Polycarp to the Philippians · §9 · Polycarp of Smyrna

Imitate the endurance you saw in the martyrs and apostles

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Polycarp is urging the Philippians to obey the word of righteousness and to practice endurance, pointing to the examples of Ignatius, Zosimus, Rufus, Paul, and the other apostles.

So I urge all of you: obey the word of righteousness and practice every kind of endurance. You saw this endurance with your own eyes, not only in the blessed Ignatius, Zosimus, and Rufus, but also in others from among you, and in Paul himself and the rest of the apostles.

Be persuaded that none of these ran in vain. They ran in faith and righteousness, and they are now in the place owed to them, beside the Lord with whom they also suffered. For they did not love this present age. They loved the one who died for us and was raised by God for our sake.

Greek

Παρακαλῶ οὖν πάντας ὑμᾶς, πειθαρχεῖν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἀσκεῖν πᾶσαν ὑπομονήν, ἣν καὶ εἴδατε κατ’ ὀφθαλμοὺς οὐ μόνον ἐν τοῖς μακαρίοις Ἰγνατίῳ καὶ Ζωσίμῳ καὶ Ῥούφῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις τοῖς ἐξ ὑμῶν καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀποστόλοις:

πεπεισμένους ὅτι οὗτοι πάντες οὐκ εἰς κενὸν ἔδραμον, ἀλλ’ ἐν πίστει καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ὅτι εἰς τὸν ὀφειλόμενον αὐτοῖς τόπον εἰσὶ παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ, ᾧ καὶ συνέπαθον. οὐ γὰρ τὸν νῦν ἠγάπησαν αἰῶνα, ἀλλὰ τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀποθανόντα καὶ δἰ ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναστάντα.

About this text

Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, writes to the church at Philippi on righteousness, on Ignatius and his companions, and on the fall of the elder Valens.

Polycarp of Smyrna (fl. c. 155), bishop of Smyrna, wrote this letter with his fellow elders to the church of God that sojourns at Philippi.

The letter opens by rejoicing that the Philippians welcomed Ignatius and his fellow prisoners and that their faith remains fruitful. Polycarp urges them to serve God in fear and truth, imitate Christ's endurance, and practice righteousness in every station of life: wives, widows, deacons, young men, virgins, and elders. He warns against love of money, false teachings, and those who deny Christ's coming in the flesh or the resurrection and judgment.

He calls the Philippians to follow the examples of Paul, Ignatius, and other martyrs, and to restore gently those who have fallen, especially Valens and his wife. The letter closes with a prayer, a promise to forward their letters to Syria, and a commendation of Crescens.

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

Printed text used

Translated from Polycarp Kirsopp Lake The Apostolic Fathers William Heinemann Harvard University Press London Cambridge, MA 1912 1 (Greek)
Also checked Lake 1912, The Apostolic Fathers I ( scan apostolicfathers01lake, machine-read text djvu.txt excerpt: Polycarp to the Philippians 9-14) (Latin · control witness for the Latin of 10 14 (public domain))
Also checked Lake 1912/1919, The Apostolic Fathers I ( scan TheApostolicFathersV1, machine-read text djvu.txt excerpt: Polycarp to the Philippians 9-14) (Latin · control witness for the Latin of 10 14 (public domain))

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