Polycarp of Smyrna 69 - 155 AD

Polycarp 59-155. Public Domain image.

Polycarp was a disciple of John the Apostle and bishop of Smyrna. Some speculate that he was the “angel” mentioned by the Lord Jesus in Revelation: And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write;

These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. – Revelation 2:8-11

What a wonderful testimony of the church in Smyrna, and Polycarp was certainly a contributor to this. He was a Syrian and a faithful “elder” ministering not only to the church at Smyrna but to other churches as well.

He wrote a Letter to the Philippians, which shows him to be well acquainted with the words of Jesus, whom he quotes, as well as with John and Paul. One scholar thinks Polycarp gathered the books of the New Testament as we now have them.

He is important to us today as he was in his time, as a direct link to John and others who had seen Jesus and made sure His Gospel was followed faithfully. Already in John’s time enemies had crept into the church and were corrupting the doctrine: So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Revelation 2:15

Polycarp too hated false doctrine. One story in this regard is that when he met the Gnostic Marcion, he refused to greet him. Marcion challenged him, “Do you know who I am?” to which Polycarp calmly replied, “I know you; you are the first-born of Satan.”

He learned to hate false teaching from the Apostle John, who, when he saw the Gnostic Cerinthus, fled from the bathhouse in Ephesus crying, “Let us flee, lest the bath house fall down! For Cerinthus the enemy of truth is within.”

Of Polycarp, Iraneus says,

I can bear witness before God that if that blessed and apostolic elder had heard any such thing, he would have cried out, stopped his ears, and exclaimed as he was wont to do, "O good God, for what times have you reserved me, that I should endure these things?" Then he would have fled from the very spot where, sitting or standing, he had heard such words

I can even describe the place where the blessed Polycarp used to sit and converse … his general way of life and personal appearance, even the lectures he delivered to the people. I remember how he would speak of his familiar interchange with John and with the rest of those who had seen the Lord.

He would call their words to remembrance, anything he had heard from them concerning the Lord, both with regard to his miracles and his teaching. What Polycarp received from the eye-witnesses of the Word of life, he would recount in harmony with the Scriptures.

But in his 86th year, Polycarp was called up before the Roman proconsul and condemned to die. The Roman tried to show him how to avoid the punishment. When Polycarp refused, he threatened to throw him to the wild beast, even then loose in the arena, but Polycarp refused.

Then he threatened him with fire, to which the old man replied, “Since you keep wasting your time urging me on … and pretend not to know who and what I am, listen to me announce with boldness: "I am a Christian. If you want to learn what the doctrines of Christianity are, appoint me a day, and you shall hear them." By then the Roman was infuriated and ordered him burned.

His last words:  "Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong.  You threaten me with a fire that burns for a season, and after a little while is quenched; but you are ignorant of the fire of everlasting punishment that is prepared for the wicked." 

When tied to the stake, he said, “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."