Chapter 32—Martyrdom of Paul and Peter
The apostles Paul and Peter were for many years widely separated
in their labors, it being the work of Paul to carry the gospel to the Gen-
tiles, while Peter labored especially for the Jews. But in the providence
of God, both were to bear witness for Christ in the world’s metropolis,
and upon its soil both were to shed their blood as the seed of a vast
harvest of saints and martyrs.
About the time of Paul’s second arrest, Peter also was apprehended
and thrust into prison. He had made himself especially obnoxious to
the authorities by his zeal and success in exposing the deceptions and
defeating the plots of Simon Magus the sorcerer, who had followed
him to Rome to oppose and hinder the work of the gospel. Nero was a
believer in magic, and had patronized Simon. He was therefore greatly
incensed against the apostle, and was thus prompted to order his arrest.
The emperor’s malice against Paul was heightened by the fact that
members of the imperial household, and also other persons of distinc-
tion, had been converted to Christianity during his first imprisonment.
For this reason he made the second imprisonment much more severe
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than the first, granting him little opportunity to preach the gospel; and
he determined to cut short his life as soon as a plausible pretext could
be found for so doing. Nero’s mind was so impressed with the force of
the apostle’s words at his last trial that he deferred the decision of the
case, neither acquitting nor condemning him. But the sentence was
only deferred. It was not long before the decision was pronounced
which consigned Paul to a martyr’s grave. Being a Roman citizen, he
could not be subjected to torture, and was therefore sentenced to be
beheaded.
Peter, as a Jew and a foreigner, was condemned to be scourged and
crucified. In prospect of this fearful death, the apostle remembered
his great sin in denying Jesus in the hour of trial, and his only thought
was, that he was unworthy of so great an honor as to die in the same
manner as did his Master. Peter had sincerely repented of that sin,
and had been forgiven by Christ, as is shown by the high commission
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