# To the Philippians 13.2

- Author: [Polycarp of Smyrna](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/polycarp-of-smyrna/)
- Work: [To the Philippians](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/pol-philippians/) (*Epistula ad Philippenses*)
- Date: ca. 110–135 (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:300; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 282–301 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Also in: PG 5:1016b (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/pol-philippians/13/2/

Summary: Polycarp sends the Philippians a collection of Ignatius's letters and asks for any firm news of Ignatius.

## Greek text

τὰς ἐπιστολὰς Ἰγνατίου τὰς πεμφθείσας ἡμῖν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄλλας, ὅσας εἴχομεν παρʼ ἡμῖν, ἐπέμψαμεν ὑμῖν, καθὼς ἐνετείλασθε· αἵτινες ὑποτεταγμέναι εἰσὶν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ ταύτῃ, ἐξ ὧν μεγάλα ὠφεληθῆναι δυνήσεσθε. περιέχουσι γὰρ πίστιν καὶ ὑπομονὴν καὶ πᾶσαν οἰκοδομὴν τὴν εἰς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ἀνήκουσαν. Et de ipso Ignatio et de his, qui cum eo sunt, quod certius agnoveritis, significate.

## English translation (Claude)

The letters of Ignatius that he sent to us, and the others that we had with us, we have sent to you, as you requested; they are attached to this letter. You will be able to benefit greatly from them, for they contain faith and endurance and all the edification that pertains to our Lord. [Latin only:] And let us know whatever you learn more certainly about Ignatius himself and those who are with him.

## Translation notes

- The Greek of this chapter survives because Eusebius quotes it (Hist. eccl. 3.36.13–15); it ends at “our Lord.” The last sentence survives only in the Latin version, which the edition prints after the Greek.
- This is the earliest reference to a collection of Ignatius's letters.
- “And the others” (καὶ ἄλλας) may mean other letters of Ignatius or other letters in general; the Greek does not say.

## Citation (SBL)

Pol. Phil. 13.2 (PG 5:1016b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/pol-philippians/13/2/).