How Christians die for the sin of the world

theology

Christ heals humanity by sharing our death. In so doing, He undoes the power of death. As members of His body, Christians are to help advance the Kingdom of heaven. We accomplish this by sharing in His suffering, taking up our own crosses.12345

The suffering and death of the saints perpetuates the breaking of death’s power. Telemachus exemplified this principle in his martyrdom. His death catalyzed an entire civilization’s deliverance from the bloodlust of the gladiatorial games.6

  1. Luke 9:23–27, Matthew 16:24–28: Christ calls us to take up our cross and follow him.↩︎

  2. Matthew 5:10–11: the beatitudes about those who are persecuted↩︎

  3. Matthew 5:38–42: turning the other cheek↩︎

  4. Acts 5:40–42: the Apostles rejoiced in suffering for the name.↩︎

  5. Colossians 1:24–26: Paul is filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions↩︎

  6. Ecclesiastical History by Thodoretus (Bishop of Cyrus)↩︎