"Dang! GET IT GIRL!" I exclaimed as I sat at my kitchen table with elbows on either side of my Christian History book. A bit strange I suppose to shout something out, like that, in an empty house as i study something as enthralling as Christian history.
I guess in my years of study and in sermons or lectures that I've heard, on what the great men of faith have done and what gratitude we owe to the church fathers, I have heard much of these men. These men who gave us the creeds, the pure orthodox doctrine of the Word of God passed down from Christ to the Apostles. Many of whom perished, and painfully so, for these great acts of faith in the God whom they dearly loved and served.
Beastly men like Athinasius who fought for the doctrine of the trinity, or Ignatius, fed to lions for his fight against those of the Gnostic persuasion who said Christ only came as a ghost, or Justin Martyr, beheaded for claiming to be a Christ-follower and for refusing to sacrifice to the greek gods (who are no gods); not to mention the Apostles themselves; and the list goes on and on through history even to men close to our lifetime; men like Watchman Knee and Jim Elliot ("He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose"); but what of the women?
Now I'm the first to stand up and say that men are to lead. Yes, we are, the Word of God makes that clear (See Timothy, Titus, Corinthians, Genesis, etc...); to lead the people of God and to lead in the home. There are too many timid men who will not take their place, who would rather be liked than lead in what is right, who prefer comfort to sacrifice, games to work, selfish ambition or passing passion to commitment and integrity, what Mark Driscoll, author and pastor, would call the "Peter Pan" syndrome, aka, boys that won't grow up. So i'm the first to stand and plead for more men like this and to point to those examples in history of such men; I, all the more, earnestly plead that I would be such a man...knowing, in myself, how far i often am from them. Yet again I ask, but what of the women?
Although Christian and secular history records far fewer accounts of women...there are yet, many.
SO CHECK IT, here's a few I've come across that have been...just sick! (in a good way) Women of Faith, women of courage...
"Have pity, my daughter, on my grey hairs! Have pity on your father, if I am worthy to be called a father by you. If with these hands I have brought you up into the flower of your age, if I have preferred you to all your brothers, do not deliver me up to the scorn of men. Have regard for your brothers, have regard to your mother and to your aunt, have regard to your son, who will not be able to live after you. Lay aside your courage, and do not bring us all to destruction; for none of us will speak in freedom if you should suffer anything." These things my father said in his affection, kissing my hand, and throwing himself at my feet; and with tears he called me not 'daughter' but 'lady'. And i grieved over the grey hairs of my father, that he alone would not rejoice over my passion. And I comforted him saying, "On that scaffold [where I will be tried or executed] whatever God wills shall happen. For know that we are not placed in our own power, but in that of God." and he departed from me in sorrow."
The next day she was taken to the Colosseum and was gored and trampled by wild bulls; which did not kill her. And even after being crushed she quickly put her clothes back on which the Bull had ripped off, and pined up her hair which had come down. The soldier then came and took her to where they normally slit the throats of those who survive. The crowd, perverse as they were, demanded that she be killed in front of them. So they brought her back out and a new executioner missed her throat and pierced her near the collar bone. She screamed and then, gently, guided his errant hand to her throat.
I guess in my years of study and in sermons or lectures that I've heard, on what the great men of faith have done and what gratitude we owe to the church fathers, I have heard much of these men. These men who gave us the creeds, the pure orthodox doctrine of the Word of God passed down from Christ to the Apostles. Many of whom perished, and painfully so, for these great acts of faith in the God whom they dearly loved and served.
Beastly men like Athinasius who fought for the doctrine of the trinity, or Ignatius, fed to lions for his fight against those of the Gnostic persuasion who said Christ only came as a ghost, or Justin Martyr, beheaded for claiming to be a Christ-follower and for refusing to sacrifice to the greek gods (who are no gods); not to mention the Apostles themselves; and the list goes on and on through history even to men close to our lifetime; men like Watchman Knee and Jim Elliot ("He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose"); but what of the women?
