Buried beneath the legends and tales of Santa Claus lies a story of a steadfast, godly man who refused to deny Christ—Nicholas of Myra, or Saint Nicholas. Throughout the centuries, many of his amazing stories have been told, however, few know about how he suffered for Christ.

Under the cruel Roman emperor Diocletian, Nicholas was thrown in prison for refusing to deny Jesus was/is God. Upon his release, he continued following in the footsteps of Christ through his unreserved giving and courage.

He later met further opposition, this time from the church. After Constantine took the throne, a false teaching (the Arian heresy) began to invade the church. It has been reported (some would say dubiously), that at a meeting of church leaders at the Council of Nicea, Nicholas stood up for Christ and slapped the face of the Arias for spreading his heretical lies. It is also said that this action led Nicholas to no longer be a leader in the church. However, that didn’t stop him from going out of his way to share the love of Christ by helping children and others in need. By 565 A.D., Nicholas was famous. The emperor had dedicated a church building in Constantinople to him and by the year 900 A.D. is recorded that, “The West as well as the East acclaims and glorifies him. Wherever there are people, his name is revered and churches are built in his honor. All Christians reverence his memory and call upon his protection.” Needless to say, “good ol’ Saint Nick” had made a deep impact on the Christian community due to his devotion for Jesus, the Church, and defending the faith from heretical teaching as well as standing firm in the face of strong persecution.

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