Few of us face the day-to-day threat of being imprisoned, tortured or killed because of our faith. But as Paul's letter to the Philippians reminds us, martyrdom was a very real hazard for first-century believers. History and tradition hold that every one of Jesus' disciples met with a violent death. Thus, while death - both what it means and what it brings - remains one of the few taboo theological subjects as we approach the 21st century, the first century faithful were far more willing to confront the mystery head-on and discern death's place in life.

This week's epistle finds Paul once again in prison. Apparently he is charged with no civil crime, but is incarcerated simply out of fear of the potentially disruptive power of his preaching. As he begins his correspondence to his Philippia…