Witness Term Meaning

From the Greek word meaning 'witness', the term was originally used within Christianity for the Apostles -- that is, those who had witnessed Christ's life and resurrection. As Christians came to be persecuted in the pre-Constantinian period, it was used first for those who underwent hardship for the faith, and then only for those who died for the faith.

The suffering body plays an important role in the martyrdom accounts of the early Church. In that act of suffering torture and enduring death, the martyr defeated the enemy (identified with the devil) and imitated the suffering and endurance of Christ on the Cross. The idea of patience ('patientia') was important, for, in the practice of patience, a person became the master of their body and could battle their persecutors

From the Greek word meaning 'witness', the term was originally used within Christianity for the Apostles -- that is, those who had witnessed Christ's life and resurrection. As Christians came to be persecuted in the pre-Constantinian period, it was used first for those who underwent hardship for the faith, and then only for those who died for the faith.

The suffering body plays an important role in the martyrdom accounts of the early Church. In that act of suffering torture and enduring death, the martyr defeated the enemy (identified with the devil) and imitated the suffering and endurance of Christ on the Cross. The idea of patience ('patientia') was important, for, in the practice of patience, a person became the master of their body and could battle their persecutors