Polycarp was an older person in the congregation in Smurna, largely during the II century. At about 135 CE, he wrote to the group at Filippi warning them about the teachings of an opponent whom he believed to claim that there was no afterlife. It is possible to identify his opponents as former Jews who believed that the judgment (Mt 24-5) had already come upon Israel.
Even more so than Clement before him, Polycarp claims positional authority for himself -- something that he believes he needs in order to combat his chief opponent, whom he labels as "the firstborn of the Enemy." It is claimed of Polycarp that he was a personal student of Johannes the envoy, although there is no indication whatsoever that this is true. In fact, later Christians may have concocted this story in order to give his (and their own) teachings more credence. Polycarp cites Johannes' first letter once, but otherwise he generously quotes Paulus and Peter, with occasional references elsewhere.
In his letter, Polycarp also refers to a certain Valens. By this time, the older people were regarded as having almost apostolic authority, and Valens had used the position given him by the people in order to make money for himself. Since this accusation of greed appears twice in the earlier parts of the letter, it is quite probable that what Valens was doing was providing support for the opposing teachings. It is the view of the majority of exegetes that Markion of Synope is the chief opponent of Polycarp in this correspondence. Yet if Markion is in view at all in this letter, it is surprising that his followers should be labeled as greedy -- for Markion promoted extreme asceticism. Perhaps the attachment to Markion comes from the later forgery, the "Martyrdom of Polycarp," which expressly uses the "firstborn of the Enemy" quote to refer to Markion. It is distinctly likely, then, that this letter does not refer to Markion at all, nor to any of his teachings.
Indeed, more of the letter is actually directed toward persuading the people to follow the older people and the servants as they would follow God and Jesus (chs. 4-6) than addresses the rogue teachings (largely ch. 7). The growing crowd of opposition is called "the Many," which he appears to borrow from a saying of Jesus -- that "many" desire to enter his joy. The Many appear to have been so numerous that they were regularly converting Polycarp's readers. He constantly urges them to remain faithful to the teaching that he believes to be the truth. Polycarp seems far from the envoys and misapplies several writings, but his realization of the threat of this rapidly-spreading teaching comes forth clearly in his letter.
In conclusion, if the letter refers to Markion's growing following at all, Polycarp either misunderstands or misrepresents his teachings. Otherwise, the Filippians' opposition remains unknown -- although they seem to have been interested in taking over the group for financial reasons. At any rate, Polycarp occupies more time "organizing the church" than he does refuting the alleged false teachings of the Many. Never once does he quote Revelation, and perhaps he was not aware of the writing, or maybe he rejected it as supporting his opponents' opinions.
Polycarp does not appear to identify Jesus with God, although it is possible to construe certain off-hand comments as though he is doing so. If he did believe this, in no way does he indicate the specific nature of his belief. Perhaps Polycarp had no distinct understanding of Jesus' relationship to his Father, or quite possibly he held the traditional Jewish Christian belief of a human Messiah.
Polycarp, and the older people who are with him,
to the God's assembly which is staying at Filippi:
Mercy and peace be multiplied to you from Almighty God, and
from the Lord Anointed Jesus, our Saviour.
ONE
I have rejoiced greatly together with you in our Lord, Anointed Jesus, because (as it was appropriate for you) you have followed the example of true love and have accompanied those who were bound in chains, the ornaments of holy people, and which are indeed the crowns of the true chosen ones of God and of our Lord; and because the strong root of your trust, spoken of in days long past, remains even until now and produces fruit to our Lord, Anointed Jesus, who suffered for our sins even to the point of death. "God raised him from the dead, having loosed the suffering of Hades." "You trust in him, though now you do not see him, and in trusting, you rejoice with unspeakable joy and full of glory." Into this joy many desire to enter, knowing that "by generosity you are saved, not of deeds," but by God's wishes through Anointed Jesus.
