“Do not fear what you are about to suffer, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison… Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.”

Revelation 2:10

Perpetua was a Christian noblewoman who, at the turn of the third century, lived with her husband, her son, and her servant, a young woman named Felicitas, in Carthage, North Africa. At this early stage in the Gentile church, North Africa was the center of a vibrant Christian community. The emperor at the time, Septimius Severus, believed that Christians were causing Roman patriotism to wane. Although it is not believed that he took up an intentional attack against Christians, it appears he was lax in calling local officials to account for sporadic outbreaks of persecution in their regions. One such pogrom (period of persecution) erupted in North Africa, and among the first to be arrested were five new Christian catechumens (those preparing for baptism), one of whom was Perpetua.

As a noblewoman, Perpetua would normally have been punished and released, but in this case, she refused to recant her new faith or offer the obligatory sacrifice for the welfare of the emperor. Neither would any others arrested with her. In response, they were thrown into prison to await execution in the amphitheater at Carthage. Her father came to see her and begged her to consider his own sorrow and recant her faith (he was not a believer). Again, she refused. Perpetua was a nursing mother, and after two deacons from her local church bribed the guards, she was moved to a healthier part of the prison and permitted to nurse her child. Again, her father came, begging her to consider her child, her family, and his “old grey head.” Once again, although moved to tears, she refused to recant. In her own journal, she recorded that when her father told her to simply say she was not a Christian, even if it was untrue, she picked up a nearby vase and said, “Father, do you see this vase? Could it be called by another name and yet still identified?” He responded, “No.” “Then neither can I be called by another name other than ‘Christian,’” she replied.

As the day of the tournament grew near, other believers recently arrested were added to the prison, including Felicitas, Perpetua’s servant. Although treated kindly by the prison administrator, who was himself a secret believer, Perpetua and Felicitas had to face their trial. Brought before the Roman governor of Carthage, she was asked to recant her faith and offer the sacrifice. At that moment, her father was ushered into the tribunal to plead with his daughter one last time. The governor asked her to consider her family and her child, and then she was asked one last time, “Will you sacrifice?” “No, I will not,” was the answer. “Are you then, in fact, a Christian?” “I am,” was her reply. Her father fell to his knees to beg her to recant, but the governor had seen enough; her father was beaten before her eyes and thrown out of the tribunal, and she was sentenced to be thrown to the beasts.

The evening before her martyrdom, Perpetua recorded a vision or dream in her journal. She saw another believer whom she knew well, showing her a ladder leading to heaven. As he beckoned her to join him in his ascent, he warned her to avoid being attacked by the serpent at the bottom of the ladder. She responded in her dream that she had no fear of the dragon and then trod on its head as her first step toward her friend. Perpetua recorded in her journal that she felt this was a sign from God that she had made the right decision—that she would, in fact, die but would not be killed by an animal.

The next day, Perpetua, Felicitas, and others were ushered into the arena. Although attacked by a wild ox and injured by a leopard, the animals refused to kill her. Accordingly, a gladiator dispatched not only her but all the Christians in her group by the sword, and Perpetua, Felicitas, and their friends gained eternal life.

Life is a precious gift from God. It is not more precious than our faith in Christ. It is never more precious than our lives to come.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Jym

‍