yet when I go to the New Testament (or even the early church such as Polycarp), I do not see this at all; rather, I see many willingly going to death. I find this hard to square with the WLC's insistence upon the duty of self-defense and am seeking a solution.
I don't think that is really true.
In my study of the early Church, I find that quite a few
said openly that they desired martyrdom, and some actually sought to be captured and killed. And others (many others) went to the other extreme and recanted the faith.
In the early centuries of the Church, those who denied their faith in times of persecution were said to have "lapsed." Those who persevered in their faith and refused to recant or to compromise were called "confessors." In other words, they truly held fast the confession of their faith despite imprisonment and torture, sometimes unto death.
This contrast between the "confessors" and the "lapsed" manifested strongly in the first empire-wide persecution against the Church that was launched by the Roman Emperor Decius in AD 250. All citizens of the empire were required to offer a sacrifice to the gods in the presence of a government official. Those who did so were given certificates of compliance. Those who refused could suffer greatly, even to the point of death.
Prior to this, the Church had experienced a generation of relative calm, and many were unprepared for this challenge. Some Christians promptly and voluntarily complied—confessing that "Caesar is Lord" and paying homage to the Roman gods—in order to receive the certificate. Others paid bribes to obtain credentials which falsely indicated they had made the necessary offerings to the Roman gods. Still others denied Christ when threatened or tortured and obtained the necessary document from the government.
The Church has long celebrated its martyrs. This includes those who "loved not their lives unto the death" (Revelation 12:11) and those John saw in his heavenly vision: "the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held" (Revelation 6:9). Jesus himself spoke to the Church at Pergamum of "the days in which Antipas, my faithful martyr… was killed among you" (Revelation 2:13). Tertullian (AD 160-220) spoke of the resilience and tenacity of believers when he declared, "The more often we are mowed down by persecutors, the more in number we grow; the blood of Christians is seed."
We are strengthened and inspired by the valor, courage, and grace that enabled countless believers throughout history to hold on to their faith in the midst of horrific pressures and persecution. However, realistically and historically, many Christians did not hold up well under threats. As a pastor, you understand that people are always at different levels of maturity, and while some stand strong, others falter.
If we think that 100% of the early Christians had absolute spiritual resolve and iron-clad convictions, it is very easy to feel disheartened about today's Christians who fail to exhibit the unwavering devotion of the early confessors. We want to see every Christian possessing "faithful unto death" type of consecration and commitment, but during the Decian era, perhaps as many as three-fourths of some congregations "lapsed" when persecution, or the threat of persecution, presented itself.
The Apostle Paul regularly defended himself in court. And once Paul defied the legitimate legal authority.
2 Corinthians 11:32-33
At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me,
but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands
In the Book of Acts, it seems that the buzzword of Christians, when faced with persecution, was–RUN!
Acts 8:1
And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Acts 11:19
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.
Acts 13:50
But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.
It appears that the first martyr, Steven (Acts 6 & 7), was captured by surprise; from then on, he had no chance of escape. So we should not use Steven as an example of someone either desiring or passively submitting to Martyedom.
There's a lot more I could say, but I am out of time. I am a little late for an important meeting with three very important Persons.
