Polycarp of Smyrna
Lessons from the life and death of Polycarp of Smyrna.
According to tradition, Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John in Ephesus. He would later be ordained as a minister of the Gospel and become bishop of Smyrna (modern day Turkey). Polycarp wasn’t just active in Smyrna; he also wrote letters to other churches to exhort and encourage them, such as his Epistle (letter) to the Philippians. However, Polycarp is best known for his martyrdom.
He was martyred, or killed for his faith, during a local persecution around 155-160AD. At the time of his death, Polycarp was either 86 years old or had been a Christian for 86 years. This account gives us a great insight into the persecution of Christians in the early church. It also gives us a great example of the response of a man who has been shaped by decades of walking with God. An elderly man who even offers his persecutors hospitality and tells them of Jesus on the way to his death.
There are (at least) 4 things we can learn from this account:
1. Know the difference between persecution and inconvenience
Polycarp’s martyrdom reminds us of what persecution is and exposes some claims of persecution in the West to be little more than a temporary, circumstantial inconvenience. The many physical and spiritual comforts we enjoy in the Western world can unfortunately negatively shape our views of persecution. Without meaning to we can make out like the smallest convenience or discomfort is on a par with being a Christian in China or Iran, crying out ‘woe is me!’, while our brothers and sisters die for their faith.
Knowing the difference between persecution and inconvenience will help us to empathise and pray more earnestly for those enduring real persecution and not overreact to sensationalised news stories (yes, Christians do this too). Persecution is when Christians are targeted for being Christians. Not when Christians end up feeling the impact of something that they aren’t the specific target of.
2. Don’t unnecessarily invite opposition and hostility
Early in this account (chapter 4) we read “by the way, when Quintus the Phrygian handed himself over for martyrdom with the others, the Proconsul persuaded them to take the oath and sacrifice. This is why we do not approve of voluntary martyrdom, something the Gospel does not teach us to do.”
We sometimes talk about people having a ‘death wish'. Here we see the folly of Quintus and his friends as they have a literal death wish. Quintus planned to go to his death but instead ended up denying Jesus. This planned voluntary martyrdom no doubt caused others to follow and put both their body and soul in great peril. They followed a course that was totally contrary to that of our Lord and his Apostles (Matthew 10:23; Acts 14:5-7). In contrast Polycarp listened to the counsel of friends and left the city (chapter 5) and we see later in the account how he interacted with those persecuting him.
It is unlikely that this is the sort of choice that any of us will face. Yet, it is possible for us to unnecessarily invite opposition and temptation. We have all likely witnessed Christians looking for opposition and persecution. They thrive on the attention. It’s a twisted understanding of “Blessed are those who are persecuted...”(Matthew 5:10-12). It’s that tweet or Facebook comment that didn’t need to be made. It’s taking a stand on the right issue but in the wrong way. We need to be aware of the influence we have over others, especially those who are younger and impressionable. Folly should not be mistaken for faithfulness.
3. Choose the right hills to die on
There were many moral evils in Polycarp’s day – slavery, abortion and child prostitution, to name just a few. Though he obviously opposed these evils, it is not what Polycarp is remembered for, nor is it what he died for. He was martyred because he refused to recant his faith in Jesus Christ and offer a sacrifice to the Emperor. Polycarp didn’t protest his arrest and claim it was unfair. He knew the consequences of having faith in Jesus Christ, in a world hostile to Him and he accepted them with great courage. Polycarp took the words of James 1:2 deep into his heart – “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds...”
We are all tempted to a greater or lesser degree to choose the wrong hills to die. Much wisdom is needed, as we could conceivably take a stand on every single thing that is against God and his word. If we have to die on a hill, it is our duty before God to do so carefully and after much prayer. If persecuted, we honour those who persecute us. If we have to break the law of the land in order to keep God’s law, then we must accept the civil penalty for doing so, without complaint. We count the cost of following Jesus Christ worth any penalty, even death.
4. Love, pray for and bless those who persecute you
Polycarp took his duty to never deny Jesus very seriously. Not denying Jesus includes loving, praying for and blessing those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:14). Polycarp’s faithful stand did not give him license to treat his persecutors with contempt or oppose them with violence. In the face of death Polycarp offered his persecutors food and drink and spoke to them like he would have spoken to a friend or neighbour. Our duty to love our neighbour is not suspended in times of opposition and persecution.
Want to read more about Polycarp? Check out the links below …
