Christian Publishing House Blog
Apologetic Defense of the faith, the Bible, and Christianity
Dive into the provocative question, 'Were the Apostolic Fathers Truly Apostolic?' on the Christian Publishing House Blog. This enlightening article critically examines the authenticity of the Apostolic Fathers' teachings in relation to the original Apostles, shedding new light on early Christian history.
Papias was a Greek Apostolic Father, Bishop of Hierapolis, and author who lived c. 60 – c. 135 AD. He wrote the Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord in five books.
Polycarp was a Christian bishop of Smyrna. According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body.
There is much in-depth information in this article: The Synoptic Gospels in the Ancient Church: The Testimony to the Priority of the Gospel of Matthew. We have a brief introduction to papyrus from Tyndale Bible Dictionary. We have a lengthy apologetic article on Papias and the arguments from higher critics by F. David Farnell. This is followed by Papias' writings from two leading scholars on the Apostolic Fathers, Michael W. Holmes, and J. B. Lightfoot.