On the Martyrs · §1 · Methodius of Olympus

Christ honored martyrdom by his own witness

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Methodius opens his treatise by praising martyrdom, saying that the Lord Jesus Christ himself honored it by bearing witness to it.

For martyrdom is so wonderful and so much-sought-after that the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the Son of God, honored it by bearing witness to it, "not considering being equal with God something to be grasped" (Philippians 2:6), so that also with this gift he might crown the man into whom he descended.

Greek

Οὕτω γὰρ θαυμαστὸν καὶ περισπούσαστόν ἐστι τὸ μαρτύριον, ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, τιμῶν αὐτὸ ἐμαρτύρησεν, »οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν‘ ἡγησάμενος »τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ«, ἴνα καὶ τούτῳ τὸν ἄνθρωπον τῷ χαρίσματι εἰς ὅν κατέγβη στέφῃ.

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About this text

Fragments of Methodius on martyrdom: a gift of God that crowns human resolve, while every good act is completed by God.

Methodius of Olympus (d. c. 311) was a bishop in Lycia and a prolific theologian. He wrote this treatise, which now survives only in fragments, probably to encourage Christians facing persecution.

The work reflects a time when Christians could be put to death for their faith. Methodius presents martyrdom as a gift from God that crowns human resolve, while also insisting that the completion of every good action belongs to God.

A reader will meet Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who honored martyrdom by bearing witness to it. The text quotes Philippians 2:6, saying that Christ did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Methodius says that every good action has its beginning in human will, but its completion rests with God. The word "substance" here means the grounding or reality of a good action in human will, not material stuff.

Fresh English from the Greek base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Methodius D.G. Nathanael Bonwetsch Methodius J. C. Hinrichs'Sche Buchhandlung Leipzig 1917 (Greek)

This work has passed our source check. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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