In the
following, Polycarp (69-155) affirmed, not sola fide, but, as Paul teaches, a faith that
works through love (Gal 5:6) and that our being saved is contingent upon enduring to the end:
I have greatly rejoiced with you in our Lord
Jesus Christ, because ye have followed the example of true love [as displayed
by God], and have accompanied, as became you, those who were bound in chains,
the fitting ornaments of saints, and which are indeed the diadems of the true
elect of God and our Lord; and because the strong root of your faith, spoken of
in days long gone by, endureth even until now, and bringeth forth fruit to our
Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sins suffered even unto death, [but] "whom God
raised from the dead, having loosed the bands of the grave." "In
whom, though now ye see Him not, ye believe, and believing, rejoice with joy
unspeakable and full of glory;" into which joy many desire to enter,
knowing that "by grace ye are saved, not of works," but by the will
of God through Jesus Christ. (Epistle to
the Philippians, 1)
But He who raised Him up from the dead will
raise up us also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love
what He loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love
of money, evil speaking, false witness; "not rendering evil for evil, or
railing for railing," or blow for blow, or cursing for cursing, but being
mindful of what the Lord said in His teaching: "Judge not, that ye be not
judged; forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you; be merciful, that ye may
obtain mercy; with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you
again;" and once more, "Blessed are the poor, and those that are
persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God." (Epistle to the Philippians, 2)
"But the love of money is the root of
all evils."1 Knowing, therefore, that "as we brought nothing into the
world, so we can carry nothing out," let us arm ourselves with the armour
of righteousness; and let us teach, first of all, ourselves to walk in the
commandments of the Lord. Next, [teach] your wives [to walk] in the faith given
to them, and in love and purity tenderly loving their own husbands in all
truth, and loving all [others] equally in all chastity; and to train up their
children in the knowledge and fear of God. Teach the widows to be discreet as
respects the faith of the Lord, praying continually for all, being far from all
slandering, evil-speaking, false-witnessing, love of money, and every kind of
evil; knowing that they are the altar of God, that He clearly perceives all
things, and that nothing is hid from Him, neither reasonings, nor reflections,
nor any one of the secret things of the heart. (Epistle to the Philippians, 4)
If we please Him in this present world, we
shall receive also the future world, according as He has promised to us that He
will raise us again from the dead, and that if we live worthily of Him,
"we shall also reign together with Him," provided only we believe. In
like manner, let the young men also be blameless in all things, being
especially careful to preserve purity, and keeping themselves in, as with a
bridle, from every kind of evil. For it is well that they should be cut off
from the lusts that are in the world, since "every lust warreth against
the spirit;" and "neither fornicators, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of God," (Epistle to the Philippians, 5)
Interestingly enough, it was not just writings from Polycarp that refute
sola fide; letters written to Polycarp also refute such. Ignatius of Antioch,
in his Epistle to Polycarp affirmed the concept of gracious merit:
Please ye Him
under whom ye fight, and from whom ye receive your wages. Let none of you be
found a deserter. Let your baptism endure as your arms; your faith as your
helmet; your love as your spear; your patience as a complete panoply. Let your
works be the charge assigned to you, that ye may receive a worthy recompense.
Be long-suffering-, therefore, with one another, in meekness, as God is towards
you. May I have joy of you for ever! (6.2)
The term translated as "charge assigned to you" is δεποσιτα
(whence "deposit"), with such works being said to be
"worthy" (αξιος) of an ακκεπτα ("recompense"), which, per
BDAG, refers to "military finance: a sum credited to a Roman soldier and
paid upon his discharge."