Now I'm the first to stand up and say that men are to lead. Yes, we are, the Word of God makes that clear (See Timothy, Titus, Corinthians, Genesis, etc...); to lead the people of God and to lead in the home. There are too many timid men who will not take their place, who would rather be liked than lead in what is right, who prefer comfort to sacrifice, games to work, selfish ambition or passing passion to commitment and integrity, what Mark Driscoll, author and pastor, would call the "Peter Pan" syndrome, aka, boys that won't grow up. So i'm the first to stand and plead for more men like this and to point to those examples in history of such men; I, all the more, earnestly plead that I would be such a man...knowing, in myself, how far i often am from them. Yet again I ask, but what of the women?
Although Christian and secular history records far fewer accounts of women...there are yet, many.
SO CHECK IT, here's a few I've come across that have been...just sick! (in a good way) Women of Faith, women of courage...
- Nino- A Christian slave girl from Cappadocia who dared to pray over the high Queen Nana when she got sick with a serious illness. (people were put to death for such...much less a slave) Miraculously Queen Nana was immediately healed and Nino shared the story of Christ with her. As a result Queen Nana was converted and then King Mirian, her husband also declared Christ his Lord. As a result of this miracle, the virtues of Nina and her boldness the people of Georgia (near Armenia) became a 'Christian Nation', translated the Bible into their language and many, many came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. What a gal!
- Frumentius- So check out this sovereign 'accident'. Two young women from Tyre (Frumentius and Edesius) were the SOLE survivors of a voyage that met disaster on the Red Sea coast of Ethiopia. Made slaves, they were carried to Axum, the capital. They rose to high positions (sound familiar?) and had charge of the education of the royal children. When allowed to return home, Edesius returned to Tyre but Frumentius went to Alexandria and requested that a 'man of God' (pastor/bishop) be sent to Ethiopia. So Check this...ATHANASIUS (the beast I spoke of earlier) ordained him and sent him to establish the Ethiopian Church. Shortly thereafter, King Ezana was converted and baptized. The Bible was soon translated into their language and again, many, many came to know Jesus Christ as Lord. What an incredible woman!
- Perpetua- She was a woman of twenty-two years, nursing an infant son, of some social standing in Carthage (Rome's capital in Africa), whose father had begged her not to confess Christ. Yet...she did, and was thrown into the Colosseum to be eaten alive by wild animals. The only record we have of her is from her personal diary, which she kept while in prison and leading up to her martyrdom. Hear this excerpt of her father pleading with her to deny Christ and live:
"Have pity, my daughter, on my grey hairs! Have pity on your father, if I am worthy to be called a father by you. If with these hands I have brought you up into the flower of your age, if I have preferred you to all your brothers, do not deliver me up to the scorn of men. Have regard for your brothers, have regard to your mother and to your aunt, have regard to your son, who will not be able to live after you. Lay aside your courage, and do not bring us all to destruction; for none of us will speak in freedom if you should suffer anything." These things my father said in his affection, kissing my hand, and throwing himself at my feet; and with tears he called me not 'daughter' but 'lady'. And i grieved over the grey hairs of my father, that he alone would not rejoice over my passion. And I comforted him saying, "On that scaffold [where I will be tried or executed] whatever God wills shall happen. For know that we are not placed in our own power, but in that of God." and he departed from me in sorrow."The next day she was taken to the Colosseum and was gored and trampled by wild bulls; which did not kill her. And even after being crushed she quickly put her clothes back on which the Bull had ripped off, and pined up her hair which had come down. The soldier then came and took her to where they normally slit the throats of those who survive. The crowd, perverse as they were, demanded that she be killed in front of them. So they brought her back out and a new executioner missed her throat and pierced her near the collar bone. She screamed and then, gently, guided his errant hand to her throat.
I just read this story of Perpetua and Felicity in one in your sister's classes as a devo last week!! They sure did "ROCK the world" for Jesus...the ripple effect of the pebbles they dropped became waves that reached the end of the earth and rolled on into eternity....even after almost 2000 years they are still remembered! They certainly were women, "of whom the world was not worthy"...
ReplyDeleteAmen to that Holls, incredible! And cool that you JUST studied it! I didn't even see it coming, but the more i studied, the more impassioned and encouraged I became! PS. Monica goes on and on about how much she loves you and appreciates your leadership/help in the women's ministry. Keep ROCKIN the world girl!!
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