Introduction to Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians
Today we’ll be looking at Polycarp of Smyrna’s letter to the Church of Philippi. We only have one text from Polycarp, but it’s a valuable letter that tells us quite a bit about him and the early Church.
Who wrote it?
The epistle claims to have been written by Polycarp and his church. While there has been some dispute over its authenticity, it is commonly accepted as an authentic writing from Polycarp. (Jefford, 2012, Pg. 76)
One letter or two?
An interesting hypothesis widely accepted among scholars is that Polycarp’s letter to the Philippians is not just one epistle, but a combination of two. P.N. Harrison theorized that the last two chapters were originally a shorter letter Polycarp wrote in response to Ignatius’ letters. (Holmes, 2006, Pg. 132) There have been cases made against this theory over the years, but it is still accepted by many scholars. As what often happens when theories like this are presented and debated, there are tweaks to the theory over time, such as some arguing that only chapter 13 is a separate letter, not 13 and 14.
“…while chapter 3 mentions that Polycarp writes in order to encourage the Philippians with respect to their righteousness, in chapter 13 he offers a different reason for his writing: to forward copies of the Ignatian letters as requested both by Ignatius and the Philippians. It certainly is possible that Polycarp wanted to undertake both tasks in this single document. It is much more likely, however, that the texts of two separate letters to the church at Philippi were combined into a single document, probably as a convenient way to preserve the two texts.”
Whether or not the text we have is one letter or a combination of two, it is still safe to assume the writing(s) are genuinely from Polycarp.
Who was it written to?
Polycarp’s letter is addressed to the Philippian Christians. At the end of the letter, Polycarp credits Crescens and his sister to be the carriers of the letter.
When was the letter written?
This question may have two answers depending on whether or not one accepts the two-letter hypothesis. If chapter 13 was originally a short letter from Polycarp, it was probably written shortly after the letters of Ignatius. The main bulk of the letter is generally dated around AD 120-135. (Jefford, 2012, Pg. 77)
Why did Polycarp write the letter?
Taking aside the two-letter hypothesis, there are two reasons seen in the text for why Polycarp wrote to the Philippians. The first is because the Philippians asked Polycarp to (3.1). The second is to follow up with Ignatius’ letters (13.1-2).
Polycarp and his use of the New Testament
Polycarp’s letter gives some very interesting insight into the early Church’s use of the New Testament. Regarding what is accepted with certainty, Polycarp knew and used 1st Corinthians, Ephesians, and 1st Peter. There’s also a very good chance he knew and used 1st and 2nd Timothy. (Holmes, 2005, Pg. 226) Polycarp’s letter is unique in being a strong early witness of 1st Peter, as he references quite a bit of it.
Regarding Gospel traditions, Polycarp quotes Jesus’s teachings found primarily in Matthew and Luke. Both the quotes of Jesus cited and little bits in the letter have strong similarity to passages in 1st Clement. This has led to different theories as to whether or not Polycarp knew and used 1st Clement, or if he and Clement knew and used the same Gospel. Personally, I am convinced that Clement’s quotes of Jesus are based on oral tradition, and Polycarp knew and used 1st Clement.
While there is a popular tradition that Polycarp was a disciple of John, there is very little evidence of John’s writings found in the letter to the Philippians. This of course does not mean the tradition isn’t true. Polycarp and Ignatius clearly have some connection, and there’s a certain amount of Johannine tradition found in Ignatius’ letters.
What we do have is one line found in chapter 7: “For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist.” This quote can be found in 1st and 2nd John, and gives some possibility that Polycarp was familiar with John’s writings. However, it can also be believed that this phrase became a well spread tradition to combat heresy in the Church.
Polycarp and Paul
An interesting note about Polycarp’s letter are the multiple references to the Paul. Other than the high respect he has for late apostle, there are interesting connections scholars have made between Polycarp’s references to Paul and the Scriptures used in his letter. Kenneth Berding analyzes how often Pauline quotes are “clustered” within Polycarp’s mentions of Paul. (Berding, 1999, Pg. 353-355) The three books from Paul we’ll examine briefly on this blog will be Ephesians, 1st Timothy, and 2nd Timothy.
