Polycarp Martyrdom

[JContinuum]

[font=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]Polycarp the disciple! who was a disciple of John who was a disciple of The Lord Jesus Christ!

This is beautiful !!!

Polycarp's martyrdom is historical reality. He died for one reason - his unyielding faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Yet Polycarp's well-recorded death is only one of many lives that were given to reveal and proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ. In light of the cruel and torturous deaths of the first and second generation Christians, all theories that Christianity is a fabricated myth, created for the personal gain of its followers, must be rejected. Even today, many will die for a belief, but [/font][font=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]none will die for a lie.[/font][font=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica] God allows the deaths of His saints not because He is a helpless or indifferent Lord, but because their deaths are powerful declarations of the free gift of life that is offered to us through the Person of Jesus Christ. If you have any doubts about the truth of Christ as revealed in the Bible, reexamine the biblical text in light of the willful deaths of nearly all of its writers, men who were eyewitnesses to Christ's life and ministry. Polycarp, like many other Christians to this day, was only able to die for Christ because he lived for Christ. His life was radically transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit -- the desires, worries, pains and fears of this world no longer bound him. Polycarp's life and death provides an inspirational example for all Christians. He gave his earthly life for Christ, and in the midst of his sacrifice, he gained eternal life.[/font]

 

[FreezBee]

[font=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]Yet Polycarp's well-recorded death is only one of many lives that were given to reveal and proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ.

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Not to be difficult, but if only can reveal and proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ by having yourself killed, I'd say there's not much life in that truth

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In light of the cruel and torturous deaths of the first and second generation Christians, all theories that Christianity is a fabricated myth, created for the personal gain of its followers, must be rejected.

The "cruel and torturous deaths of the first and second generation Christians" may be a bit exaggerated - can we truly believe that? How do we know that these "cruel and torturous" deaths weren't made up to lure people into becoming martyrs?

Even today, many will die for a belief, but

[/font][font=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]none will die for a lie.[/font][font=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]

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What if they don't know it's a lie? Some people die for Islam - do you consider Islam to be the Truth?

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God allows the deaths of His saints not because He is a helpless or indifferent Lord, but because their deaths are powerful declarations of the free gift of life that is offered to us through the Person of Jesus Christ.

A "free gift of life" that you only can prove by dying a "cruel and torturous death"?

If you have any doubts about the truth of Christ as revealed in the Bible, reexamine the biblical text in light of the willful deaths of nearly all of its writers, men who were eyewitnesses to Christ's life and ministry.

Well, a religion that requires you to hate the world should not require to be reexamined in the light of willfull deaths.

Polycarp, like many other Christians to this day, was only able to die for Christ because he lived for Christ. His life was radically transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit -- the desires, worries, pains and fears of this world no longer bound him.

Yes, he lived for Christ, he died for Christ - that's the way of a good bodyguard. But some of us have families to take care of, jobs to do, post on the CF to write, and so on. We can't just run around dying all of us, that wouldn't really be Christian, would it?

Polycarp's life and death provides an inspirational example for all Christians. He gave his earthly life for Christ, and in the midst of his sacrifice, he gained eternal life.

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And may you have a very merry Christmas and a good New Year

- FreezBee

 

[Akathist]

Having been brought to trial, St. Polycarp firmly confessed his faith in Christ, and was condemned to be burned alive. The executioners wanted to nail him to a post, but he declared that God would give him the strength to endure the flames, so they could merely tie him with ropes. The flames encircled the saint but did not touch him, coming together over his head in the shape of a vault. Seeing that the fire did him no harm, the pagans stabbed him with a dagger. So much blood flowed from this wound that it extinguished the flames. The body of the hieromartyr Polycarp was then cremated. The Christians of Smyrna reverently gathered up what remained of his holy relics, and each year they celebrated the day of his martyrdom.

A story has been preserved about St. Polycarp by his disciple, St. Irenaeus of Lyons, which Eusebius cites in his ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY (V, 20):

"I was still very young when I saw you in Asia Minor at Polycarp's," writes St. Irenaeus to his friend Florinus, "but I would still be able to point out the place where Blessed Polycarp sat and conversed, and be able to depict his walk, his mannerisms in life, his outward appearance, his speaking to people, his companionable wandering with John, and how he himself related, together with other eyewitnesses of the Lord, those things that he remembered from the words of others. He also told what he heard from them about the Lord, His teachings and miracles....

Through the mercy of God to me, I then already listened attentively to Polycarp and wrote down his words, not on tablets, but in the depths of my heart. Therefore, I am able to bear witness before God, that if this blessed and apostolic Elder heard something similar to your fallacy, he would immediately stop up his ears and express his indignation with his usual phrase: 'Good God! That Thou hast permitted me to be alive at such a time!'"

During his life the holy bishop wrote several Epistles to the flock and letters to various individuals. The only one that has survived to the present day is his Epistle to the Philippians which, St. Jerome testifies, was read in the churches of Asia Minor at divine services. It was written by the saint in response to the request of the Philippians to send them some letters of the hieromartyr Ignatius (December 20) which St. Polycarp had in his possession.

The composer H.I.F. Bibier (1644-1704) has written a Sonata "Scti Polycarpi" for eight trumpets in honor of the holy martyr.

http://oca.org/FSlives.asp (When you get to the site, type in Feb 23, and look for St. Polycarp there is more about his life there, I focused on a quote about his death.) I consider the lives and deaths of martyrs for the faith to be very inspirational. They gave up their lives for the Church, this inspires me to be more sacrificing in my life.... I may not be called to sacrifice my life for Christ, but I can give up the things that are bad for me for Christ in rememberance of those who made much more significant sacrifices.

 

[tommiegrant]

The death of Polycarp has down throught the centuries been a marvel to Christans worldwide. And this event was a vivid illustration of the faith of these early fathers of the church. But more than his death we should look at his life and the writtings that he left behind. In view of that I will close with this from the first chapter of Polycarp's letter to the Phillipians

Chapter I.—Praise of the Philippians.

I have greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, because ye have followed the example339 of true love [as displayed by God], and have accompanied, as became you, those who were bound in chains, the fitting ornaments of saints, and which are indeed the diadems of the true elect of God and our Lord; and because the strong root of your faith, spoken of in days340 long gone by, endureth even until now, and bringeth forth fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sins suffered even unto death, [but] “whom God raised from the dead, having loosed the bands of the grave.”341 “In whom, though now ye see Him not, ye believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory;”342 into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that “by grace ye are saved, not of works,”343 but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.



In Christ, Tom

 

[JContinuum]

Hello Freezbee!!! or is it Thomas?

There is a reason why you are skeptic and can not understand the spiritual side of the story. You have eyes but you do not see and you have ears but do not ear.


Some words from God to you!

1Corinthians 1:18[font=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]
I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God. [/font]

[font=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]
1Corinthians 2[/font][font=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]:13-16
When we tell you this, we do not use words of human wisdom. We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths.14 But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means. 15 We who have the Spirit understand these things, but others can't understand us at all. 16 How could they? [/font]


John 3:5-8
[font=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. 7 So don't be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. 8 Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit,

Hey FrezBez, I feel the Wind!!!, so sad you can not. When you are ready you will need this. Bookmark the site but click on the top picture first then the bottom picture.

h**p://users.eastlink.ca/~qcontinuum/

And a Merry Christmas to You
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Not to be difficult, but if only can reveal and proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ by having yourself killed, I'd say there's not much life in that truth

[font=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]

The "cruel and torturous deaths of the first and second generation Christians" may be a bit exaggerated - can we truly believe that? How do we know that these "cruel and torturous" deaths weren't made up to lure people into becoming martyrs?

[/font]

What if they don't know it's a lie? Some people die for Islam - do you consider Islam to be the Truth?

[font=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]

A "free gift of life" that you only can prove by dying a "cruel and torturous death"?



Well, a religion that requires you to hate the world should not require to be reexamined in the light of willfull deaths.



Yes, he lived for Christ, he died for Christ - that's the way of a good bodyguard. But some of us have families to take care of, jobs to do, post on the CF to write, and so on. We can't just run around dying all of us, that wouldn't really be Christian, would it?



And may you have a very merry Christmas and a good New Year

- FreezBee

 

[NewCatholic]

[font=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]Polycarp the disciple! who was a disciple of John who was a disciple of The Lord Jesus Christ!

This is beautiful !!!

Polycarp's martyrdom is historical reality. He died for one reason - his unyielding faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Yet Polycarp's well-recorded death is only one of many lives that were given to reveal and proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ. In light of the cruel and torturous deaths of the first and second generation Christians, all theories that Christianity is a fabricated myth, created for the personal gain of its followers, must be rejected. Even today, many will die for a belief, but [/font][font=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]none will die for a lie.[/font][font=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica] God allows the deaths of His saints not because He is a helpless or indifferent Lord, but because their deaths are powerful declarations of the free gift of life that is offered to us through the Person of Jesus Christ. If you have any doubts about the truth of Christ as revealed in the Bible, reexamine the biblical text in light of the willful deaths of nearly all of its writers, men who were eyewitnesses to Christ's life and ministry. Polycarp, like many other Christians to this day, was only able to die for Christ because he lived for Christ. His life was radically transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit -- the desires, worries, pains and fears of this world no longer bound him. Polycarp's life and death provides an inspirational example for all Christians. He gave his earthly life for Christ, and in the midst of his sacrifice, he gained eternal life.[/font]

Amen! Polycarp is indeed wonderful. I also like Ignatius of Antioch, a friend of Polycarp. He was born in 50 A.D., learned at the feet of the Apostles Peter and John. He was the first martyr to be fed to the lions in the Colleseum. He wrote some of the most inspirational letters of the early Church.

 

[arunma]

[FONT=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]Polycarp the disciple! who was a disciple of John who was a disciple of The Lord Jesus Christ!

This is beautiful !!!

Polycarp's martyrdom is historical reality. He died for one reason - his unyielding faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Yet Polycarp's well-recorded death is only one of many lives that were given to reveal and proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ. In light of the cruel and torturous deaths of the first and second generation Christians, all theories that Christianity is a fabricated myth, created for the personal gain of its followers, must be rejected. Even today, many will die for a belief, but [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]none will die for a lie.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica] God allows the deaths of His saints not because He is a helpless or indifferent Lord, but because their deaths are powerful declarations of the free gift of life that is offered to us through the Person of Jesus Christ. If you have any doubts about the truth of Christ as revealed in the Bible, reexamine the biblical text in light of the willful deaths of nearly all of its writers, men who were eyewitnesses to Christ's life and ministry. Polycarp, like many other Christians to this day, was only able to die for Christ because he lived for Christ. His life was radically transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit -- the desires, worries, pains and fears of this world no longer bound him. Polycarp's life and death provides an inspirational example for all Christians. He gave his earthly life for Christ, and in the midst of his sacrifice, he gained eternal life.[/FONT]

I've also read of Saint Polycarp's martyrdom. Indeed a most inspiring story!

 

[chrismon]

[/color][/size][/font][FONT=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]The "cruel and torturous deaths of the first and second generation Christians" may be a bit exaggerated - can we truly believe that? How do we know that these "cruel and torturous" deaths weren't made up to lure people into becoming martyrs?[/FONT]

This just makes no sense. Exaggerate the terrible nature of martyrdom to make it more attractive? What? The economy of your faith would have to be based upon self-flagellation for this to make sense... and ultimate self-flagellation at that!

