Apostolic Fathers · AD 90–150
Polycarp of Smyrna
c. 69–155 · Early Church · Smyrna
Bishop of Smyrna and an influential early Christian pastor, remembered for his letter to the Philippians and the account of his martyrdom.
Major contributions
Apostolic teaching, martyrdom
- Preserved an early pastoral witness to Christian ethics and teaching.
- Connected later Christians with the apostolic generation through the tradition recorded by Irenaeus.
Theological positions
Modern labels do not always describe historical writers precisely.
- Christology
Philippians 7 rejects denial that Jesus Christ came in the flesh.
Major writings
- Epistle to the Philippians