Apostolic Fathers

Clement of Rome

Ignatius of Antioch

Polycarp of Smyrna

Papias of Hierapolis

Quadratus of Athens

The history of the title for these writers was explained by Joseph Lightfoot, in his 1890 translation of the Apostolic Fathers' works:^[4]

...[T]he expression ['Apostolic Fathers'] itself does not occur, so far as I have observed, until comparatively recent times. Its origin, or at least its general currency, should probably be traced to the idea of gathering together the literary remains of those who flourished in the age immediately succeeding the Apostles, and who presumably therefore were their direct personal disciples. This idea first took shape in the edition of Cotelier during the last half of the seventeenth century (A.D. 1672). Indeed such a collection would have been an impossibility a few years earlier. The first half of that century saw in print for the first time the Epistles of Clement (A.D. 1633), and of Barnabas (A.D. 1645), to say nothing of the original Greek of Polycarp's Epistle (A.D. 1633) and the Ignatian Letters in their genuine form (A.D. 1644, 1646). The materials therefore would have been too scanty for such a project at any previous epoch. In his title page however Cotelier does not use the actual expression, though he approximates to it, SS. Patrum qui temporibus Apostolicis floruerunt opera; but the next editor [Thomas] Ittig (1699), adopts as his title Patres Apostolici, and thenceforward it becomes common.

List of works

Part of a series on
New Testament apocrypha
First page of the Gospel of Judas (Page 33 of Codex Tchacos)
Apostolic Fathers 1 Clement 2 Clement Epistles of Ignatius Polycarp to the Philippians Martyrdom of Polycarp Didache Barnabas Diognetus The Shepherd of Hermas
Apocryphal gospels Jewish–Christian gospels Ebionites Hebrews Nazarenes Infancy gospels James Thomas Syriac Pseudo-Matthew History of Joseph the Carpenter Gnostic gospels Judas Mary Philip Truth Secret Mark The Saviour Other gospels Thomas Marcion Nicodemus Peter Barnabas Lost gospels Bartholomew Matthias Cerinthus Basilides Mani Gospel of the Hebrews
Apocalypses Paul Peter Pseudo-Methodius Thomas Stephen 1 James 2 James 2 John
Epistles Apocryphon of James Apocryphon of John Epistula Apostolorum Pseudo-Titus Peter to Philip Paul and Seneca Lost epistles Alexandrians Laodiceans
Acts Andrew Andrew and Bartholomew Barnabas John Mar Mari The Martyrs Paul Peter Peter and Andrew Peter and Paul Peter and the Twelve Philip Pilate Thaddeus Thomas Timothy Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca
Misc. Other apocrypha Clementine literature Diatessaron Doctrine of Addai Pilate cycle Prayer of the Apostle Paul Questions of Bartholomew Resurrection of Jesus Christ Related topics Nag Hammadi library
Christianity portal
v t e

The following writings are generally grouped together as having been written by the Apostolic Fathers (in italics are writings whose authors are unknown):^[5]

Additionally some have argued that the Odes of Solomon was written by a student of the Apostle John around the middle of the first century.^[6]

All or most of these works were originally written in Greek. Older English translations of these works can be found online in the Ante-Nicene Fathers series on the Christian Classics Ethereal Library website.^[7] Published English translations have also been made by various scholars of early Christianity, such as Joseph Lightfoot, Kirsopp Lake, Bart D. Ehrman and Michael W. Holmes.^{[note 2]} The first English translation of the Apostolic Fathers' works was published in 1693, by William Wake, then rector of Westminster St James, later Archbishop of Canterbury.^{[note 3]} It was virtually the only English translation available until the mid-19th century. Since its publication many better manuscripts of the Apostolic Fathers' works have been discovered.^{[note 4]}

There are several Greek text editions:

• The Apostolic Fathers. Vol. 1. I Clement. II Clement. Ignatius. Polycarp. Didache. Barnabas. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1912 Kirsopp Lake
• The Apostolic Fathers. Vol. 2. Shepherd of Hermas. Martyrdom of Polycarp. Epistle to Diognetus. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1913 Kirsopp Lake
• The Apostolic Fathers. Vol. 1. I Clement. II Clement. Ignatius. Polycarp. Didache.
  Bart Ehrman
  (replaced Lake)
• The Apostolic Fathers. Vol. 2. Epistle of Barnabas. Papias and Quadratus. Epistle to Diognetus. The Shepherd of Hermas.
  Bart Ehrman
  (replaced Lake)
• The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations. 3rd Edition. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007 Michael Holmes
• Die Apostolischen Väter. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1992 Andreas Lindemann and Henning Paulsen (German)

