The Heroes of History

by Tyler Zach



Last night, in the coziness of my apartment, I watched Gladiator for third of fourth time. It is such an incredible movie, especially for men. It is hard for any man to hold back the tears in this film. The Gladiator’s family dies, his future crown in taken away, and he is reduced to a slave. Then this underdog comes back to make a triumphant return to the coliseum to fight not only for his life, but truth and honor.

There is something in man’s heart that longs to fight for something noble till death like Russell Crowe in Gladiator or Mel Gibson in Braveheart. We often times look for these courageous heroes in movies or books.

But we need only to look back at the founding fathers of our faith to be inspired and encouraged. The bible does not record most of the deaths of the apostles. In fact, only the death of Judas and James were recorded. Judas hung himself outside Jerusalem after giving up Jesus for his precious money and James was beheaded by Herod Agrippa in Jerusalem.

But we can look back to tradition to find out how the other apostles died.

Peter was crucified upside down in Rome by Nero. Andrew was crucified in Greece. Philip was crucified at Heirapolis. Thomas was run through with a spear in India. Matthew was slain with a halberd (battle-ax and pike mounted on a handle about six feet long) in Ethiopia. Bartholomew was crucified in India. James (the son of Alpheus) was stoned in Jerusalem. Simon was crucified in Britain. Thaddeus was crucified in Edessa.

How much authority tradition can claim is an open question, but one thing in sure.

“They spent the rest of their lives proclaiming the message of the resurrection, as cowards transformed into men of courage. They were willing to face arrest, imprisonment, beating, and horrible deaths, and not one of the ever denied the Lord and recanted of his belief that Christ had risen.” - James Rosscup

Long after Jesus had returned to heaven, his faithful followers, as you can see from the locations above, went to the ends of the earth to proclaim their Jesus as Lord. Each of them faced horrific deaths. Imagine Peter, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Simon, and Thaddeus bound in chains standing before their executioners. “If you renounce Jesus Christ you will live,” they shouted. “But if you will not, you will surely die, just like your King.” Or imagine Thomas in Ethiopia bound to a pole watching as his executioners ran towards him with a spear. Or imagine James lying on the ground in the middle of a circle - glancing up at dozens of people hurling rocks at his body. Or imagine Matthew looking down at the ground, hearing the swoosh of the wind from the motion of a halberd coming towards his body.

We will never know what was going through their minds before they were executed. But maybe…just maybe…they thought back to a time when Jesus had warned them, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body…after that they can do no more.” (Luke 12:4)

I won’t get to watch a movie of these heroic figures anytime soon. But I wait with increasing anticipation the day when I can listen to them retell their own unique story. A story that will make Gladiator and Braveheart look dull. A story that reflects the beauty and the glory of the greatest story of all – the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

To Him be all the glory forever and ever. Amen.