In the early centuries of the church, those who denied their faith in times of persecution were said to have “lapsed.” Those who persevered in their faith and refused to recant or to compromise were called “confessors.” In other words, they truly held fast the confession of their faith despite imprisonment and torture, sometimes unto death. … read more
Many of us who have grown up in the United States have never experienced significant persecution first-hand, and it may be hard to relate to the hostile environment in which the early church emerged, or the types of persecution that believers in many other parts of the world experience yet today. … read more
Good-hearted people have been grieved and repulsed these last several days about the prospects of what Christians and other groups (women and girls in particular) have already begun facing at the hands of the Taliban and associated groups in Afghanistan. Regrettably, Christians being targeted for torture and death is not entirely new news. In 2015, the world was horrified as they saw pictures of twenty-one Coptic Christians in orange jumpsuits kneeling on a beach in Libya before members of ISIS beheaded them. … read more
