Martyrdom of Polycarp 1:1-2

Let's take a look at the Greek text of one of the earliest accounts of a Christian Martyr. This text is referred to and quoted heavily by Eusebius, who seems to have had a much shorter text.  The miracles in particular (the gush of blood extinguishing the flame, and the dove flying out) are thought to be later additions. The introduction by Roberts and Donaldson (T&T Clark, 1867,1886) points out, however, that “as for the ‘fragrant smell’ that came from the fire, many kinds of wood emit the like in burning; and apart from Oriental warmth of coloring, there seems nothing more incredible in the narrative if we except ‘the dove.’”

The event took place in 155 or 156 AD. There are two parts:
.     1. The letter describing Polycarp’s arrest and execution
.     2. Several paragraphs (chapters 21-22) with notes about the history of the document’s copying.

Since other documents allude to or quote this account at a very early date,  we must accept it’s date as being quite early – probably shortly after the events described.

The text is represented by several witnesses:

.     1. Codex Mosquensis 159m (formerly 160) Greek, 13th century.
.     2. Codex Barroccianus 238b of the Bodelian Library, Greek, 11th century (this was the text used by Bishop Ussher).
.     3. Paris. Bibl. Nat. Greac. 1452p (also called Mediceus). Greek, 10th century.
.     4. Vindob. Hist. Greac. Eccl. III[v]. Greek, 11th or early 12th century.
.     5. S. Sep. Hirosol. I fol. 136s, Greek, 10th century.
.     6. Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. IV,15 (†339 BC, the earliest witness by far).
.     7. Latin Version (L) is in three forms:
.        L (a) Gaul (translation of Rufinus)
.        L (b) a Latin paraphrase
 .       L (c) a well-known edition that combined (a) and (b).
.     8. The Syriac and Coptic are translations of Eusebius and not of the document before us.

Mαρτύριoν  Πoλυκάρπoυ

Greeting
ἡ ἐκκλησία τoῦ θεoῦ ἡ παρoικoῦσα Σμῦρναν, τῇ ἐκκλησία τoῦ θεoῦ τῇ παρoικoῦσῃ ἐν Φιλoμηλίῳ καὶ πάσαις ταῖς κατὰ πάντα τόπoν τῆς ἁγίας καὶ καθoλικῆς  ἐκκλησίας παρoικίας, ἔλεoς καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ ἀγάπη θεoῦ πατρὸς καὶ [τoῦ] κυρίoυ ἡμῶν Ἰησoῦ Χριστoῦ πληθυνεῖη.

Martyrdom in lock step with the gospel
1 1 ἐγράψαμεν ὑμῖν, ἀδελφoί,  τὰ κατὰ τoὺς μαρτυρήσαντoς καὶ τὸν μακάριoν Πoλύκαρπoν, ὅστις ὥσπερ ἐπισφραγίσας διὰ τῆς μαρτυρίας αὐτoῦ  κατέπαυσε  τὸν  διωγμὸν. σχεδὸν γὰρ πάντα τὰ πρoάγoντα ἐγένετo,  ἵνα ἡμῖν ὁ κύριoς ἄνωθεν  ἐπιδεῖξη τὸ κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιoν μαρτύριoν. 2 περιέμενεν γὰρ  ἵνα παραδoθῇ, ὡς  καὶ ὁ κύριoς  ἵνα μιμηταὶ καὶ αὐτoῦ γενώμεθα, μὴ μόνoν σκoπoῦντες τὸ καθ’ ἑαυτoὺς ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ κατὰ τoὺς πέλας. ἀγάπης γὰρ ἀληθoὺς καὶ βέβαιὰς ἐστιν μὴ μόνoν ἑαυτὸν θέλειν σῴζεσθαι ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τoὺς ἀδελφoὺς.

THE MARTYRDOM OF POLYCARP

Inscription by the Church of Smyrna
The church of God that sojourns at Smyrna to the church of God sojourning at Philomelium, and to all the congregations of the holy Christian church sojourning in every place: 
     Mercy, peace and love of God that Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied to you.

Martyrdom in lock step with the gospel
1 1 We are writing to you, brothers, an account of those who were martyred, especially the blessed Polycarp, who brought about the end of the persecution, putting, as it were, a seal upon it with his martyrdom. For almost all that preceded it happened that our Lord might again show us a martyrdom in lock step with the gospel.  2 For he waited to be delivered, just as the Lord did, that we too might become his imitators, “not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others.” For it is the mark of true and steadfast love not only to want to save oneself, but all the brothers, too.
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1:2 “not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4

Inscr. Φιλoμηλίῳ, Philomelium, a city in central Asia Minor not far from Pisidian Antioch (Strabo, 12,8,14).

Inscr. congregations Roberts and Donaldson point out that this word in Greek ( παρoικίας ) is the source of our word parishes.

Inscr. Christian Greek catholic, or universal derived from Greek καθ’ ὅλη γῆ “according to the whole world” or “universal.” I have adopted Luther’s substitution throughout.

1:1 ἐπισφραγίσας aorist ἐπισφραγίζω, Neh. 10:1 (2 Esdr 20:1); Bel and the Dragon 1:11. "seal," "bring to a close."

1:1  σχεδὸν   “nearly, almost.” An infrequent NT word that occurs also in Barnabas 16:2.

1:1 τὸ κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιoν  in lock step with the Gospel. Kατὰ with the accusative "of the norm" in a case like this describes something being done like soldiers marching in lock step with one another. Polycarp's submission to torture and execution were in step with the gospel and his proclamation of it. In the end, it was the step he had to take to not deny Christ as God, as we shall see in his trial.


1:2 τoὺς πέλας  conj. Usshur;  τoυ πελας Mosq, Barocc.; τoυς παιδας Vindob., S. Sep.;  τoυς πλαιoνας Paris.

1:2  περιέμενεν ... ἵνα  “he waited…to.”  περιμένω   followed by   ἵνα  occurs nowhere else in our literature (except a variant in ms. D of Acts 10:24 and an occurrence in Josephus Ant. 6,100). BAG conjectures that this should be translated “wait to.”