Polycarp's Key Writings and Contributions - Research Paper Example

Polycarp Table of Contents I. Introduction 3 II. Life 4 III. Theology, Key Writings of and on St. Polycarp 5 A. St. Ignatius Epistles 5 B. Polycarps Epistle to the Philippians 6 C. References to Polycarp in Various St. Irenaeus Texts 8 D. Letter from the Church in Smyrna, Detailing Polycarps Martyrdom 9 IV. Integration 11 References 13 I. Introduction This paper argues that Polycarp made a strong contribution to Christianity, by helping to forge the strong theological foundations for a Christian faith centered on an apostleship that mimics the life of Christ and surrenders to the will of God in the way that Jesus Christ did, and through a strengthening of the theological underpinnings of the faith of the early Christian church. This paper goes through the discussion in the context of Polycarps key writings and contributions, his life story, educational and family background, church legacy, theological foundations, key influences, and the fundamental problems and challenges that he raised in his works. The Catholic literature identifies the fundamental texts from which information about the life and works of Polycarp are to be found, and they are the following: St. Ignatius epistles; the Epistle to the Philippians by Polycarp; details of Polycarps martyrdom, as detailed in the Letter to the Smyrnaeans; and various St. Irenaeus text passages. It is noteworthy that the original letters to the seven Asian churches includes Smyrna, in Turkey, as one of those original churches, rooting Polycarp and his church in the center of that movement in history to Revelations, indicating the degree to which Polycarp and his church was persecuted by the political and religious establishment of the time (Knight 2009; Kiefer 2014). The text The Martyrdom of Polycarp in particular narrates of the suffering and death of Polycarp in defense of the faith. He was put on the stake and there burned, and finally stabbed to death. He died at age 86, in 156 AD, and was stabbed to death when the fire at the stake failed to kill him. This is the first fully documented account of a martyrdom in the early church. Polycarp is also noteworthy for being a direct disciple of one of the original disciples of Jesus, in John the Apostle, and it was from John that Polycarp was granted the authority to head the Christian church in Smyrna, where he was given the title of bishop. It was St. Jerome who narrated this. These latter details were put on record by Tertulian, as well as by Irenaeus. The extent of his influence is reflected in the way Polycarp has come to be considered a saint not just within the Catholic church, but also in the various Orthodox churches, among the Lutheran congregations, and among Anglicans (Knight 2009; Catholic Online 2013; Franciscan Media Copyright 2012). II. Life One gets a sense of the importance of Polycarps life and times in the way he had been a faithful first-hand witness to the person and words of one of the original followers of Christ, in John the Apostle, and of being a key disciple of John from an early age. Then too, one can imagine the kind of life that he lived, surrounded by those who were in the company of John too, other witnesses of the life and times of Jesus Christ himself. His later associations with some key figures in the early Christian church, notably St. Ignatius, and the influential Christians who chronicled aspects of his life and works, such as Irenaeus, attest further to the unique times and perspectives of Polycarp with regard to his Christian faith and the formation of his Christian theological thinking and beliefs. It was a mind that was steeped in this rich Christian environment, and that proved in the end to be faithful not just intellectually but also spiritually to the life and message of Jesus Christ. He was a Christian from his earliest formative years, and though he died a martyr at an advanced age, the intervening years were fruitful for the man who had been bishop of one of the original Asian churches and the first documented martyr of the Christian church (Knight 2009; Catholic Online 2013; Christianity Today 2008; Lightfoot 2000; Christian History Institute 2014). III. Theology, Key Writings of and on St. Polycarp A. St. Ignatius Epistles The epistles of St. Ignatius are traced in their composition to Smyrna itself, in four of them the authorship is traced to the place. This implies too, from the seventh epistle for instance, that there was close proximity between St. Ignatius and Polycarp, even as there is no concrete evidence from the passages of the epistles that the two saints actually met in person. In his epistles to the Ephesians and again in his epistles to the Magnesians, Ignatius makes direct mention of Polycarp (Knight 2009). The book that actually details the seven epistles further note that two of the letters that were included from the seven by Ignatius actually were addressed to the church at Smyrna, with one of those actually addressed to Polycarp himself. There are conjectures and speculations that all of the seven letters were actually in the possession of Polycarp at one point, intimating a degree of intellectual and spiritual closeness and a direct interchange of thoughts and writings at least from Ignatius going to Polycarp. Moreover, dating and timing the letters indicate that the epistles were written during the time when Polycarp was relatively young, in his forties, judging from the way Ignatius seemed to be writing to a man younger than himself, and from the dating of Polycarps death in 156, when Polycarp was 86 years old. From the letters of Ignatius we are