Antipas: A Faithful Martyr

This book is made up of a collection of fictional letters that was affiliated with Antipas. Antipas was the martyr that was cited in Revelation 2:13, “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to my name, and did not deny my faith even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” In the beginning, Antipas was an elite Roman citizen who fought to maintain and continue to enhance his position in his class, community and society. He did this through good deeds and supporting social associations. His desire to write led him into communication with Luke. Through this, he was able to become apart of the Christian society and this eventually brought him …show more content…
First century citizens were blown away that a god would encourage them to love and connect with people; they were especially offended at the fact that he promoted connecting with the poor. Rome sought this to be blasphemy. The Emperor had demand and control over his people not this god. Page 90 says, “Among those gathered in Antonius’ house, there were many poor artisans and urban day laborers. A few gatherers hold civic positions in the city and have sizable resources...the gatherers are very diverse with regard to their social staturers, ethnic backgrounds, and civic positions....at no point did those gathered seem particularly interested in regulating their behavior according to social codes...I have never seen members of associations act in that fashion” (LLP, pg 90). Antipas was confused by the “social disorder” in the house yet at the same time he is refreshed by the unity. Many of the elites that are apart of the ruling class looked down upon the “peasant, most artisans and merchants, the unclean, the degraded and the expendables” (LLP, pg 124). Many first century peasants lived on very little, “having just enough food and resources to get by...Their poor standard of living is not the result of laziness or ineptitude, since a peasant’s workday is long and hard. Nor is it the result of imposed dues, tributes, and taxations, which peasants usually …show more content…
His life changing experiences were impactful and interesting to observe in this piece. Antipas conversion did not just happen overnight rather he faces a number of factors that lead to his conversion to Christianity. The Gospel of Luke allowed him to encounter Jesus at a personal level. His firing curiosity, desire to learn, and his dynamic questions gave him an opportunity to dive deeper into Luke’s knowledge and memory. Through this, Luke was able to accurately and properly answer his questions. Through these experiences, he observes an active yet fundamental Christian faith. In his journey he is able recognize, analyze and select the “true way” of Christianity instead of the “false way” of Christianity. Because of his powerful and spiritual journey he goes against everything he has ever believed and stood for and makes a choice to become a true follower of Christ. Therefore, God’s world, community and Word has created an enormous impact on the faith of Antipas. As being apart of the 21st century church, I believe that we should fully examine ourselves to see if we are faithfully living out His Word. Many followers declare they have faith yet they are compromising and weakening their testimony in order to fit in or make life easier for their own selfish desires and for their families. We need to continue to establish, strengthen and honor our faith. Today, we do not face the religious challenges of the first century, however, the