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THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS OF SAINT POLYCARP, BISHOP OF SMYRNA AND HOLY MARTYR 1m.OLyeARP AND the Presbyters who are with him to the£7 Church of God dwelling at Philippi; may mercy and peace be richly increased in you from God Almighty and Jesus Christ our Saviour. Chapter 1 1 I greatly rejoice with you in our Lord Jesus Christ for having followed the pattern of true charity and for having escorted, as far as you could, those who were chained in saintly bonds; for they are the jewels of those who have been truly chosen by God and our Lord. 2 And I rejoice because the firm root of your faith, famous in times past, still flourishes and bears fruit unto our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sins endured to face even death. 'Whom God had raised up, having broken the pangs of HelI.'l 3 In Him, 'though you see him not, you believe with unspeakable glorious joy,'2 to which joy many desire to come, knowing that 'by grace you are saved, not through works,' but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.3 1 Acts 2.24. This is the earliest recorded quotation of the Acts of the Apostles. 2 I Pet. I.B. 3 Eph. 2.B. 135 136 SAINT POLYCARP Chapter 2 1 'Wherefore, girding up your loins, serve God in fear'! and in truth; abandon empty vanity and the waywardness of the crowd, 'believing in Him who raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and gave Him glory,'Z and a throne at His right hand. 'To Him are subject all things in Heaven and on earth,' Him every breath serves and He will come as 'the judge of the living and of the dead and His blood God will require from them who disobey Him.'3 2 Now 'He who raised him' from the dead 'will also raise US,'4 if we do His will and advance in His commandments and love what He loved, abstaining from all injustice, covetousness, love of money, slander, false witness, 'not rendering evil for evil, nor abuse for abuse's or blow for blow, or curse for curse. 3 No! Remember what the Lord said when he taught: 'Judge not, that you may not be judged. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven . Be merciful, that you may obtain mercy. With what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you in returno's And again: 'Blessed are the poor, and they who are persecuted for justice' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Godo'7 Chapter 3 1 Brethren, I write you this concerning righteousness, not on my own initiative, but because you first invited me. 2 For neither I, nor anyone like me, is able t-o rival the wisdom of I I Pet. 1.3. 2 I Pet. 1.21. 3 Acts 10.42. 4 2 Cor. 4.'14. 5 1 Pet. 3.9. 6 Matt. 7.1-2: Luke 6.36-38. 7 Malt. 5.3,10. TO THE PHILIPPIANS 137 the blessed and glorious Paul, who, when living among you, carefully and steadfastly taught the word of truth face to face with his contemporaries and, when he was absent, wrote you letters. By the careful perusal of his letters you will be able to strengthen yourselves in the faith given to you, 3 'which is the mother of us all,'! with hope following and charity leading, charity toward God and Christ and our neighbor. For, if a person remain with these, he has fulfilled the commandment of righteousness; for he who has charity is far from all sin. Chapter 4 1 Now the beginning of all difficulties is love of money.! Since we know then that 'we have brought nothing into this world, and can take nothing out of it either,'2 let us ann ourselves with the armor of righteousness and learn first to advance in the commandment of the Lord. 2 Then let us teach our wives to remain in the faith taught them and in charity and purity to cherish their husbands in all truth, loving all others impartially in complete chastity, and to bring up their children in the fear of God. 3 Teach the widows to be prudent in the faith of the Lord, and to pray without ceasing for all, to keep far from all calumny, slander, false witness, love of money and every evil, knowing that .they are an altar...
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