Polycarp

Polycarp said, 86 years I have served Him, and He never did me any wrong. How can I now blaspheme my King who saved me?

And so He died. There in the arena, 86 years being faithful to Christ, and He died because He said to the world and to His enemies, I am a Christian. Throughout church history, as Christians have faced persecution, in particular to the point of martyrdom, the church has not waned, but instead the church has actually flourished. Hi, I'm Nathan W. Bingham, and thank you for joining us today for Renewing Your Mind. As we feature some favorite messages from R.C. Sproul this week on Renewing Your Mind, today we'll hear the moving story of Polycarp's martyrdom, perhaps the most famous martyr of the second century. Well, may the death of Polycarp encourage you, as it did me, to continue to stand firm for Christ.

Here's Dr. Sproul. A few years ago I had the opportunity to lecture to some faculty members and members of the administration at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and at that time SMU was on probation because of violations of the NCAA in their football program, and there was a discouraged atmosphere looming over the university because of it. But before I gave my address there, I mentioned to the faculty and to the dean that I had great affection in my heart for SMU because my childhood hero was the great Doak Walker, a triple threat football player, won the Heisman Trophy from SMU back in the 40s.

Well, after I completed that visit to the campus of SMU and had returned back to Orlando, a couple of weeks later I received a package in the mail, and it was an autographed picture of Doak Walker, and I was so excited. And it just provoked so many memories from my childhood and as a child how prone I was to having heroes. And I think we all have heroes or heroines, role models, people that we look up to, that we want to emulate in one way or another. We also remember that when we did some studies in the book of Hebrews that we saw in the 11th chapter of Hebrews an appeal by the author of Hebrews to remember that we are surrounded by a whole cloud of witnesses, and he then gave the roll call of the heroes of the Scriptures, particularly the Old Testament, by faith Abraham, by faith Jacob, and so on. And I've often wondered why it is that in the Christian community so often our heroes are those who perform exploits in the world of entertainment or in the world of sports, but we don't look to the history of heroes and heroines that have been given to us in the church, not only the biblical personages whom we are called to emulate, but also from the pages of church history. It has been said that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church, and from the earliest times we have seen Christian men and women who have been heroic in the keeping of the faith. And I'm afraid that in our day we have lost our sense of history, and we don't recall these titans of faith who have gone before us, whose blood has drenched the earth and who are examples for those of us today to keep the faith. And so what we're going to do in the days to come is to have brief cameo profiles of some of the great saints of the ages.

And today we're going to start this series by looking at a figure who died in the middle of the second century, and perhaps some of you have never heard his name, but he stands out in this period as a model for his contemporaries and as a model for the church of all time. I'm referring, of course, to the man who became the bishop of Smyrna, whose name was Polycarp, P-O-L-Y-C-A-R-P. I'm going to ask the studio audience how many of you are familiar with this man Polycarp.

Please raise your hand. Just about half of our audience has at least heard of Polycarp. The others are not familiar with him, but we pray that will not be the case after today. One of the things that I find interesting about Polycarp is that tradition tells us that he was linked to some other very important people in the early years of the Christian church. Later on, we hear the great writings of Irenaeus, who was one of the most important theologians of the second century, an apologist whose work against the Gnostics earned him a place in church history as one of the most brilliant defenders of the faith of that century. And as an old man, we read Irenaeus reminiscing over his childhood and speaks of how that when he was a boy and a young man, he studied under the venerable Polycarp.

And to the day he died, Irenaeus stood in awe at this giant who had gone before him. Also, Polycarp had been friends earlier in his life with Saint Ignatius. But Polycarp would reminisce as an old man of the experience he had, according to tradition, when he was a little boy of about five years old, when he was in Ephesus, and he met the Apostle John. And so when I read these church fathers, I'm absorbed by the interesting links in terms of personal relationships. We think of Irenaeus, who knew Polycarp, and Polycarp, who knew Ignatius and who knew the Apostle John, who knew Jesus.

And see, we see that succession of following generations that go back to the first-hand testimony of Christ himself. But Polycarp, as the Bishop of Smyrna, was known and beloved throughout the Christian community there because he was known for his piety, for his devotion, for his simple teaching, but most of all for his pastoral care and for compassion. Ignatius had appealed to him when Ignatius had a problem of scandal that broke out in his church when one of the elders of the church embezzled funds. And he wasn't sure how to handle this problem, and the wise Polycarp intervened. They disciplined the man, but with great mercy and gentleness, and the man, of course, then returned to the fold. But the thing, of course, for which Polycarp is most famous is not his life, but his death. His is perhaps the most famous martyrdom of the second century. And I'd like to direct attention to some documents that I brought with me, one of which is a letter that was sent from the church of Smyrna to the church of Philomelium in which the record of Polycarp's martyrdom was recounted. In the beginning of this letter, we read these words, "'Blessed and noble indeed are all the martyrdoms that have taken place according to God's will.

