Text
The text of the letter has not been well preserved. Nine late Greek manuscripts are extant, all incomplete and all derived from the same source (in which 9.2 is immediately followed by the likewise incomplete text of The Epistle of Barnabas, beginning at 5.8). Eusebius has preserved all of chapter 9 and all but the last crucial sentence of chapter 13. For the rest of the letter we are dependent on a Latin translation, which is based on a Greek text older than the one represented by the extant manuscripts and is generally reliable.
Bibliography
Commentaries
Lightfoot, J. B. The Apostolic Fathers. Part 2, S. Ignatius; S. Polycarp. 2nd ed. 3 vols. London: Macmillan, 1889. Repr. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981.
Schoedel, W. R. Polycarp, Martyrdom of Polycarp, Fragments of Papias. Vol. 5 of The Apostolic Fathers, edited by R. M. Grant. Camden, NJ: Nelson, 1967.
Studies
Barnard, L. W. “The Problem of St. Polycarp’s Epistle to the Philippians.” In Studies in the Apostolic Fathers and Their Background, 31–39. New York: Schocken, 1966.
Berding, Kenneth. Polycarp and Paul: An Analysis of Their Literary and Theological Relationship in Light of Polycarp’s Use of Biblical and Extra-Biblical Literature. Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae 62. Leiden: Brill, 2002.
Dehandschutter, B. “Polycarp’s Epistle to the Philippians: An Early Example of ‘Reception’.” In The New Testament in Early Christianity, edited by J.-M. Sevrin, 275–91. Leuven: Leuven University Press and Peeters, 1989.
Hartog, Paul. Polycarp and the New Testament: The Occasion, Rhetoric, Theme, and Unity of the Epistle to the Philippians and Its Allusions to New Testament Literature. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2.134. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2002.
Harrison, P. N. Polycarp’s Two Epistles to the Philippians. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1936.
Headlam, A. C. “The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians.” Church Quarterly Review 141, no. 281 (1945): 1–25.
Hill, Charles E. From the Lost Teaching of Polycarp: Identifying Irenaeus’ Apostolic Presbyter and the Author of Ad Diognetum. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2006.
Holmes, Michael W. “Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians and the Writings That Later Formed the New Testament.” In The Reception of the New Testament in the Apostolic Fathers, edited by Andrew Gregory and Christopher Tuckett, 187–227. Vol. 1 of The New Testament and the Apostolic Fathers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
———. “Polycarp of Smyrna, Letter to the Philippians.” Expository Times 118, no. 2 (2006).
Maier, Harry O. “Purity and Danger in Polycarp’s Epistle to the Philippians: The Sin of Valens in Social Perspective.” Journal of Early Christian Studies 1 (1993): 229–47.
Schoedel, W. R. “Polycarp of Smyrna and Ignatius of Antioch.” ANRW 2.27.1 (1993): 272–358.
———. “Polycarp’s Witness to Ignatius of Antioch.” Vigiliae Christianae 41 (1987): 1–10.
THE LETTER OF POLYCARP TO THE PHILIPPIANS
Salutation
Polycarp and the presbyters with him, to the church of God that sojourns at Philippi: may mercy and peace from God Almighty and Jesus Christ our Savior be yours in abundance.
Reasons for Rejoicing
1 I greatly rejoice with you in our Lord Jesus Christ because you welcomed the representations of the true love and, as was proper for you, helped on their way those confined by chains suitable for saints, which are the diadems of those who are truly chosen by God and our Lord. 2 I also rejoice because your firmly rooted faith, renowned from the earliest times, still perseveres and bears fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who endured for our sins, facing even death, whom God raised up, having loosed the birth pangs of Hades. 3 Though you have not seen him, you believe in him with an inexpressible and glorious joy (which many desire to experience), knowing that by grace you have been saved, not because of works, but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.
