Polycarp AD 69 – 155 was a epískopos -- Christian Christian leader of Smyrna. epískopos in greek and episcopus in Latin and vescovo in Italian.
Bishop is an English Catholic term….Polycarp was not Catholic. And if you told him to go see the Pope he would not know what you were taking about ….person, place, or thing. No central Christian authority at this time.
According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed to death when the fire failed to consume his body.
Polycarp is regarded as a saint and Church Father by the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches.
Both Irenaeus and Tertullian said that Polycarp had been a disciple of John the Apostle. In “On Illustrious Men” St. Jerome also writes that Polycarp was a disciple of John the Apostle and that John had ordained him as the epískopos of Smyrna. He was also well versed on the teachings of the Apostle Paul. Polycarp is regarded as one of three early Apostolic Fathers, along with Clement of Rome 35/ 99 AD and Ignatius of Antioch 108/140 AD.
I am presenting this as an example of early Gentile Christian writings. There is not going to be a test, basically it is to give a feeling of the era at the turn of the 1st century and what was on their minds. And of course it will lead to other topics.
Polycarp discusses the sins of Valens…..He appeared to have been a wishy washy Roman Christian that was dishonest?
It’s a little rough so here is the site…
The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians
Polycarp, and the elders with him, to the Church of God sojourning at Philippi: Mercy to you, and peace from God Almighty, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, be multiplied.
Chapter 1 Praise of the Philippians
¹I have greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, because ye have followed the example of true love [as displayed by God], and have accompanied, as became you, those who were bound in chains, the fitting ornaments of saints, and which are indeed the diadems of the true elect of God and our Lord; ²and because the strong root of your faith, spoken of in days long gone by, endures even until now, and brings forth fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sins suffered even unto death, [but] “whom God raised from the dead, having loosed the bands of the grave.” ³“In whom, though now ye see Him not, ye believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory;" into which joy many desire.
Chapter 2 An Exhortation to Virtue
¹“Wherefore, girding up your loins,” “serve the Lord in fear” and truth, as those who have forsaken the vain, empty talk and error of the multitude, and “believed in Him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and gave Him glory,” and a throne at His right hand. To Him all things” in heaven and on earth are subject. Him every spirit serves. He comes as the Judge of the living and the dead. His blood will God require of those who do not believe in Him.
²But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise up us also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved, keeping ourselves 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, ³but being mindful of what the Lord said in His teaching: “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 measure out, it shall be measured to you again; and once more, “Blessed are the poor, and those that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”
Chapter 3 Expressions of Personal Unworthiness
¹These things, brethren, I write to you concerning righteousness, not because I take anything upon myself, but because ye have invited me to do so. ²For neither I, nor any other such one, can come up to the wisdom of the blessed and glorified Paul. He, when among you, accurately and steadfastly taught the word of truth in the presence of those who were then alive. And when absent from you, he wrote you letters, which, if you carefully study, you will find to be the means of building you up in that faith ³which has been given you, and which, being followed by hope, and preceded by love towards God, and Christ, and our neighbor, “is the mother of us all.” For if any one be inwardly possessed of these graces, he hath fulfilled the command of righteousness, since he that hath love is far from all sin.
Chapter 4 Various Exhortations
¹ “But the love of money is the root of all evils.” Knowing, therefore, that “as we brought nothing into the world, so we can carry nothing out,” let us arm ourselves with the armor of righteousness; and let us teach, first of all, ourselves to walk in the commandments of the Lord. ²Next, [teach] your wives [to walk] in the faith given to them, and in love and purity tenderly loving their own husbands in all truth, and loving all [others] equally in all chastity; and to train up their children in the knowledge and fear of God.
³Teach the widows to be discreet as respects the faith of the Lord, praying continually for all, being far from all slandering, evil-speaking, false-witnessing, love of money, and every kind of evil; knowing that they are the altars of God, that He clearly perceives all things, and that nothing is hidden from Him, neither reasonings, nor reflections, nor any one of the secret things of the heart.
Chapter 5 The Duties of Deacons, Youths, and Virgins
¹ Knowing, then, that “God is not mocked,” we ought to walk worthy of His commandment and glory. ²In like manner should the deacons be blameless before the face of His righteousness, as being the servants of God and Christ, and not of men. They must not be slanderers, two-faced, or lovers of money, but temperate in all things, compassionate, industrious, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who was the servant of all. If we please Him in this present world, we shall receive also the future world, according as He has promised to us that He will raise us again from the dead, and that if we live worthily of Him, “we shall also reign together with Him,” provided only we believe.
³In like manner, let the young men also be blameless in all things, being especially careful to preserve purity, and keeping themselves in, as with a bridle, from every kind of evil. For it is well that they should be cut off from the lusts that are in the world, since “every lust warreth against the spirit; “ and “neither fornicators, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of God,” nor those who do things inconsistent and unbecoming. Wherefore, it is needful to abstain from all these things, being subject to the presbyters and deacons, as unto God and Christ. The virgins also must walk in a blameless and pure conscience.
Continued.....
