to his defense and, instead, accused him of being a Christian. Vettius Epagathus confessed his faith in Christ and was martyred that day. The eyewitness praised him as one who not only was an advocate for his brethren but also had the Advocate, the Paraclete, in him.
The violence lasted for six days, during which dozens of Christians endured unimaginable tortures – scourged, stretched on the rack, roasted in a red-hot chair, attacked by wild beasts, impaled on a stake. In the face of such cruelty, some recanted their faith and burned incense to the pagan gods. Even among this group, however, were a few who, emboldened by the courage of their brothers and sisters, once again declared their faith in Christ and submitted to persecution. The author of the letter observed that Satan thought he had captured these Christians but was forced to release them.
Of the Christians who were arrested, the letter mentions several specifically. The deacon Sanctus was tortured so cruelly that his body, covered in wounds and welts, lost its human shape. Nonetheless, he could not be induced to confess to any of the crimes of which he was accused, confessing only, “I am a Christian.” Some days later, the wicked tormented him again with the intent that his death would strike fear into the others. This round of persecutions, however, miraculously restored his body to its former appearance. Through Christ’s grace, the second torture proved to be a cure rather than an affliction.
Maturus was a recent convert but a noble combatant. He and Sanctus were subjected to a day-long ordeal for the entertainment of the heathen spectators. Neither one would say anything other than the same confession, “I am a Christian.” Finally, at the end of that day, both were sacrificed.
On the last day of the public persecutions, there were two Christians put on display – a 15-year-old boy, Ponticus, and a seemingly frail slave girl, Blandina. Each day they had been forced to watch as their brothers and sisters in Christ had suffered and died, yet both refused to recant Jesus or worship the heathen idols.
In spite of his youth, Ponticus was forced to endure multiple tortures, but he was encouraged by his sister in Christ. When he finally died, Blandina was the last one left.
Of all the martyrs who died in Lyons during those six days, Blandina was the heroine who received the highest commendation in the letter. From outward appearances, she was so frail that even her brothers and sisters in Christ feared that she would be too weak to make a firm confession. But within her was such power that she was able to withstand three days of suffering.
In fact, her persecutors were wearied and worn out from their efforts to defeat her. After the first day, they said that any one of the tortures applied to her should have destroyed her. But Blandina’s confession, “I am a Christian, and there is no evil done among us,” restored her and made her insensible to her suffering.
On the second day, Blandina was hung upon a stake and exposed to wild beasts. To the other Christians, she appeared as Christ, with this reminder of him who was crucified encouraging the others in their contest against Satan. This frail woman, clothed with the invincible Christ, overpowered the enemy and earned for herself an incorruptible crown. When the wild beasts turned away from her, she was taken down from the stake and returned to the prison until another day.
On that day of ultimate victory, Blandina approached her martyrdom as if she were entering into a wedding feast – with joy and exultation. She was scourged, cast to wild beasts, roasted in an iron chair, and trampled by a bull, yet her Christian hope held firm. When she finally completed her sacrifice, she entered into eternal communion with Christ.
Even after the deaths of these brave Christians, the cruelty of the mob was not satisfied. They refused to allow the dead to be buried and cast the bodies to wild beasts. Then, they burned the bones and tossed the ashes into the river. Their intention was to mock the Christians’ belief in the bodily resurrection even as happened when Paul preached it in Athens (Acts 17:16-34).
Although they did not have the privilege to die for their faith, the Christians who survived the persecution prayed that they would live out their witness with boldness before their neighbors. These survivors became known as “confessors,” and it was said of them that they showed their goodness through patience, fearlessness, and courage. These noble Christians, because of their genuine love, “prayed for those who inflicted torture. Their conflict was with the Devil. This was so that beast would vomit up those he thought he had already swallowed. They helped the needy, displaying towards them the compassion of a mother. And, pouring out many tears for them to the Father, they begged life. He gave it to them, and they shared it with their neighbors.” (The Letter of the Churches of Lyons and Vienne as preserved in Eusebius, Church History 5.2.5-7).
Christians in America don’t face the terrible persecution afflicted on our brothers and sisters in the early centuries of the church or in many places throughout the world today. But we do face an increasingly hostile society. We need to see that our real enemy is Satan and, following the example of the Christians of Lyons and Vienne, show God’s love to our neighbors even when they show hostility, misunderstanding or indifference toward us and our Savior.