Early Church Writings — historically valuable Christian documents, presented as noncanonical writings rather than Scripture.

Epistle to the Philippians

Polycarp

Chapter X.—Exhortation to the practice of virtue. [391]

Stand fast, therefore, in these things, and follow the example of the Lord, being firm and unchangeable in the faith, loving the brotherhood, 392 and being attached to one another, joined together in the truth, exhibiting the meekness of the Lord in your intercourse with one another, and despising no one. When you can do good, defer it not, because "alms delivers from death." 393 Be all of you subject one to another 394 "having your conduct blameless among the Gentiles," 395 that ye may both receive praise for your good works, and the Lord may not be blasphemed through you. But woe to him by whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed! 396 Teach, therefore, sobriety to all, and manifest it also in your own conduct.

Notes

  1. Comp. 1 Pet. ii. 17. ↩
  2. Tobit iv. 10, Tobit xii. 9. ↩
  3. Comp. 1 Pet. v. 5. ↩
  4. 1 Pet. ii. 12. ↩
  5. Isa. lii. 5. ↩

Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume I, edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson; revised by A. Cleveland Coxe. Public domain. Electronic text courtesy of CCEL.