Christian martyrdom - what does the Bible say? Should Christians desire to become martyrs?

One occasionally hears of young believers who are possessed of such ardent aspirations to become distinguished witnesses for their Master, that they express a wish even for the revival of the "good old days" of Queen Mary or of the Inquisition so that there might be a possibility of their being stretched on the rack and burnt at the stake. This zealous spirit, however laudable in itself, is really uncalled for; since we are taught in scripture not to court but to flee persecution (Matt. 10:23). Though if called, like Stephen, to magnify Christ by death, we are to meet it fearlessly even in its worst form.

While it is the normal Christian hope to wait for the Lord to come to take us altogether to be with Himself, even as Paul wrote, "not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life" (2 Cor. 5:4), yet the Apostle desired for himself that he might be "made conformable unto His death" (Phil. 3:10), and this for the express purpose, "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection from among the dead" (Phil. 3:11). Paul desired to follow his Master as closely as possible in all things, and since his Master had died, he also desired to die, and to die a martyr's death like Him, so that even as Christ came out of death, he also might follow Him out from death. There was an aspect of Christ's death that was His alone, that of suffering for sins, in which none could follow, but many devoted saints have followed their Master into a martyr's death, to come out like Him in resurrection from among the dead.

While it is the normal Christian hope to wait for the Son of God to "change our vile body, that it might be fashioned like unto His glorious body" (Phil. 3:21), the Apostle Paul for himself desired to pass through death so that he might attain to "the resurrection from among the dead" (verse 11). So great was the Apostle's love and admiration of His Master that he desired to have part in all that was possible that belonged to Christ. If Christ suffered, Paul would know "the fellowship of His sufferings"; if Christ died, he desired to be "made conformable unto His death." He knew that the Lord had sufferings in which none could share, but there were also martyr sufferings in which he could share.

Still, His death was not only that of an offering for sin; He also died a Martyr’s death in the conflict of good against evil, “striving against sin,” and in this conflict He “resisted unto blood.” This is the greatest extent to which any believer can go, and relatively few are asked of God to die for Christ in the conflict of good, few have the privilege of following the Master to this extent Peter was told by the Lord that he would have this privilege (John 21:18-19), Paul desired it (Phil. 3:10), and Stephen and James the brother of John were thus honoured (Acts. 7:60; 12:2). So whatever we may be called to pass through in the discipline of the Father, in heaven we have a blessed Object to engage the heart, and the path of the Lord on earth to encourage in every trial.

Let us each take a few quiet moments to interrogate our own hearts. Do we desire these things? We fear that to ask the question is to answer it. A few of us might be able to say, "I believe that through the Lord's grace I could face these things if called upon to do so. But desire them? Well, no." The fact that Paul did desire them is an eloquent witness to the wholly exceptional degree in which Christ personally had captured his heart, and the power of His resurrection had filled him with a holy enthusiasm. The fact is, he was like a well-trained athlete running in an obstacle race with a mighty enthusiasm for reaching the goal. The earlier verses have told us how he had flung away seeming advantages as being hindrances to his course. These verses tell us that he would be detained by no obstacle, he would tear his way through the barbed wire of suffering and plunge into the watercourse of death, if in such fashion he might reach his goal.

That is true, but if, as has been suggested, death as the result of persecution comes our way, shall I welcome it? That is the point here. If Christ is as real to me as He was to this great apostle, I can have the same desires.

No! It is his labour and desire that is in view here. It appears that he was rejoicing in the fact that he was going to give his life for the testimony. If the Lord did not come before his decease, this was the way he desired to go, just as the Lord Himself.

It is a great thing to say that I desire to be made conformable to His death, and that in everything I am running in that spirit. But how can that be said except martyrdom is before me?

Then he looks at that glory. If it costs him his life, that is what he wants - "having a desire to depart and to be with Christ." There is no uncertainty. Cost what it will going through this hostile world - if it cost him his life - he says, "Well, I will be more like Christ," and he will have the conformity of His sufferings.

He had the impression from the Lord that he was going to abide, even though he did say "I shall see how it will go with me" (Phil. 2:23), but what he is saying here is not so much when but how he desired to leave this world, he had said to die was gain, and he was so desirous of knowing Christ that he preferred to go through even a violent death, but it was better for the saints that he should stay with them.