Numbered With the Martyrs - The Fate of the Apostles (Part 3)

We now continue with the martyrdom of the apostles by looking at the apostles Paul and Andrew.

"Paul, the apostle..., after his great travail and unspeakable labors in promoting the Gospel of Christ, suffered also [under the persecution of] Nero. Abdias, declares that unto his execution Nero sent two of his esquires, Ferega and Parthemius, to bring him word of his death. They, coming to Paul instructing the people, desired him to pray for them, that they might believe; who told them that shortly after they should believe and be baptized at his [tomb]. This done, the soldiers came and led him out of the city to the place of execution, where he, after his prayers made, gave his neck to the sword."

"When Andrew, through his diligent preaching, had brought many to the faith of Christ, Ǽgeas the governor, knowing this, resorted to Patrae, to the intent he might constrain as many as did believe Christ to be God, by the whole consent of the senate, to do sacrifice unto idols, and so give divine honors unto them. Andrew, thinking good at the beginning to resist the wicked counsel and doings of Ǽgeas, went unto him, saying this effect to him: 'that it behoved him who was judge of men, first to know his judge which dwells in heaven, and then to worship Him being known; and so, in worshipping the true God, to revoke his mind from false gods and blind idols...'

But Ǽgeas, greatly therewith discontented, demanded of him, whether he was the same Andrew that did overthrow the temple of the gods, and persuade men to be of that superstitious sect which the Romans of late had commanded to be abolished and rejected. Andrew did plainly affirm that the princes of the Romans did not understand the truth and that the Son of God, coming from heaven into the world for man's sake, has taught and declared how those idols, whom they so honored as gods, were not only not gods, but also most cruel devils; enemies to mankind, teaching the people nothing else but that wherewith God is offended, and, being offended, turns away and regards them not; and so by the wicked service of the devil, they do fall headlong into all wickedness, and, after their departing, nothing remains unto them, but their evil deeds.

But the proconsul charged and commanded Andrew not to teach and preach such things anymore; or, if he did, he should be fastened to the cross with all speed.

Andrew, abiding in his former mind very constant, answered thus concerning the punishment which he threatened: 'he would not have preached the honor and glory of the cross, if he had feared the death of the cross.' Whereupon sentence of condemnation was pronounced; that Andrew, teaching and enterprising a new sect, and taking away the religion of their gods, ought to be crucified.

Andrew, going towards the place, and seeing afar off the cross prepared, did change neither countenance nor color, neither did his blood shrink, neither did he fail in his speech, his body fainted not, neither was his mind molested, nor did his understanding fail him, as it is the manner of men to do, but out of the abundance of his heart his mouth did speak, and fervent charity did appear in his words as kindled sparks; he said, 'O cross, most welcome and long looked for! with a willing mind, joyfully and desirously, I come to thee: because I have always been thy lover, and have coveted to embrace thee.'"

As always, the witness of the martyrs is especially convicting. What examples they leave for us in their death! These two godly men are no different.

Paul, the great evangelist, in the moments just preceding death, still shares the Gospel and still leads souls to Christ. It was not enough that when required to give an account for the talents he had been left that he would return a million fold what he had been given; no, these two men were just as important to him as the first two men; the work for Paul was not done until he was home with our Lord. Love for God, love for his fellow man, such a beautiful display of love from man who was a persecutor of Christians! Paul was a man who loved nothing more than pleasing his Lord and winning souls and he lived that as the reality of his life until the very last breath he took.

Andrew did the same and I will not recap that. This is not to diminish what that great man of God did but because I want us to focus on a different aspect of Andrew's martyrdom. You see, we have an account of what Andrew's dying words were; what the state of his pious mind was before the Lord called him home. Herein we see that Andrew recognized that he was but a sojourner, passing through the land for the sake of Christ, but eager to be home with his Lord. He did not cling to life in desperation, he was not dragged kicking and screaming, he did not hurl profanities in the direction of those wicked men; no, he displayed the heart of Christ even in that most perilous situation he found himself in, for our dear brother Andrew found honor in being crucified for Christ's sake and welcomed the chance to be with his God in heaven.

How, my fellow saints, do we compare to a witness such as this? Are we leading souls to Christ? Are we clinging to this life in desperation? Are we being faithful to the race the Lord has set before us? If we cannot answer positively to these things then the accounts we have just read stand as a damning indictment against us. We may not all be called to bring nations to Christ, but it is sure that we are all called to at least attempt to bring whomever the Lord has placed in our paths knowing that He will apply salvation to the hearts of every single man that has been numbered with the elect. If the love of this world and the things therein are claiming your heart then you have taken your eyes off of heaven. it is undoubtedly true that these two thngs can be lumped into one singular consideration: we do not seek to lead souls to Christ because we ourselves have a low view of the prize we're after. In far too many cases we are more in love with this world than with our Lord and we simply live for self along with anything that will gratify that end.

I leave you with this singular question, one which only you and our Lord can truly answer: What would be your witness to the world if the Lord saw fit to put you in the position of Andrew and Paul?