For we ought to be very reverent in ascribing to God power over all things. For who would not admire their nobility and patient endurance and love of their master? Some of them so torn by scourging that the anatomy of their flesh was visible as far as the inner veins and arteries. Endured were such patients that even the bystanders took pity and wept. Others achieved such heroism that not one of them uttered a cry or a groan, thus showing all of us that at the very hour of their tortures the most noble martyrs of Christ were no longer in the flesh, but rather that the Lord stood by them and conversed with them. Similarly, those condemned to the wild beast endured fearful punishments, being made to lie on sharp shelves and punished with other forms of various torments in order that the devil might bring them, if possible, by means of the prolonged punishment to a denial of their faith.'" Now, this is just a glimpse of the horrors that were inflicted upon the early church in this day. By the middle of the second century, where we fix to the best of our ability the date of Polycarp's martyrdom in the year 155 or 156, the Romans had ceased using the wild beasts as the means of killing Christians, bringing them to fight in the arena or to fight against the gladiators as part of the public entertainment policy and the amusement of the day in the Circus Maximus and so on, and now resorted to burning these people alive. And as we will see, I hope later, in Justin Martyr's Apologia, his apology written to the emperor at a time near the time of the martyrdom of Polycarp, that all it took for a person to be sentenced to death was to be confirmed that they were a Christian.

They could be guilty of no other crime against the state, but if it could be shown that they were a Christian and they would not take the loyalty oath to the emperor cult of Rome, that was sufficient for them to get the death sentence. Now, some strange things emerged in the Christian community. One heretical group called the Montanus, after the name of their leader, Montanus, who claimed to be the incarnation of the Holy Ghost and who led his disciples off into all kinds of wild and fanciful heresies, advocated voluntary martyrdom, where he encouraged people to step forth and seek martyrdom. But the teaching of Polycarp and others was no, we ought never to deny our Lord under pressure, but there's no particular virtue in going out of the way to seek martyrdom. Those who sought martyrdom were already lost in a concept of works righteousness, where they believed that if they were able to secure their martyrdom, they would get a greater reward in heaven, and so they pursued it.

But the rank-and-file Christian community took a more wise and sober view of it. Well, let's look then at the circumstances of the martyrdom of Polycarp. We read in this letter from the church at Smyrna, many indeed were the machinations of the devil against them, but thanks be to God, he did not prevail against them all.

For the most noble Germanicus encouraged their timidity through his own patient endurance, who also fought with the beast in a distinguished way. For when the proconsul wishing to persuade him, bade him have pity on his youth, he forcibly dragged the wild beast toward himself, wishing to obtain more quickly a release from their wicked and lawless life. And from this circumstance all the crowd, marveling at the heroism of the God-loving and God-fearing race of the Christians shouted, away with the atheists, make search for Polycarp.

And so the pagan crowds who considered Christians to be atheists because they didn't believe in the gods and goddesses of the Roman Empire, screamed for the blood of Polycarp. And so a search party was sent out to arrest Polycarp, and he had withdrawn to a farm not far from the city and was staying with friends and remaining daily in prayer for all men and for the churches. And we read in the record that while he was praying, it so happened that three days before his arrest that he had a vision and saw his own pillow blazing with fire and turned to them who were with him, he said, I must be burned alive.

And so the search continued. And one of the ironies of this history is, first of all, that Polycarp was betrayed from a member of his own household who told the authorities where he was being hidden. And one of the police, indeed the head of the police, the chief of police, who came to arrest him's name was Herod.

That's one of those strange quirks of church history. And we read then in this letter, taking therefore the young slave on Friday about suppertime, the police mounted and with their customary arms set out as though hasting after a robber, and late in the evening they came up with him and found him in bed in the upper room of a small cottage. Even so, he could have escaped to another farm, but he did not wish to do so, saying, God's will be done. And when he heard of their arrival, he went downstairs and talked with them, while those who looked on marveled at his age and constancy and how there should be such zeal over the arrest of so old a man. And straightway he ordered food and drink as much as they wished to be set before them at that hour and asked them to give him one hour so that he might pray undisturbed. And when they agreed, he stood and prayed, being so filled with the grace of God, that for two hours he could not hold his peace to the amazement of those who heard. And many repented when they had come to get such a devout old man. And finally then, they brought him by donkey into the city on the next day, and there the chief of police and his father met him and transferred him to their carriage, and they tried to persuade him as they sat behind him, saying, what harm is there to say, Kaiser kyrios, Caesar is Lord, and to offer incense and all that sort of thing and to save yourself. Now at first he didn't answer them, but when they persisted he said, I'm not going to do what you advise me. And then when they failed to persuade him, they uttered dire threats and made him get out with such speed that in dismounting from the carriage he bruised his shin. But without turning around as though nothing had happened, he proceeded swiftly and was led into the arena, there being such a tumult in the arena that no one could be heard. But as Polycarp was entering the arena, a voice from heaven came to him, saying, be strong, Polycarp, and play the man.

