At this point in time, there is really no way to say for sure whether or not the Apostles were martyred. Tradition is firmly on the side that they were, but tradition can be wrong. Take the case of Mary Magdalene, who for 2000 years has been slanderously depicted as a reformed prostitute, when all the evidence that we do have (i.e., Biblical evidence) does not support such a characterization. Only in very recent times have Biblical scholars begun to "rehabilitate" her reputation.
But that said, I do believe that tradition is on firmer ground when it defends apostolic martyrdom.
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At this point in time, there is really no way to say for sure whether or not the Apostles were martyred. Tradition is firmly on the side that they were, but tradition can be wrong. Take the case of Mary Magdalene, who for 2000 years has been slanderously depicted as a reformed prostitute, when all the evidence that we do have (i.e., Biblical evidence) does not support such a characterization. Only in very recent times have Biblical scholars begun to "rehabilitate" her reputation.
But that said, I do believe that tradition is on firmer ground when it defends apostolic martyrdom.
I don't know of any serious person who claims the apostles were anything other than sincere.
Viva Christi’s Rei!
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