To the Philippians

Polycarp and the presbyters with him, to the church of God that sojourns at Philippi: may mercy and peace from God Almighty and Jesus Christ our Savior be multiplied to you.

I rejoiced greatly with you in our Lord Jesus Christ, because you welcomed the copies of true love and sent them on their way, as was fitting for you: those bound in the chains that befit the saints, which are the diadems of those truly chosen by God and our Lord;

and because the firm root of your faith, proclaimed from ancient times, remains to this day and bears fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sins endured to come even to death, “whom God raised, having loosed the pangs of Hades.”

In him, though you have not seen him, you believe with joy inexpressible and full of glory, a joy into which many long to enter, knowing that “by grace you have been saved, not by works,” but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.

“Therefore gird up your loins” and “serve God in fear” and truth, leaving behind empty, idle talk and the error of the many, “believing in him who raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and gave him glory” and a throne at his right hand; to whom all things in heaven and on earth were made subject, whom every breath serves, who is coming as judge of the living and the dead, whose blood God will require of those who disobey him.

But he who raised him from the dead will raise us also, if we do his will and walk in his commandments and love what he loved, keeping away from all unrighteousness, greed, love of money, slander, false witness, “not repaying evil for evil or abuse for abuse,” or blow for blow, or curse for curse,

but remembering what the Lord said when he taught: “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged; forgive, and you will be forgiven; show mercy, so that you may be shown mercy; with the measure you measure, it will be measured back to you”; and, “Blessed are the poor and those persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”

I am writing these things to you about righteousness, brothers, not on my own initiative, but because you first invited me to.

For neither I nor anyone else like me can keep pace with the wisdom of the blessed and glorious Paul, who, when he was among you, taught the word of truth accurately and firmly face to face with the people of that time, and who also, when he was absent, wrote you letters; if you study them closely, you will be able to be built up in the faith that has been given to you,

“which is the mother of us all,” while hope follows and love leads the way: love toward God and Christ and toward our neighbor. For if anyone is occupied with these, he has fulfilled the commandment of righteousness; for whoever has 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, and neither can we take anything out,” let us arm ourselves with “the weapons of righteousness,” and let us teach ourselves first to walk in the commandment of the Lord;

then also our wives, to walk in the faith given to them and in love and purity, cherishing their own husbands in all faithfulness and loving all others equally in all self-control, and to train their children in the discipline of the fear of God;

[let us teach] the widows to be sensible about the faith of the Lord, to pray unceasingly for everyone, to be far from all slander, evil-speaking, false witness, love of money, and every evil, knowing that they are God's altar, and that everything is inspected for blemishes, and that nothing escapes him, whether of thoughts or intentions or any of the secrets of the heart.

Knowing, then, that “God is not mocked,” we ought to walk worthily of his commandment and glory.

Likewise the deacons must be blameless before his righteousness, as deacons of God and Christ and not of men: not slanderers, not double-tongued, not lovers of money, self-controlled in all things, compassionate, diligent, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who became “servant of all.” If we please him in the present age, we will also receive the age to come, just as he promised to raise us from the dead and that, if we conduct ourselves worthily of him, “we will also reign with him,” if indeed we believe.

Likewise the younger men must be blameless in all things, caring above all for purity and reining themselves in from every evil. For it is good to be cut off from the desires in the world, because every desire “wages war against the Spirit,” and “neither the sexually immoral nor the effeminate nor men who have sex with men will inherit the kingdom of God,” nor those who do perverse things. Therefore it is necessary to keep away from all these things, being subject to the presbyters and deacons as to God and Christ. The virgins must walk with a blameless and pure conscience.

And the presbyters too must be compassionate, merciful to all, turning back those who have gone astray, visiting all the sick, not neglecting a widow or orphan or poor person, but always “taking thought for what is good before God and men,” refraining from all anger, partiality, and unjust judgment, keeping far from all love of money, not quick to believe anything against anyone, not severe in judgment, knowing that we are all debtors because of sin.

If then we ask the Lord to forgive us, we too ought to forgive; for we are before the eyes of the Lord and God, and “we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ,” and “each must give an account of himself.”

