Polycarp was a direct disciple of the apostle John. When he was 80 years old, Polycarp stood before a Roman proconsul, condemned to die. The proconsul felt worry for the aged Polycarp and gave him repeated instructions on how he might avoid the punishment that was in store for him. Polycarp was unimpressed, to say the least.
Polycarp: Since you keep wasting your time urging me on ... and pretend not to know who and what I am, listen to me announce with boldness: I am a Christian! But if you want to learn what the teachings of Christianity are, appoint me a day, and you shall hear them.
This irritated the proconsul, who decided to apply a little pressure to the old man.
Proconsul: I have wild beasts at hand. I will throw you to them if you do not repent.
No effect.
Polycarp: Call them, then. We are not used to repenting of what is good in order to adopt what is evil.
That was enough for the proconsul. No more Mr. Nice Guy.
Proconsul: If you will not repent, I will have you burned with fire, since you have no regard for the wild beasts!
This threat was no better. The 86-year-old Polycarp was up for a face-to-face confrontation.
Polycarp: You threaten me with fire that burns for an hour, then goes out after a little while. You are ignorant, however, of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. What are you waiting for? Bring out whatever you want.
When he spoke these things, and many others like them, he was filled with confidence and joy. His face was so full of grace that not only did it seem like he was not troubled by anything said to him, but the proconsul was astonished.
The proconsul could take any more. He turned Polycarp over to the stadium crowd, which Polycarp had insulted minutes earlier by pointing his finger around the stadium and announcing, "Away with the atheists!" Christians were considered atheists because they did not believe in the many gods of the Romans, but Polycarp identified the Romans as the atheists because they did not believe in the true God of the universe, the Lord Jesus. Polycarp told the proconsul that the crowd was not worthy to hear the teachings of Christianity. The crown, in their rage, rushed out of the stadium to gather wood from anywhere they could find it, and bring it back to the stadium to build a pyre. When they went to tie Polycarp to the pyre, he told them to leave him be as his God would enable him to stand still amidst the flames. Polycarp was burned at the stake.
How many Christians today do you know of who have this kind of character? If you threatened most western Christians with this sort of torture, they would soon be offering incense and paying tribute to avoid it. They would denounce the Lord Jesus in order to save their own lives. But the early Christians knew Who and what they believed, and they counted their own lives as nothing. Their character and strength taught others after them to have the same character and strength. Today's Christians are spiritually weak on any number of levels.
Now you have an idea of what early Christianity was like, and what biblical Christians were like in the face of trials, tribulation, persecution, and death. Do you have such a backbone? Or are the things of this present world more enticing to you?