Greeting 

1 Polycarp and the Elders with him to the Church of God sojourning in Philippi; mercy and
peace from God Almighty and Jesus Christ our Saviour be multiplied to you. 

CHAPTER 1 

The hospitality of the Philippians -- Their faith 

1 I rejoice greatly with you in our Lord Jesus Christ that you have followed the pattern of
true love, and have helped on their way, as opportunity was given you, those who were
bound in chains, which become the saints, and are the diadems of those who have been truly
chosen by God and our Lord. 2 I rejoice also that your firmly rooted faith, which was
famous in past years, still flourishes and bears fruit unto our Lord Jesus Christ, who endured
for our sins, even to the suffering of death, "whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of
Hades, 3 in whom, though you did not see him, you believed in unspeakable and glorified
joy," -- into which joy many desire to come, knowing that "by grace ye are saved, not by
works" but by the will of God through Jesus Christ. 

CHAPTER 2 

Exhortation to virtue -- The hope of resurrection -- The Lord's Teaching 

1 "Wherefore girding up your loins serve God in fear" and truth, putting aside empty vanity
and vulgar error, "believing on him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and
gave him glory," and a throne on his right hand, "to whom are subject all things in heaven
and earth," whom all breath serves, who is coming as "the Judge of the living and of the
dead," whose blood God will require from them who disobey him. 2 Now "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, refraining from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love
of money, evil speaking, false witness, "rendering not evil for evil, or railing for railing," or
blow for blow, or curse for curse, 3 but remembering what the Lord taught when he said,
"Judge not that ye be not judged, forgive and it shall be forgiven unto you, be merciful that
ye may obtain mercy, with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again," and,
"Blessed are the poor, and they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the
Kingdom of God." 

CHAPTER 3 

Polycarp's reason for writing: the invitation ofthe Philippians 

1 These things, brethren, I write to you concerning righteousness, not at my own instance, but
because you first invited me. 2 For neither am I, nor is any other like me, able to follow the
wisdom of the blessed and glorious Paul, who when he was among you in the presence of
the men of that time taught accurately and stedfastly the word of truth, and also when he was
absent wrote letters to you, from the study of which you will be able to build yourselves up
into the faith given you; 3 "which is the mother of us all" when faith follows, and love of
God and Christ and neighbour goes before. For if one be in this company he has fulfilled the
command of righteousness, for he who has love is far from all sin. 

CHAPTER 4 

Exhortations to virtue 

1 "But the beginning of all evils is the love of money." Knowing therefore that "we brought
nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it," let us arm ourselves with the
armour of righteousness, and let us first of all teach ourselves to walk in the commandment
of the Lord; 2 next teach our wives to remain in the faith given to them, and in love and
purity, tenderly loving their husbands in all truth, and loving all others equally in all
chastity, and to educate their children in the fear of God. 3 Let us teach the widows to be
discreet in the faith of the Lord, praying ceaselessly for all men, being far from all slander,
evil speaking, false witness, love of money, and all evil, knowing that they are the altar of
God, and that all offerings are tested, and that nothing escapes him of reasonings or thoughts,
or of "the secret things of the heart." 

CHAPTER 5 

Christian obligations to a virtuous life 

1 Knowing then that "God is not mocked," we ought to walk worthily of his commandment
and glory. 2 Likewise must the deacons be blameless before his righteousness, as the
servants of God and Christ and not of man, not slanderers, not double-tongued, not lovers of
money, temperate in all things, compassionate, careful, walking according to the truth of the
Lord, who was the "servant of all." For if we please him in this present world we shall
receive from him that which is to come; even as he promised us to raise us from the dead,
and that if we are worthy citizens of his community, "we shall also reign with him," if we
have but faith. 3 Likewise also let the younger men be blameless in all things; caring above
all for purity, and curbing themselves from all evil; for it is good to be cut off from the lust
of the things in the world, because "every lust warreth against the Spirit, and neither
fornicators nor the effeminate nor sodomites shall inherit the Kingdom of God," nor they
who do iniquitous things. Wherefore it is necessary to refrain from all these things, and to be
subject to the presbyters and deacons as to God and Christ. The virgins must walk with a
blameless and pure conscience. 


CHAPTER 6 

The duties of the presbyters -- Forgiveness -- The service of God 

1 And let the presbyters also be compassionate, merciful to all, bringing back those that
have wandered, caring for all the weak, neglecting neither widow nor orphan nor poor, but
"ever providing for that which is good before God and man," refraining from all wrath,
respect of persons, unjust judgment, being far from all love of money, not quickly believing
evil of any, not hasty in judgment, knowing that "we all owe the debt of sin."1 2 If then we
pray the Lord to forgive us, we also ought to forgive, for we stand before the eyes of the
Lord and of God, and "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and each must
give an account of himself." 3 So then "let us serve him with fear and all reverence," as he
himself commanded us, and as did the Apostles, who brought us the Gospel, and the
Prophets who foretold the coming of our Lord. Let us be zealous for good, refraining from
offence, and from the false brethren, and from those who bear the name of the Lord in
hypocrisy, who deceive empty-minded men. 


1 The introductory formula "knowing that" renders it probable that these words are a
quotation, but the source is unknown. 

