Cyprian

A wealthy rhetorician of Carthage, Cyprian gave away much of his fortune at his conversion and within a few years was the city's bishop. The Decian persecution broke almost immediately, and his episcopate became a long meditation, in letters and treatises, on how a church of martyrs should treat those who had lapsed under pressure. On the Unity of the Church argued that communion with the bishops is the church's lifeline — 'he cannot have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother.' He was beheaded under Valerian in 258, the first bishop of Carthage to die a martyr.

When his death sentence was read, Cyprian answered 'Thanks be to God' — and ordered his executioner paid twenty-five gold pieces.

Cyprian has 23 commentary entries in HolyStudy’s verse-by-verse Church Fathers commentary. Open any Gospel chapter, tap a verse, and choose the Church Fathers tab.