Early Church Documents Polycarp
THE EPISTLE OF POLYCARP
Polycarp and the presbyters that are with him unto the Church of God
which sojourneth at Philippi; mercy unto you and peace from God
Almighty and Jesus Christ our Savior be multiplied.
I rejoiced with you greatly in our Lord Jesus Christ, for that ye
received the followers of the true Love and escorted them on their way,
as befitted you--those men encircled in saintly bonds which are the
diadems of them that be truly chosen of God and our Lord; and that the
steadfast root of your faith which was famed from primitive times
abideth until now and beareth fruit unto our Lord Jesus Christ, who
endured to face even death for our sins, whom God raised, having loosed
the pangs of Hades; on whom, though ye saw Him not, ye believe with joy
unutterable and full of glory; unto which joy many desire to enter in;
forasmuch as ye know that it is by grace ye are saved, not of works,
but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.
Wherefore gird up your loins and serve God in fear and truth,
forsaking the vain and empty talking and the error of the many, for
that ye have believed on Him that raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the
dead and gave unto him glory and a throne on His right hand; unto whom
all things were made subject that are in heaven and that are on the
earth; to whom every creature that hath breath doeth service; who
cometh as judge of quick and dead; whose blood God will require of them
that are disobedient unto Him. Now He that raised Him from the dead
will raise us also; if we do His will and walk in His commandments and
love the things which He loved, abstaining from all unrighteousness,
covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, false witness; not
rendering evil for evil or railing for railing or blow for blow or
cursing for cursing; but remembering the words which the Lord spake, as
He taught; Judge not that ye be not judged. Forgive, and it shall be
forgiven to you. Have mercy that ye may receive mercy. With what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again; and again Blessed
are the poor and they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of God.
These things, brethren, I write unto you concerning righteousness,
not because I laid this charge upon myself, but because ye invited me.
For neither am I, nor is any other like unto me, able to follow the
wisdom of the blessed and glorious Paul, who when he came among you
taught face to face with the men of that day the word which concerneth
truth carefully and surely; who also, when he was absent, wrote a
letter unto you, into the which if ye look diligently, ye shall be able
to be builded up unto the faith given to you, which is the mother of us
all, while hope followeth after and love goeth before--love toward God
and Christ and toward our neighbor. For if any man be occupied with
these, he hath fulfilled the commandment of righteousness; for he that
hath love is far from all sin.
But the love of money is the beginning of all troubles. Knowing
therefore that we brought nothing into the world neither can we carry
anything out, let us arm ourselves with the armor of righteousness, and
let us teach ourselves first to walk in the commandment of the Lord;
and then our wives also, to walk in the faith that hath been given unto
them and in love and purity, cherishing their own husbands in all truth
and loving all men equally in all chastity, and to train their children
in the training of the fear of God. Our widows must be sober-minded as
touching the faith of the Lord, making intercession without ceasing for
all men, abstaining from all calumny, evil speaking, false witness,
love of money, and every evil thing, knowing that they are God's altar,
and that all sacrifices are carefully inspected, and nothing escapeth
Him either of their thoughts or intents or any of the secret things of
the heart.
Knowing then that God is not mocked, we ought to walk worthily of
His commandment and His glory. In like manner deacons should be
blameless in the presence of His righteousness, as deacons of God and
Christ and not of men; not calumniators, not double-tongued, not lovers
of money, temperate in all things, compassionate, diligent, walking
according to the truth of the Lord who became a minister (deacon) of
all. For if we be well pleasing unto Him in this present world, we
shall receive the future world also, according as He promised us to
raise us from the dead, and that if we conduct ourselves worthily of
Him we shall also reign with Him, if indeed we have faith. In like
manner also the younger men must be blameless in all things, caring for
purity before everything and curbing themselves from every evil. For it
is a good thing to refrain from lusts in the world, for every lust
warreth against the Spirit, and neither whoremongers nor effeminate
persons nor defilers of themselves with men shall inherit the kingdom
of God, neither they that do untoward things. Wherefore it is right to
abstain from all these things, submitting yourselves to the presbyters
and deacons as to God and Christ. The virgins must walk in a blameless
and pure conscience.
And the presbyters also must be compassionate, merciful towards all
men, turning back the sheep that are gone astray, visiting all the
infirm, not neglecting a widow or an orphan or a poor man: but
providing always for that which is honorable in the sight of God and of
men, abstaining from all anger, respect of persons, unrighteous
judgment, being far from all love of money, not quick to believe
anything against any man, not hasty in judgment, knowing that we all
are debtors of sin. If then we entreat the Lord that He would forgive
us, we also ought to forgive: for we are before the eyes of our Lord
and God, and we must all stand at the judgment-seat of Christ, and
each man must give an account of himself. Let us therefore so serve Him
with fear and all reverence, as He himself gave commandment and the
Apostles who preached the Gospel to us and the prophets who proclaimed
beforehand the coming of our Lord; being zealous as touching that which
is good, abstaining from offenses and from the false brethren and from
them that bear the name of the Lord in hypocrisy, who lead foolish men
astray.
