Peter the Seal of Martyrs

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this lesson is to learn the early history of the Coptic Church through the biography of the patriarchs.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 5 Minutes

Please review the previous week's lesson. (5 minutes)

  • Whenever a child is in a new situation, he looks to someone he trusts in order to figure out how to act
  • A child goes with her parents to visit someone's home
  • Whenever a certain social situation comes up that the child does not recognize, she looks to her parents and imitates their actions
  • She mimics her parents in every way because she trusts that they know best and wants to do the right thing
  • As a child looks to her parents in order to know how to behave in new and sometimes difficult situations, the Church looks to her patriarch to provide her with a Christlike example on how to respond to certain situations
  • Today we will see the example of Peter the Seal of the Martyrs, the 18th pope of Alexandria, who provided both an example of mercy and sacrifice through his compassion on those who lapsed and his courage and faith in the face of imperial persecution

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe' 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses" Matthew 18:21-35

**Memory Verse: "**The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed" (1 Peter 5:1)

CONTENT - 20 Minutes

Challenges during Papacy

Pope Peter the Seal of Martyrs was the seventeenth patriarch from 300-311.

His papacy was set with these difficulties:

  • Severe persecution by Diocletian, who had ordered the burning of the Holy Scripture, the books, and the churches;
  • An order to worship the idols or die;
  • Imprisonment of many bishops and priests;
  • The issue of those who "lapsed" or offered to idols under threat of persecution or escaped persecution through bribery; and
  • Issues with Melitius the bishop (the Melitian Schism)

Persecution under Diocletian

In 303 Diocletian wanted to make Rome great again through worship of pagan gods

  • Diocletian thought that the empire wasn't doing well because the gods were not being worshipped.

Diocletian's Edict resulted in the death of many Christians

  • Many Christians refused to worship and were therefore tortured and martyred.
  • Bishops were also sent to prison.

Many Christians Lapsed

  • There also were Christians that denied Christ and worshipped the gods because they were afraid of dying, and afraid for their families as well.
  • Others bribed their way out of worshiping the pagan gods, a practice which the Church condemned

Peter Forced to Flee

  • Pope Peter led his congregation during this awful persecution, but was forced to flee

Issues with the Melitian Schism

During the Diocletian persecution, a priest named Melitius disagreed with Peter's merciful approach to accepting the lapsed into the church and ordained bishops that supported his position when Peter fled from Alexandria

  • Melitius set severe qualifications and opposed the readmission of those who had denied Christ back into the faith, and had forcefully tried to take over as patriarch of Alexandria while Peter had fled persecution.

When Peter returned to Alexandria, he convened a synod and excommunicated Melitius. The followers of Melitius, called Melitians, broke away from the Church, causing a "schism" or division that lasted even through the Council of Nicaea

  • Pope Peter had ordained a deacon and later priest named Arius, who had followed Melitius for at time
  • When Peter heard expressions in Arius' sermons denying the divinity of the Son and His equality with the Father, Peter tried to correct him and finally excommunicated him

Mercy to the Lapsed Christians

Peter set strict guidelines for those who had wanted to come back to the Church for each situation.

  • For example, priests who lapsed and then repented were not able to go back to being priests.
  • Those who had lapsed after being in prison but were not tortured had to spend one year in atonement and repentance.

Arrest and Martyrdom

  • After his return to Alexandria in 306, Peter was captured with a few bishops and was sent to prison.
  • Finally came his turn to become executed
  • A large crowd in support of Peter were gathered outside demanding that he be released.
  • Peter, fearing that the people would be beaten, tortured, and even killed by the officers pleaded to them to be calm and not to engage.
  • He comforted his people with care and told them to go home in peace, which they did in obedience
  • Peter's final request was that he could visit the Church of St Mark
    • He prayed to God that He may accept his life on behalf of the people, and a voice came to him saying "Amen."
  • Thus, Pope Peter later was martyred, and his body was taken to be buried in the tomb of the patriarchs.
  • After his death, there was a period of peace.
  • This is the reason why St Peter was the "seal" of the martyrs.
    • It is to be noted that more than 800,000 Christians had died under Diocletian. This is why, we the Coptic Church, hold the title "The Church of the Martyrs."

DISCUSSION - 10 Minutes

Thinking about the Melitian Schism

  • Why do you think Melitius was so harsh and unforgiving, yet Peter was open to accepting those who lapsed?
  • What do you think that, although Melitius was very harsh, he lapsed when tempted, yet Peter, who was very compassionate, did not lapse when tempted?
  • What does it say about Peter's character that, although he did not fall, he had compassion on those who did?
  • What does this say about the character of Christ?

The example of Peter

  • What sort of effect do you think Peter's martyrdom had on the Church?
  • What kind of example did Peter set for the Copts?

LIFE APPLICATION - 10 Minutes

God's forgiveness is beyond our understanding

  • God's love and forgiveness is beyond all human limitation or comprehension
  • God demonstrated such great love for us that, while we were still sinner, Christ died for us (cf. Rm. 5:8)
  • Many did not understand God's loving kindness, such as in expressions where He says that if we deny God before men, He will deny us before angels (cf. Mt. 10:33; Lk. 12:9)
  • The church fathers understood that even this sin of denial would be forgiven, because God does not wish the death of a sinner, but rather that he returns and lives (cf. Ez. 18:23; 33:11)
  • Even the Lord taught that we should forgive our brother "70 times 7" (Mt. 18:22), meaning that we do not quantify or qualify forgiveness, but that we do so out of love
  • Understanding God's love and beneficence, Peter forgave, but for the sake of repentance he gave rules to those who sinned so that they may not return to their former sin
  • The penance given was not a punishment, but rather was a remedy

Peter provides an example of Christ

  • The martyrs follow the example of Christ, testifying their faith in the resurrection by standing fearless before death, knowing that the Lord has conquered this
  • For all those who were suffering loss and heartache during this great and blood persecution, Peter provided an example of courage that the world cannot take away the peace of God or the hope of the resurrection
  • Peter obeyed the command of Peter to be a faithful shepherd to the people, to be a partaker of sufferings so to become a partaker of the glory of God

ACTIVITY - 5 Minutes

  • List various martyrs and consider the example they set

SERVANT RESOURCES

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

  • Parents can encourage their kids to reflect and relate to what kind of patriarch/saint by a certain quality that the kids like about the saint, and ask for their intercessions.
  • Have an icon/picture of one of the patriarchs at home in the living room.