The Persecution and the Meaning of Martyrdom in the Bible

John 15:18-21

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you... If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you... because they do not know Him who sent Me."

John 16:1-4

“These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues [today it might be from churches]; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them."

John 17:14-18

"I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one."

John 12:42-44

"Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."

Matthew 10:16-20

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues....But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."

Romans 8:35-39

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ...Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Persecutions of Christians

The history confirmed that the persecution against the Christians in Rome was started with Emperor Nero. He took advantage of the popular hatred against the Christians by the roman citizens by burning part of the city of Rome to build his ambitious residence Domus Aurea. It was in his time that St. Peter and St. Paul the two main pillars of the Church were martyred (67 AD and 68 AD).

The persecution of the Christians actuality was not programmatic and sequential, there at times when they live in peace under few roman emperors. The fieriest persecution came under the emperor Decius, Valerius and Dioclesianus. 

During the persecution particularly during the time of Emperor Valerian, many thought that the Christians took refuged in the catacombs in order to escape the persecution. However there was no evidence that could demonstrate that the Christians were hiding underground during difficult moments of persecution.

The Christians did not used the Catacombs to be their hiding place, because the Catacombs were a public cemetery and known to the public authorities including the emperors. The main reason was because the Roman law protected all types of cemeteries and necropolis including that of the Christians. Respect towards the dead was highly observed and it was prohibited under the law to live side by side with the dead. The temperature underground is 15 degree Celsius and there is high humidity underground, more or less 90% all the time.

One thing was certain that during the persecution, especially during the time of Emperor Valerian under the decree of the emperor it was prohibited to perform any gathering in Domus for any religious services such as Eucharist. Therefore the Christians decided to gather on Sundays underground in the catacombs to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. Probably meetings, gatherings where held underground and the sacraments of baptism were imparted to the newly converted members of the Church, as narrated in the "Passion of St. Cecilia" during the time of Pope Urbanus I and Pope Sixtus II.