Martyrdom in Early Christianity

One of the important aspects of Christianity in the first three hundred years was the role of martyrdom in shaping the church. While persecution was sporadic and only a few people were killed for their faith, the witness of the martyrs was important to the church. Martyr means witness, and the martyrs witnessed to their faith in Christ and assurance of their salvation. Christians were seen as a threat to the Empire because they did not honor the gods and their practices seemed suspicious.