The Persecuted Church Today

We recently watched the movie Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018) at MainStreet which is a stirring account of the last days of Paul’s life before he is martyred in Rome. In our discussion time afterwards, someone rightly pointed out that persecution isn’t just ancient history or an early church reality; more people today are dying for their faith…

He Suffered For Us (by John Stott)

“I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the one Nietzsche ridiculed as “God on the Cross.” In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples and stood…

Jesus’ Humiliation & Ours (Skye Jethani)

Why did Peter refuse to let Jesus wash his feet? One possibility is that Peter was embarrassed for Jesus. He didn’t want to see his rabbi, his master, take such a humiliating role. Maybe he was trying to protect Jesus from his own undignified behavior. That is one possibility, but I don’t think it’s the…

Martyrdom of Paul Carlson, Covenant Missionary

You cannot be part of the Evangelical Covenant Church family very long before you come to know the story of Dr. Paul Carlson, a medical missionary to Congo (1962-1964), who gave up his life in service to Jesus. Here’s his story: Doctor Paul E. Carlson, or Monganga Paul as he was known by the Congolese…

The Martyrdom of Perpetua (203 AD)

The Passion of Saint Perpetua, Saint Felicitas, and their Companions is one of the oldest and most notable early Christian texts. It survives in both Latin and Greek forms, and contains a first person prison diary of the young mother and martyr Perpetua. Scholars generally believe that it is authentic although in the form we…

CrossRoad 6: Cruciformity Quotes

Here’s a collection of great quotes on “cruciformity” from Bruxy Cavey’s teaching ministry. Enjoy! “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” —Apostle Paul “The great paradox is that one comes to know the power and glory of Christ, the resurrection and life of Christ, through cruciformity.” —Michael J. Gorman As…

The Martyrdom of Polycarp (155AD)

Source: The text below is the full story, from around 160 AD, of the martyrdom of Polycarp, the Bishop of the church in Smyrna, a city in Asia Minor (modern Izmir in Turkey) devoted to Roman worship. The account is in the form of a letter from eye-witnesses to other churches in the area. It…

The Martyrdom of Ignatius (c.107AD)

This Holy Week, as an outflow of our CrossRoad sermon series, I am sharing some stories of early martyrs who took up their own cross and bore the ultimate witness to the cross-shaped Kingdom. One of the great treasures of church history is the collection of writings called The Apostolic Fathers. These are the earliest writings outside the…