Polycarp was a personal apostle of Jesus’ apostle John. In his last days, he was bishop of the church in Smyrna, a city cited in the book Revelation and which lies in present-day Turkey.
By then,Christian persecution had broken out there, and many believers were faced cruel deaths such as being fed to wild beasts in arenas.
Eventually, the Roman authorities searched for and found Polycarp. In the early church, believers were taught not to make themselves open for martyrdom, not seek it out, but if there was no choice when captured, it should not be avoided. This was where Polycarp stood.
After his hospitality of food and drink to his captors, he asked one more request: one hour to pray. His plea was granted, only his prayers went on for two hours. As the officials listened to Polycarp’s words, they wondered why they were arresting this old man of 86.
The Roman authorities also saw no sense in making him a martyr. So in the arena they told him to curse Christ, then they would release him.
Polycarp said he could not blaspheme “his king who has saved me.”
They bantered back and forth, the Romans threatening torturous deaths, yet hoping to find the precise words to release Polycarp and still remain true to their emperor. Polycarp held firm. In the end, the proconsul’s patience broke, and he gave the order for Polycarp to be burned. As the fire overtook Polycarp, the believers remarked that instead of a wretched smell, the air was filled with the scent of baked bread.
His remains were buried on February 22, 155 A.D. The early Christians celebrated that day in future years. They also compiled a long letter of Polycarp’s death and sent it to believers throughout the region to encourage them.
In the early church birthday celebrations meant they honored the dates their Christian brothers or sisters were born into the presence of God, the days they died. When celebrating a Christian’s death, the ancient believers also worshipped God, thanked Him for all they had or had had, mostly their birthday person. The people recalled the dead person’s testimony, such as Polycarp’s. They reenacted his testimony or read the letter they had sent to the other churches. From these celebrations, our forechristians drew strength and courage to face whatever lay in the future.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness