Answers for a Friend – Polycarp
December 15, 2002
Dear Friends,
This week, we turn our attention to Polycarp. Polycarp lived approximately from 70-155 AD. His student, Irenaeus, wrote that Polycarp was instructed by the Apostles and a student of the Apostle John. He was the bishop the ecclesia at Smyrna in the Roman province of Asia. History records that he was burned alive by the Romans because he refused to worship the emperor.
Like the other Apostolic Fathers, Polycarp is not writing a doctrinal treatise. His one and only letter is to the ecclesia at Philippi. He refers in his letter to the Apostle Paul’s letter to them. He also quotes from several other New Testament epistles.
The question at hand has focussed on what did the Apostolic Fathers teach. We have been going through each one and showing where it agrees and disagrees with the unique teachings of Christadelphians and that of modern Christianity.
Two areas that are linked here — the resurrection from the dead and conditional salvation — have been fairly consistent throughout the writings we have viewed thus far. Again, we find evidence for resurrection at the Last Day (rather than Heaven-going) and salvation conditioned upon obedience (rather than “once saved, always saved.”) Polycarp writes “Now He that raised Him from the dead will raise us also; if we do His will and walk in His commandments and love the things which He loved, abstaining from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, false witness; not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing or blow for blow or cursing for cursing; (Polycarp 2:2) Notice what I call the biggest word in the Bible in the middle of the passage – “if.” “If” is of necessity a “conditional” word. Once again, Polycarp writes “In like manner deacons should be blameless in the presence of His righteousness, as deacons of God and Christ and not of men; not calumniators, not double-tongued, not lovers of money, temperate in all things, compassionate, diligent, walking according to the truth of the Lord who became a minister (deacon) of all. For if we be well pleasing unto Him in this present world, we shall receive the future world also, according as He promised us to raise us from the dead, and that if we conduct ourselves worthily of Him we shall also reign with Him, if indeed we have faith. (Polycarp 5:2) Notice again the word “if” which occurs three times in this passage. Notice also that resurrection is not immediately after death (as in Heaven-going), but is reserved for a future day and time when he says “we shall receive the future world also, according as He promised us to raise us from the dead.”
As we have seen consistency on this front, we have also seen consistency on the area in which the Apostolic Fathers use language that is problematic for Christadelphians. Polycarp says “For every one who shall not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is antichrist: and whosoever shall not confess the testimony of the Cross, is of the devil; and whosoever shall pervert the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts and say that there is neither resurrection nor judgment, that man is the firstborn of Satan.” (Polycarp 7:1) The use of the phrase “the devil” and “Satan” is not out of keeping with Christadelphian teaching, as Christadelphians use the Biblical term. However, we would disagree that “the Devil” is a fallen, evil angel and contend that it is sinful human nature. In the term Satan (literally translated “adversary”) is in some cases an adversary (human or otherwise) or the great Adversary – sin. Nevertheless, we must concede that use of the language as presented requires more explaining on our part than that of orthodoxy. We must add, though, that those who are the firstborn of Satan are those that “say that there is neither resurrection nor judgment.”
Have a great week!
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