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Bible Encyclopedias
Martyr
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (μάρτυς and μάρτυρ , so rendered only in Acts 22:20; Revelation 2:13; Revelation 18:6) is properly a witness, and is applied in the New Testament
(a) to judicial witnesses (Matthew 18:16; Matthew 26:65; Mark 14:63; Acts 6:13; Acts 7:58; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19; Hebrews 10:28. The Septuagint also uses it for the Hebrew עֵד , ed, in Deuteronomy 17:16; Proverbs 24:28);
(b) To one who has testified, or can testify to the truth of what he has seen, heard, or known. This is a frequent sense in the New Testament, as in Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8; Acts 1:22; Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:10; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Peter 5:1; Revelation 1:5; Revelation 3:14; Revelation 11:3, and elsewhere.
(c) The meaning of the word which has now become the most usual. is that in which it occurs most rarely in the Scriptures, i.e. one who by his death bears witness to the truth. In this sense we only find it in Acts 22:20; Revelation 2:13; Revelation 17:6. This now exclusive sense of the word was brought into general use by the early ecclesiastical writers, who applied it to every one who suffered death in the Christian cause (see Suicer, Thesaurus Eccles. sub. roc.). (See MARTYRS).
Stephen was in this sense the first martyr, (See STEPHEN), and the spiritual honors of his death tended in no small degree to raise to the most extravagant estimation, in the early Church, the value of the testimony of blood. Eventually a martyr's death was supposed, on the alleged authority of the under-named texts, to cancel all the sins of the past life (Luke 12:50; Mark 10:39); to supply the place of baptism (Matthew 10:39), and at once to secure admittance to the presence of the Lord in Paradise (Matthew 5:10-12). In imitation of the family custom of annually commemorating at the grave the death of deceased members, the churches celebrated the deaths of their martyrs by prayers at their graves, and by love-feasts. From this high estimation of the martyrs, Christians were sometimes led to deliver themselves up voluntarily to the public authorities — thus justifying the charge of fanaticism brought against them by the heahen. the. For the most part, however, this practice was discountenanced, the words of Christ himself being brought against it (Matthew 10:23; see Gieseler, Eccles. Hist. 1:109, 110). For monographs, see Volbeding, Index Programmatum, p. 75, 116. (See CONFESSOR).
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Martyr'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/m/martyr.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