able to catch a glimpse too of the hospitality of the saint to the thoughts, writings and person of Ignatius, reflecting in some measure some congruence of mind between Ignatius and Polycarp, or at least a cross-pollination of the theological thoughts and person between Polycarp, who was then younger and in the midpoint of his life, and Ignatius (Srawley 1910, 14-15, 21-23). It is as a receiver of advice that Polycarp appears in the writings of Ignatius, as when for instance Ignatius writes to Polycarp of the nature of the person-hood of the bishop of the church of Smyrna as a representative of Jesus Christ in flesh and blood, mimicking the role of Jesus Christ as the head of the entire Christian church and the flesh and body embodiment of the whole church. Jesus is the embodiment of the global church, while Polycarp, according to Ignatius, was the embodiment or the head of the specific church of Smyrna (Srrawley 1910, 34). B. Polycarps Epistle to the Philippians The Philippians had sent a letter to Polycarp asking for some words of guidance and exhortation, and also to ask the bishop for some letters and words from St. Ignatius, which apparently he had in his possession. The presence of the two letters one from Ignatius, and this letter from Polycarp, are said to be mutually validating pieces of text that reinforce the existence of each other, especially from the perspective of historical authenticity and the way the two letters are timed in such a way that they corroborate each other in historical timing. The details of the letters, the timing, and the timing and circumstances surrounding the letters jive. The thinking too is that in these epistle Polycarps thoughts and theology relating to the historicity of Jesus life and to the actuality of the message of that death and resurrection as being central to the Christian faith. One denies this and parties that do deny this, and altogether denies Jesus Christ and his message of salvation (Knight 2009). Polycarp, in this letter, exhorts the Philippians to follow the route of virtue, among other things, and to shun the love of money, and all manner of evil deeds. He also has prescriptions for the Philippians with regard to how widows are to conduct themselves in virtue, how the presbyters and other members of the church are to go about fulfilling their duties and obligations, the power of prayer and the fast, the importance of perseverance powered by hope, the importance of patience, the importance of not letting hatred take root in ones being, and instructions on how to transmit the messages from him and from Ignatius. There is in all of the exhortations in this letter a constant reference to biblical scripture, in the messages of Paul the Apostle, and some references to Ignatius and his words. The overall import of the letter from one point of view is one of a strict adherence to the teachings of the apostles and the early church, the exhortation to follow the will of God and to discipline oneself for the work that is allotted to everyone in the church, and theological explanations of various aspects of the Christian doctrine as they relate to Christian duties and the meaning and practice of virtue in Jesus Christ. Virtue is shunning what is wrong and evil and following the will of God through Jesus Christ. It is being true to the message of the life of Christ and the words and acts of the apostles. It is being mindful of the true theological interpretation of grace, and the spiritual gifts of hope in the midst of ones persevering to be in the Christian church and the follow the way of life laid out by Jesus Christ himself (Polycarp n.d. ). C. References to Polycarp in Various St. Irenaeus Texts St. Irenaeus undertook to write some recollections of the person and thoughts of Polycarp in various contexts, as in his writing to correct what he saw as the theological lapses of Florinus for instance, and in Irenaeus letter to Pope Victor. Other instances include his writings relating to Papias, and his writings relating to the Roman Church and an aspect of an appeal that was won. In the letter to Florinus, for instance, Irenaeus makes mention of his personal contact with Polycarp in Asia, when Irenaeus and Florinus were much younger. He described Polycarps person, and his personal testimonies of his associations with John the Apostle and others who had been eyewitnesses to Jesus life and teachings. Extrapolating from that first-person account of the words and person of Polycarp, Irenaeus then went on to say how Florinus thoughts at that time would have merited a strong reaction of disapproval from Polycarp. This was to correct the heretical thoughts that had crept into the mind of Florinus at the time that Irenaeus wrote him that letter (Knight 2009; Irenaeus n.d.). Meanwhile, in Irenaeus letter to Pope Victor, who had excommunicated a group of Christians in Asia who deviated from the official observance of the Easter day, Irenaeus recollected the manner of dealings between Polycarp and a prior pope, Pope Anicetus, which was marked essentially by a moderate tone, in contrast to the drastic and severe connotations of excommunication that the Pope Victor had employed to essentially coerce the Christian faithful to abide by the official word of the papacy. This was in the context too, of how Polycarp demonstrated moderation, and garnered the respect of the pope, in mattes of practice and over some specific details of Christian practices, knowing that after all underneath there is a desire to sincerely follow the example of Christ and to further the cause of the Christian faith (Knight 2009; EWTN 2014; Irenaeus n.d.). D. Letter from the Church