“ And He
was saying to them all, “If
anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross
daily and follow Me. “ ----Jn.
9:23
Polycarp was the beloved overseer of the church in Smyrna
(Asia Minor) in the era immediately following the death of the original
apostles. Early Christian writers such
as Irenaeus and Tertullian both gave testimony that Polycarp both knew and was
a disciple directly trained by the Apostle John when he was living in Ephesus
during his old age. During his lifetime
Polycarp’s central work was preserving the understanding of the gospel that was
taught by the Lord’s Apostles. Even in
this early era people were taking the words of Jesus and giving them new interpretations that were in
sync with the times but were far from what Jesus meant when He said them. Part of the reason why we can be
confident that the scriptures and
gospel have not been diluted or distorted
is because of this early work of the
church’s leaders.
But the one thing that Polycarp is best known for is not his
life’s work (important as it was) but his savage death at the hands of Roman
soldiers. Though not the first martyr
for the sake of Christ, Polycarp was one of the most well-known. If you want to read the brief account of
Polycarp’s martyrdom go to: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/martyrdompolycarp-lake.html.
What is important about Polycarp’s martyrdom is that it set
a gold standard for Christians to follow over the next few centuries as
imperial Rome pressured Christians to renounce Christ and worship the genius of
the emperor. What is interesting about
Polycarp’s story is that at every turn there is close parallel with the passion
of Christ and how it unfolded. Manfully
facing torture and death for the sake of your Lord became the ultimate form of
worship and renouncing of this world.
Polycarp was burned at the stake on February 23, 155. This became a Christian holiday that was
surpassed only by Christmas in the centuries that followed. For his faithfulness and example, in the face
of losing everything, we consider Polycarp as a Father of the church.
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