ASSIGNMENT: SPIRITUALITY 3 PAGE REPORT ON ASSIGNED MARTYR: JAMES - Research Paper Example

1). Statistics reveal “an average of 171,000 Christians worldwide are martyred for their faith per year” (Fairchild, 2011 cited Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2006). Weigel (2011) provided an interesting update on the continually increasing number of Christian martyrs by indicating that “on average, 270 new Christian martyrs every 24 hours over the past decade, such that "the number of martyrs [in the period 2000-2010] was approximately 1 million." Compare this to an estimated 34,000 Christian martyrs in 1900” (Weigel, 2011, par. 2). Since the phenomenon of martyrdom has intrigued various scholars all over the world since the time of Jesus, the current essay hereby aims to proffer events and the profile of James, the son of Zebedee and the elder brother of John, which led to his martyrdom.

Individual Profile James was the son of Zebedee and Salome and was one of the first set of disciples of Jesus Christ, together with James’ brother, John and Simon Peter. Bible accounts reveal that as fishermen, they were mending their nets when Jesus called them by the sea of Galilee (Confraternity of St. James, 2008, par. 1). The same discourse revealed that “Jesus nicknamed them 'the sons of thunder' - perhaps justified by the story (Luke 9, 51-56) that they once wished to call down fire from heaven to destroy a village which had refused them hospitality” (Confraternity, 2008, par. 1). James was thought to be one of the closest to Jesus having him around in the most significant incidences reported in the Bible, to wit: healing of Peter's mother-in-law (Mark1, 29), and at the raising of Jairus's daughter (Mark 5, 37; Luke 8, 51).

  They are described in private conversation with Jesus on the mount of Olives (Mark 13, 3). They were also present, with Peter (but not Andrew), at the Transfiguration, a key event in Jesus's life (Matthew 17, 1-13; Mark 9, 2-8; Luke 9, 28-36), and again, the same three disciples are called apart from the others in Gethsemane (Matthew 26, 37; Mark 14, 33) (Confraternity, 2008, par. 2). Both brothers were also reported to be witnesses of Jesus’ post resurrection appearances in “(John 21, 2), on the lakeshore of Tiberias; and among those gathered in the upper room after the ascension (Acts  1, 13) (ibid, par. 3). James was one of the disciples to be martyred the earliest after Jesus’ death.

The Martyrdom of James Herod Agrippa, a grandson of Herod the Great, was responsible for James martyrdom. Biblocality (2006) revealed the incidents that brought James to face death at the hands of Herod Agrippa: for no sooner had Herod Agrippa been appointed governor of Judea, than, with a view to ingratiate himself with them, he raised a sharp persecution against the Christians, and determined to make an effectual blow, by striking at their leaders. The account given us by an eminent primitive writer, Clemens Alexandrinus, ought not to be overlooked; that, as James was led to the place of martyrdom, his accuser was brought to repent of his conduct by the apostle's extraordinary courage and undauntedness, and fell down at his feet to request his pardon, professing himself a Christian, and resolving that James should not receive the crown of martyrdom alone.

Hence they were both beheaded at the same time (Biblocality, 2006, par. 5). The martyrdom was said to occur on December 27, during the Passover of A.D. 44, identifying 14 years after Jesus