The Apostolic Fathers - Grace Notes

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Apostolic Fathers 12Pauline letters) and to 1 Clement. Polycarpcommends the Philippians for their faith andendurance, and summons them to continue inthe service of God (chs 1f). He speaks to them ofrighteousness at their invitation, though hedeclines to compare himself with “the blessedand glorious Paul” who had taught the word oftruth and written letters to them. In the Paulinetradition, Polycarp sees righteousness ascoming through faith, hope, and love (ch 3). Hesets forth the duties of groups in the church,husbands, wives, widows, deacons, youngermen, and presbyters (chs 4–6; no bishop ismentioned). He then warns against heresy interms reminiscent of John: “Everyone who doesnot confess that Jesus Christ has come in theflesh is an anti-Christ” (7:1; cf. 1 Jn. 4:2f; 2 Jn. 7).In the face of denials of resurrection andjudgment, the Church must return to thetradition it received in the beginning (7:2), andimitate the endurance of Christ and the martyrs(chs 8f). Christian believers are to love eachother and give alms (ch 10), avoiding the greedthat has led some astray (e.g., a certainpresbyter named Valens, 11:1–12:1). Polycarpcloses the epistle with a benediction, an appealto pray for fellow Christians and for rulers,some final remarks about Ignatius and hisletters, and a word of recommendation for themessenger who will bring the epistles toPhilippi (12:2–14:1).If any one theme can be singled out, it isexpressed by the phrase “concerningrighteousness” in 3:1 (cf. 3:3; 4:1; 8:1; 9:1f).Though Polycarp connects this theme withPaul, he develops it not in the Pauline sense butin terms of rather conventional exhortations tovirtue and faithfulness. He is more concerned topreserve and hand down traditions ofgenerally-accepted Christian truth than toshape or adapt them to particular needs orsituations, much less to move out in any newdirections. Polycarp’s epistle is of more interestfor its sources than for itself.VII. Martyrdom of PolycarpThis most ancient of Christian martyr accountstakes the form of a letter from the church ofSmyrna to the church of Philomelium inPhrygia, and beyond that church “to all theparishes of the holy universal church in everyplace” (Mart. Polyc, inscr; cf. 20:1 and 1 Cor.1:1). It gives every evidence of being what itclaims to be, an eyewitness report (15:1),apparently written within a year of the event itdescribes (18:3).The Martyrdom of Polycarp is known in sixGreek MSS, in extensive quotations by Eusebius(HE iv.l5) and a Latin version (Armenian,Syriac, and Coptic versions are simply based onEusebius). The most reliable Greek witness isgenerally considered to be the so-calledMoscow MS. Several appendices volunteerinformation about the Martyrdom’stransmission: a certain Gaius claims to havecopied it from papers belonging to Irenaeus (adisciple of Polycarp), and at a later time acertain Pionius claims to have transcribed itfrom a copy whose location was revealed tohim by “the blessed Polycarp” himself in avision (22:2f). Another conclusion, found onlyin the Moscow MS, seems to attribute the actualwriting of the Martyrdom to Irenaeus and goesto great lengths to emphasize the closeconnection of Irenaeus with Polycarp. (At theexact moment when Polycarp died in Smyrna,Irenaeus heard a voice in Rome saying,“Polycarp has been martyred”!) Such traditionsseem to be shaped by a desire to reinforce thelinks between the orthodox fathers and theapostles. Though the reference to Gaius maywell be authentic, much of the rest is open toserious question. Still another appendix (21:1)offers an exact date for the martyrdom (Feb. 23,155, or Feb. 22, 156, according to differentmethods of reckoning), which disagrees withthe date of 166/167 fixed by Eusebius in hisChronicon. The ruling officials mentioned in21:1 and 12:2 suggest in any case a date before160. But in general the epistle itself carriesmore marks of its own authenticity than do theappendices which were written to validate it.The writer introduces his narrative as a“martyrdom in accord with the Gospel” (1:1),and prefaces the actual story of Polycarp with afew briefer accounts of those who had justpreviously suffered for Christ (2:1–4:2). Hemakes the point that to give oneself upvoluntarily or to seek martyrdom is not inaccordance with the teaching of the gospel
