The apostles & early Christians did not die b/c they refused to renounce their “faith,” per se. They died because they were a threat to the Empire. Because they refused to bow the knee to the Emperor & proclaim him the rightful lord of the world & bringer of peace and justice to the world. They died for the same reasons all radicals & reformers in history died: Tyndale, Joan of Arc, MLK, Fred Hampton, Malcolm, Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, Oscar Romero- because they threatened the status quo.