St. Polycarp of Smyrna
Home > Church Fathers > St. Polycarp of Smyrna St. Polycarp of Smyrna At a Glance Letter Genre: (4/5) **** Reliability of Dating: (2/5) ** Length of Text: Greek Original Language: Ancient Translations: Modern Translations: English Estimated Range of Dating: 110-140 A.D. Chronological List of Early Christian Writings Discuss this text on the Early Writings forum. Text English Translation by J.B. Lightfoot English Translation by Kirsopp Lake Roberts-Donaldson English Translation Resources Kirsopp Lake's Introduction Roberts-Donaldson Introduction The Ecole Glossary: Polycarp of Smyrna Handbook of Patrology: St. Polycarp and the Acts of His Martyrdom Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Polycarp Offsite Links Greek Text of Polycarp to the Philippians from J.
B. Lightfoot Alban Butler: St. Polycarp Glenn Davis: Polycarp of Smyrna Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians Books Blomfield Jackson, St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (Church History 2001) C. P. S. Clarke, St. Ignatius and St. Polycarp (Church History 2001) W. F. Adeney, Ignatius and Polycarp (Church History 2001) A. F. Muir, Ignatius and Polycarp: Last Links with the Apostolic Age (Church History 2001) J. Quasten, Didache, the Epistle of Barnabus, the Epistle and Martyrdom of St. Polycarp, the Fragments of Papius, the Epistle of Diogentus (Paulist Press 1985) Recommended Books for the Study of Early Christian Writings Information on Polycarp Polycarp resided in Asia Minor as bishop of Smyrna and sent an epistle to the Philippians c.
120-140 CE. Polycarp was martyred c. 155 CE. In Adv. Haer. V.33.4, Irenaeus describes Papias as "the hearer of John, and a companion of Polycarp." Irenaeus mentions Polycarp in Adv. Haer., III.3.4. But Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom, departed this life, having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true. To these things all the Asiatic Churches testify, as do also those men who have succeeded Polycarp down to the present time, a man who was of much greater weight, and a more stedfast witness of truth, than Valentinus, and Marcion, and the rest of the heretics.
He it was who, coming to Rome in the time of Anicetus caused many to turn away from the aforesaid heretics to the Church of God, proclaiming that he had received this one and sole truth from the apostles, that, namely, which is handed down by the Church. There are also those who heard from him that John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, "Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within." And Polycarp himself replied to Marcion, who met him on one occasion, and said, "Dost thou know me? "I do know thee, the first-born of Satan." Such was the horror which the apostles and their disciples had against holding even verbal communication with any corrupters of the truth; as Paul also says, "A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself." There is also a very powerful Epistle of Polycarp written to the Philippians, from which those who choose to do so, and are anxious about their salvation, can learn the character of his faith, and the preaching of the truth.
Then, again, the Church in Ephesus, founded by Paul, and having John remaining among them permanently until the times of Trajan, is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles. Irenaeus also mentions Polycarp in his letter to Florinus. These opinions, Florinus, that I may speak in mild terms, are not of sound doctrine; these opinions are not consonant to the Church, and involve their votaries in the utmost impiety; these opinions, even the heretics beyond the Church's pale have never ventured to broach; these opinions, those presbyters who preceded us, and who were conversant with the apostles, did not hand down to thee. For, while I was yet a boy, I saw thee in Lower Asia with Polycarp, distinguishing thyself in the royal court, and endeavouring to gain his approbation.