CHAPTER 7 

Warning against heresy 

1 "For everyone who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is an
anti-Christ"; and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the Cross is of the devil: and
whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord for his own lusts, and says that there is neither
resurrection nor judgment, -- this man is the first-born of Satan.1 2 Wherefore, leaving the
foolishness of the crowd, and their false teaching, let us turn back to the word which was
delivered to us in the beginning, "watching unto prayer" and persevering in fasting,
beseeching the all-seeing God in our supplications "to lead us not into temptation," even as
the Lord said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." 


1 This phrase, according to Irenaeus (Adv. Haer. 3/3:4) was applied, presumably later, by
Polycarp to Marcion. 

CHAPTER 8 

Perseverance 

1 Let us then persevere unceasingly in our hope, and in the pledge of our righteousness, that
is in Christ Jesus, "who bare our sins in his own body on the tree, who did no sin, neither
was guile found in his mouth," but for our sakes, that we might live in him, he endured all
things. 2 Let us then be imitators of his endurance, and if we suffer for his name's sake let us
glorify him. For this is the example which he gave us in himself, and this is what we have
believed. 

CHAPTER 9 

The examples of the martyrs 

1 Now I beseech you all to obey the word of righteousness, and to endure with all the
endurance which you also saw before your eyes, not only in the blessed Ignatius, and
Zosimus, and Rufus, but also in others among yourselves, and in Paul himself, and in the
other Apostles; 2 being persuaded that all of these "ran not in vain," but in faith and
righteousness, and that they are with the Lord in the "place which is their due," with whom
they also suffered. For they did not "love this present world" but him who died on our
behalf, and was raised by God for our sakes. 

CHAPTER 10 

Perseverance in philanthropy and good works 

1 Stand fast therefore in these things and follow the example of the Lord, "firm and
unchangeable in faith, loving the brotherhood, affectionate to one another," joined together in
the truth, forestalling one another in the gentleness of the Lord, despising no man. 2 When
you can do good defer it not, "for almsgiving sets free from death; be ye all subject one to
the other, having your conversation blameless among the Gentiles," that you may receive
praise "for your good works" and that the Lord be not blasphemed in you. 3 "But woe to him
through whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed." Therefore teach sobriety to all and
show it forth in your own lives. 

CHAPTER 11 

Valens -- Against avrice -- The treatment ofValens 

1 I am deeply sorry for Valens, who was once made a presbyter among you, that he so little
understands the place which was given to him. I advise, therefore, that you keep from
avarice, and be pure and truthful. Keep yourselves from all evil. 2 For how may he who
cannot attain self-control in these matters enjoin it on another? If any man does not abstain
from avarice he will be defiled by idolatry, and shall be judged as if he were among the
Gentiles who "know not the judgment of God." Or do we "not know that the saints shall
judge the world?" as Paul teaches. 3 But I have neither perceived nor heard any such thing
among you, among whom the blessed Paul laboured, who are praised in the beginning of his
Epistle.1 For concerning you he boasts in all the Churches who then alone had known the
Lord, for we had not yet known him. 4 Therefore, brethren, I am deeply sorry for him [i.e.
Valens] and for his wife, and "may the Lord grant them true repentance." Therefore be
yourselves also moderate in this matter, and "do not regard such men as enemies," but call
them back as fallible and straying members, that you may make whole the body of you all.
For in doing this you edify yourselves. 


1 The Greek was perhaps  'tois ousin en arche epistolais autou', and ought to be rendered
"who were his epistles in the beginning," with a reference to 2 Cor. 3:2. 

CHAPTER 12 

The need of forgiveness -- Prayer for blessing 

1 For I am confident that you are well versed in the Scriptures,1 and from you nothing is hid;
but to me this is not granted. Only, as it is said in these Scriptures, "Be ye angry and sin not,"
and "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Blessed is the man who remembers this, and
I believe that it is so with you. 2 Now may God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
the "eternal Priest" himself, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, build you up in faith and truth, and
in all gentleness, and without wrath, and in patience, and in longsuffering, and endurance,
and purity, and may he give you lot and part with his saints, and to us with you, and to all
under heaven who shall believe in our Lord and God Jesus Christ and in his "Father who
raised him from the dead." 3 "Pray for all the saints. Pray also for the Emperors,"2 and for
potentates, and princes, and for "those who persecute you and hate you," and for "the
enemies of the Cross" that "your fruit may be manifest among all men, that you may be
perfected" in him. 


1 Probably this ought to be regarded as a quotation from the letter of the Philippians to
Polycarp. 

2 "Pro regibus' is no doubt a translation of 'huper basileon' and 'basileus' is regularly
used as the title of the Emperor.

CHAPTER 13 

Ignatius and the Church in Syria 

1 Both you and Ignatius wrote to me that if anyone was going to Syria he should also take
your letters. I will do this if I have a convenient opportunity, either myself or the man whom
I am sending as a representative for you and me. 2 We send you, as you asked, the letters of
Ignatius, which were sent to us by him, and others which we had by us. These are subjoined
to this letter, and you will be able to benefit greatly from them. For they contain faith,
patience, and all the edification which pertains to our Lord. Let us know anything further
which you have heard about Ignatius himself and those who are with him. 

CHAPTER 14 

Final greetings 

1 I have written this to you by Crescens, whom I commended to you when I was present, and
now commend again. For he has behaved blamelessly among us, and I believe that he will
do the same with you. His sister shall be commended to you when she comes to you.
Farewell in the Lord Jesus Christ in grace, with all who are yours. Amen.

Return to Main Page	Return to Church Fathers