# To the Philippians 6.1

- 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 24:290; 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 5:1009c–1012a (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/pol-philippians/6/1/

Summary: Presbyters must be merciful shepherds who seek the lost, care for the weak, and judge fairly, remembering that all are sinners.

## Greek text

Καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι δὲ εὔσπλαγχνοι, εἰς πάντας ἐλεήμονες, ἐπιστρέφοντες τὰ ἀποπεπλανημένα, ἐπισκεπτόμενοι πάντας ἀσθενεῖς, μὴ ἀμελοῦντες χήρας ἢ ὀρφανοῦ ἢ πένητος ἀλλὰ προνοοῦντες ἀεὶ τοῦ καλοῦ ἐνώπιον θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἀπεχόμενοι πάσης ὀργῆς, προσωποληψίας, κρίσεως ἀδίκου, μακρὰν ὄντες πάσης φιλαργυρίας, μὴ ταχέως πιστεύοντες κατά τινος, μὴ ἀπότομοι ἐν κρίσει, εἰδότες ὅτι πάντες ὀφειλέται ἐσμὲν ἁμαρτίας.

## English translation (Claude)

And the presbyters too must be compassionate, merciful to all, turning back those who have gone astray, visiting all the sick, not neglecting a widow or orphan or poor person, but always “taking thought for what is good before God and men,” refraining from all anger, partiality, and unjust judgment, keeping far from all love of money, not quick to believe anything against anyone, not severe in judgment, knowing that we are all debtors because of sin.

## Scripture references

- 2 Cor 8:21: quotation, high confidence
- Prov 3:4: allusion, medium confidence
- Rom 12:17: echo, low confidence
- Ezek 34:4: echo, medium confidence

## Translation notes

- “Debtors because of sin”: literally “debtors of sin.”

## Citation (SBL)

Pol. Phil. 6.1 (PG 5:1009c–1012a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/pol-philippians/6/1/).