# To the Philippians 3.1

- 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 24:286; 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 5:1008b (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/pol-philippians/3/1/

Summary: Polycarp explains that he writes about righteousness only because the Philippians asked him to.

## Greek text

Ταῦτα, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἐμαυτῷ ἐπιτρέψας γράφω ὑμῖν περὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ ὑμεῖς προεπεκαλέσασθέ με.

## English translation (Claude)

I am writing these things to you about righteousness, brothers, not on my own initiative, but because you first invited me to.

## Translation notes

- “Brothers” (ἀδελφοί): the customary address to the whole congregation.

## Citation (SBL)

Pol. Phil. 3.1 (PG 5:1008b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/pol-philippians/3/1/).