Serve God and Love Jesus
2 Therefore prepare for action and serve God in fear and truth, leaving behind the empty and meaningless talk and the error of the crowd, and believing in the one who raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and gave him glory and a throne at his right hand. To him all things in heaven and on earth were subjected, whom every breathing creature serves, who is coming as judge of the living and the dead, for whose blood God will hold responsible those who disobey him. 2 But the one who raised him from the dead will raise us also, if we do his will and follow his commandments and love the things he loved, while avoiding every kind of unrighteousness, greed, love of money, slander and false testimony, not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult or blow for blow or curse for curse, 3 but instead remembering what the Lord said as he taught: “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged; forgive, and you will be forgiven; show mercy, so that you may be shown mercy; with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you;” and, “blessed are the poor and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”
1.1 representations . . . love I.e., Ignatius and his companions. • as . . . you Or possibly as you had opportunity. 1.2 whom . . . Hades Acts 2:24 (Western text). 1.3 Though . . . joy 1 Pet. 1:8. • by grace . . . works Eph. 2:5, 8, 9. 2.1 Therefore . . . fear 1 Pet. 1:13; cf. Ps. 2:11. • from . . . glory 1 Pet. 1:21.
Righteousness: The Reason for Writing
3 I am writing you these comments about righteousness, brothers, not on my own initiative but because you invited me to do so. 2 For neither I nor anyone like me can keep pace with the wisdom of the blessed and glorious Paul. When he was with you in the presence of the people of that time, he accurately and reliably taught the word concerning the truth. And when he was absent he wrote you letters; if you study them carefully, you will be able to build yourselves up in the faith that has been given to you, 3 which is the mother of us all, while hope follows and love for God and Christ and for our neighbor leads the way. For if anyone who is occupied with these has fulfilled the commandment of righteousness, for whoever has love is far from all sin.
Righteousness in Action
4 But the love of money is the beginning of all troubles. Knowing, therefore, that we brought nothing into the world and cannot take anything out, let us arm ourselves with the weapons of righteousness, and let us first teach ourselves to follow the commandment of the Lord. 2 Then instruct your wives to continue in the faith delivered to them and in love and purity, cherishing their own husbands in all fidelity and loving all others equally in all chastity, and to teach their children with instruction that leads to the fear of God. 3 The widows must think soberly about the faith of the Lord and pray unceasingly for everyone and stay far away from all malicious talk, slander, false testimony, love of money, and any kind of evil, knowing that they are God’s altar, and that all sacrifices are carefully inspected and nothing escapes him, whether thoughts or intentions or secrets of the heart.
2.1 to him . . . subjected Cf. 1 Cor. 15:28; Phil. 3:21; 2:10. • judge . . . dead Acts 10:42. • for whose blood . . . him Cf. Luke 11:50–51. 2.2 the one who raised . . . also Cf. 2 Cor. 4:14. • not repaying . . . for insult 1 Pet. 3:9. 2.3 Do not judge . . . to you Matt. 7:1, 2 (cf. Luke 6:36–38); 1 Clem. 13.2. • blessed are . . . God Luke 6:20; Matt. 5:10; cf. Matt. 5:3. 3.2 Paul . . . of that time Cf. Acts 16:12. • letters Or possibly a letter, since the plural can be used of a single document. 3.3 which . . . all Gal. 4:26. 4.1 But . . . troubles Cf. 1 Tim. 6:10. • we brought . . . out Cf. 1 Tim. 6:7. • weapons of righteousness 2 Cor. 6:7; Rom. 6:13. 4.2 cherishing . . . husbands Cf. 1 Clem. 1.3. • teach their children . . . God Cf. 1 Clem. 21.6, 8.
5 Knowing, therefore, that God is not mocked, we ought to live in a manner that is worthy of his commandment and glory. 2 Similarly, deacons must be blameless in the presence of his righteousness, as servants of God and Christ and not of people. They must not be slanderers, not insincere, not lovers of money, but self-controlled in every respect, compassionate, dil
igent, acting in accordance with the truth of the Lord, who became a servant of all. If we please him in this present world, we will receive the world to come as well, inasmuch as he promised that he will raise us from the dead and that if we prove to be citizens worthy of him, we will also reign with him—if, that is, we continue to believe.
3 Similarly, the younger men must be blameless in all things; they should be concerned about purity above all, reining themselves away from all evil. For it is good to be cut off from the sinful desires in the world, because every sinful desire wages war against the spirit, and neither fornicators nor men who have sex with men (whether as the passive or as the active partner) will inherit the kingdom of God, nor will those who do perverse things. Therefore one must keep away from all these things and be obedient to the presbyters and deacons as to God and Christ. The young women must maintain a pure and blameless conscience.
