Polycarp

I just finished reading a mini-biography of Polycarp, who was the overseer of the church at Smyrna and was martyred for his faith in 155 A.D. Smyrna was a Greek colony city in what is now Turkey.

The most moving thing to me was as I was reading of his arrest, the proconsul , not wanting to have to kill Polycarp, begs him to recant his faith, to which Polycarp famously replies, “Eighty-six years I have served Him. He has never done me wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who has saved me?” He was then burned at the stake. In case you do not know it, Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John and, according to one website I visited, his writings are the earliest of the church fathers that we have. Isn’t that amazing?

Well, I just wanted to share this little tidbit with all of you…if you want to know more about him, read “Letter to the Philippians” and also “The Martyrdom of Polycarp.” This last one was written by the church at Smyrna and sent around as a circular letter to the regional churches.

God bless