Remember the Martyrs
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 05/04/2007 at 9:36 AM
On Wednesday April 18, while most Americans were still in shock over the massacre at Virginia Tech, three Christians in Turkey were martyred. The three men — German missionary Tilman Geske, Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel — had met for a Bible study with some Islamic "seekers" who had expressed interest in Christianity. Tragically, the Christians were deceived; the "seekers" were not interested in Christianity at all. After Necati read a chapter from the Bible, the "seekers" assaulted the three Christians, tortured them and slit their throats.
In his blog "Why Remember the Martyrs?" Denny Burk reflects on why the deaths of three Christians are important in light of all the suffering in the world. Why do the deaths of these men deserve attention when wars and genocides occur daily around the world? He provides a pretty satisfying answer:
So why the focus on these three murdered men? I'm not drawing attention to the suffering of the three Turkish martyrs because I think Christians are the only persecuted people, nor is it because I think their martyrdom outweighs the mass of human suffering around the world. As a matter of fact, I am overwhelmed when I think about the atrocities and the tragedies of daily life on planet earth. There aren't enough tears for the grief due to the afflictions of humanity. One can only pray, "Maranatha."
Nevertheless, there are important reasons for Christians in particular to mark the deaths of those martyred for Christ. First, the one who dies for Christ offers the world an embodied picture of Christ's own suffering (Philippians 3:10). Second, the martyr's death teaches us that Christ and His kingdom are more valuable and precious than anything. The martyr is not cowed by death, but by faith can see past it to the reward of resurrection. Christ is more precious than riches, relationships, or even life (Matthew 13:44-46). Thus the martyr shows the world that death is gain for the one who has faith in Christ (Mark 8:35; Philippians 1:21). Third, John's apocalypse teaches that there is a fixed number of people that God has chosen for martyrdom. It is only after this number is completed that Jesus comes back to set the world to rights (Revelation 6:9-11). Anyone who longs for peace and justice on earth will only find that desire fulfilled when the Lord returns. Thus while every martyrdom is an occasion for grief, they are also a reminder that the glorious day of the Lord is hastening on.
These men are our brothers — fellow soldiers who have fallen for the cause of Christ. May we allow their story to spur us on to the purposes God has set before us. Their sufferings remind us of the endurance and hope that is possible through our Lord.
HT: Justin Taylor
1. John said the following at 10:03 AM on May 4:
Whenever I hear stories about martyrs, ancient and modern, I praise God for their faithfulness, while at the same time I feel an ugly emotion something like jealousy. In a way, they make me look bad, as an American who has always lived in freedom and material comfort and has never had to face anything worse than mild ridicule for my faith.
Then I think again. These folks are not doing anything more than I do. I go to church on Sunday. I own Bibles and other Christian literature. I talk about Jesus, with believers and unbelievers. In America, doing those things is no big deal. In places like China, Turkey, Pakistan or the Sudan, such activities can get you beaten up, imprisoned or killed.
Would you and I continue to be Christians if our lifestyle meant persecution and death? I'd like to think it would. Only the Lord can give a person strength to face that kind of adversity. In the meantime, those of us who live in freedom can use our circumstances for the glory of God, to materially aid our brothers and sisters who live in countries that are hostile to the Gospel; to be advocates and raise awareness of their suffering, in the media and before Congress; and to be witnesses ourselves, while we still have the freedom to do so, in our own culture that is opposed to the Gospel, but in more subtle ways.
2. T said the following at 10:33 AM on May 4:
Thanks so much for sharing this. I had heard about it the other day in the news. Then, Wednesday, I spoke to someone who knows someone who knew one of these men really well. Truly, these men are our brothers.
The question keeps coming up in my mind: What have I really given up for Christ? It seems so little, in light of what these men (and women) sacrifice. Instead of taking liberties, I should make the MOST of the freedom I have in the US to serve and follow wholeheartedly.
3. John M. said the following at 10:50 AM on May 4:
I agree with Burk’s reason for commemorating martyrs, and I grieve for these three missionaries. That being said, it would seem to me that they are not technically martyrs. A martyr is someone who is given a choice between denying their faith and being killed, and specifically chooses death. Since these three were merely ambushed and killed, they would more appropriately be called "Christian murder victims".
4. J.T. said the following at 11:04 AM on May 4:
When I read stories about martyrs in foreign countries, it encourages me to take a long look at my complacency in America. Is easy to forget how easy we have it here. We have more than enough Bibles to go around, when some people don't have access to them, we have Christian television, web sites, and radio; we even have Christian vegetables in this country.
As for the martyrs family, we can only pray that God would give them strength and steadfastness to press on in the midst of persecution.
