The Martyrdom of Polycarp · §22 · Church of Smyrna

Farewell, transmission notes, and final doxology

Click or tap any sentence to jump there. The side buttons skip a paragraph.

The church of Smyrna closes its letter with a prayer for the readers, then three copyists record how the text was transmitted, ending with a doxology.

We pray that you may be strong, brothers and sisters, as you walk according to the word of the gospel of Jesus Christ. With him be glory to God the Father and the Holy Spirit, for the salvation of the holy elect, just as the blessed Polycarp martyred. May we be found following in his footsteps in the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Gaius transcribed these things from the writings of Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp, and Gaius shared citizenship with Irenaeus. I, Socrates, wrote them in Corinth from the copies of Gaius. (Some manuscripts read Isocrates.) Grace be with you all.

And I, Pionius, wrote them again from the previously written copy, having searched them out, because the blessed Polycarp revealed them to me in a revelation, as I will make clear in what follows. I gathered them together when they were already nearly worn out by time, so that the Lord Jesus Christ may also gather me with his elect into his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Greek

Ἐρρῶσθαι ὑμᾶς εὐχόμεθα, ἀδελφοί, στοιχοῦντας τῷ κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον λόγῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ̓ οὗ δόξα τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῇ τῶν ἁγίων ἐκλεκτῶν, καθὼς ἐμαρτύρησεν ὁ μακάριος Πολύκαρπος, οὗ γένοιτο ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πρὸς τὰ ἴχνη εὑρεθῆναι ἡμᾶς.

Ταῦτα μετεγράψατο μὲν Γάϊος ἐκ τῶν Εἰρηναίου, μαθητοῦ τοῦ Πολυκάρπου, ὃς καὶ συνεπολιτεύσατο τῷ Εἰρηναίῳ. ἐγὼ δὲ Σωκράτης ἐν Κορίνθῳ ἐκ τῶν Γαΐου ἀντιγράφων ἔγραψα. ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων.

Ἐγὼ δὲ πάλιν Πιόνιος ἐκ τοῦ προγεγραμμένου ἔγραψα ἀναζητήσας αὐτά, κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν φανερώσαντός μοι τοῦ μακαρίου Πολυκάρπου, καθὼς δηλώσω ἐν τῷ καθεξῆς, συναγαγὼν αὐτὰ ἤδη σχεδὸν ἐκ τοῦ χρόνου κεκμηκότα, ἵνα κἀμὲ συναγάγῃ ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς μετὰ τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν οὐράνιον βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα σὺν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.

About this text

The church of Smyrna tells how its bishop Polycarp and other martyrs died, and holds up his death as a martyrdom that follows the gospel.

The church of Smyrna (fl. c. 156) wrote this letter to the church of God that sojourns at Philomelium and to all communities of the holy and catholic church. It was written to report the martyrdom of Polycarp and other martyrs, and to present Polycarp's death as a model of martyrdom according to the gospel.

The letter reports that recent martyrs endured tortures with remarkable courage. Polycarp, after a vision foretelling his death by fire, was arrested and brought before the proconsul. He refused to swear by Caesar's fortune or revile Christ, confessing himself a Christian and rejecting the proconsul's threats.

The letter quotes Polycarp, the proconsul, the crowd, Herod and Nicetes, a heavenly voice, and a herald. The church collected his bones and resolved to commemorate his martyrdom annually.

New English from the Greek base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Kirsopp Lake The Apostolic Fathers London William Heinemann Ltd. New York G.P. Putnam's Sons 1917 (Greek)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.