Acts 7
When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:54-60 NIV
Stephen was the first recorded martyr for the Christian faith. A martyr is defined as “a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). There were many other Christian martyrs in the early church, resulting from intense persecution by the Romans. These martyrs included the majority of the apostles. Persecution of Christians has continued throughout history, with more intense persecution peaking in the Middle Ages (~1100-1480 AD) and the Reformation (~1500-1800 AD). Unfortunately, this is still an ongoing problem even today. According to the group “Open Doors” and other sources, there are on average 360 Christians killed every month in 2025 because they will not renounce Jesus. Another sad statistic is that 214 Christian churches and properties are destroyed each month. There are also 772 forms of violence committed against Christians every month, including: abductions, arrests and imprisonments, beatings, forced marriages and rape. This persecution comes from authoritarian governments that seek to control people’s religious beliefs (North Korea, for example). It also comes from other religions that are hostile towards Christianity, most notably from followers of Islam. Some of the most dangerous countries for a Christian in 2025 are North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan. Look at a map of where this persecution is the most intense: https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/ It is interesting to note that out of the top 50 most dangerous countries, the vast majority of them are centered around Jerusalem. Why is this? Jerusalem is considered sacred to Christians, Muslims and Jews, which has caused considerable tension throughout history. Although not all of us are called to become missionaries in dangerous parts of the world such as these, we should still be concerned and want to become involved in some way. It is actually our responsibility as followers of Christ: “…But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:24-27). What can one person living in the United States do to help? You can get educated about the problem, pray, and donate money to groups that are trying to help those that are persecuted. Some great resources for information on what is happening with persecuted Christians around the world and how you can help are: https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/ and www.persecution.com. Remember that you are commanded to “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Hebrews 13:3). Even if you do not see any tangible results of your prayers or financial gifts in this life, you can be sure that your Heavenly Father sees and when you get to Heaven someday you will see just how much your prayer or big or small donation meant to a suffering brother or sister in Christ.