Gnostic Understanding on Martyrdom: Rethinking Church History

*Gnostic Teaching on Martyrdom: Rethinking Church History*
We suspect that Irenaeus was influenced by the deception of Satan, as he spoke about martyrs rushing to be with Christ, implying they would enter His presence before the resurrection. We are confident in this view because, in his account of the persecution at Lyons and Vienne, he described Vettius Epagathus, who was killed, as “a true disciple of Christ, still following the Lamb wherever He goes,” referencing Revelation 14:4-about seventy years after John’s death. Vettius could only “follow the Lamb” after his death if one believed in the idea of an immediate ascension to heaven, which was celebrated as the "birthday of martyrdom." Elsewhere, Irenaeus even mentions "eternal fire in hell" for those who had fallen away from the faith.
Ignatius, an elder in the church at Antioch, had an obsessive desire for martyrdom. This went against Jesus’ teaching to flee to another city when facing persecution. Yet when Emperor Trajan came to Antioch around 107 AD on his way to the Parthian war, Ignatius voluntarily surrendered himself. When brought before Trajan, the emperor remarked, “What a defiant spirit you have-to disobey our commands and mislead others into the same ruin!”
Ignatius, who had served as a bishop in Antioch for 37 years, including 26 years alongside the Apostle John, was taken to Smyrna on his way to Rome by order of Trajan. There, he was sentenced to be thrown to wild animals as public entertainment around 107 AD.
Polycarp was executed about 60 years after Ignatius, in 167 AD. If he was among the believers in Smyrna whom the Spirit acknowledged for their works, suffering, and poverty while being spiritually "rich," then he might have remained faithful to the end. However, martyrdom in itself does not prove one’s righteousness, as even some from the "synagogue of Satan" faced persecution.
Many followers of Jezebel, part of the so-called synagogue of Satan, had spiritual gifts-speaking in tongues, prophesying, understanding mysteries, and showing great generosity. Some even had faith capable of metaphorically moving mountains and gave all their possessions to the poor. In many cases, they willingly surrendered themselves to death, whether by fire or other brutal means, craving martyrdom so much that Roman authorities eventually refused to kill them, suggesting they execute themselves instead. Yet, as Paul taught, without true love, these deeds were meaningless.
There was a widespread obsession with martyrdom during this time. Many believed sacrificing their lives in brutal ways could atone for their sins and errors. These individuals were likened to "those who committed adultery with Jezebel"-religious leaders and their followers who blindly revered them as modern congregants do their clergy.
Those who sought martyrdom, whether by fire, wild animals, or other methods, were described as mere "clanging cymbals" without meaning. They became destined for judgment in the "Second Death." Lacking true faith, they failed to overcome the world and instead succumbed to it, exposing themselves to punishment after the resurrection. At that point, Jezebel and her followers will be cast into their “bed of tribulation,” representing the great distress in which anti-Christian apostasy will be destroyed during the final judgment. Babylon, the corrupt "Great City," will fall for its immorality and blasphemy. The entire religious establishment, along with its clergy, will be eradicated by God’s wrath, as described in Revelation 14:7-11 and 18:2.
This misguided zeal for martyrdom stemmed from ignorance and misdirected passion, not evidence of a person's belonging to Christ. While their sincerity and devotion may be acknowledged, Paul made it clear that offering one's body to be burned is meaningless without the love that fulfills God's law, as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13.
Martyrdom proves only one’s dedication to their beliefs, not their membership in Christ’s body. For instance, the deaths of figures like Huss, Jerome, Cranmer, and Servetus demonstrated their sincerity in opposing Roman Catholic and Calvinist doctrines. However, their martyrdoms did not erase their involvement in religious error. Only an informed belief in and obedience to the truth can remove such stains-not the flames of martyrdom.