The Epistle of
Policarp
to the Philippians
CHAPTER 2
Greeting
1 Polycarp and the Elders with him to the Church of God sojourning in
Philippi; mercy and peace from God Almighty and Jesus Christ our Saviour be
multiplied to you.
CHAPTER 1
The hospitality of the Philippians -- Their faith
1 I rejoice greatly with you in our Lord Jesus Christ that you have followed
the pattern of true love, and have helped on their way, as opportunity was
given you, those who were bound in chains, which become the saints, and are
the diadems of those who have been truly chosen by God and our Lord. 2 I
rejoice also that your firmly rooted faith, which was famous in past years,
still flourishes and bears fruit unto our Lord Jesus Christ, who endured for
our sins, even to the suffering of death, "whom God raised up, having
loosed the pangs of Hades, 3 in whom, though you did not see him, you believed
in unspeakable and glorified joy," -- into which joy many desire to come,
knowing that "by grace ye are saved, not by works" but by the will
of God through Jesus Christ.
Exhortation to virtue -- The hope of resurrection -- The Lord's Teaching
1 "Wherefore girding up your loins serve God in fear" and truth,
putting aside empty vanity and vulgar error, "believing on him who raised
up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and gave him glory," and a throne
on his right hand, "to whom are subject all things in heaven and
earth," whom all breath serves, who is coming as "the Judge of the
living and of the dead," whose blood God will require from them who
disobey him. 2 Now "he who raised him" from the dead "will also
raise us up" if we do his will, and walk in his commandments and love the
things which he loved, refraining from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love
of money, evil speaking, false witness, "rendering not evil for evil, or
railing for railing," or blow for blow, or curse for curse, 3 but
remembering what the Lord taught when he said, "Judge not that ye be not
judged, forgive and it shall be forgiven unto you, be merciful that ye may
obtain mercy, with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you
again," and, "Blessed are the poor, and they who are persecuted for
righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of God."
CHAPTER 3
Polycarp's reason for writing: the invitation ofthe Philippians
1 These things, brethren, I write to you concerning righteousness, not at my
own instance, but because you first invited me. 2 For neither am I, nor is any
other like me, able to follow the wisdom of the blessed and glorious Paul, who
when he was among you in the presence of the men of that time taught
accurately and stedfastly the word of truth, and also when he was absent wrote
letters to you, from the study of which you will be able to build yourselves
up into the faith given you; 3 "which is the mother of us all" when
faith follows, and love of God and Christ and neighbour goes before. For if
one be in this company he has fulfilled the command of righteousness, for he
who has love is far from all sin.
CHAPTER 4
Exhortations to virtue
1 "But the beginning of all evils is the love of money." Knowing
therefore that "we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing
out of it," let us arm ourselves with the armour of righteousness, and
let us first of all teach ourselves to walk in the commandment of the Lord; 2
next teach our wives to remain in the faith given to them, and in love and
purity, tenderly loving their husbands in all truth, and loving all others
equally in all chastity, and to educate their children in the fear of God. 3
Let us teach the widows to be discreet in the faith of the Lord, praying
ceaselessly for all men, being far from all slander, evil speaking, false
witness, love of money, and all evil, knowing that they are the altar of God,
and that all offerings are tested, and that nothing escapes him of reasonings
or thoughts, or of "the secret things of the heart."
CHAPTER 5
Christian obligations to a virtuous life
1 Knowing then that "God is not mocked," we ought to walk worthily
of his commandment and glory. 2 Likewise must the deacons be blameless before
his righteousness, as the servants of God and Christ and not of man, not
slanderers, not double-tongued, not lovers of money, temperate in all things,
compassionate, careful, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who was
the "servant of all." For if we please him in this present world we
shall receive from him that which is to come; even as he promised us to raise
us from the dead, and that if we are worthy citizens of his community,
"we shall also reign with him," if we have but faith. 3 Likewise
also let the younger men be blameless in all things; caring above all for
purity, and curbing themselves from all evil; for it is good to be cut off
from the lust of the things in the world, because "every lust warreth
against the Spirit, and neither fornicators nor the effeminate nor sodomites
shall inherit the Kingdom of God," nor they who do iniquitous things.
Wherefore it is necessary to refrain from all these things, and to be subject
to the presbyters and deacons as to God and Christ. The virgins must walk with
a blameless and pure conscience.
CHAPTER 6
The duties of the presbyters -- Forgiveness -- The service of God
1 And let the presbyters also be compassionate, merciful to all, bringing back
those that have wandered, caring for all the weak, neglecting neither widow
nor orphan nor poor, but "ever providing for that which is good before
God and man," refraining from all wrath, respect of persons, unjust
judgment, being far from all love of money, not quickly believing evil of any,
not hasty in judgment, knowing that "we all owe the debt of sin."1 2
If then we pray the Lord to forgive us, we also ought to forgive, for we stand
before the eyes of the Lord and of God, and "we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ, and each must give an account of himself." 3
So then "let us serve him with fear and all reverence," as he
himself commanded us, and as did the Apostles, who brought us the Gospel, and
the Prophets who foretold the coming of our Lord. Let us be zealous for good,
refraining from offence, and from the false brethren, and from those who bear
the name of the Lord in hypocrisy, who deceive empty-minded men.
1 The introductory formula "knowing that" renders it probable that
these words are a quotation, but the source is unknown.
