Hello and welcome. My name is Jinka Dawson and I'm the host of Practice in the Way with John Mark Homer,

a podcast featuring teachings and conversation with John Mark and other voices to help us journey into a deeper life with God in the modern world.

Today we're continuing our series Water from a Deep Well with John Mark and Dr. Gerald Sitzer,

which explores a rich history of Christian spirituality and how we can learn from and practice

the wisdom of early followers of Jesus in their unique eras.

In this episode, John Mark and Dr. Sitzer discussed the marginalization and persecution of early

disciples of Jesus and how their faithfulness,

not their safety, defined the first years of the Christian movement. Here's John Mark.

Vibia Perpetua was born in 181 AD in North Africa, and her life was cut short, tragicallyically at just 22 years of age. Born into the

upper crust of Roman society, she grew up with wealth and privilege, and then she became a Christian.

Part of this new fledgling movement of followers of Jesus, communities scattered throughout the Mediterranean world.

Early in the third century, a persecution broke out in her home of Carthage, North Africa,

under the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus, who made conversion to the way of Jesus illegal.

The government would target high-profile Christians like bishops or leading

affluent families to make an example of them. Perpetua, who was newly married and had just given

birth to her first child, a little girl, was arrested and thrown in prison with her servant Felicity.

She was given two options.

Either just deny Christ and burn incense to Caesar.

You can worship Christ, but worship Caesar too.

Or be killed in the arena for bloodsport to a thirsty mob.

Her own father, who was not a Christian, he was a pagan official,

visited her in prison and begged her to compromise for the sake of her baby. He was just

...