So then let us serve him with fear and all reverence, just as he himself commanded, and the apostles who preached the gospel to us, and the prophets who announced beforehand the coming of our Lord; being zealous for what is good, keeping away from occasions of stumbling and from false brothers and from those who bear the name of the Lord in hypocrisy, who lead empty-headed people astray.

For “everyone who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is antichrist”; and whoever does not confess the testimony of the cross “is of the devil”; and whoever twists the sayings of the Lord to suit his own desires and says there is neither resurrection nor judgment, this one is the firstborn of Satan.

Therefore, leaving behind the futility of the many and their false teachings, let us return to the word handed down to us from the beginning, being watchful in prayer and persevering in fasting, asking the all-seeing God in our petitions “not to bring us into temptation,” just as the Lord said: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Let us therefore hold fast unceasingly to our hope and to the pledge of our righteousness, who is Christ Jesus, “who bore our sins in his own body on the tree,” “who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth”; but for our sake, so that we might live in him, he endured everything.

Let us then become imitators of his endurance, and if we suffer for his name, let us glorify him. For this is the example he set for us in his own person, and this is what we have believed.

I urge all of you, therefore, to obey the word of righteousness and to practice all endurance, which you saw with your own eyes not only in the blessed Ignatius and Zosimus and Rufus, but also in others from among you, and in Paul himself and the rest of the apostles;

being convinced that all these “did not run in vain,” but in faith and righteousness, and that they are in the place due to them with the Lord, with whom they also suffered. For they did not love the present age, but him who died for our sake and was raised by God for us.

Stand fast, then, in these things and follow the example of the Lord, firm in faith and unchangeable, lovers of the brotherhood, loving one another, united in the truth, deferring to one another in the gentleness of the Lord, despising no one.

When you are able to do good, do not put it off, because “almsgiving delivers from death.” All of you be subject to one another, “keeping your conduct blameless among the Gentiles,” so that from your good works both you may receive praise and the Lord may not be blasphemed because of you.

But woe to him through whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed! Teach sobriety, therefore, to all, and live in it yourselves.

I am deeply grieved for Valens, who was once made a presbyter among you, that he so fails to understand the office that was given him. I warn you, therefore, to keep away from greed, and to be pure and truthful. Keep away from every evil.

But how can someone who cannot govern himself in these matters preach this to another? If anyone does not keep away from greed, he will be defiled by idolatry and judged as one of the Gentiles, “who do not know the judgment of the Lord.” Or do we not know that “the saints will judge the world,” as Paul teaches?

But I have not observed or heard of anything of the kind among you, among whom the blessed Paul labored, and who are [praised] at the beginning of his letter. For he boasts about you in all the churches, which alone knew the Lord at that time; we did not yet know him.

I am therefore very sorry, brothers, for him and for his wife; may the Lord grant them true repentance. So you too must be sober in this matter: do not regard such people as enemies, but call them back as suffering and straying members, so that you may save the body of you all. For by doing this you build up yourselves.

For I am confident that you are well trained in the sacred writings, and nothing is hidden from you; but to me this has not been granted. Only, as it is said in these scriptures, “Be angry and do not sin,” and “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Blessed is the one who remembers this; and I believe that it is so with 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 without anger, and in patience and forbearance and endurance and purity; and may he give you a lot and share among his saints, and to us with you, and to all under heaven who will believe in our Lord and God Jesus Christ and in his Father, who raised him from the dead.

Pray for all the saints. Pray also for kings and authorities and rulers, and for those who persecute and hate you, and for the enemies of the cross, so that your fruit may be evident among all, and you may be perfect in him.

Both you and Ignatius wrote to me that if anyone is going to Syria, he should also take along your letter. I will do this if I find a suitable opportunity, either myself or someone I send as an envoy on your behalf as well.

The letters of Ignatius that he sent to us, and the others that we had with us, we have sent to you, as you requested; they are attached to this letter. You will be able to benefit greatly from them, for they contain faith and endurance and all the edification that pertains to our Lord. [Latin only:] And let us know whatever you learn more certainly about Ignatius himself and those who are with him.

I have written these things to you through Crescens, whom I recently commended to you and now commend again. For he has conducted himself blamelessly among us, and I believe he will do the same among you. And you will regard his sister as commended to you when she comes to you. Farewell in the Lord Jesus Christ, in grace, with all who are yours. Amen.