Fragments of Papias
FRAGMENTS OF PAPIAS FROM THE EXPOSITION OF THE ORACLES OF THE LORD.
I.
[THE writings of Papias in common circulation are five in number, and these
are called an Exposition of the Oracles of the Lord. Irenaeus makes mention of
these as the only works written by him, in the following words: "Now testimony
is borne to these things in writing by Papias, an ancient man, who was a hearer
of John, and a friend of Polycarp, in the fourth of his books; for five books
were composed by him." Thus wrote Irenaeus. Moreover, Papias himself, in the
introduction to his books, makes it manifest that he was not himself a hearer
and eye-witness of the holy apostles; but he tells us that he received the
truths of our religion from those who were aquainted with them [the apostles] in
the following words:]
But I shall not be unwilling to put down, along with my interpretations,
whatsoever instructions I received with care at any time from the elders, and
stored up with care in my memory, assuring you at the same time of their truth.
For I did not, like the multitude, take pleasure in those who spoke much, but in
those who taught the truth; nor in those who related strange commandments, but
in those who rehearsed the commandments given by the Lord to faith, and
proceeding from truth itself. If, then, any one who had attended on the elders
came, I asked minutely after their sayings,--what Andrew or 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 Lord's disciples: which things Aristion and the presbyter John,
the disciples of the Lord, say. For I imagined that what was to be got from
books was not so profitable to me as what came from the living and abiding
voice.
II.
[The early Christians] called those who practised a godly guilelessness,
children, [as is stated by Papias in the first book of the Lord's Expositions,
and by Clemens Alexandrinus in his Paedagogue.]
III.
Judas walked about in this world a sad example of impiety; for his body
having swollen to such an extent that he could not pass where a chariot could
pass easily, he was crushed by the chariot, so that his bowels gushed out.
IV.
[As the elders who saw John the disciple of the Lord remembered that they had
heard from him how the Lord taught in regard to those times, and said]: "The
days will come in which vines shall grow, having each ten thousand branches, and
in each branch ten thousand twigs, and in each true twig ten thousand shoots,
and in every one of the shoots ten thousand clusters, and on every one of the
clusters ten thousand grapes, and every grape when pressed will give
five-and-twenty metretes of wine. And when any one of the saints shall lay hold
of a cluster, another shall cry out, 'I am a better cluster, take me; bless the
Lord through me.' In like manner, [He said] that a grain of wheat would produce
ten thousand ears, and that every ear would have ten thousand grains, and every
grain would yield ten pounds of clear, pure, fine flour; and that apples, and
seeds, and grass would produce in similar proportions; and that all animals,
feeding then only on the productions of the earth, would become peaceable and
harmonious, and be in perfect subjection to man." [Testimony is borne to these
things in writing by Papias, an ancient man, who was a hearer of John and a
friend of Polycarp, in the fourth of his books; for five books were composed by
him. And he added, saying, "Now these things are credible to believers. And
Judas the traitor," says he, "not believing, and asking, 'How shall such growths
be accomplished by the Lord?' the Lord said, 'They shall see who shall come to
them.' These, then, are the times mentioned by the prophet Isaiah: 'And the wolf
shall lie, down with the lamb,' etc. (Isa. xi. 6 ff.)."]
V.
As the presbyters say, then those who are deemed worthy of an abode in heaven
shall go there, others shah enjoy the delights of Paradise, and others shall
possess the splendour of the city; for everywhere the Saviour will be seen,
according as they shall be worthy who see Him. But that there is this
distinction between the habitation of those who produce an hundredfold, and that
of those who produce sixty-fold, and that of those who produce thirty-fold; for
the first will be taken up into the heavens, the second class will dwell in
Paradise, and the last will inhabit the city; and that on this account the Lord
said, "In my Father's house are many mansions:" for all things belong to God,
who supplies all with a suitable dwelling-place, even as His word says, that a
share is given to all by the Father, according as each one is or shall be
worthy. And this is the couch in which they shall recline who feast, being
invited to the wedding. The presbyters, the disciples of the apostles, say that
this is the gradation and arrangement of those who are saved, and that they
advance through steps of this nature; and that, moreover, they ascend through
the Spirit to the Son, and through the Son to the Father; and that in due time
the Son will yield up His work to the Father, even as it is said by the apostle,
"For He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy
that shall be destroyed is death." For in the times of the kingdom the just man
who is on the earth shall forget to die. "But when He saith all things are put
under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted which did put all things under
Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also
Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all
in all."
