The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians

Polycarp and the overseers with him to the Church of God which sojourns at Philippi: grace and peace be multiplied unto you from God Almighty and Jesus Christ our Saviour!

I rejoiced greatly with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, because you received living images of true love, and because, as was fitting for you, you accompanied the man who was bound in chains, for these chains are truly the crowns of those whom our Lord has chosen; and also because your steadfast faith, which was proclaimed from ancient times, still remains and bears fruit in our Lord Jesus Christ, who patiently endured death for our sins, whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death. You do not see Him, yet you believe in Him with joy unspeakable and full of glory, into which many long to enter, knowing that you are saved by grace, not by works, but according to the will of God through Jesus Christ.

Wherefore, gird up your loins and serve God in fear and truth, and forsake the vain babblings and the errors of the multitude. Believe on Him who raised up 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 are subject. To Him every believing creature renders service. He comes as Judge of the living and the dead, whose blood God will require of those who are disobedient to Him. But 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, and keep ourselves from all unrighteousness, greed, covetousness, backbiting, and false witness. Let us not return evil for evil, nor railing for railing, nor blow for blow, nor curse for curse; but let us remember what the Lord taught, saying, “Judge not, that you be not judged; forgive, and it shall be forgiven you; be merciful, that you may obtain mercy; with the measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again; blessed are the poor, and those who suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

These things, brothers, I write to you not on my own initiative concerning righteousness, but because you yourselves have urged me to do so. For neither I, nor anyone like me, can attain to the wisdom of the blessed and glorious Paul. When he was among you, he taught you accurately and with power the word of truth before the people of that time.  When absent from you, he wrote letters to you, which, if you study carefully, will build you up in the faith bestowed upon you, which is the mother of us all, accompanied by hope and by love to God and Christ, and to our neighbour as to our own selves. He who possesses this love has fulfilled the command of righteousness; for he who has love is far from all sin.

For the love of money is the root of all evils. Knowing therefore that we brought nothing into this world, and can carry nothing out, let us arm ourselves with the armour of righteousness, and first teach ourselves to walk in the commandments of the Lord.  Also instruct your women to continue in the faith delivered unto them, and in love and purity, to love their husbands in all chastity, and to conduct themselves with a good and undefiled conscience.

Let the overseers be compassionate and merciful toward all, bringing back those who wander, visiting the sick, and not neglecting widows, orphans, or the poor; but always providing what is good in the sight of God and of men. They must refrain from all anger, respect of persons, and unrighteous judgment; being far removed from all covetousness. Let them not be quick to believe any evil of anyone, and not severe in judgment, knowing that we are all indebted to sin. Therefore, when we pray the Lord to forgive us, we also ought to forgive; for we stand before the eyes of the Lord and God, and we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, where each shall give account for himself. Let us, therefore, serve Him with fear and all carefulness as He Himself has commanded, and as the apostles who preached the gospel to us have taught, as also the prophets who foretold the coming of our Lord. Let us be zealous for what is good, avoiding offences, and false brothers, and the one who hypocritically names the Lord’s name and thereby leads the simple astray.

For everyone who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is antichrist; and whoever does not confess the testimony of the cross is of the devil; and whoever perverts the words of the Lord according to his own desire and says there is neither resurrection nor judgment — he is the firstborn of Satan. Let us, therefore, turn away from the empty talk of the many and from false doctrines, and return to the teaching that was delivered to us from the beginning. Let us be watchful unto prayer, steadfast in fasting, beseeching the all-seeing God not to lead us into temptation, and let us love all people with a pure heart and in all endurance, without respect of persons. Let us train our children in the fear of God and let each person be prudent regarding the faith of the Lord.  Let us pray unceasingly for all people; let us keep far from all slander, evil-speaking, false witness, covetousness, and every evil deed, knowing that we are God’s altar, and that He sees all things, and that nothing is hidden from Him — neither thoughts, nor plans, nor the secret things of the heart.