6 The presbyters, for their part, must be compassionate, merciful to all, turning back those who have gone astray, visiting all the sick, not neglecting a widow, orphan, or poor person, but always aiming at what is honorable in the sight of God and of people. They must avoid all anger, partiality, unjust judgment, staying far away from all love of money; they must be neither quick to believe things spoken against anyone nor harsh in judgment, knowing that we are all in debt with respect to sin. 2 Therefore if we ask the Lord to forgive us, then we ourselves ought to forgive, for we are in full view of the eyes of the Lord and God, and we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and each one must account for his own actions. 3 So, then, let us serve him with fear and all reverence, just as he himself has commanded, as did the apostles who preached the gospel to us, and the prophets who announced in advance the coming of our Lord. Let us be eager with regard to what is good, and let us avoid those who tempt others to sin, and false brothers, and those who bear the name of the Lord hypocritically, who lead foolish people astray.
4.3 sacrifices . . . inspected Cf. 1 Clem. 41.2. • nothing . . . intentions Cf. 1 Clem. 21.3. • secrets of the heart 1 Cor. 14:25. 5.1 God is not mocked Gal. 6:7. 5.2 Cf. 1 Tim. 3:8–13. • servant of all Cf. Mark 9:35. In Gk the word-play between deacons (diakonoi) and servant (diakonos) is very clear. • citizens Cf. Phil. 1:27; 1 Clem. 21.1. • we will also reign with him 2 Tim. 2:12. 5.3 sinful desire . . . spirit 1 Pet. 2:11. • neither fornicators . . . God 1 Cor. 6:9. 6.1 always aiming . . . people Ps. 3:4; cf. 2 Cor. 8:21.
Reject Those Who Reject Jesus
7 For everyone who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is antichrist; and whoever does not acknowledge the testimony of the cross is of the devil; and whoever twists the sayings of the Lord to suit his own sinful desires and claims that there is neither resurrection nor judgment—well, that person is the firstborn of Satan. 2 Therefore let us leave behind the worthless speculation of the crowd and their false teachings and let us return to the word delivered to us from the beginning; let us be self-controlled with respect to prayer and persevere in fasting, earnestly asking the all-seeing God to lead us not into temptation, because, as the Lord said, “the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Christ the Guarantee of Our Righteousness
8 Let us, therefore, hold steadfastly and unceasingly to our hope and the guarantee of our righteousness, who is Christ Jesus, who bore our sins in his own body upon the tree, who committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; instead, for our sakes he endured all things, in order that we might live in him. 2 Let us, therefore, become imitators of his patient endurance, and if we should suffer for the sake of his name, let us glorify him. For this is the example he set for us in his own person, and this is what we have believed.
The Martyrs as Examples of Righteousness
9 I urge all of you, therefore, to obey the teaching about righteousness and to exercise unlimited endurance, like that which you saw with your own eyes not only in the blessed Ignatius and Zosimus and Rufus but also in others from your congregation and in Paul himself and the rest of the apostles. 2 Be assured that all these did not run in vain but with faith and righteousness, and that they are now in the place due them with the Lord, with whom they also suffered. For they did not love the present world but the one who died on our behalf and was raised by God for our sakes.
6.2 all stand . . . actions Cf. Rom. 14:10; 12; 2 Cor. 5:10. 6.3 announced . . . Lord Cf. Acts 7:52. • eager . . . good Cf. 1 Pet. 3:13; Titus 2:14. 7.1 who does not . . . antichrist Cf. 1 John 4:2–3. • is of the devil Cf. 1 John 3:8. 7.2 self-controlled . . . prayer Cf. 1 Pet. 4:7. • lead us . . . temptation Matt. 6:13. • the spirit . . . weak Matt. 26:41. 8.1 who bore . . . tree 1 Pet. 2:24. • who committed . . . mouth 1 Pet. 2:22. 8.2 For this . . . person Cf. 1 Pet. 2:21. 9.1 the teaching about righteousness Heb. 5:13. • exercise Some ancient authorities read hold out with.
Follow the Lord’s Example
10 Stand fast, therefore, in these things and follow the example of the Lord, firm and immovable in faith, loving the family of believers, cherishing one another, united in the truth, giving way to one another in the gentleness of the Lord, despising no one. 2 When you are able to do good, do not put it off, because charity delivers one from death. All of you be subject to one another, and maintain an irreproachable standard of conduct among the Gentiles, so that you may be praised for your good deeds and the Lord may not be blasphemed because of you. 3 But woe to the one through whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed. Therefore teach to all the self-control by which you yourselves live.