5. John said the following at 12:16 PM on May 4:
It's hard to know how to respond to stories of Christian persecution abroad. Of course it is easier to be a Christian in the United States. Ordinarily that would be a good thing; in important ways, our system works. Religious freedom is guaranteed and, in most cases, is protected. That is the way it should be, but the flip side of our religious freedom, of course, is that American Christians, by and large, do not experience the persecution for the faith that is the constant companion of our brothers and sisters elsewhere, along with the powerful spiritual growth that no doubt follows as a result.
What is a fitting response to Christian persecution? Is it to stand for Christ and his Word to the point where we meet resistance, even if that resistance takes different forms than it might elsewhere (in America, you might lose your friends and your job, not your life)? I suspect if we Christians really lived out our faith we would be just as unpopular in the United States as anywhere else.
One way to help is to get involved with well-established organizations that exist to come alongside Christians who are persecuted in other countries.
6. Lewis said the following at 3:44 PM on May 4:
I really thought Burk’s first two conclusions were right on. Reminds me of Peter and the other apostle's executions and that if Jesus had been some faker, they would have said so sooner. Instead they suffered heinous crimes and atrocities committed against them. I grieve the loss of these three brothers for these reasons.
However, I completely disagree with Burk’s third conclusion. Through Biblical exegesis, we understand what the Apostle John is saying in his revelation, a confusing, at times literal, and at others apocalyptic in nature, letter.
The focus of Rev. 6:11 isn't about some number, but that God's plan will one day reach its fruition. Remember, the apocalypse is not so much about the end of the world as we know (and I feel fine), but rather the unveiling of God. So, it's not to say that the moment the last martyr is killed, Jesus will return. But it says to us that many will suffer before Jesus returns.
And taking a lead from the Bible, I rejoice that these men are now with their savior and pray their example inspires Christians around the world to defend the faith and allows unbelievers to see a holy example of faithful dedication to our Lord, Jesus Christ.
7. Philippa said the following at 5:24 PM on May 4:
Since these three were merely ambushed and killed, they would more appropriately be called "Christian murder victims".
John M., they weren't 'merely ambushed and killed'. They were tortured, in the most dreadful and disgusting way, before they were butchered so horribly. Reading the details (I will not repeat them here) made me feel sick to my stomach.
They died precisely because they were hated for being Christians. Although they weren't given a choice about whether they lived or died - these vicious thugs always had it in mind to kill them - to me these three brothers in Christ are martyrs, and I weep for them, and honour them, and will pray for their families.
8. OhToBe Worthy said the following at 6:26 PM on May 4:
John M.,
These men did choose to die for the sake of cross in that they woke up everyday knowing that it may be their last day because of their ministry. They understood that their faith could cost them their lives. They knew that meeting with people to discuss the Bible would endanger their lives and possibly any of their friends' and family's lives as well. To say that they "were merely ambushed and killed" is inaccurate and uninformed. They are martyrs in the fullest sense of the word.
And what was the reaction of the Christians I know who ministered alongside them in Turkey? They asked not for prayers of safety for them or their children, instead they asked that we pray that the death of these men would cause others to come to know Him and that their lives would be worthy of becoming martyrs for the sake of His name.
9. KathleenM12 said the following at 7:58 PM on May 4:
John M writes: "It would seem to me that they are not technically martyrs. A martyr is someone who is given a choice between denying their faith and being killed, and specifically chooses death. Since these three were merely ambushed and killed, they would more appropriately be called "Christian murder victims".
Phillipa points out that the Turkish men were tortured, and -- while this certainly adds a measure of suffering and anguish to their deaths -- I'm not sure that it negates John's point. It seems to me that there's a difference between a true martyr (someone who deliberately chooses death over renouncing their faith) and a victim of religious-based torture/murder. The difference -- a very significant one, IMO --has to do with the matter of choice. A martyr clearly chooses death, while the victim has death thrust upon them. The martyr makes the active choice of faith over life, while the victim has made no such profound decision. This doesn't negate the suffering of the victims, but equating the two seems to trivialize the significance of true martyrdom which is an active and deliberate choice of faith over life.
On a separate but related note, the article quotes a Denny Burk saying
"John's apocalypse teaches that there is a fixed number of people that God has chosen for martyrdom. It is only after this number is completed that Jesus comes back to set the world to rights (Revelation 6:9-11)." Ugh. So Burk believes Jesus is waiting for a blood-quota of Christian corpses to pile up before He can act? Not my image of Christ at all.
10. RFuller said the following at 9:46 PM on May 4:
I agree with Philippa that those three men ARE martyrs. When one chooses to be a Christian in such a hostile setting and when one chooses to take the gospel to that setting (Tilman), he is preparing for the possibility of martyrdom. So, they may not have had a choice whether or not to die that day, but they had to be prepared for it. I have friends serving in Turkey who have said that the tension is growing there. The situation is growing less and less hospitable for Christians.
