adapted from Voice of The Martyrs magazine

Return to Main Page

Perhaps we were too young to be told that Santa Claus was actually a Christian named Nicholas of Myrna (St. Nicholas), who used his earthly inheritance to help the poor.

Nicholas lived in the time of Diocletian's heaviest persecution of Christians - - a time when the executioners were so tired from killing Christians that they had to take turns in their work. (To see a write-up of Diocletian's unbelievable persecution of Christians - Click here - you must check this out!)

Nicholas was branded with hot irons when he would not deny Christ, and then had his skin severely pinched and plucked with pliers.....

He refused to bow to the unjust political power of his time and would not worship the Roman emperor. Because of this, he suffered five years of harsh prison life until the first Christian emperor, Constantine, came to power.

When the persecution ended under Constantine, there was heresy in the church....

One preacher even wrote a song saying that Jesus was not God. Nicholas attended a meeting of pastors and church leaders, but when the heretical pastor began singing his song, Nicholas went up and hit him in the mouth.

Nicholas was removed from leadership .......

He spent the latter part of his life founding orphanages and helping poor children.

Today, we hear very little of Nicholas' suffering for Christ. It is more glamorous, but less glorious to make Nicholas (the prisoner) into a "Santa Claus."

Nicholas went home to be with the Lord in 343 AD........

Return to Main Page