This would probably seem unbiblical if it were not for my reading of Paul Middleton on the early Christian martyrs, wherein I learned that the early martyrs were definitely venerated by the early Christians for being martyrs. So much so their martyr's blood even performed some form of expiation for the Christian Community as Paul Middleton explains.
Paul Middleton’s book Radical Martyrdom and Cosmic Conflict in Early Christianity (2006). Middleton begins his book by noting that the early radical martyrs in Christianity have been marginalized in biblical scholarship. Many biblical scholars who happen to be churchgoers seek to marginalize this early theme, which was more popular and more of a foundational doctrine than they’d like to admit.
Middleton points out throughout his book that much of the New Testament contains the proto-orthodox view of first and second century radical martyrdom. Many of the Gnostics who rejected martyrdom were silenced and killed off in later centuries. In other words, their theology does not make it into the New Testament, except for a few exceptions. Hence the New Testament is, much of it, the preservation of the writings of those belonging to the first and second century radical martyrdom sects; that grew into a powerful religious group that silenced the Gnostics; and then morphed into the Catholic Church which finally banned radical martyrdom around 300 AD; while the original radical martyrdom theology remains in the Scriptural Canon of Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants.
On page 34, Middleton points out that later Christians would rewrite history and retell the stories of the martyrs in such a way as to glamorize their deaths. The fact is that there were Christians, as late as the 4th century, who would show up before Roman authorities and say they wanted to die. If the person professed to be Christian and was tortured and killed by Rome, he would often be considered a "saint" by the early Christian Communities. Middleton goes on to describe several other Christians who sought voluntarily to die as martyrs when the Romans were not even interested in killing them.
On page 84, Middleton writes, "This theme of sharing intimacy with Christ through mimetic suffering develops into the idea that Christ actually suffers within the martyrs.” This fits Paul’s "spirit-possession" doctrine discussed by many biblical scholars. They "put on Christ", Middleton explains, as a form of courage-making to die as martyrs (page 89). On page 103 Middleton writes:
... an investigation into the origins of Christian martyrdom must include this group of martyrs, who, though marginalized by scholars, are … more central to the life of the early church.
In his article Dying we Live (2 cor. 6:9): Discipleship and Martyrdom in Paul, Middleton states that Paul seems to allow for other forms of death (like "dying to sin"), he points out that 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-15 shows that at least some Pauline Christians died martyrs; and he says Paul “commends those who are almost martyred, such as Prisca and Aquila, ‘who risked their necks” (Rom. 6: 3-4). Middleton goes on to reference Pauline passages where Paul says to imitate him and how he suffers and is persecuted; and how this will gain one a reward in heaven. He points out how Paul couples a Christian's suffering with Christ's suffering.
Middleton then begins a section heading titled “Dying and Rising with Christ.” In this section, Middleton points out that Paul believes he has entered a mystical union with Christ, who lives in his flesh, and he is crucified with Christ (as in his mortal flesh has been killed and the new Christ Spirit in him has gifted him immortality). To this end, Paul acts as a “Christ figure” in that as he suffers and gains God’s favor and is comforted and so too is the church of believers comforted and gains God’s favor vicariously from Paul’s suffering. In other words, in Paul there is this mystical concept of his, or another Christian's suffering or martyrdom provided a salvific effect for the entire community as the Body of Christ mystically united in the suffering of the sufferer. All of this was useful in generating a more interdynamic compassionism and solidarity in the community, which grew into greater compassion for the Other and contributed to concepts like human rights.
Middleton goes on to show that Paul believes his suffering expiates sin on the church’s behalf; he suffers and the church gains, his suffering has “atoning significance.” Reading Middleton, it occurred to me that the church is the Body of Christ, one big assembly embodying the Spirit of the cosmic Suffering Servant. According to Middleton, martyrs thus were literal imitators of Christ, and entered a second baptism as it were with their voluntary martyr deaths that held atoning power to forgive members of the church even.
Paul Middleton explains that the apostle Paul “saw it as his calling to suffer with Christ and for the Church.” Paul suffers as atonement for his Church. Middleton argues that 1 Corinthians 13:3 is about Paul endorsing voluntary martyrdom as a love-act for Christ and the Church. For Paul suffering is atonement for the Church, and when he suffers it is as if Christ suffers; and through suffering and death for Christ as Lord, one gains full union with Christ. To glory God in Paul's thinking is to suffer and to die which is gain. He wishes for others to suffer on behalf of Christ and the Church (his spiritual family) as a loving libation. To imitate Christ’s suffering for the sake of Christ and the Church, was an act of love for one’s Christian Community and Christ.
