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Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians

May 12, 2013

This is a work in progress and it's about half complete. I will finish the new, adapted version soon, so check back. I'll also add some commentary, cross-references and application and provide some background information on Polycarp, who lived from 69 A.D. to 155 A.D. and was one of John the Apostle's disciples.

Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians

Originally translated into Old English by J.B. Lightfoot in 1885.

Brand New World adaption by Jason Al Gastrich in 2013.

Prologue

Polycarp and the presbyters with him to the Church of God sojourning at Philippi,
May mercy to you and peace from God Almighty and Jesus Christ our Savior be multiplied.

Chapter 1:1

I greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord Jesus Christ as you received followers of the one true love
and escorted them on their way, as you were able; those men encircled in saintly bonds,
which are the diadems of the truly chosen ones of God and our Lord;

Chapter 1:2

and because the steadfast roots of your faith, which were famed from primitive times,
abides until now and bears fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who endured,
even facing death for our sins, whom God raised, loosening Hades' pangs.

Chapter 1:3

On one you didn't see, you believe with silent joy, full of glory,
while many others want to enter into the same joy.
As you know, it is by grace you are saved, not of works,
but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.

Chapter 2:1

Get ready and fearfully, truthfully serve God,
forsaking vain and empty words and the error of many.
You have believed on Him that raised our Lord Jesus Christ
from the dead and gave him glory and a throne at His right hand,
to whom all things were made subject, in heaven and on earth,
to whom every creature that has breath serves,
who comes as the judge of the quick and the dead,
whose blood God will shed if they are disobedient to Him.

Chapter 2:2

Now He that raised Him from the dead will raise us, too.
If we do His will and walk in His commandments and love the things He loved,
abstaining from all unrighteousness, like coveting, loving money, speaking evilly and bearing false witness,
not repaying evil for evil, railing for railing, blow for blow or cursing for cursing.

Chapter 2:3

Remembering the words the Lord spoke as He taught, don't condemn others and you won't be condemned.
Forgive a trespass and it will be forgiven to you. Have mercy, so you may receive mercy.
You will be measured the same way you measure others, again and again.
Blessed are the poor and those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
for the kingdom of God is theirs.

Chapter 3:1

Brothers, I write these things to you concerning righteousness,
not because I appointed myself, but because you invited me.

Chapter 3:2

Neither I nor any other like me is able to follow the wisdom
of the blessed and glorious Paul, who when he dwelled among you,
carefully and deliberately taught you truth from the word, face to face, with the men of that day.
Also, when he was absent, he wrote a letter to you and if you read it diligently,
you will be equipped and edified by the faith given to you,

Chapter 3:3

which is the mother of us all, while hope follows after and love goes before;
love toward God and Christ and toward our neighbor. If any man be occupied with these,
he has fulfilled the commandment of righteousness because he that has love is far from all sin.

Chapter 4:1

However, the love of money is the beginning of all troubles. Knowing we brought nothing
into the world and we can't carry anything out, let us arm ourselves with the armor of
righteousness and let us teach ourselves first to walk in the commandments of the Lord

Chapter 4:2

and then our wives should walk in the faith that has been given to them,
in love and purity, cherishing their own husbands in all truth and loving
all men equally, in all chastity, training their children in the fear of God.

Chapter 4:3

Our widows must be sober-minded, as touching the faith of the Lord,
making intercession without ceasing for all men, abstaining from all defamation, speaking evilly, bearing false witness, loving money
and every evil thing, knowing that they are God's altar and
all sacrifices are carefully inspected and nothing escapes Him,
not their thoughts, intentions or any of the secret things of the heart.

Chapter 5:1

Knowing God is not mocked, we ought to walk worthily of His commandment and His glory.

Chapter 5:2

In like manner, deacons should be blameless in the presence of His righteousness.
As deacons of God and Christ, not of men, calumniators, double-tongued or money lovers,
temperate in all things, compassionate, diligent, walking according to the truth
of the Lord who became a minister, a deacon of all. For if we are very pleasing to Him
in this present world, we will receive the future world, too.
Regarding what He promised us about raising us from the dead,
if we conduct ourselves worthy of Him, we will also reign with Him indeed, if we have faith.

Chapter 5:3

In like manner, the younger men must be blameless in all things,
caring for purity before everything and curbing themselves from every evil.
It is a good thing to refrain from lusts in the world,
for every lust wars against the Spirit and neither whoremongers, effeminate persons
or defilers of themselves with men will inherit God's kingdom.
It is right to abstain from all these things, submitting yourselves to the presbyters
and deacons as to God and Christ. The virgins must walk with a blameless and pure conscience.

Chapter 6:1

The presbyters also must be compassionate and merciful toward all men,
turning back the sheep that have gone astray, visiting all the infirm,
not neglecting a widow or an orphan or a poor man, but always providing,
which is honorable in the sight of God and men, abstaining from all anger,
partiality and unrighteous judgment, being far from all love of money,
not quick to believe anything against any man, not hasty in judgment,
knowing that we all are debtors of sin.