The details of their torture are horribly gruesome. If the western world knew the full details, maybe they wouldn't be so quick to say that the violence of Islam is limited to a few.
What a testimony of grace this whole situation is. Those three men died a gruesome death, but their family members and brothers responded with mercy. Tilman's responded with "forgive them, for they know not what they do." In a culture of revenge, they have responded with forgiveness that can only come from a life that is filled with the Holy Spirit.
May we be both encouraged and challenged in our walks with the Lord. May we also be prepared for death. I have been constantly reminded that this world is not our home. Those three men have been rewarded with eternal life with Christ and many crowns.
11. Mike Theemling said the following at 10:19 AM on May 5:
I find it interesting that this atrocity occured in Turkey which is probably the most secular of the Islamic states (For example the government as a whole pretty much turns a blind eye to Christian missionaries)
Personally I don't think it's that important whether they meet any strict definition of "martyr" or not. The point is that they were willing to take a huge risk going into and performing acts in a hostile environment for something they believed in. Honestly, I don't think those 3 men were and currently care about it either. The only approval they were looking for is from God.
What I also have thought about is how the gospel is able to spread in such areas. Here in this country we "sell" Christianity as some kind of self-fulfilment, feel-good type of religion (please no comments about how Christianity "isn't a religion". It is, but it does have a relationship emphasis that many others lack). I wonder how effective it would be if we also tacked on the caveat, "Oh, by the way. You might be persecuted by your family, friends, and government. Have your property taken away, be tortured, and ultimately killed".
Praise be to God for the advancement of the Kingdom despite the attempts from the Evil One.
12. KathleenM12 said the following at 10:41 AM on May 5:
Burk writes: "It is only after this (fixed number of martryrs have been killed) that Jesus comes back to set the world to rights (Revelation 6:9-11). Anyone who longs for peace and justice on earth will only find that desire fulfilled when the Lord returns."
Burk stops just short of fully connected the dots, but he's saying in essence: "If you long for peace and justice, you must long for the violent murder of more Christians." This sentiment is so disturbing that it's not surprising that he refrained from actually saying it, choosing instead to parse that thought into separate pieces so as to hide the true horror of it.
13. KathleenM12 said the following at 11:27 AM on May 5:
Phillippa writes: "John M., they weren't 'merely ambushed and killed'. They were tortured, in the most dreadful and disgusting way, before they were butchered so horribly."
It has now come to light that the initial reports were false. Here are several excerpts from a letter from pastor Ahmet Guvener, of the Diyarbakir Church in Diyarbakir, Turkey (posted on the Active Christian Media site):
"Unfortunately unfounded news reports and media exaggerations have now gone out all over the world. Our brothers and sisters and people sensitive [to such news] have been misinformed."
"According to rumors brother Tilmann was stabbed with a knife 156 times. Brother Ugur had countless knife wounds, it has been said. These rumors, however, are unfounded."
"I took advantage of this opportunity (at the morgue) to examine brother Tilmann’s body as far down as his stomach. I did not see any knife wounds."
"It has been said that their (Tilman and Necati) noses, lips, and ears were cut. These rumors do not reflect the truth."
"No one saw brother Ugur’s body because on the night of the same day the murder happened, around midnight, his family took his body for burial.
It has been said that Ugur was stabbed all over his body, including his genitals. I do not believe this.
Ugur would not have been able to remain alive until 5:30 PM if he had been stabbed so much. That nothing abnormal happened to Ugur can be understood [from the fact that] exaggerated statements have been about our other two brothers, too."
"I have written this report because I have read exaggerated or unfounded facts in news both home and abroad. The true facts are those in this report."
14. Ted Slater said the following at 8:37 AM on May 6:
John M. -- Acts 22:20 (KJV) refers to Stephen as a "martyr." He didn't have a "choice" to deny Christ and be spared, did he? (See Acts 6-7 for the answer.) That tells me that anyone who is killed because of their faith is indeed a martyr.
15. Mike Theemling said the following at 7:40 PM on May 6:
Burk wrote:
"It is only after this (fixed number of martryrs have been killed) that Jesus comes back to set the world to rights (Revelation 6:9-11). Anyone who longs for peace and justice on earth will only find that desire fulfilled when the Lord returns"
I do share KathleenM12's feelings that to imply that "the death of Christians (or anyone for that matter" is a good thing and to imply that we ought to "speed along" the process for Christ's return.
People have had this mindset before. Some Christians during the Cold War were all for nuclear war with the Soviet Union because after all, they were the anti-Christ nation and the sooner we got the Armageddon the better.
Personally, I believe God will come in His timing. True, certain things DO have to happen first but I see little point or effectiveness in us trying to guess what will help it along. That is not our calling as Believers.
