This is the last part of my ongoing series exploring the letter written by St Polycarp to the church in Philippi, collaborating with my friend Adsum Try Ravenhill of the Raven’s Writing Desk.
You can read the previous parts at these links: I; II; III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII.
Dear Adsum
And in turn, I write my final letter to you. Thank you for your work and diligence in writing to me and with me over the last few months.
I really love the image of receiving curated letters and books in the post that someone says I should read. I enjoy the shift from blogs to newsletters (obligatory plug to join my mailing list, readers), but in a distracted age of information overload the post remains special. During Lockdown I started writing a couple of letters a week to people in my church to encourage them in Jesus. I think it was much more impactful for me and for them than if I’d typed them an email.
I expect this is more about the speed and ephemeral nature of the day than it is the mediums in themselves. That’s a topic for another day, though.
Our final piece of text in this letter is Polycarp’s farewell to his readers:
These things I have written to you by Crescens, whom up to the present time I have recommended unto you, and do now recommend. For he has acted blamelessly among us, and I believe also among you. Moreover, you will hold his sister in esteem when she comes to you. Be you safe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with you all. Amen.
He signs off his letter by mentioned Crescens, who was delivering the letter to Philippi. He commends Crescens to them, they should listen to what he has to say to them too.
To summarise in the British vernacular: Crescens is a decent bloke.
So, my friend, are you. I commend you and your thoughtfulness to my readers. I’m most impressed with two things about you: your prayerfulness and your humility. I suspect you don’t feel like a prayerful man, yet every time we speak or exchange an email you ask me how you can pray for me. I suspect you don’t feel humble—I think only the proud do—but it’s your openness to speaking about your own sin that makes me see you as humble. May your tribe increase.
Polycarp then commends Crescens’ sister, who presumably is travelling with him and they’ll arrive together. It’s vital that complementarians, like us, work with and commend the work of our sisters in the Lord.
Our cultures haven’t always done this but, Adsum, I charge you to be a man who blesses his sisters. Please pray that I learn to do that well too.
Reflections on 14 Letters
I’ve been thinking about how to summarise the letter and our writing on it. The nature of summaries is that they miss things out, but in the context of leadership failure I think Polycarp would commend three things to his readers.
Firstly, in the face of others not living like Christians, live like Christians.
Secondly, we should teach others to live like Christians too.
Thirdly, the most important thing is our virtue or character.
Easy to say, difficult to do, but worth pursuing in all things. Would you pray for me that these three charges would characterise my own life?
I’ve been delighted that Polycarp has had so much to say to not just our day but the very particular moment that the UK church finds itself in. This is partly because we can take the words of the ancients and apply them to all sorts of things they hadn’t imagined; there can be a danger here of applying in ways that Polycarp wouldn’t have intended. More importantly, I think, Polycarp’s words apply to us and our moment because we aren’t so different to the early Church. Everything changes and everything stays the same, especially human nature.
When dealing with the heart, the Fathers are masters.
That application to today has also been particularly pertinent to things that are happening in both of our lives on multiple occasions. That’s got less to do with the Fathers and more to do with the marvel of providence and the kindness of a friend who tries to turn his words to speak to his friends in particular.
I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by the way that being required to write on something that I’m not especially inspired about helps my writing. It’s a great cure for writers’ block and has led me to explore themes I probably wouldn’t have done otherwise.
I’m not sure if it’s been all that well read, though you were telling me the other day that you’ve had some very positive feedback. That was a strange sentence to write, because you know you told me that and I performatively wrote it for the benefit of those reading over our shoulders, open letters are weird.
It’s helpful for me though, and I hope you as well, to remember that I don’t write to get the punters in. I think the Fathers still speak to us and have enjoyed getting to know Polycarp, especially as this letter was new to me. I’d be open to doing a similar writing project with you again in the future.
For now though, my friend, and all our readers: know that Christ is faithful to keep you from falling (Jude 1.24), that he does not cast out (John 6.37), that you are the apple of his eye (Deuteronomy 32.10), that he will not snuff out a smouldering wick (Matthew 12.20), and that he will preserve you to the end (1 Corinthians 1.8).
So, keep going.
I’ll allow Polycarp to close us out:
Be you safe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with you all. Amen.
T. M. Suffield
Photo by Brad Neathery on Unsplash
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