Since we know that God is not mocked, we ought to walk worthily of His commandments and His will. In like manner, let the church ministers be blameless in the sight of His righteousness, as ministers of God and of Christ, and not of men; not slanderers, not double-tongued, not lovers of money; temperate in all things, compassionate, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who became the servant of all. If we are pleasing to Him in this present world, we shall also partake of the world to come, as He has promised to raise us from the dead, and that, if we live our lives here in a manner worthy of Him, we shall also reign with Him — provided we believe. Likewise let the younger men be blameless in all things, especially careful to preserve chastity, and refraining from every kind of evil; for it is good to keep oneself free from the lusts of the flesh; for every carnal desire wars against the soul. Neither fornicators, nor effeminate, nor those who sin against nature, shall inherit the kingdom of God; therefore, it is necessary that they abstain from all these things, and submit themselves to the overseers and church ministers, as to God and to Christ. Let the virgins walk in purity, as the Lord has commanded; for “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Let us therefore hold fast unceasingly to our hope and to the pledge of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ, who bore our sins in His own body on the tree; “who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth;” but He endured all things for our sake, that we might live in Him. Let us therefore imitate His patience; and if we suffer for His name’s sake, let us glorify Him; for such an example He has set us in Himself, and this we have believed.

I exhort you all to obey the word of righteousness and to exercise all patience, which you yourselves have witnessed with your own eyes not only in the blessed Ignatius, and Zosimus, and Rufus, but also in others among you, and in Paul himself, and in the other apostles. We know that all these did not run in vain, but in faith and righteousness; and that they are now in the place appointed for them with the Lord, with whom they also suffered; for they did not love the present world, but Him who died for us and was raised again by God for our sakes.

Stand fast, therefore, in these things and follow the example of the Lord: firm and immovable in the faith, loving one another, united in truth, sharing the grace of God among yourselves, and not despising anyone. If you have opportunity to show kindness, do not neglect it; for almsgiving delivers from death. Let all of you be subject one to another; and let your conduct among the Gentiles be blameless that you may both be praised for your good works, and that the Lord may not be blasphemed through you. Woe to the one through whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed! Teach all people therefore to walk in the fear of God and conduct yourselves likewise.

I am exceedingly grieved for Valens, who was once an overseer among you, that he has so misunderstood the office given to him. I exhort you, therefore, to abstain from covetousness, and to be pure and truthful. Abstain from every evil. He who cannot govern himself in such matters — how shall he encourage others to do so? Whoever does not keep himself from covetousness will be defiled by idolatry and reckoned as among the heathen who do not know the judgment of the Lord. Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world, as Paul teaches? I have perceived nothing of this kind among you, among whom the blessed Paul laboured, you who are mentioned at the beginning of his letters; for he boasts of you in all the Churches which, alone at that time, had known God, for we ourselves had not yet known Him. I am, therefore, deeply grieved for him and for his wife. May the Lord grant them true repentance. Be also yourselves watchful in this matter, and treat such persons not as enemies, but call them back as sick and wandering members, that you may save your own body; for in doing this, you build up yourselves.

I trust that you are well-versed in the Holy Scriptures, and that nothing is hidden from you. It has not been committed to me to teach you these things, but I remind you of what Scripture says: “Be angry, and do not sin.” “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Blessed is the one who remembers this — as I trust you do. May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself, the eternal High Priest, build you up in faith and in truth, and in all gentleness, patience, long-suffering, endurance, and purity; and grant you a portion and lot among His saints — and us with you — and all who are under heaven, who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Father, who raised Him from the dead. Pray for all the saints. Pray also for kings, rulers, and for those who persecute and hate you, and for the enemies of the cross, that your fruit may be manifest in all, and that you may be perfect in Him.

Both you and Ignatius have written to me, that if anyone journeys from here to Syria, he should also carry your letters with him. This I will do, if I find a fitting occasion, either I or the one whom I send as representative for you.  The letters sent to me by Ignatius and any others I have in my possession, I send to you as you requested. You will be able to profit greatly from them, for they concern faith and endurance and all the edification that belongs to our Lord. Inform me what you know for certain concerning Ignatius himself and those who are with him.

This letter I send to you with Crescens, whom I previously recommended to you, and now again commend. He has conducted himself blamelessly among us, as I am sure he also does among you. And may his sister also be commended to you when she comes to you. Farewell in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May His grace be with you all! Amen.

First published in “Hidden Treasures” in January 1917 (editorial notice).