Ephesians as Scripture
After mentioning Paul in chapter 11, Polycarp states in chapter 12,
“For I trust that you are well versed in the Sacred Scriptures, and that nothing is hid from you; but to me this privilege is not yet granted. It is declared then in these Scriptures, ‘Be angry, and sin not,’ and ‘Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.’ Happy is he who remembers this, which I believe to be the case with you.”
The first quote is from the LXX translation of Psalm 4:5, but the second is from Ephesians 4:26, which also has the Psalm 4:5 quote in it. This has led to debate as to whether or not Polycarp is explicitly quoting Ephesians. If so, then it would be an early witness to Ephesians being called Scripture. Paul Hartog points out,
“Polycarp’s infrequent use of the OT and his frequent emphasis upon Paul would seem to lend credence to the view that Polycarp did label Ephesians as ‘scripture’… Polycarp appears to use the Hebrew Scriptures only about six times, citing or alluding to Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Yet Philippians (Polycarp’s letter, not the NT letter) frequently quotes and alludes to various writings that would come to be canonized in the NT.”
It’s also worth pointing out that this passage in chapter 12 isn’t the only quote that strongly correlates with Ephesians, as Polycarp also seems to cite Ephesians 2:5, 8-9. (Holmes, 2005, Pg. 211) With all of this said, there is good evidence that Polycarp’s letter brings a good early witness to Ephesians and its place in the canon of Scripture.
1st and 2nd Timothy
The authenticity of Paul writing the Pastoral Epistles is a hot debate in scholarly circles. We noted previously how Ephesians, 1st Timothy, and 2nd Timothy were likely known by Ignatius, and this seems to be the case with Polycarp as well. 1st Timothy (especially) and 2nd Timothy are seen throughout Polycarp’s letter.
Kenneth Berding notes how in Polycarp’s letter 1st Timothy 6:10 and 6:7 are likely referenced shortly after Polycarp’s first mention of Paul. It seems 2nd Timothy 4:10 is also referenced right after Polycarp’s second mention of Paul. (Berding, 1999, Pg. 359) Berding argues that these references to 1st and 2nd Timothy after mentioning Paul’s name imply Pauline authorship.
The debate of whether or not Paul wrote the Pastoral Epistles is far from over, but the early witness of these epistles from the Apostolic Fathers should be noted when discussed.
What are the main themes in the letter?
Polycarp’s main theme in his letter to the Philippians is righteousness. Of the 15 paragraphs, the word “righteous/righteousness” is mentioned 8 times. Polycarp claims in chapter 3 that the congregation specifically asked him to write to them about righteousness.
A second theme in the letter is the danger of greed. The phrase “love of money” appears 7 times in the 15 paragraphs. When asking Polycarp to write to them, it seems the Philippians informed him that a former leader in their congregation abused the church’s money. This seems to be a reason why Polycarp highlights the danger of loving money so much in the letter. (Garrison, 1997, Pg. 75)
Conclusion
Hopefully this has been a helpful introduction to Polycarp’s letter to the Philippians. On the next blog, we’ll dive into Polycarp’s letter and see what may apply to the 21st century Church.
Bibliography
Jefford, C. (2012). Reading the Apostolic Fathers: A Student’s Introduction. Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Academic.
Holmes, M. (2006). The Apostolic Fathers in English (3rd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Academic.
Holmes, M. (2005). Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians and the Writings that later formed the New Testament. In A. Gregory and C. Tuckett, The Reception of the New Testament in the Apostolic Fathers. Great Clarendon Street, Oxford. Oxford University Press.
Schaff, P. (2016). The Complete Ante-Nicene, Nicene and Post-Nicene Collection of Early Church Fathers. Toronto, Canada.
Berding, K. (1999). Polycarp of Smyrna’s View of the Authorship of 1 and 2 Timothy. Vigiliae Christianae, Vol. 53 Issue 4, Pg. 349-360.
Hartog, P. (2008). Polycarp, Ephesians, and “Scripture”. The Westminster Theological Journal, Vol. 70, Pg. 255-275.
Garrison, R. (1997). The Graeco-Roman Context of Early Christian Literature. Sheffield, England. Sheffield Academic Press.
Thumbnail Image: 6th century, from Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polycarp,_Vincent,_Pancras_and_Chrysogonus.jpg