Join St Shenouda Podcast as we delve into the Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians. Written by Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna and a crucial figure among the Apostolic Fathers, this letter offers profound early Christian instruction to the Church of God dwelling at Philippi. The epistle is widely believed to be a composite of material written at two different times during the first half of the second century. Part of the letter (Chapter 13) served as a Cover Letter, transmitting the collected epistles of Ignatius of Antioch to the Philippians, as they had requested. The main body (Chapters 1–12), sometimes called the Crisis Letter, addresses issues within the Philippian community. Polycarp extensively draws on and cites Sacred Scriptures, resulting in a text described as "pastiche-like" due to its heavy use of allusions. This foundational document urges the Philippians towards righteousness, virtue, and perseverance. Polycarp praises their strong root of faith, which endures even now, bringing forth fruit unto the Lord Jesus Christ. He encourages them to imitate Christ’s patience and follow the example of endurance set by martyrs like the blessed Ignatius, Zosimus, and Rufus. The epistle lays out specific duties for various members of the church. Presbyters (elders) are instructed to be compassionate, merciful, bringing back those that wander, and visiting all the sick, neglecting neither the widow, the orphan, nor the poor. Deacons must be blameless, not lovers of money, and temperate in all things, serving as ministers of God and Christ, not of men. Polycarp specifically teaches widows to be discreet, praying continually, and reminds them that they are the "altar of God". A central warning in the epistle is against covetousness, which Polycarp stresses is the "root of all evils". He expresses deep grief for Valens, who was once a presbyter among them, but became corrupted by avarice. Polycarp urges the community not to count Valens and his wife as enemies but to call them back as "suffering and straying members". Furthermore, Polycarp offers a stern defense of Christological doctrine. He condemns heretical teachings, asserting that whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist. He also warns against those who deny the resurrection or judgment, calling such a person "the first-born of Satan". Tune in to explore this timeless wisdom on Christian living, community structure, and doctrinal fidelity in the early Church.