"For this reason, wrap your waists," and "serve the Lord in fear" and truth, as those who have forsaken the worthless, empty talk and error of the Many, and "trusted in the one who raised up our Lord, Anointed Jesus, from the dead, and gave him glory," and a throne at his right side. To him "all things in the sky and on land" are subject. Every wind serves him. He is coming as the judge of the living and the dead. God will require his blood of those who are unpersuaded by him, but the one who raised him up from the dead will raise up us also, if we do what he wants, and walk in his precepts, and love what he loved, keeping ourselves from all wrong: greed, love of money, evil speaking, false testimony; "not rendering evil for evil, or swearing for swearing," or blow for blow, or cursing for cursing, but being mindful of what the Lord said in his teaching: "Do not judge, so that you will not be judged; forgive, and it will be forgiven you; be merciful, so that you may obtain mercy; with what measure you use, it shall be measured back to you;" and once more, "Blessed are the poor, and those who are persecuted for the sake of what is right, for God's kingdom belongs to them."
Brothers, I am writing these things to you about justification not because I charged myself, but because you have invited me to do so. For neither I, nor any other such person, am able to approach the wisdom of the blessed and glorified Paulus. When he was among you, he accurately and surely taught the message of the truth face to face with those who were then alive. And when absent from you, he wrote you a letter; if you look at it diligently, you will be able to be built up in that trust that was given to you, and if it is followed by hope and preceded by love towards God, and the Anointed One, and our neighbour, then it "is the mother of us all." For if anyone has these generous gifts inside, he has fulfilled the precept of justification, since whoever has love is far from all sin.
"But the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." Therefore, knowing that "just as we brought nothing into creation, so we can carry nothing out," we should arm ourselves with the "armor of Right;" and let us teach ourselves, first of all, to walk in the Lord's precepts. Next, your women should walk in the trust given to them, and in love and purity loving their own husbands in all truth, and loving all people equally in all cleanliness; and to educate their children in the knowledge and fear of God. The widows should be sober-minded about the trust of the Lord, praying continually for all, being far from all slander, evil-speaking, false testimony, love of money, and every kind of evil; knowing that they are God's altars, that he clearly perceives all things, and that nothing is hidden from him: neither discussions, nor intentions, nor any of the heart's secrets.
Therefore, since we know that "God is not to be mocked," we should walk worthily of his precept and glory. In the same way, servants should be blameless in the precence of his justifying face, since they are the servants of God and of the Anointed One, and not of people. It is necessary that they not be slanderers, double-tongued, or lovers of money, but moderate in all things, compassionate, diligent, walking according to the Lord's truth -- he became the servant of all. If we please him in this present age, we will receive also the future age, according to what he promised to us that he will raise us again from the dead, and that if we live worthily of him, "we will also reign together with him," if indeed we trust.
In the same way, young people should also be blameless in all things, preserving purity ahead of everything, and keeping themselves in control, as with a bridle, from every kind of evil. For it is a good thing that they should be cut off from the strong desires that are in creation, since "every strong desire wars against the spirit;" and "neither prostitutes, nor soft men, nor homosexuals, will inherit God's kingdom," nor those who do similar things. So it is necessary to abstain from all these things, submitting yourselves to the older people and the servants as to God and to the Anointed One. It is also necessary for the virgins to walk with blameless and pure consciences.
Now the older people shold be compassionate and merciful to all, turning back those who go astray, visiting all the sick, and not neglecting the widow, the orphan, or the poor person, but always "providing for what is attractive in sight of God and people;" abstaining from all anger, personal bias, and unjust judgment; keeping far away from all greed, not quickly believing anything against anyone, not quick with judgment, as ones who know that we are all under a debt of sin. If then we beg the Lord to forgive us, we ourselves should forgive; for we are in the presence of the eyes of our Lord and of God, and "we must all appear before the tribunal of the Anointed One, and every one must give an account of himself." Therefore, we should serve him in fear, and with all reverence, just as he himself gave us the precept, and as the envoys who heralded the good message to us, and as the prophets who heralded ahead of time about the Lord's coming taught. Let us be jealous in the pursuit of what is good, keeping ourselves from causes for stumbling, from false brothers, and from those who bear the Lord's name in hypocrisy, and draw away worthless men into error.