Fathers

Clement of Rome

The Second Epistle of Clement was traditionally ascribed by some ancient authors to Clement, but it is now generally considered to have been written later, c. AD 140–160, and therefore could not be the work of Clement, who died in 99.^[9] Doubts about the authorship of the letter had already been expressed in antiquity by Eusebius and Jerome.^[14][15] Whereas 1 Clement was an epistle, 2 Clement appears to be a transcript of an oral homily or sermon,^[9] making it the oldest surviving Christian sermon outside of the New Testament.^{[citation needed]}

Ignatius of Antioch

Polycarp (c. AD 69 – c. 155) was bishop of Smyrna (now İzmir in Turkey).^[21] His student Irenaeus wrote that he "was not only instructed by the apostles, and conversed with many who had seen the Lord, but was also appointed bishop by apostles in Asia and in the church in Smyrna",^[22] and that he had, as a boy, listened to "the accounts which (Polycarp) gave of his intercourse with John and with the others who had seen the Lord".^[23] The options for this John are John the son of Zebedee, traditionally viewed as the author of the Fourth Gospel, or John the Presbyter.^[24] Traditional advocates follow Eusebius in insisting that the apostolic connection of Papius was with John the Evangelist, and that this John, the author of the Gospel of John, was the same as the apostle John.

Polycarp tried and failed to persuade

Papias of Hierapolis (c. 60 – c. 130) was bishop of Hierapolis (now Pamukkale in Turkey). Irenaeus describes him as "an ancient man who was a hearer of John and a companion of Polycarp".^[26] Eusebius adds that Papias was Bishop of Hierapolis around the time of Ignatius of Antioch.^[27] The name Papias (Παπίας) was very common in the region, suggesting that he was probably a native of the area.^[28]

Papias's major work was the Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord (Greek: Λογίων Κυριακῶν Ἐξήγησις) in five books; it has been lost and only survives in excerpts from Iraeneus and Eusebius. Other fragments come from the works of Philip of Side and George Hamartolos, but the authenticity of those are dubious.^[29]

Quadratus of Athens

Quadratus of Athens (died c. 129) was bishop of Athens. Eusebius reports that he was a disciple of the apostles (auditor apostolorum) and that he was appointed as bishop after the martyrdom of his predecessor Publius.^[30][31] Quadratus's major work is the Apology, which was apparently read to Emperor Hadrian to convince him to improve imperial policy toward Christians. It has been lost and only survives in an excerpt from Eusebius.^[32]

Other sub-apostolic literature

Didache

The Didache (Greek: Διδαχή,, translit. Didakhé, lit. "Teaching")^[33] is a brief early Christian treatise, dated anywhere from as early as AD 50 to the end of the 1st century.^[34] It contains instructions for Christian communities. The text, parts of which may have constituted the first written catechism, has three main sections dealing with Christian lessons, rituals such as baptism and the Eucharist, and church organization. It was considered by some of the Church Fathers as part of the New Testament^[35] but rejected as spurious (non-canonical) by others.^[36] Scholars knew of the Didache through references in other texts, but the text had been lost; it was rediscovered in 1873 by Philotheos Bryennios, Metropolitan of Nicomedia, in the Codex Hierosolymitanus.

Shepherd of Hermas

The 2nd-century The Shepherd of Hermas was popular in the early church and was even considered scriptural by some of the Church Fathers such as Irenaeus^[37] and Tertullian. It was written in Rome in Koine Greek. The Shepherd had great authority in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The work comprises five visions, 12 mandates, and 10 parables. It relies on allegory and pays special attention to the Church, calling the faithful to repent of the sins that have harmed it.^[38]

Epistle to Diognetus

The Epistle to Diognetus, sometimes called Mathetes or Epistle of Mathetes to Diogentus, is the first extant christian apology. In the apology, the anonymous author explain to a pagan friend who wants to know more about the new religion. The epistle talks mainly about the encarnation of Logos (Jesus Christ), the errors of paganism and Judaism and explain about the christian lifestyle.^[39] This work is thought to have been written around 130 AD.^[40]

See also

• Christian apologetics
• Doctor of the Church
• Ante-Nicene Fathers (book)
• Ecumenical Councils
• Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers

References

Notes

Citations