• Thieleman J. Van Braght, Martyrs Mirror

    43. Seventy Disciples of Christ

    Some Of The Seventy Disciples Of Christ, And Several Followers Of The Apostles, Slain, Towards The Close Of The Persecution By Nero, About A.D. 70 Prochorus, one of the first seven deacons at Jerusalem, a nephew of the pious martyr Stephen, and companion of the apostle John, but afterwards bishop of the church at Bithynia, in Macedonia, suffered and died at Antioch. Nicanor, also one of the first seven deacons at Jerusalem, was likewise executed for the truth's sake. Likewise Parmenas, also one of the seven deacons. Olympus was imprisoned at Rome with Paul, for the Gospel's sake. Carpus, a servant of Paul, and afterwards bishop of the church at Troas, was put to death in that place, for the faith. Trophimus, Paul's companion, was…

  • Thieleman J. Van Braght, Martyrs Mirror

    42. The Apostle Matthias

    Matthias stoned, beheaded, decapitated, A.D. 70 Matthias, The Holy Apostle Of Christ, Tied On A Cross Upon A Rock, Stoned, And Then Beheaded, A. D. 70 Matthias, according to the opinion of some, was of the royal house of David; and from his youth was well instructed in the law of God. at Bethlehem. He was one of the seventy disciples of Christ; but shortly after the Lord's ascension, Judas Iscariot, having faithlessly departed from his apostleship, and taken his own life, the remaining eleven apostles, and one hundred and twenty men, through prayer to God, and by the lot, unanimously elected him in place of the aforementioned faithless Judas, an apostle and ambassador of Jesus Christ, to preach the Gospel, according to the command…

  • Jude The Evangelist,  Simon The Apostle,  Thieleman J. Van Braght, Martyrs Mirror

    41. The Apostle Simon

    Simon the Zealot Crucified in Syria, A.D. 70 Simon Zelotes And His Brother Judas Thaddeus, Both Slain For The Truth Of Christ; The One Crucified, And The Other Beaten To Death With Sticks, About A.D. 70 Simon the Canaanite, surnamed Zelotes, that is, Zealot, the son of Alpheus, the brother of James, Joses, and Juda, and a relative of Christ, was constituted by Christ one of His twelve apostles, to preach the Gospel, first among the Jews, and afterwards among the heathen; to which end he, together with the others who were in like ministry with him, received the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost. Matt. 10:4; Acts 1:13; Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3. He traveled in Egypt, Cyrene, Africa, Mauritania, throughout Lybia, and in…

  • Matthew The Evangelist,  Thieleman J. Van Braght, Martyrs Mirror

    40. Matthew, the Evangelist

    Matthew, The Holy Evangelist, Nailed To The Ground, And Beheaded At Nad-Davar, Under King Hytacus, About A.D. 70 Matthew, also called Levi, the son of Alpheus, was a publican in Capernaum. The publicans were detested by the Jews, because the latter did not consider themselves justly bound to pay toll or tribute to any foreign prince. Matt. 9:9; Mark 3:18; Luke 5:29. As touching the condition of publicans at that time, it was such that they generally exacted more from the people than was just; on which account they were shunned by the pious, so that open sinners, who were separated from the church, were compared to publicans. Matt. 9:11; 18:17. When Matthew, or Levi, was still unconverted, and made his living in this unjust…

  • Thieleman J. Van Braght, Martyrs Mirror,  Thomas The Apostle

    39. The Apostle Thomas

    Thomas, tortured by the natives in Calamina, thrown into an oven, and stuck through with spears, A.D. 70 Thomas, The Holy Apostle Of Christ, Tormented With Red-Hot Plates, Cast Into A Furnace, And His Side Pierced With Spears By The Savages, At Calamina, About A. D. 70 Thomas, surnamed Didymus, that is, twin, was a native of Galilee, and his occupation, as it appears, that of a fisherman. John 11:16. Concerning his parents and the time of his conversion, we find no account in the Evangelists, who mention only his call to the apostleship. Matt. 10:3. His love and ardent affection for Christ appears from the fact that he exhorted his brethren, to go up to Jerusalem, that they might die with Christ. John 11:16.…

  • Bartholomew The Apostle,  Thieleman J. Van Braght, Martyrs Mirror

    38. The Apostle Bartholomew

    Bartholomew, The Holy Apostle Of Christ, First Greatly Tortured, Then Flayed Alive, And Finally Beheaded, In Armenia, By King Astyages, About A.D. 70. Bartholomew, which signifies, the son of Tholomaeus, was a Galilean, like all the other apostles; and also a fisherman, according to the opinion of Theodoretus; some, however, hold, that he was of royal descent, and the nephew of the king of Syria. Little is said of him in Holy Scriptures aside from what relates to his call to the apostleship to preach the Gospel with the others throughout Judea and Galilee, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. After Christ's resurrection he was confirmed in his apostleship, and, with the others who were in like ministry, received the gift of…