Would you renounce Christianity under torture?

[Rob84]

I would like to think I wouldn't but whatever was happening to me i would keep this verse in mind.

But whosoever shall deny me before men him I will also deny before my father which is in heaven. Matthew 10 verse 33

Their are no provisions to that verse. I would like to think I could endure but that verse would be in the back of mind.

So since it's so cut and dry every Christian that denied Christ at the cross was denied in heaven? Very rarely is Scripture ever as simple as just sharing a verse or two.

 

[Jezmeyah]

If I must have shots in my mouth before the dentist begins, then I don't think I'll endure any sharp torture instruments. But I would say to them. "No matter how much pain you cause me, and even if you make me say something,.. that will only be because of the pain.. therefore it hardly counts. But all the while my inner man will not renounce my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

 

[Hidden In Him]

So since it's so cut and dry every Christian that denied Christ at the cross was denied in heaven? Very rarely is Scripture ever as simple as just sharing a verse or two.

Whosoever denies Him without repentance. Peter repented of it. The words "whosoever denies Me" are to be taken in the sense of refuses to ever acknowledge Him in the face of persecution. This is not the unforgivable sin, as Jesus Himself also made clear (Matthew 12:31-32). If we repent of it and profess Him, and then have to face potential martyrdom as Peter did, then we are forgiven of having done so in the past.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Renounce your Christianity or I'll show you another repeat episode off MASH!

 

[seeking.IAM]

This is an interesting question. Would it be better for the entire Church to be martyred and annihilated, or to go underground and survive? I think I might prefer to take my faith practice to the catacombs. Being part of the remnant of the Body of Christ might be a higher calling than joining the ranks of martyrs?

 

[Big Drew]

Lately I have been reading a little bit of Eusebius's Church History. It seems that parts of the early church were subjected to a shocking level of persecution. What Eusebius writes has left me wondering if people would renounce their faith under torture, and if so, if they could still be considered Christian. So, what's your take?

I'd like to pretend I'm this really holy person and say no, of course I wouldn't...but I honestly don't know if I could stand being tortured.

As for still being considered a Christian...Peter denied Christ three times to avoid persecution or embarrassment...so, maybe?

 

[Kit Sigmon]

I would like to think I wouldn't but whatever was happening to me i would keep this verse in mind.

But whosoever shall deny me before men him I will also deny before my father which is in heaven. Matthew 10 verse 33

Their are no provisions to that verse. I would like to think I could endure but that verse would be in the back of mind.

Digging deeper you find that it's not talking about a one time thing, it's meaning a continual lifestyle.
A person can repent of denial...Peter in the Bible would be an example of someone being repentant.
Although Peter denied knowing Jesus three times in one night because he feared being put to death, Peter hadn't been going about in a state of denial as a lifestyle...but the same couldn't be said about Judas Iscariot who would call Jesus "rabbi", Judas frequently stole from the money bag he was in charge of, he "pretended".
While he still had several chances Judas could of repented but his change of mind about taking money to betray Jesus only lead to him being sorrowful, it didn't lead to repentance. Judas went out an hung himself.

 

[redblue22]

Who will be doing the torture?

I think it will be people who claim to be the real christians.

then we all die.

 

[omarose]

Pain puts me into silence, and then passing out. So more than likely nobody will get a chance of hearing a rejection through that method. High pain tolerance, low ability to see my own blood. If i was able to talk, more than likely not. Crying probably, but not much talking.

 

[Ricky M]

The Bible repeatedly talks about our being persecuted and killed for His Name. "They loved not their lives unto death". I would assume that persecution includes physical torture, and that torture would precede killing. As one post already stated if we deny Him before men ... but likewise Peter denied three times and was forgiven. Like most issues of this kind, it all comes down to heart. God knows what's in your heart, and whether a denial is that of Peter's or that of an apostate. But I think He'd rather we persevere in His Name under torture. Jesus did.

 

[Ricky M]

The Bible repeatedly talks about our being persecuted and killed for His Name. "They loved not their lives unto death". I would assume that persecution includes physical torture, and that torture would precede killing. As one post already stated if we deny Him before men ... but likewise Peter denied three times and was forgiven. Like most issues of this kind, it all comes down to heart. God knows what's in your heart, and whether a denial is that of Peter's or that of an apostate. But I think He'd rather we persevere in His Name under torture. Jesus did.

 

[Flash Gordon]

If God (I am talking about the real God) spoke to you and told you, 'I'm doing a new thing' and told you all about it, or maybe only a little about it. And with it He said I want you to tell of this. What would you do? What if it went across the gain of what everyone else believed and all those that you fellowshipped with said your wrong. Being a martyr or tortured for most that got to that stage is likely getting to the end of the journey. This happened plenty of times with the Prophets, Jeremiah is only one example.

