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There are extant five books of Papias, which bear the title
Expositions of Oracles of the Lord. Irenaeus makes mention of these
as the only works written by him, in the following words: "These
things are attested by Papias, an ancient man who was a hearer of
John and a companion of Polycarp, in his fourth book. For five
books have been written by him." These are the words of Irenaeus.
But Papias himself in the preface to his discourses by no means
declares that he was himself a hearer and eye-witness of the holy
apostles, but he shows by the words which he uses that he received the
doctrines of the faith from those who were their friends. He says:
"But I shall not hesitate also to put down for you along with my
interpretations whatsoever things I have at any time learned carefully
from the elders and carefully remembered, guaranteeing their truth.
For I did not, like the multitude, take pleasure in those that speak
much, but in those that teach the truth; not in those that relate
strange commandments, but in those that deliver the commandments given
by the Lord to faith, and springing from the truth itself. If,
then, any one came, who had been a follower of the elders, I
questioned him in regard to the words of the elders, - what Andrew or
what Peter said, or what was said by Philip, or by Thomas, or by
James, or by John, or by Matthew, or by any other of the disciples
of the Lord, and what things Aristion and the presbyter John, the
disciples of the Lord, say. For I did not think that what was to be
gotten from the books would profit me as much as what came from the
living and abiding voice".
It is worth while observing here that the name John is twice
enumerated by him.
The first one he mentions in connection with Peter and James and
Matthew and the rest of the apostles, clearly meaning the evangelist;
but the other John he mentions after an interval, and places him among
others outside of the number of the apostles, putting Aristion before
him, and he distinctly calls him a presbyter. This shows that the
statement of those is true, who say that there were two persons in
Asia that bore the same name, and that there were two tombs in
Ephesus, each of which, even to the present day, is called
John's. It is important to notice this. For it is probable that it
was the second, if one is not willing to admit that it was the first
that saw the Revelation, which is ascribed by name to John.
And Papias, of whom we are now speaking, confesses that he received
the words of the apostles from those that followed them, but says that
he was himself a hearer of Aristion and the presbyter John.At least
he mentions them frequently by name, and gives their traditions in his
writings.These things, we hope, have not been uselessly adduced by
us.
But it is fitting to subjoin to the words of Papias which have been
quoted, other passages from his works in which he relates some other
wonderful events which he claims to have received from tradition.That
Philip the apostle dwelt at Hierapolis with his daughters has been
already stated. But it must be noted here that Papias, their
contemporary, says that he heard a wonderful tale from the daughters of
Philip. For he relates that in his time's one rose from the dead.
And he tells another wonderful story of Justus, surnamed Barsabbas
: that he drank a deadly poison, and yet, by the grace of the Lord,
suffered no harm.The Book of Acts records that the holy apostles
after the ascension of the Saviour, put forward this Justus,
together with Matthias, and prayed that one might be chosen in place
of the traitor Judas, to fill up their number.The account is as
follows: "And they put forward two, Joseph, called Barsabbas,
who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias; and they prayed and
said."" The same writer gives also other accounts which he says came
to him through unwritten tradition, certain strange parables and
teachings of the Saviour, and some other more mythical things. To
these belong his statement that there will be a period of some thousand
years after the resurrection of the dead, and that the kingdom of
Christ will be set up in material form on this very earth. I suppose
he got these ideas through a misunderstanding of the apostolic
accounts, not perceiving that the things said by them were spoken
mystically in figures. For lie appears to have been of very limited
understanding, as one can see from his discourses. But it was due to
him that so many of the Church Fathers after him adopted a like
opinion, urging in their own support the antiquity of the man ; as for
instance Irenaeus and any one else that may have proclaimed similar
views. Papias gives also in his own work other accounts of the words
of the Lord on the authority of Aristion who was mentioned above, and
traditions as handed down by the presbyter John; to which we refer
those who are fond of learning. But now we must add to the words of
his which we have already quoted the tradition which he gives in regard
to Mark, the author of the Gospel. It is in the following words:
"This also the presbyter said: Mark, having become the interpreter
of Peter, wrote down accurately, though not indeed in order,
whatsoever he remembered of the things said or done by Christ. For he
neither heard the Lord nor followed him, but afterward, as I said,
he followed Peter, who adapted his teaching to the needs of his
hearers, but with no intention of giving a connected account of the
Lord's discourses, so that Mark committed no error while he thus
wrote some things as he remembered them. For he was careful of one
thing, not to omit any of the things which he had heard, and not to
state any of them falsely." These things are related by Papias
concerning Mark. But concerning Matthew he writes as follows: "So
then Matthew wrote the oracles in the Hebrew language, and every one
interpreted them as he was able." And the same writer uses
testimonies from the first Epistle of John and from that of Peter
likewise. And he relates another story of a woman, who was accused of
many sins before the Lord, which is contained in the Gospel according
to the Hebrews. These things we have thought it necessary to observe
in addition to what has been already stated.
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