the Great Commission and the Apocalypse. Such uses frequently include the idea of faithful witness for Jesus, even in the face of intense suffering or death. The latter nuance is most evident in the biblical text in Revelation, where the concept of faithful witness connects with the climactic phase of the Great Commission (see 4 below). However, martyrdom as death becomes the common understanding only in the writings of some of the apostolic fathers, notably Ignatius. For those Fathers, martyrdom