George,
No I will not.
I do not have a Greek dictionary, nor does it matter. Your retort requiring defintion respresentive of a word which "means" exactly what it means to most anyone that has read the llives of saints, that is, the word martyr, suffices for a definition.
If you must, and I'm sure you will, please reiterate the Greek definition.
You want a cursory?
Martyrdom in marriage. The relationship between both husband and wife is a martyrdom. If it were not, then the aspect, for lack of a better (or Greek) word of martyrdom is especially mentioned in the service.
Tell me, George (I apologize for the "Gregory" Freudian "slip") tell us all rather, exactly what do the CROWNS in a marriage cermony represent? Hmmm?
Martyrdom of self for the Church in the sense that one OBEYS the Orthodox Church and does the opposite of what their personal will "tells" them to do. Is that not martyrdom?
Martyrdom of self when relating to anyone, is that not martyrdom?
Martyrdom in the defense of the Church, the Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church...is that not martyrdom?
Look back at what one individual wrote in response to a question concerning the apparent difficulty in following the teachings of the Orthodox Chrcuh. The response was, and I paraphrase, "You may elect to defend but you will be hated by the world." Tell you what, you dig up the quote and then tell us all, OK?
What about the martyrdom of exposing onesself in the defense of the Faith to innumerable innuendo when answering a question which has all the appearances of a lack of a defense of the Orthodox Faith. Is that no a martyrdom?
Lots of ifs, aren't there. Your Greek "word/definition" I am sure has just that, a Greek definition to a word which suits your needs.
"My" specific objection was NOT to the "use/definition" of the word "martyr". If you will look back at your post and my response, my response was specific to the fact that if it were NOT for the martyrs for the Orthodox Faith, where would the Orthodox Faith be?
Think a minute...if when our Lord and God and Savioiur Jesus Christ established HIS Church, was there any question as to who would populate, become a part of the Orthodox Church?
Correct me if I am wrong, but I presume that "mere human beings" were to be the ecclesia (hope the Greek is OK), the gathering, the grouping, the mystical body of the Orthodox Church.
Now, that being said, and the presence of all the nasty people in the personages of Diocletian, Trajan, the Apostate Julian, Lenin, Kruschev, Uncle Joe Stalin, Yeltsin, Putin and the rest who so gleefully put the confessors of the Orthodox Faith to death, or just torment them, were allowed to unabashedly just plain eliminate anyone who said, "I am an Orthodox Christian",
Where would the Church be?
Correct me if I am wrong, George, but if someone were to come up to you and say, "George, either you deny Jesus Christ and the Orthodox Church, or you wil lose your job, your home, your family and everything you possess."
What would you say George?
Would you deny the knowledge of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ and His Church? Would you? The Apostle Peter did, but he repented with bitter tears and look where he ended up...one of the pillars of the Orthodox Church.
Is that not a martyrdom?
Why was Saint John the Baptist beheaded? Was itr not for the defense of the Hebrew Law regarding marriage (remember, no adultery). Was he a martyr, or a defender according to you?
I know you will not read the Life of Martyr Conon and His Son. Too bad for you. His son, Conon, was "persuaded" to denounce his father and sacrifice to the "gods". Did he acquiesce and say he would? Nope. He instead heaped epithets (bad words to some people) on the Tribune and asked for more punishment instead. Tell me he wasn't a martyr and defender of the Faith.
Go to any Synagogue and confess the Orthodox Faith.
Go to any mosque and confess the Orthodox Faith.
You say you won't? Why not? One means a sure death, while the other will have you thrown in jail for commiting sacriledge. Aren't these forms of martyrdom. No on is saying that we "have to" do these things. No, they are done voluntarily, as a form of martyrdom.
I re-read your post, and stand by my response.
Think of this saying,
"What is more noble than for a man to give his life for his friend."
I realize that our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ is not our "friend" (in a Protestant phronema), as the following will clearly illustrate, but would you confess him before anyone?
I recall a heirarch tell of this specific instance:
He was in a grocery store, in his rassa and his Panagia was clearly visible. Some "enlightened" person came up to him and said, "Hey man, your Jesus and I have a personal relationship. We're friends."
The hierarch looked at him and said, "Young man. Do you know what I am, and to whom you refer? I am a Bishop in the Orthodox Church. I serve my Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Rather, I love Him and serve him and at times fear Him. He is not what you call a personal friend. He is the Son of God, One of the Holy Trinity", and more he related. Know what? The person did not get upset, rather he stopped and listened intently and then he apologized. See what a "verbal" martyrdom will accomplish?
Tell me, was that not a martyrdom? That is, his confession before an individual he never met?
Isn't that exactly what the martyrs did?
They gave their lives in defense of the Faith and for our Lord and God ans Saviour Jesus Chrust.
Reiterating, I have absolutely no idea what your Greek dictionary says about martyrs.
To me, a martyr is one who gives of himself, or gives himself up for something, or someone he believes in. To wit: I have certain passions, as we all do. The Orthodox Church starts the Dormition Fast tomorrow. I make an especial attempt to martyr myself and try not to allow the passions to arise within me. Is that a martyrdom? I succomb to passions because they are loved by me. If I neglect to allow the passions to arise am I not giving my life for my friend, my soul? Simplistic, but true, is it not?
Take your pick of what the word martyr means. I'm sure it will not coincide with "mine".
All of the above mentioned references to martyrs/martyrdom are specific to a rebuttal to your initial thesis regarding the
"...faith ever being needed to be defended by mere humans", shall we say, "comment".
The definition of the word martyr has nothing to do with anything germain to your thesis, except the fact that martyrs gave their lives for the faith. It was/is a "voluntary" giving.
For....without martyrs, those people sacrificing of themselves, or themselves, for the defense of the Orthodox Faith, the Orthodox Church, where would the Orthodox Church be?
John
