I offer you the story of POLYCARP, the bishop of Smyrna who, in his old age, was betrayed and condemned to death. He refused to deny his faith in Jesus, choosing the flames of a Roman fire rather than the flames of hell. Jesus had given all for Polycarp…now Polycarp surrendered all for Jesus.

We may not be called to give our lives to the executioner as many in the world are doing now, but Jesus calls us to take up our cross daily and follow Him. Our cross, our will for His, so that He might live His life through us to His glory, is the daily choice we must make. Polycarp chose physical death for eternal life. We are called to choose death to the old life that we might live new lives of trust and obedience to the one who loved us and gave Himself for us.

THE BISHOP OF SMYRNA

“Polycarp was killed between 155 and 168 CE. According to The Martyrdom of Polycarp, he was betrayed by members of his own household, captured, and taken to the Colosseum, where the local proconsul attempted to coax him into offering sacrifices to Caesar.

So the proconsul said to Polycarp, ‘Take the oath. I will let you go. Just revile Christ.’ Polycarp answered, ‘For eighty and six years I have been his servant, and he has done me no wrong. And how can I now blaspheme my king who saved me?’”

The proconsul proceeded to threaten the elderly man with lions and fire. In response to these torments, Polycarp replied.

“You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour at most; you must not know about the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. Why are you wasting time? Kill me in whatever way you see fit.”

Realizing he could not be persuaded, the proconsul sentenced Polycarp to death by fire. The soldiers tied him to a stake and covered him in oil. But, just before the executioner ignited his funeral pyre, Polycarp uttered his last words as a prayer, praising God.

POLYCARP’S LAST WORDS

“O Lord God Almighty, the Father of Your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the knowledge of You, the God of angels and powers, and of every creature, and of the whole race of the righteous who live before you, I give thanks that You have counted me worthy of this day and this hour, that I should have a part in the number of Thy martyrs, in the cup of thy Christ, to the resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and body, through the incorruption imparted by the Holy Ghost. Among whom may I be accepted this day before You as a fat and acceptable sacrifice, just as You, the ever-truthful God, hast fore-ordained, by revealing it beforehand to me, and now fulfilling. Because of this I also praise You for all things, I bless You, I glorify Thee, along with the everlasting and heavenly Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, with whom, to You, and the Holy Ghost, be glory both now and to all coming ages. Amen.”

THE DEATH OF POLYCARP

As soon as these words escaped his lips, the executioner lit the fuel beneath his feet. However, according to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, the flames did not consume him. Instead, they surrounded his body and carefully protected him like the walls of a city. However, the guards were determined to kill him; and so one was commanded to stab him with a knife, bringing an end to his long life.

Polycarp’s final words are a great example of what it means to live your life in view of eternity and under the sovereignty of God. You see, his martyrdom was not accidental or unexpected; days before he was captured, God sent him a dream foretelling the time and manner of the death he would face.

I don’t know about you, but if God told me my time was almost up, my reaction would be more like Hezekiah, who became depressed and prayed for more time.

“In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

“Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.”
Isaiah 38:1-3

Yet, with his final words, Polycarp praised the God who did not save him from the executioner’s blade. This kind of response is only possible when you have embraced the reality that we are only strangers in this world and the truth that our lives are the property of our God.”

Sources
Biography of Polycarp
The Martyrdom of Polycarp: earlychristianwritings.com
“Proconsul”: Definition by Britannica
Post published:October 5, 2022
Post category:Christianity / Education / M / P

Some of Polycarp’s last words include:
“Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong”
“How then can I blaspheme my King and Savior?”
“I bless you, Father, for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ”
“Away with the atheists!”
“Leave me the way I am”
“I stood inside the fire like bread that is being baked, or as gold and silver being refined in a furnace”