CHAPTER 7
Warning against heresy
1 "For everyone who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh is an anti-Christ"; and whosoever does not confess the testimony of
the Cross is of the devil: and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord for
his own lusts, and says that there is neither resurrection nor judgment, --
this man is the first-born of Satan.1 2 Wherefore, leaving the foolishness of
the crowd, and their false teaching, let us turn back to the word which was
delivered to us in the beginning, "watching unto prayer" and
persevering in fasting, beseeching the all-seeing God in our supplications
"to lead us not into temptation," even as the Lord said, "The
spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
1 This phrase, according to Irenaeus (Adv. Haer. 3/3:4) was applied,
presumably later, by Polycarp to Marcion.
CHAPTER 8
Perseverance
1 Let us then persevere unceasingly in our hope, and in the pledge of our
righteousness, that is in Christ Jesus, "who bare our sins in his own
body on the tree, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,"
but for our sakes, that we might live in him, he endured all things. 2 Let us
then be imitators of his endurance, and if we suffer for his name's sake let
us glorify him. For this is the example which he gave us in himself, and this
is what we have believed.
CHAPTER 9
The examples of the martyrs
1 Now I beseech you all to obey the word of righteousness, and to endure with
all the endurance which you also saw before your eyes, not only in the blessed
Ignatius, and Zosimus, and Rufus, but also in others among yourselves, and in
Paul himself, and in the other Apostles; 2 being persuaded that all of these
"ran not in vain," but in faith and righteousness, and that they are
with the Lord in the "place which is their due," with whom they also
suffered. For they did not "love this present world" but him who
died on our behalf, and was raised by God for our sakes.
CHAPTER 10
Perseverance in philanthropy and good works
1 Stand fast therefore in these things and follow the example of the Lord,
"firm and unchangeable in faith, loving the brotherhood, affectionate to
one another," joined together in the truth, forestalling one another in
the gentleness of the Lord, despising no man. 2 When you can do good defer it
not, "for almsgiving sets free from death; be ye all subject one to the
other, having your conversation blameless among the Gentiles," that you
may receive praise "for your good works" and that the Lord be not
blasphemed in you. 3 "But woe to him through whom the name of the Lord is
blasphemed." Therefore teach sobriety to all and show it forth in your
own lives.
CHAPTER 11
Valens -- Against avrice -- The treatment ofValens
1 I am deeply sorry for Valens, who was once made a presbyter among you, that
he so little understands the place which was given to him. I advise,
therefore, that you keep from avarice, and be pure and truthful. Keep
yourselves from all evil. 2 For how may he who cannot attain self-control in
these matters enjoin it on another? If any man does not abstain from avarice
he will be defiled by idolatry, and shall be judged as if he were among the
Gentiles who "know not the judgment of God." Or do we "not know
that the saints shall judge the world?" as Paul teaches. 3 But I have
neither perceived nor heard any such thing among you, among whom the blessed
Paul laboured, who are praised in the beginning of his Epistle.1 For
concerning you he boasts in all the Churches who then alone had known the
Lord, for we had not yet known him. 4 Therefore, brethren, I am deeply sorry
for him [i.e. Valens] and for his wife, and "may the Lord grant them true
repentance." Therefore be yourselves also moderate in this matter, and
"do not regard such men as enemies," but call them back as fallible
and straying members, that you may make whole the body of you all. For in
doing this you edify yourselves.
1 The Greek was perhaps 'tois ousin en arche epistolais autou', and ought to
be rendered "who were his epistles in the beginning," with a
reference to 2 Cor. 3:2.
CHAPTER 12
The need of forgiveness -- Prayer for blessing
1 For I am confident that you are well versed in the Scriptures,1 and from you
nothing is hid; but to me this is not granted. Only, as it is said in these
Scriptures, "Be ye angry and sin not," and "Let not the sun go
down upon your wrath." Blessed is the man who remembers this, and I
believe that it is so with you. 2 Now may God and the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and the "eternal Priest" himself, Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, build you up in faith and truth, and in all gentleness, and without
wrath, and in patience, and in longsuffering, and endurance, and purity, and
may he give you lot and part with his saints, and to us with you, and to all
under heaven who shall believe in our Lord and God Jesus Christ and in his
"Father who raised him from the dead." 3 "Pray for all the
saints. Pray also for the Emperors,"2 and for potentates, and princes,
and for "those who persecute you and hate you," and for "the
enemies of the Cross" that "your fruit may be manifest among all
men, that you may be perfected" in him.
1 Probably this ought to be regarded as a quotation from the letter of the
Philippians to Polycarp.
2 "Pro regibus' is no doubt a translation of 'huper basileon' and 'basileus'
is regularly used as the title of the Emperor.
CHAPTER 13
Ignatius and the Church in Syria
1 Both you and Ignatius wrote to me that if anyone was going to Syria he
should also take your letters. I will do this if I have a convenient
opportunity, either myself or the man whom I am sending as a representative
for you and me. 2 We send you, as you asked, the letters of Ignatius, which
were sent to us by him, and others which we had by us. These are subjoined to
this letter, and you will be able to benefit greatly from them. For they
contain faith, patience, and all the edification which pertains to our Lord.
Let us know anything further which you have heard about Ignatius himself and
those who are with him.
CHAPTER 14
Final greetings
1 I have written this to you by Crescens, whom I commended to you when I was
present, and now commend again. For he has behaved blamelessly among us, and I
believe that he will do the same with you. His sister shall be commended to
you when she comes to you. Farewell in the Lord Jesus Christ in grace, with
all who are yours. Amen.