2))))) Chapter One. Eusebius tells us that Polycarp was a disciple of John the apostle (Against Heresies, 3.3; Ecclesiastical History 5.20.5-8). The letter is one of a number believed to have been written by Polycarp. The account is in the form of a letter from eye-witnesses to other churches in the area. Polycarp was an old man, at least 86 (see part 10), and probably the last surviving person to have known an apostle, having been a disciple of St. John. It is the earliest chronicle of a martyrdom outside the New Testament. The Epistle To The Philippians. OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER. Polycarp, and the presbyters() with him, to the Church of God sojourning at Philippi: Mercy to you, and peace from God Almighty, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, be multiplied.. Chapter I.-Praise of the Philippians. St. Polycarp, therefore, stood solidly in the Apostolic tradition of the Church, being a faithful deliverer of the teachings he had received. The first, Epistle to the Philippians is a letter from Polycarp written to the Philippians. It was penned while he was in prison, probably at Rome or Ephesus, about 62 ce. Bishop of Smyrna in the 2nd-century, Polycarp is known to have composed numerous letters, though his Letter to the Philippians is the only one that has survived. St. Irenæus mentions St. Polycarp’s epistle to the Philippians, in which he believes one can derive the character of St. Polycarp’s faith and teachings, as … Irenaeus also claims to have been a direct disciple of Polycarp. 1) To appreciate why the Philippians were a source of great joy to Paul 2) To learn from Paul's attitude concerning persecution, death, and the purpose of life. CHAPTER 3 Polycarp's reason for writing: the invitation ofthe Philippians . (A depiction of Polycarp from the Nuremberg Chronicle, a 15th century illustrated German re-telling of the history of the world beginning with a biblical summary). THE EPISTLE OF POLYCARP Translated by J.B. Lightfoot. An apologetic document called the Epistle of Diognetus and the pseudepigraphic letter Epistle of Barnabas are also contained in the Apostolic Fathers.There are two documents that concern Polycarp. A Catholic Encyclopedia article is online at St. Polycarp. The letter was composed in Greek, but the Greek text has not been preserved in its entirety; there is also a Latin translation of the letter. About 110 CE, while en route to Rome where he suffered martyrdom, Ignatius passed through … 1 These things, brethren, I write to you concerning righteousness, not at my own instance, but because you first invited me. Christian tradition holds that Polycarp was a “hearer of John” (that is, a disciple of the apostle John, as interpreted further down the road by Eusebius). Irenaeus claimed that Polycarp wrote more letters, but his letter to the Philippians is the only one to survive (Against Heresies, 3.3). Polycarp prologue:1 Polycarp and the presbyters that are with him unto the Church of God which sojourneth at Philippi; mercy unto you and peace from God Almighty and Jesus Christ our Savior be multiplied. The Letter to the Philippians is an epistle composed around AD 110 to 140 by Polycarp of Smyrna, one of the Apostolic Fathers, from Antioch to the early Christian church in Philippi. His major writing, The Letter to the Philippians, is intimately connected with the epistles and martyrdom of Ignatius. Polycarp 1:1 I rejoiced with you greatly in our Lord Jesus Christ, for that ye Letter of Paul to the Philippians, also called Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Philippians, abbreviation Philippians, eleventh book of the New Testament, written by St. Paul the Apostle to the Christian congregation he had established in Philippi. SUMMARY).).).))