The appalling ordeals experienced by Perpetua and Felicity in the third century reveal an imperial-sanctioned persecution of Christians that was relentless and without mercy. The women had already experienced hardship in life. Perpetua lived as a single mother, and Felicity was most likely her slave. The Christian faith that appealed to the women was one of self-sacrifice and hardship. The glory of the cross meant that everything in life must change at its core. Some of Perpetua and Felicity’s practices were so rigid that church authorities questioned their extreme piety.

However, the women knew exactly to whom they belonged. They knew, with every fiber of their being, that they were held in the loving hands of God, no matter what horrors awaited them. Their faith was not blind because they knew what had happened to those who opposed the Romans. Nevertheless, the women persisted in their faith.

MOVING FORWARD: How can our faith shape our character so that no matter the earthly outcome, we commit to pursuing the peace and love that comes from Jesus, our true salvation?