in Smyrna, Detailing Polycarps Martyrdom The texts tell us of a letter from the Smyrnaean church to the church at Philomelium, and to effectively the entire Christian church as a kind of universal broadcast of what had happened to the saint. That narrative describes the way some early martyrs were left to die by some beasts ,and how the crowds wanted to go after Polycarp the atheist himself, with atheist being a reference to Polycarp being a non-follower of the mainstream or official religion of the time. Polycarp was said to have been spirited away into a safe house, but after days of prayer came to an intimation of his death via burning. He was pursued by Herod, and had opportunities to escape, but he surrendered himself instead to Gods will and to his fate, and therefore to his pursuers. He had opportunities to renounce his faith, but chose instead to meet his fate as a martyr, and refused entreaties to do so. He was burned alive because it was not possible to feed him to the beasts, as had happened to the others. His death by stabbing is recalled, and then his body was subjected to burning. His words at this time were about being true to his god and king, and being strong and true to his faith, even at the risk of death. There are references in the text to the awe that Polycarp aroused in those who saw him meet his fate of death, on his arrest, as if rushing headlong into it as one embraces something that is given. He did not resist, nor did he display any change in his state into agitation, or any such outward signs of distress. The discussions with the authorities and his refusal to renounce his faith constitute the key part of the letter, from the vantage point of the theological message of Polycarp. Another key message here too, is not that martyrdom was something to be desired in itself, but that the main thing is to follow the will of god and to be steadfast in ones witnessing of Jesus Christ, because as the text says there is no comparison between the fleeting moment of ones persecution and execution on this earth on the one hand and the promise of eternity and life with Jesus that is the reward of the witness who is faithful to the church (Knight 2009; Lightfoot 2000). IV. Integration St Polycarp advanced the cause of the early church by being a witness and an inspiration for the rest of the early Christians, being a disciple of one of the chosen disciples of Jesus Christ and being a leader of one of the seven churches of Asia that are referenced in the holy scriptures. That witnessing is to be proven true to the end, by an extreme example, where martyrdom was something that he did not actively seek, but once presented to him in prayer as his fate, was something that he embraced with great faith and with equanimity and prayer. Throughout his life too, as a witness and an expounder of a theology of Christianity that was in line with the thoughts and spirit of John and of Jesus Christ himself, Polycarp was instrumental in the example of his life and words in shaping the thoughts of later Christians who came in his wake, in dispelling erroneous doctrines and heresies, and in providing examples on Christian conduct in the midst of disagreements over religious practices, as documented by Irenaeus. In his letter to the Philippians too, we have a direct channel to his original thoughts and theology, and there we find exhortations that are theologically rigorous and which make frequent reference to the scriptures and to the life and words of John and Jesus Christ. By being what he was, and by his words and actions, he served as a guiding light for later Christians in the interpretation of the gospels and in providing an example of the way to live ones life as a Christian and as a follower of Jesus Christ, to death, and in faith (Knight 2009; Catholic Online 2013; Christianity Today 2008; Lightfoot 2000). References Catholic Online. “St. Polycarp”. Catholic.org. Accessed 18 April 2014 http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=99 Christian History Institute. “#103: Polycarps Martyrdom”. ChristianHistoryInstitute.org. Accessed 18 April 2014. https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/study/module/polycarp/ Christianity Today. “Polycarp”. ChristianityToday.com. Accessed 18 April 2014. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/martyrs/polycarp.html EWTN. 2014. “St. Irenaeus of Lyons”. EWTN.com. Accessed 18 April 2014 http://www.ewtn.com/saintsholy/saints/I/stirenaeus.asp Franciscan Media Copyright. 2012. “St. Polycarp”. American Catholic. February 23. Accessed 18 April 2014 http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1300 Irenaeus. n.d. “Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus”. New Advent. Kiefer, James. 2014. “Polycarp , Bishop of Smyrna and Martyr 23 February 156”. Society of Archbishop of Justus. Accessed 18 April 2014 http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/108.html Knight, Kevin. 2009. “St. Polycarp” New Advent. Accessed 18 April 2014, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12219b.htm Lightfoot, JB. 2000. “Medieval Sourcebook: the Martyrdom of Polycarp trans JB Lightfoot”. Fordham University Internet Medieval Sourcebook. Accessed 18 April 2014 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/martyrdom-polycarp-lightfoot.asp Polycarp. n.d. Epistle of Polycarp to the Ephesians. New Advent. 18 April 2014. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0136.htm Srawley, JH. 1910. The Epistles of St. Ignatius. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge/Regis- University of Toronto. 18 April 2014. https://archive.org/details/theepistlesofsti01srawuoft Read More