Join the St Shenouda Podcast as we delve into the extraordinary life and heroic martyrdom of St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna. Polycarp is one of the most vital figures of the early Church, serving as a "living link between the apostles and subsequent generations" of Christians. He is regarded as one of the chief Apostolic Fathers, having been a direct disciple of St. John the Evangelist and conversing with others who had personally seen Jesus Christ.

As the faithful Bishop of Smyrna (AD 69–155), Polycarp tirelessly defended orthodox teaching against emerging heresies. He famously confronted the Gnostic heretic Marcion, identifying him as the "firstborn of Satan". His life was deemed a testimony of proper discipleship and imitation of the Lord.

The climax of his journey is recounted in the Martyrdom of Polycarp (Martyrium Polycarpi), a manuscript written in the form of a letter which forms the earliest surviving account of Christian martyrdom outside the New Testament. Arrested during an athletic festival, the venerable 86-year-old saint was brought before the proconsul in the stadium of Smyrna.

When urged to renounce Christ, Polycarp delivered his immortal declaration: "Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King and Savior?". When threatened with fire, he countered by warning of the "fire of everlasting punishment" prepared for the wicked.

Condemned to be burned, Polycarp was tied—not nailed—to the stake, confident that God would enable him to endure the fire. He prayed a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving, praising God for counting him "worthy of this day and this hour to be numbered among your martyrs and to share in the cup of Christ".

In a shocking turn, the flames miraculously avoided consuming his body, forming an arch around him. To complete the execution, a soldier pierced his body with a sword, and the subsequent flood of blood extinguished the fire.

Although his remains were later burned to prevent them from becoming a shrine, the church collected his bones and began the practice of annually commemorating the date of his death as the "birth-day of his martyrdom". Polycarp’s steadfastness served as a model for persecuted Christians and his testimony influenced future great defenders of the faith, including his disciple, St. Irenaeus of Lyons.