No one saw the one speaking, but those of our people who were present heard the voice. Now that's an interesting footnote to the account of his martyrdom, particularly in light of later church history when in the 16th century during the Reformation, two great leaders of the Reformed Church of England were executed by being burned at the stake on the street of downtown Oxford. Latimer and Ridley became heroes of the British Reformation when they were burned at the stake. And I never can remember who said to whom while they were being tied to the stake, but one of them said to the other, and I believe it was Latimer who said to Ridley, Mr. Ridley, play the man.

And they did. And that was a calling back to this heavenly voice that had spoken to Polycarp, saying, be strong, Polycarp, and play the man. And finally when he was brought up, there was a great tumult on hearing that Polycarp had been arrested, and therefore when he was brought before him, the proconsul asked him if he were Polycarp, and when he confessed that he was, he tried to persuade him to deny the faith, saying, have respect to your age. And other things that customarily follow this, such as swear by the fortune of Caesar, change your mind, say, away with the atheists, meaning away with the Christians. But the proconsul was insistent and said, take the oath and I shall release you.

Curse Christ. That was the command, curse Christ. And here was the response of Polycarp.

Polycarp said, 86 years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I now blaspheme my king who saved me? And upon his persisting still and saying, swear by the fortune of Caesar, he answered, if you vainly suppose that I shall swear by the fortune of Caesar, as you say, and pretend that you do not know who I am, listen plainly, I am a Christian. And if you desire to learn the teaching of Christianity, then appoint a day and grant me a hearing. The proconsul said, try to persuade the people, but Polycarp said, you I should deem worthy of an account, for we have been taught to render honor as is befitting to rulers and authorities appointed by God, so far as it does us no harm. But as for these, I do not consider them worthy that I should make defense to them. And the proconsul said, I have wild beasts.

I'll throw you to them if you do not change your mind. And Polycarp answered, call them, for repentance from the better to the worst is not permitted us, but it is noble to change from what is evil to what is righteous. And again the proconsul said, I will have you consumed with fire if you despise the wild beasts, unless you change your mind. But Polycarp said, the fire you threaten burns but an hour and is quenched after a little, for you do not know the fire of the coming judgment and the everlasting punishment that is laid up for the impious.

But why do you delay? Come, do what you will. And so the crowds screamed. They were told to let loose a lion on Polycarp, but that practice had been ceased. And so they took Polycarp, and they were about to nail him to the stake to be burned. And he said, leave me as I am, for he who grants me to endure the fire will enable me also to remain on the pyre unmoved without the security you desire from the nails.

And so they did not nail him. They tied him up. And we read from those who give the account that when he prayed and finished his prayer, the fire was lighted. And when the flame flashed forth we saw a miracle, they said, we to whom it was given to see. And we were preserved in order to relate to the rest what happened, for the fire made the shape of a vaulted chamber like a ship's sail filled by the wind and made a wall around the body of the martyr. And he was in the midst not as burning flesh but as bread baking or as gold and silver refined in the furnace.

And we perceived such a sweet aroma as the breath of incense or some other precious spice. And finally, when the lawless men saw that his body could not be consumed by the fire, they commanded an executioner to go to him and stab him with a dagger. And so he died there in the arena, 86 years being faithful to Christ. And he died because he said to the world and to his enemies, I am a Christian. We have looked briefly at the historical incident of the martyrdom of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna. When he was tied to the tree to be executed, he prayed this prayer, Lord God Almighty, Father of Thy beloved and blessed servant Jesus Christ, I bless Thee because You have deemed me worthy of this day and hour to take my part in the number of the martyrs, in the cup of Thy Christ, for resurrection to eternal life of soul and body in the immortality of the Holy Spirit, among whom may I be received in Thy presence this day as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, just as Thou has prepared and revealed beforehand and fulfilled that Thou art the true God without any falsehood. For this and for everything I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee through the eternal and heavenly high priest Jesus Christ, Thy beloved servant, through whom be glory to Thee with Him and the Holy Spirit, both now and unto the ages to come. Amen." In his dying breath, Polycarp prayed a prayer of thanksgiving that he was considered worthy for this task and a prayer of praise and honor, not to himself, but to the one for whom he was bearing witness, the Greek word for witness being martyria, from which we get the word martyr.

That was R.C. Sproul taking us back to the second century and the martyrdom of Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna. You're listening to Renewing Your Mind this Wednesday, and I'm glad you're with us. Today's message from R.C. Sproul was on church history, but throughout his many decades of teaching at Ligonier Ministries, he also taught on theology, worldview and culture, the Bible, and how to live as a Christian. We've gone back through the archives, and we have compiled 50 of the most beloved messages from Dr. Sproul onto one limited-edition USB drive. And this drive, along with all 50 messages, can be yours for your donation of any amount. And you can give your gift today by visiting renewingyourmind.org or by calling us at 800-435-4343. So request your copy of this special USB drive today, a wonderful resource to introduce people that you know to the teaching of Dr. Sproul, as these 50 messages cover so many topics helpful for the growing Christian. You can request your copy today by visiting renewingyourmind.org. In your pursuit of holiness, have you ever been called a legalist? Was their criticism fair? Tomorrow, R.C. Sproul will carefully explain what legalism is and how to avoid it, here on Renewing Your Mind.