Apostolic Fathers
Authors: Jefford Clayton N. , Varner William 
Published: June 2013

The expression “Apostolic Fathers” refers to a collection of early Christian writings traditionally viewed as being authored by people who knew or were associated with the New Testament (NT) apostles. A modern edition usually includes the following works, although the order varies considerably: 1 Clement, 2 Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Didache, Barnabas, Papias, Hermas, Martyrdom of Polycarp, Diognetus, and Quadratus. The term Apostolic Fathers (AF) is actually an artificial one, never having been used until a collection was made by J. B. Cotelier in 1672. The expression “Apostolical Fathers” can be traced back at least as far as William Wake, who in 1693 published a translation of the above titles, minus Didache, Diognetus, Papias, and Quadratus. The expression “Apostolic Fathers” was used by Thomas Ittig in his edition of 1699 and by Jean Le Clerc in his edition of Cotelier in 1698. Additions to the number of the AF were made by Andreas Gallandi, who included also the Letter to Diognetus, the Fragments of Papias, and the fragment of Quadratus (1765). The discovery of the Didache by Bryennios (published in 1883) led to the inclusion of that document also among the AF. The Bryennios manuscript included Barnabas, 1 Clement, 2 Clement, the Didache, and the long recension of the letters of Ignatius. This collection of the books copied in the eleventh century was made when little had been mentioned about the AF and when the understanding of 2nd-century Christianity had been shaped mostly by Eusebius’s discussion of Ignatius as well as Clement of Rome, Dionysius the Areopagite, and Justin Martyr. Apart from Clement, Didache, Polycarp, and Papias, no significant link with the apostles seems likely, and Barnabas and 2 Clement are certainly pseudonymous. Diognetus includes an ambiguous reference to the author as “a disciple of apostles” (11.1), but most consider that to be a general, not a literal reflection. Patristic interest in the AF centered primarily on the Christological significance of Ignatius’s description of Jesus. Less use was made of Polycarp, 1 Clement, 2 Clement, and Hermas, and occasionally some references were made to the writings of Papias that had not survived. Eusebius placed Hermas, Barnabas, and the Didache among the antilegomena that comprised the second section of writings “not universally accepted” as scriptural. He mentioned that 1 Clement was still read in churches, but that 2 Clement was not often mentioned by the ancients. He also suggested that Hermas was useful for instruction but expressed some doubts about the intelligence of Papias. The association of the authors with the apostles provided them with credentials as valid as some of the NT writings. Irenaeus apparently viewed 1 Clement and Shepherd of Hermas as scripture, and the early Tertullian dealt with the Shepherd as scripture. Clement of Alexandria regarded 1 Clement, Hermas, Barnabas, and the Didache as inspired writings, while Origen viewed Hermas, Barnabas, and the Didache similarly. As was mentioned, Eusebius was less positive about a canonical status of these books and regarded them as spurious. Athanasius placed the Didache and Hermas outside the canon but still encouraged their reading by the faithful. The 4th-century Codex Sinaiticus included Barnabas and Hermas at its end, and the 5th-century Codex Alexandrinus contained 1 Clement and 2 Clement. A canonical list in the 6th-century Greek-Latin Codex Claromantanus lists among the books of the NT the works of Barnabas and Shepherd of Hermas. While 1 Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp are genuine letters, Barnabas is more like a theological tractate, the Martyrdom of Polycarp is obviously a martyrology, and Diognetus is an apology. Thus, they are letters only in their external form. The other writings approach the nature of a homily (2 Clement), a church order (Didache), and a sort of allegory/apocalypse (Hermas). Papias’s “exposition” of the “oracles” of Jesus is known to us only in a series of fragments cited by others, while only a short quotation from the apologist Quadratus has survived. While displaying a common conviction about the newly emerged Christian faith, some different forms of that faith are often exemplified in these writings. Polycarp often reflects the contents of the Pastoral Epistles. 1 Clement has possible echoes of the Letter of James, while Ignatius reflects attitudes that recall Johannine thought. Clement’s approach to church succession and Ignatius’s clear advocacy of monepiscopacy at least prepares their readers for a later view of apostolic succession and primacy. Some of the AF display a striking connection to various forms of Judaism, while others attack Jews and Judaism with language that may shock modern readers. The Didache shares many ideas and expressions with Matthew’s gospel and draws on many Jewish ethical materials. Barnabas is more negatively disposed to Judaism and indicates a serious negative awareness of Jews. 2 Clement communicates a faith that reflects a late Jewish frame of reference. Papias’s eschatology reflects themes of apocalyptic thought that were still alive in some circles. Hermas often conveys a Jewish “theology” within an apocalyptic worldview. The apologetic approaches of Diognetus and Quadratus, however, reflect a different and less Jewish-related approach. While theological in tenor, the bulk of the collection is ethical in focus, reflecting the concerns of a spiritual movement transitioning from its original 1st-century Jewish roots. These works also echo a consciousness of orthodoxy within the early “catholic church” that came to exclude what is now viewed as heterodox literature in that period.