 

[Mountainmike]

Lately I have been reading a little bit of Eusebius's Church History. It seems that parts of the early church were subjected to a shocking level of persecution. What Eusebius writes has left me wondering if people would renounce their faith under torture, and if so, if they could still be considered Christian. So, what's your take?

Peter denied Christ three times , worried about what would be the consequences of saying he knew Jesus, christ forgave him, and appointed him rock of the church.

As for me, nobody can say what they would do.
Most would yield.

 

[Ali Asreco]

No. I'd offer my suffering to God.

Well, maybe I can't stand torture...but I do not worry about that now, I spend my time sharing my faith in Christ with those that do not know Him...

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

QUOTE=]This is an interesting question. Would it be better for the entire Church to be martyred and annihilated, or to go underground and survive? I think I might prefer to take my faith practice to the catacombs. Being part of the remnant of the Body of Christ might be a higher calling than joining the ranks of martyrs?[/QUOTE

The ekklesia are the remnant. The remnant are willing martyrs.
Already crucified with Christ, so death has no fear at all. No sting.

"Dead to the world; the world dead to us". It has no hold.

And the life that we now (TODAY) live, we live by FAITH in the son of God, Who Loved us and gave Himself for us.

 

[dqhall]

Paul started to preach in Damascus. When the resistance to his preaching became too great, he had to leave town in a covert manner. In Acts 20 Paul left Ephesus as he was not welcomed to stay. He continued his mission of preaching the Gospel. In some Muslim lands, Christians were persecuted and killed for not accepting Islam. In North Korea, Christians were sent to Gulag style labor prisons where many perished.

Jesus sent his disciples out to preach to the Jews.
Matthew 10 (WEB)
5 Jesus sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. 6 Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. 9 Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. 10 Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. 11 Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy; and stay there until you go on. 12 As you enter into the household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 Whoever doesn’t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. 18 Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. 19 But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21 “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.

 

[GirdYourLoins]

This is a question that you cant really answer until you are in that situation. Before I was a Christian my life included a lot of people I knew on the wrong side of the law and when you are living like that you can be drawn into all sorts of situations. At one time I was in genuine fear for my life as there was a local gangster after me and my friends. I found I was prepared to go to lengths I never thought I would be to protect myself, although I never had to carry them out as I was able to get it sorted without having to resort to extreme action.

Under the pressure of torture and knowing we could stop it by renouncing Christ, I dont think we can really know how we would react until in that situation. And we also dont know what God would do in us. Would hHe give us strength to resist or even numb the pain? I am impresses by reports of some Christians held captive by IS. They have forgiven them even during rape and torture, I had read of Christians who offered themselves to stop other children from being raped, they have declared Jesus as Lord and witnessed to their executioners, etc.

 

[Tina W]

Lately I have been reading a little bit of Eusebius's Church History. It seems that parts of the early church were subjected to a shocking level of persecution. What Eusebius writes has left me wondering if people would renounce their faith under torture, and if so, if they could still be considered Christian. So, what's your take?

I would like to think that I would resist but no one really knows what they'll do under such circumstances. Look at how Peter told Jesus he would stand by Him and Jesus told him he would deny Him 3 times before morning and that wasn't even under torture. I know I would never turn from God in my heart, they may make a person say one thing but no one can stop someone from feeling something in their heart. Also I don't think a person would lose their salvation and not go to heaven if they could not withstand torture because they would be doing it under duress, not in their right mind. Like if someone held your child at gunpoint and said renounce God or they will shoot him right there in front of you, if a person gave in, it would be under great duress. Torture is things like that, not just a quick beheading. I can take a quick beheading if I had to, or some other quick death but true torture? Not many people can withstand real torture. They may think they can but no one really knows until they are in that situation.

 

[Armoured]

Lately I have been reading a little bit of Eusebius's Church History. It seems that parts of the early church were subjected to a shocking level of persecution. What Eusebius writes has left me wondering if people would renounce their faith under torture, and if so, if they could still be considered Christian. So, what's your take?

How can anyone know, until they have experienced torture?

 

[Tina W]

i would like to think I would not deny HIM. Look at Jesus own disciples who denied him. The persecution of christians will only get worse, I fear, even in the US. I admire those in other countries who stand up to great evils and stay strong in their faith.
I do have peace that if I died in my sleep tonight, I would be with HIM in heaven, but someone with a machete to your throat is a different ballgame.

Exactly! Especially with how spoiled we are today with technology. We are not used to pain without pain meds, people get upset having wait too long in a fast food line. LOL We are weak, not used to hardships let alone torture. I know our heart will be right and we may intend to withstand, but I don't think many today would last long. Not unless God prepared a person for years prior and then gave them supernatural strength at that moment.