Christians and the Government

The first centuries of Christianity were hard, and Peter wrote his book to encourage Christians facing great difficulty. The earliest known account of this Christian suffering outside of the Scriptures is found in the second-century martyrdom of Polycarp.

Polycarp was the pastor in Asia Minor city of Smyrna and a disciple of John the Apostle. Living to at least 86, he would spend most of those years as a faithful servant of Christ. After so many years of faithfulness and humble leadership in the church, he was finally targeted by the Roman government because he refused to worship the emperor.

When members of his church learned about the Roman authorities closing in on him, they begged him to run and hide. Though he did not want to, he relented and found a safe house. But it wasn't safe for long as it was given away by a child. The next morning Roman soldiers showed up, but Polycarp had no fear. When they knocked on the door, he met them saying, “God’s will be done.”

On the way to the governor for sentencing, two well-meaning Christians tried to save his life. They asked him, “What harm is there in saying, Caesar is Lord, and in sacrificing, with the other ceremonies observed on such occasions, so that you stay safe?" He simply replied that he could not reject his Lord.

Once at the Colosseum, thousands jeered and chanted for his death, but the governor did not want to kill an old man, so he tried to convince Polycarp to proclaim that Caesar was Lord and renounce Christ. Polycarp responded, “86 years have I served Him, & He never did me any injury: how can I blaspheme my King and my Savior? I am a Christian.” Then the governor threatened to feed him to wild lions. Polycarp said, “Call them then.” He was not backing down. In a last-ditch effort, he threatened to burn him at the stake. While a weaker Christian may have relented, Polycarp said, “You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour, and after a little while is extinguished, but you are ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. What’s taking you so long? Bring forth what you will.”

The governor gave up trying to convince Polycarp and commanded that he be burned alive. When soldiers went to nail him to the stake, he said he did not need nails because, "He that gives me strength to endure the fire, will also enable me to do it without nails. I will remain without moving on the pile.”

The logs were lit, and Polycarp began to loudly pray, “I give You thanks that you have counted me, worthy of this day and this hour, that I should have a part in the number of your martyrs, in the cup of your Christ, to the resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and body, through the incorruption [imparted] by the Holy Ghost. Among whom may I be accepted this day before Thee as a fat and acceptable sacrifice.”

Then Polycarp died.

What can give a person the courage to face that kind of pain, not only without fear but joyfully? That is the courage of an exile. Tomorrow we continue 1 Peter by looking at how Christians should respond to the government and those in authority over us. It's a helpful word on when we must and must not submit to rightful authorities. I pray you will join us for worship!