VI.
[Papias, who is now mentioned by us, affirms that he received the sayings of
the apostles from those who accompanied them, and he moreover asserts that he
heard in person Aristion and the presbyter John. Accordingly he mentions them
frequently by name, and in his writings gives their traditions. Our notice of
these circumstances may not be without its use. It may also be worth while to
add to the statements of Papias already given, other passages of his in which he
relates some miraculous deeds, stating that he acquired the knowledge of them
from tradition. The residence of the Apostle Philip with his daughters in
Hierapolis has been mentioned above. We must now point out how Papias, who lived
at the same time, relates that he had received a wonderful narrative from the
daughters of Philip. For he relates that a dead man was raised to life in his
day. He also mentions another miracle relating to Justus, surnamed Barsabas, how
he swallowed a deadly poison, and received no harm, on account of the grace of
the Lord. The same person, moreover, has set down other things as coming to him
from unwritten tradition, amongst these some strange parables and instructions
of the Saviour, and some other things of a more fabulous nature. Amongst these
he says that there will be a millennium after the resurrection from the dead,
when the personal reign of Christ will be established on this earth. He moreover
hands down, in his own writing, other narratives given by the previously
mentioned Aristion of the Lord's sayings, and the traditions of the presbyter
John. For information on these points, we can merely refer our readers to the
books themselves; but now, to the extracts already made, we shall add, as being
a matter of primary importance, a tradition regarding Mark who wrote the Gospel,
which he [Papias] has given in the following words]: And the presbyter said
this. Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately
whatsoever he remembered. It was not, however, in exact order that he related
the sayings or deeds of Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor accompanied
Him. But afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter, who accommodated his
instructions to the necessities [of his hearers], but with no intention of
giving a regular narrative of the Lord's sayings. Wherefore Mark made no mistake
in thus writing some things as he remembered them. For of one thing he took
especial care, not to omit anything he had heard, and not to put anything
fictitious into the statements. [This is what is related by Papias regarding
Mark; but with regard to Matthew he has made the following statements]: Matthew
put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one
interpreted them as best he could. [The same person uses proofs from the First
Epistle of John, and from the Epistle of Peter in like manner. And he also gives
another story of a woman who was accused of many sins before the Lord, which is
to be fount in the Gospel according to the Hebrews.]
VII.
Papias thus speaks, word far word: To some of them [angels] He gave dominion
over the arrangement of the world, and He commissioned them to exercise their
dominion well. And he says, immediately after this: but it happened that their
arrangement came to nothing.
VIII.
With regard to the inspiration of the book (Revelation), we deem it
superfluous to add another word; for the blessed Gregory Theologus and Cyril,
and even men of still older date, Papias, Irenaeus, Methodius, and Hippolytus,
bore entirely satisfactory testimony to it.
IX.
Taking occasion from Papias of Hierapolis, the illustrious, a disciple of the
apostle who leaned on the bosom of Christ, and Clemens, and Pantaenus the priest
of [the Church] of the Alexandrians, and the wise Ammonius, the ancient and
first expositors, who agreed with each other, who understood the work of the six
days as referring to Christ and the whole Church.
X.
(1) Mary the mother of the Lord; (2) Mary the wife of Cleophas or Alphaeus,
who was the mother of James the bishop and apostle, and of Simon and Thaddeus,
and of one Joseph; (3) Mary Salome, wife of Zebedee, mother of John the
evangelist and James; (4) Mary Magdalene. These four are found in the Gospel.
James and Judas and Joseph were sons of an aunt (2) of the Lord's. James also
and John were sons of another aunt (3) of the Lord's. Mary (2), mother of James
the Less and Joseph, wife of Alphaeus was the sister of Mary the mother of the
Lord, whom John names of Cleophas, either from her father or from the family of
the clan, or for some other reason. Mary Salome (3) is called Salome either from
her husband or her village. Some affirm that she is the same as Mary of
Cleophas, because she had two husbands.