"For whoever does not acknowledge that Anointed Jesus has come in the flesh, is opposing the Anointed One;" and whoever does not acknowledge the testimony of the cross is of the accuser; and whoever changes the Lord's oracles to his own desires, and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment, he is the first born of the Enemy. For this reason, forsaking the worthlessness of the Many and their false teachings, let us return to the message that was handed down to us from the beginning: "watching to the point of prayer," and continuing to fast; asking the all-seeing God in our beggings "not to lead us into trial." As the Lord said: "Truly, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Therefore, we should continually endure in our hope, and the earnest of our justification, which is Anointed Jesus, "who carried our sins in his own body on the tree," "who committed no sin, neither was any guilt found in his mouth," but he endured all things for us, so that we might live in him.
Let us then be imitators of his endurance. And if we suffer for his name's sake, let us glorify him. For he has given us this example in himself, and we have trusted this.
Therefore, I advise you all to listen to the message of justification, and to practice all endurance, such as you have seen before your eyes in the case of the blessed Ignatius, and Zosimus, and Rufus, and also in others among yourselves, and in Paulus himself, and the rest of the envoys. Do this with the assurance that all these people have not run worthlessly, but in trust and justification, and that they are in their worthy place in the Lord's presence, with whom also they suffered. For they did not love this present creation, but the one who died for us, and who for our sakes was raised again by God from the dead.
Therefore, stand firm in these things, and follow the Lord's example: be firm and unchangeable in trust; love the brotherhood; and be affectionate to one another, partners with the truth, bearing with one another with the Lord's gentleness; and hate no one. When you can do a good thing, do not delay, because "a charitable deed saves from death." All of you submit to one to another, "having your conduct blameless among the gentiles," so that you may receive praise for your good deeds, and "so that the Lord may not be spoken evil of on account of you." But woe to him on account of whom the name of the Lord is spoken of as evil! So, teach sobriety to all people, in which you should also walk.
I am greatly grieved for Valens, an older person who was once among you, because he was ignorant of the place that was given to him. Therefore, I advise that you abstain from greed, and that you be pure and truthful. "Abstain from every form of evil," for if someone is unable to control himself in these things, how will he charge others with them? If someone does abstain from greeed, he will be defiled by idolatry, and will be judged as one of the gentiles, who do not know about the Lord's judgment. As Paulus teaches, "Don't we know that the holy ones will judge creation?" But I have neither seen nor heard of any such thing among you, in the midst of whom the blessed Paulus worked, and who are praised at the beginning of his letter. For he boasts of you in all those assemblies which alone knew the Lord back then (but we did not know him yet). Therefore, brothers, I am deeply grieved for him and for his wife. May the Lord give them true mental change! And you be sober about this matter, and "do not hold such as enemies," but restore them as suffering and straying members, so that you may save your whole body. For if you practice this, you will build yourselves up.
For I trust that you are knowledgeable in the "sacred writings" and that nothing is hidden from you; but it has not yet been given to me. It is declared in the writings, "When angry, do not sin," and, "Do not let the sun go down on your anger." Blessed is the one who remembers this, which I trust you do. But may the God and Father of our Lord, Anointed Jesus, and Anointed Jesus himself, who is God's son and our everlasting high priest, build you up in trust and truth, and in all meekness, mercy, patience, longsuffering, endurance, and cleanliness; and may he give you a lot and inheritance among his holy people, and on us with you, and on all who are under the sky who will trust in our Lord, Anointed Jesus, and in his Father, who "raised him from the dead." Pray for all the holy ones. Pray also for kings, and powers, and princes, and for those who persecute and hate you, and for the enemies of the cross, so that your fruit may be obvious to all, and that you may be complete in him.
Both you and Ignatius wrote to me that if anyone were to go to Syria, he should carry your letter with him. I will keep this request if I find an appropriate opportunity -- either personally, or through another sent on my behalf. We have sent you the letters of Ignatius that were sent by him to us, and the others that we have near us, as you charged. They are attached to this letter, and you will greatly profit from them, for they consist of trust and endurance, and all things that lead to construction in our Lord. Have the goodness to make known to us any sure information that you may have obtained about both Ignatius himself and those who were with him.
These things I have written to you by Crescens, whom I committed
to you recently, and am now committing. For he has walked
blamelessly among us, and I believe also among you similarly. Also, you
will value his sister when she comes to you.
Goodbye in the Lord Anointed Jesus.
Generosity be with you all. A-mein.