Apostolic Fathers 13(4:2). Polycarp’s martyrdom was thus “inaccord with the Gospel” by virtue of the factthat “he waited to be betrayed, as also the Lordhad done” (1:2). Such martyrdom is also “inaccord with the will of God” (2:1). This theme ofnot forcing God’s hand or the hand of theoppressors is part of a larger complex, in whichparallels between Polycarp’s death and thedeath of Christ are noted and stressed. Afterwithdrawing from the city, Polycarp is huntedby a police captain named Herod and betrayedby young slaves who belong to his own house(6:2). He is arrested late in the evening in an“upper room” by police armed as if advancingagainst a robber (7:1; cf. Mt. 26:55). He refusesto flee, but like Jesus in Gethsemane says “thewill of God be done.” After a long prayer (7:3)he is taken back to the city riding on an ass on a“great Sabbath day” (8:1). Because of his greatage, he is urged to say “Caesar is Lord,” offer theright sacrifices, and so spare himself; but herefuses and is taken to the arena (8:2f). Here heis questioned and commanded to denounceChrist and the Christians by shouting “Awaywith the atheists” (i.e., those who deny theRoman gods). Instead he motions to the pagancrowds looking on and says of them, “Awaywith the atheists” (9:2). He then confesses thathe is a Christian and has been for 86 years (thusdating his birth at A.D. 70 or earlier), andrefuses to renounce his faith, even under theseverest threats (9:3–11:2). The martyrdomitself is described in some detail (12:1–16:2),focusing on such features as the particular roleof the Smyrnean Jews — even in violation of thesabbath (12:2; 13:1; 17:2; 18:1; cf. Rev. 2:9), thelast prayer of Polycarp (14:1–3), and themiracles attending the death itself (15:2; 16:1).He is burned alive, in fulfillment of his ownvision (cf. 5:2).It is clear from this account that although thereis an interest in showing similarities betweenthe martyr’s death and that of his Lord, thisinterest has not been pushed so far as to violatethe probabilities of what actually happened.Several features (e.g., Polycarp’s great age, thedeath by burning, the “great Sabbath day”), donot fit this pattern and are not forced. Thoughhe is like a ram to be sacrificed he is not nailedbut bound in the fire (14:1). Moreover theelement of the miraculous, though present, issomewhat more restrained than in later martyraccounts.After his death Polycarp’s body is destroyedand his bones are taken by the Christians to anappropriate place (17:1–18:2) where theyintend to celebrate “the birthday of hismartyrdom” (18:3). Here we have thebeginning of the later custom of treasuring therelics of the saints, but also the concept thatmartyrdom is not an end, but a birth intoanother life. It is fully in accord with Ignatius’notion that he will truly become a disciple onlywhen he gives up his life.The concluding chapters summarize Polycarp’scareer (19:1f), and identify a certain Marcion(not the heretic) as the one who drafted theletter on behalf of the church of Smyrna (20:1f).Though we know nothing else of this person, heprobably deserves to be called the author ofthis church epistle just as much as Clementdeserves to be called the author of the famousletter from the Romans to the Corinthians (seeabove).In the appendices (21:1–22:3) a noteworthyfeature is the exact time reference in 21:1,where the names of the asiarch and theproconsul are given, but instead of naming theemperor the text concludes “Jesus Christ wasreigning for ever, to whom be glory, honor,majesty, and an eternal throne … .” Whateverits claim to authenticity, this citation has caughtthe point of Polycarp’s confession (see 8:2;9:2f). Not Caesar but Christ is Lord.VIII. PapiasPapias, like Polycarp, was traditionally believedto have been a disciple of the apostle John(Irenaeus Adv. haer. v.33.4). He was bishop ofHierapolis in Phrygia during the first half of the2nd cent A.D. (EusebiusHE iii.36.2), whosewritings are known to us only in fragmentsquoted by later fathers. At first (in hisChronicon) Eusebius accepted the claim thatPapias was a hearer and eyewitness of theapostles, but later disputed it on the basis of aninterpretation of one of Papias’ own statements(HE iii.39.2). He attributes to Papias a workconsisting of five treatises and entitled“Interpretation of the Sayings of the Lord,” in
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The Apostolic Fathers - Grace Notes

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