And the proconsul said, “I have beasts, I will throw you to them, unless you repent.” And he said, “Call for them! For repentance is impossible for us from better to worse, but it is good to change from wickedness to righteousness.”  And again he said to him, “I will cause you to be consumed by fire, since you despise the beasts, unless you repent.” But Polycarp replied, you threaten with fire that burns for a while, and after a little time is extinguished. For you are ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why do you wait? Bring about what you wish.”

Polycarp to be Burned

But saying these and many other words, he was filled with courage and joy, and his face was full of grace, so that not only did he not collapse, having been disturbed by what was said to him, but instead the proconsul was dumbfounded and sent his own herald into the middle of the stadium to proclaim three times: “Polycarp has confessed himself to be a Christian.”  Having said this by the herald, the whole crowd, both Gentiles and Jews who were living in Smyrna cried out with uncontrollable rage and a loud voice, “This is the teacher of Asia, the father of the Christians, the destroyer of our gods, who teaches many to not offer sacrifice or to worship.”

Brannan, Rick, trans. 2012. The Apostolic Fathers in English. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.