# To Polycarp 6.2

- Author: [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/ignatius-of-antioch/)
- Work: [To Polycarp](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-polycarp/) (*Ad Polycarpum*)
- Date: ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:274; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 172–277 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912-1913), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Also in: PG 5:724b–725a (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-polycarp/6/2/

Summary: Christians are soldiers of God, armed with baptism, faith, love, and endurance, and rewarded for their works.

## Greek text

ἀρέσκετε ᾧ στρατεύεσθε, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ τὰ ὀψώνια κομίζεσθε· μή τις ὑμῶν δεσέρτωρ εὑρεθῇ. τὸ βάπτισμα ὑμῶν μενέτω ὡς ὅπλα, ἡ πίστις ὡς περικεφαλαία, ἡ ἀγάπη ὡς δόρυ. ἡ ὑπομονὴ ὡς πανοπλία. τὰ δεπόσιτα ὑμῶν τὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν, ἵνα τὰ ἄκκεπτα ὑμῶν ἄξια κομίσησθε. μακροθυμήσατε οὖν μετʼ ἀλλήλων ἐν πραότητι, ὡς ὁ θεὸς μεθʼ ὑμῶν, ὀναίμην ὑμῶν διὰ παντός.

## English translation (Claude)

Please the one under whom you serve as soldiers, from whom you also receive your wages. Let none of you be found a deserter. Let your baptism remain as your weapons, faith as a helmet, love as a spear, endurance as full armor. Let your works be your deposits, so that you may receive the back pay that is due to you. Be patient, then, with one another in gentleness, as God is with you. May I have joy of you always.

## Scripture references

- 2 Tim 2:4: allusion, high confidence
- Eph 6:11: allusion, medium confidence
- 1 Thess 5:8: echo, medium confidence

## Translation notes

- Ignatius uses Latin army words in Greek letters: δεσέρτωρ (desertor, “deserter”), δεπόσιτα (deposita, a soldier's savings held by the army), and ἄκκεπτα (accepta, the savings paid out at discharge).

## Citation (SBL)

Ign. Pol. 6.2 (PG 5:724b–725a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-polycarp/6/2/).