For every one who shall not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh, is antichrist: and whosoever shall not confess the testimony of
the Cross, is of the devil; and whosoever shall pervert the oracles of
the Lord to his own lusts and say that there is neither resurrection
nor judgment, that man is the firstborn of Satan. Wherefore let us
forsake the vain doing of the many and their false teachings, and turn
unto the word which was delivered unto us from the beginning, being
sober unto prayer and constant in fastings, entreating the all-seeing
God with supplications that He bring us not into temptation, according
as the Lord said, The Spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.
Let us therefore without ceasing hold fast by our hope and by the
earnest of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ who took up our
sins in His own body upon the tree, who did no sin, neither was guile
found in His mouth, but for our sakes He endured all things, that we
might live in Him. Let us therefore become imitators of His endurance;
and if we should suffer for His name's sake, let us glorify Him. For He
gave this example to us in His own person, and we believed this.
I exhort you all therefore to be obedient unto the word of
righteousness and to practice all endurance, which also ye saw with
your own eyes in the blessed Ignatius and Zosimus and Rufus, yea and in
others also who came from among yourselves, as well as in Paul himself
and the rest of the Apostles; being persuaded that all these ran not in
vain but in faith and righteousness, and that they are in their due
place in the presence of the Lord, with whom also they suffered. For
they loved not the present world, but Him that died for our sakes and
was raised by God for us.
Stand fast therefore in these things and follow the example of the
Lord, being firm in the faith and immovable, in love of the brotherhood
kindly affectioned one to another, partners with the truth,
forestalling one another in the gentleness of the Lord, despising no
man. When ye are able to do good, defer it not, for Pitifulness
delivereth from death. Be ye all subject one to another, having your
conversation unblamable among the gentiles, that your good works both
ye may receive praise and the Lord may not be blasphemed in you. But
woe to him through whom the name of the Lord be blasphemed. Therefore
teach all men soberness, in which ye yourselves also walk.
I was exceedingly grieved for Valens, who aforetime was a presbyter
among you, because he is so ignorant of the office which was given unto
him. I warn you therefore that ye refrain from covetousness, and that
ye be pure and truthful. Refrain from all evil. But he who cannot
govern himself in these things, how doth he enjoin this upon another?
If a man refrain not from covetousness, he shall be defiled by
idolatry, and shall be judged as one of the Gentiles who know not the
judgment of the Lord, Nay, know we not, that the saints shall judge the
world, as Paul teacheth? But I have not found any such thing in you,
neither have heard thereof, among whom the blessed Paul labored, who
were his letters in the beginning. For he boasteth of you in all those
churches which alone at that time knew God; for we knew Him not as yet.
Therefore I am exceedingly grieved for him and for his wife, unto whom
may the Lord grant true repentance. Be ye therefore yourselves also
sober herein, and hold not such as enemies but restore them as frail
and erring members, that ye may save the whole body of you. For so
doing, ye do edify one another.
For I am persuaded that ye are well trained in the sacred writings,
and nothing is hidden from you. But to myself this is not granted.
Only, as it is said in these scriptures, Be ye angry and sin not, and
Let not the sun set on your wrath. Blessed is he that remembereth this;
and I trust that this is in you. 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 avoidance of wrath and in forbearance and long suffering and in
patient endurance and in purity; and may He grant unto you a lot and
portion among His saints, and to us with you, and to all that are under
heaven, who shall believe on our Lord and God Jesus Christ and on His
Father that raised him from the dead. Pray for all the saints. Pray
also for kings and powers and princes and for them that persecute and
hate you and for the enemies of the cross, that your fruit may be
manifest among all men, that ye may be perfect in Him. Ye wrote to me,
both ye yourselves and Ignatius, asking that if any one should go to
Syria he might carry thither the letters from you. And this I will do,
if I get a fit opportunity, either I myself, or he whom I shall send to
be ambassador on your behalf also. The letters of Ignatius which were
sent to us by him, and others as many as we had by us, we send unto
you, according as ye gave charge; the which are subjoined to this
letter; from which ye will be able to gain great advantage. For they
comprise faith and endurance and every kind of edification, which
pertaineth unto our Lord. Moreover concerning Ignatius himself and
those that were with him, if ye have any sure tidings, certify us. I
write these things to you by Crescens, whom I commended to you recently
and now commend unto you: for he hath walked blamelessly with us; and I
believe also with you in like manner. But ye shall have his sister
commended, when she shall come to you. Fare ye well in the Lord Jesus
Christ in grace, ye and all yours. Amen.
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