I’m working my way through an online class in church history. (I’m not taking the class for credit, but the recordings are free online.) Today I heard about the martyrdom of Polycarp. He showed any eternal perspective (and some wit) in the face of severe torture.
Polycarp 11:1
Whereupon the proconsul said; ‘I have wild beasts here and I will throw thee to them, except thou repent’ But he said, ‘Call for them: for the repentance from better to worse is a change not permitted to us; but it is a noble thing to change from untowardness to righteousness’Polycarp 11:2
Then he said to him again, ‘I will cause thee to be consumed by fire, if thou despisest the wild beasts, unless thou repent.’ But Polycarp said; ‘Thou threatenest that fire which burneth for a season and after a little while is quenched: for thou art ignorant of the fire of the future judgment and eternal punishment, which is reserved for the ungodly. But why delayest thou? Come, do what thou wilt.’
Bet you didn’t know that early church father’s spoke in KJV English, did you?
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