A Prayer by Polycarp
Polycarp was an early Christian leader and martyr. Irenaeus tells us that Polycarp was a student of the apostle John. He was an elder at the church in Smyrna. The following prayer was included in a letter he wrote to the church at Phillipi.
Now may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ himself, the eternal high priest and Son of God, build you up in faith, truth, gentleness, absence of wrath, patience, longsuffering, endurance, and purity. May he give you lot and share among his saints, and us with you and with all under heaven who shall believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and in his Father who raised him from the dead. Pray for all the saints. Pray also for emperors, powers, and rulers, and for those who persecute and hate you, and for the enemies of the cross, so that your fruit may be manifest among all, so that you may be perfect in him.
Great stuff. If you haven’t read Ignatius of Antioch, another martyr and student of John and contemporary of Polycarp, you would really love him, too.
Joseph Richardson - February 4, 2013 at 12:25 pm |