KathleenM12,
From what I've researched thusfar, it may very well be true that the actual nature of their deaths were not as gruesome as previously reported, however there is nothing (yet) to refute the fact that the men were murdered.
And I have yet to see from a major news source (not just someone's blog) that this story is either false or has been exaggerated.
So I would suggest to not contribute to the problem (stating outright the report was "false" either partially or in its entirety) until we know for sure.
16. John M. said the following at 12:36 PM on May 7:
Ted,
Regarding Stephen's martyrdom, I have to think that he was aware of the climate in the Sanhedrin. False witnesses had been set up, to circulate rumors among the people that he was committing blasphemies. They then brought him in by force. He must have known that his testimony would be very dangerous, and would MOST PROBABLY result in his death. But he went ahead and did it anyway. So he was essentially given a choice. Would these three have still conducted this bible study, if they had good reason to think it was a setup to murder them? Maybe, but sadly we cannot know.
17. Mandi said the following at 10:39 AM on May 8:
JohnM,
I second Ted. And I'd only add that the English word "martyr" is the translation of the Greek word for "witness". We're all called to witness to Him, martyrs are just the ultimate witnesses because of the price paid to do so.
Another John wrote that it's hard to know what to make of these stories. As someone with a background not too far from there, I'd say it's bittersweet. It's definitely the most powerful witness a person can have to Christ. And it converts! People see that kind of love and want to know more about the One behind it (because it is so very different from "martyrdom" in other religions). The old saying, "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church" (or something like that) is very true. These areas, while carrying some of the heaviest crosses in the world for their faith and witness, have some of the people with the strongest faith.
I have family in a place where churches were attacked last year. In the days and weeks that followed, church attendance did not dip in the slightest. People continued to take their kids to church knowing they might not leave alive. That is a pretty powerful lesson to children about how precious and important it is to hold fast to Christ.
That said, we should do everything we can to safeguard religious freedom and the freedom to speak, including the message of the Gospel (James 4:17).
Suzanne, I know you said these men are our brothers (and they are), but I think you deserve thanks anyway to giving their situation attention. Very often, we tend to forget the persecuted church on this side of the ocean. God bless!
18. John M. said the following at 1:19 PM on May 8:
Mandi,
I was aware of the Greek root, but sometimes meanings evolve over time. The majority of the dictionaries around the web define it as someone who chooses death over apostasy. That being said, I think Mike is right that the distinction is probably not that important for our daily lives here in the US, because we have little or no chance of being given that type of choice.
But I think there can be a benefit to establishing a special category for those who conclusively show that Christ is their absolute first priority, by choosing death over apostasy. I think it’s impossible for many (my self included) to wrap our minds around being that faithful, so we just expand the category to include things we can bear to think about, horrific as they are.
19. kvv said the following at 4:04 PM on May 8:
Since I work for Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), I found the discussion regarding the definition of the word martyr interesting. I thought I would put out our organizational definition for discussion.
***
In the Bible, the word “martyr” comes from the Greek word “martus” meaning “witness” (i.e. Acts 22:20, Revelation 2:13). In the first 300 years of Christianity, this was the common use of the term.
VOM’s definition of a Christian martyr, chosen from various sources, is: one who chooses to suffer death rather than to deny Christ, or His work; sacrifices something very important to further the Kingdom of God; endures great suffering for their Christian witness.
Those who benefit from aid from VOM are Christians who are “sacrificing” to be an active witness “to further the Kingdom” or are recovering from attacks against them.
Based on this definition, VOM has further defined the types of individuals or groups the ministry would define as “martyrs” or “families of martyrs”:
1. Families whose relatives have been killed or imprisoned.
2. Individuals and their families suffering from kidnapping, rape or other forms of physical abuse
or hostility.
3. Families who have lost their possessions through government/religious destruction,
confiscation or expulsion.
4. Individuals facing forms of harassment/persecution to include expulsion from school/job. This does not include a poor job due to the nationwide discrimination of Christians.
***
Does this fit with what you thought being a martyr is? I thought it was pretty broad when I first started working here.
www.persecutionblog.com
20. Leah said the following at 7:29 PM on May 8:
John M- I would argue that anyone who dies for the faith, knowingly or not, is a martyr.
Wikipedia says "A martyr is a person who is put to death or endures suffering because of a belief, principle or cause. The death of a martyr or the value attributed to it is called martyrdom. In different belief systems, the criteria for being considered a martyr is different. In the Christian context, a martyr is an innocent person who, without seeking death, is murdered or put to death for his or her religious faith or convictions."
That sounds pretty accurate to me.
21. John M. said the following at 7:43 AM on May 9:
I think the four are a little broad, yes. I think a lot of times, when us rank-and-file Christians in the U.S. say "martyr", what we really mean is "persecutee". But that's too big of a word and it doesn't have the emotional impact.