Tertullian — Scorpiace 13

But how Paul , an apostle , from being a persecutor, who first of all shed the blood of the church, though afterwards he exchanged the sword for the pen, and turned the dagger into a plough, being first a ravening wolf of Benjamin, then himself supplying food as did Jacob, — how he, (I say,) speaks in favour of martyrdoms , now to be chosen by himself also, when, rejoicing over the Thessalonians, he says, So that we glory in you in the churches of God , for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations, in which you endure a manifestation of the righteous judgment of God , that you may be accounted worthy of His kingdom, for which you also suffer!

2 Thessalonians 1:4 As also in his Epistle to the Romans: And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, being sure that tribulation works patience, and patience experience, and experience hope; and hope makes not ashamed. Romans 5:3 And again: And if children, then heirs, heirs indeed of God , and joint-heirs with Christ: if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:17 And therefore he afterward says: Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall tribulation, or distress, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

(As it is written: For Your sake we are killed all the day long; we have been counted as sheep for the slaughter.) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him who loved us. For we are persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor power, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God , which is in Christ Jesus our Lord . Romans 8:35 But further, in recounting his own sufferings to the Corinthians, he certainly decided that suffering must be borne: In labours, (he says,) more abundant, in prisons very frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes, save one; thrice was I beaten with rods; once was I stoned , 2 Corinthians 11:23 and the rest.

And if these severities will seem to be more grievous than martyrdoms , yet once more he says: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions , in distresses for Christ's sake. 2 Corinthians 12:10 He also says, in verses occurring in a previous part of the epistle: Our condition is such, that we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; and are in need, but not in utter want; since we are harassed by persecutions , but not forsaken; it is such that we are cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in our body the dying of Christ . 2 Corinthians 4:8 But though, says he, our outward man perishes — the flesh doubtless, by the violence of persecutions — yet the inward man is renewed day by day — the soul , doubtless, by hope in the promises.