The Matter of Valens
11 I am deeply grieved for Valens, who once was a presbyter among you, because he so fails to understand the office that was entrusted to him. I warn you, therefore: avoid love of money, and be pure and truthful. Avoid every kind of evil. 2 But how can someone who is unable to exercise self-control in these matters preach self-control to anyone else? Anyone who does not avoid love of money will be polluted by idolatry and will be judged as one of the Gentiles, who are ignorant of the Lord’s judgment. Or do we not know that the saints will judge the world, as Paul teaches? 3 But I have not observed or heard of any such thing among you, in whose midst the blessed Paul labored, and who are praised in the beginning of his letter. For he boasts about you in all the churches—the ones that at that time had come to know the Lord, for we had not yet come to know him. 4 Therefore, brothers and sisters, I am deeply grieved for him and for his wife; may the Lord grant them true repentance. You, therefore, for your part must be reasonable in this matter, and do not regard such people as enemies, but, as sick and straying members, restore them, in order that you may save your body in its entirety. For by doing this you build up one another.
9.2 did not run in vain Phil. 2:16. • love the present world Cf. 2 Tim. 4:10. 10.1 firm and immovable Cf. 1 Cor. 15:58. • loving the family of believers Cf. 1 Pet. 2:17. • family of believers Lat fratern itatis. • cherishing one another Cf. Rom. 12:10. • giving way . . . Lord Cf. Rom. 12:10. 10.2 when you . . . off Cf. Prov. 3:28. • charity . . . death Tob. 4:10. • be subject to one another Cf. 1 Pet. 5:5; Eph. 5:21. • maintain . . . deeds Cf. 1 Pet. 2:12. 10.3 name . . . blasphemed Cf. Isa. 52:5; Trall. 8.2. 11.1 avoid every . . . evil Cf. 1 Thess. 5:22. 11.2 how can . . . else Cf. 1 Tim. 3:5. • ignorant . . . judgment Cf. Jer. 5:4. • Or do we . . . world 1 Cor. 6:2. 11.3 who are praised . . . letter The text is corrupt (a verb appears to be missing). The translation given reflects my restoration of the text. Otherwise the translation might run who were his letters of recommendation in the beginning, or perhaps who are found in the beginning of his letter. • the Lord Some ancient authorities read God.
Final Exhortations
12 For I am convinced that you are all well trained in the sacred scriptures and that nothing is hidden from you (something not granted to me). Only, as it is said in these scriptures, “be angry but do not sin,” and “do not let the sun set on your anger.” Blessed is the one who remembers this, which I believe to be the case with you.
2 Now may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the eternal high priest himself, the Son of God Jesus Christ, build you up in faith and truth and in all gentleness and in all freedom from anger and forbearance and steadfastness and patient endurance and purity, and may he give to you a share and a place among his saints, and to us with you, and to all those under heaven who will yet 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 kings and magistrates and rulers, and for those who persecute and hate you, and for the enemies of the cross, so that your fruit may be evident among all people, so that you may be perfect in him.
Instructions and Requests
13 Both you and Ignatius have written me that if anyone is traveling to Syria, he should also take along your letter. This I will do, if I get a good opportunity, either myself or the one whom I will send as a representative, on your behalf as well as ours. 2 We are sending to you the letters of Ignatius that were sent to us by him together with any others that we have in our possession, just as you requested. They are appended to this letter; you will be able to receive great benefit from them, for they deal with faith and patient endurance and every kind of spiritual growth that has to do with our Lord. As for Ignatius himself and those with him, if you learn anything more definite, let us know.
11.4 and do not . . . enemies 2 Thess. 3:15. 12.1 be angry . . . sin Eph. 4:26, quoting Ps. 4:5. • do not let . . . anger Eph. 4:26. 12.2 and God Many ancient authorities omit. • Jesus Christ . . . dead Cf. Gal. 1:1. 12.3 Pray for . . . saints Cf. Eph. 6:18. • those who . . . you Cf. Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27. • enemies of the cross Cf. Phil. 3:18.
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