 

[arunma]

This just makes no sense. Exaggerate the terrible nature of martyrdom to make it more attractive? What? The economy of your faith would have to be based upon self-flagellation for this to make sense... and ultimate self-flagellation at that!

It seems to me that it was written to honor Christian martyrs, as they should be. After all, God will greatly reward those who die for the sake of his Son's name.

 

[chrismon]

It seems to me that it was written to honor Christian martyrs, as they should be. After all, God will greatly reward those who die for the sake of his Son's name.

Its not the account of Polycarp's martyrdom I am question, but FreezBee's comments.

 

[arunma]

Its not the account of Polycarp's martyrdom I am question, but FreezBee's comments.

Oh, now I understand. Sorry.

 

[Danfrey]

It is amazing to read the stories of the many who died for the sake of Christ. If you get the opportunity, read some of the stories in the Martyr's Mirror. This book is a staple amongst many anabaptists. I can't help feel conviction when I read of those willing to die for the faith, when I have such a hard time living for it.

 

[Rdr Iakovos]

Not to be difficult, but if only can reveal and proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ by having yourself killed, I'd say there's not much life in that truth

[FONT=Arial, Verdana, Helvetica]

The "cruel and torturous deaths of the first and second generation Christians" may be a bit exaggerated - can we truly believe that? How do we know that these "cruel and torturous" deaths weren't made up to lure people into becoming martyrs?[/FONT]

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One might just as well say that the words of the gospel that direct believers to give up their lives to gain them are evidence that Jesus was beginning a Jim Jones Kool Aid cult.


But we see from the behavior of the early Christians, who developed medicine, hospitals, social services, that they embraced LIFE, not death. Clearly they understood Christ to be speaking primarily in the figurative sense, but applicable in the literal sense.


As I see it, you have suggested the possibility of a sociopathic motivation to the early Christians, a sort of thanotos/death wish.

This does not bear up under scrutiny. The early Church was not a suicide cult- they were a heavily persecuted minority who endured regional pogroms.

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What if they don't know it's a lie? Some people die for Islam - do you consider Islam to be the Truth?

I see no parallel between people who strap bombs on their bodies and destroy themselves and others, and those who simply refuse to acquiece to unrighteous authority.


In the stead of your faulty analogy between Christian martyrs and Muslim 'martyrs,' I might suggest a comparison between Christian martyrs and contemporary political dissidents killed for their beliefs and the expression thereof.

Many died in Gulags because they would not stop speaking out against political and religious oppression. Was this suicidal on their part? They knew they would die.

I might suggest a more careful distinction on your apart between those willing to be a sacrifice for a greater cause, and those simply desiring to die, or to make others do so

You have, in effect, compared the actions of the advocates of free expression, Christian and other, with the actions of murderous zealots.

This is not simply apples and oranges- you have transgressed the very memory of fallen heroes like Ghandi and Polycarp alike with this false analogy you have constructed.

A "free gift of life" that you only can prove by dying a "cruel and torturous death"?



Well, a religion that requires you to hate the world should not require to be reexamined in the light of willfull deaths.

Shall we, in this spirit of 'reexamination' exhume the bodies of military heroes who have willfully died by jumping on grenades and the like, and strip them of their medals, and pronounce them fools?

Context is everything. Polycarp was a leader whose charge it was to stand firm in the face of oppression. He fearlessly, as they say in our time, "spoke to power."

Yes, he lived for Christ, he died for Christ - that's the way of a good bodyguard. But some of us have families to take care of, jobs to do, post on the CF to write, and so on. We can't just run around dying all of us, that wouldn't really be Christian, would it?

The Church has always identified martyrdom as multi-faceted. For example, when we are married, we wear crowns, symbolizing our martyrdom, as we lay down our lives for each other- figuratively, or literally, should it be required.

The words of the Gospel are to be understood in both the context of writing and the context of living. When Paul said that he "die (s) daily" he was clearly speaking figuratively.

James