15 Bible Verses about Martyrdom, Qualities Of

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, "We have no need on this matter {to present a defense to you}. {If it is so}, our God, whom we serve, is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire. And from your hand, O king, let him rescue us. And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that {we will not serve your gods}, and the statue of gold that you have set up we will not worship."

And they kept on stoning Stephen [as he] was calling out and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" And falling to [his] knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And [after he] said this, he fell asleep.

And they conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives until death.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

And summoning the crowd together with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me, this person will save it.

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven [and] saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

Do not be afraid of [the things] which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw [some] of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will experience affliction ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Women received back their dead by resurrection. But others were tortured, not accepting release, in order that they might gain a better resurrection.

Then Paul replied, "What are you doing weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus!"

And you will be handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put to death [some] of you.

"And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father [his] children, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death,

"Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of my name.

{They will expel you from the synagogue}, but an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think they are offering service to God.

Truly, truly I say to you, when you were young, you tied [your clothes] around yourself and walked wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will tie you up and carry [you] where you do not want [to go]. (Now he said this to indicate by what kind of death he would glorify God.) And [after he] had said this, he said to him, "Follow me!"