Through the Church Fathers: Introduction to the Fragments of Papias

Papias stands near the dawn of post-apostolic Christianity, and yet we hold him only in fragments. In today’s reading we encounter one of the earliest voices after the apostles, a bishop of Hierapolis writing in the early 2nd century who preferred the “living and abiding voice” of those who had heard the apostles over written reports alone. His five-book Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord no longer survives, but the preserved pieces reveal a man eager to safeguard apostolic memory before it faded. Through later writers like Irenaeus and Eusebius, we glimpse his testimony about the disciples, his vivid eschatological expectations, and his careful concern for preserving what had been handed down. Even in fragments, Papias reminds us how fragile early Christian history is—and how close we still stand to those who knew the Lord’s first witnesses.Readings:Papias of Hierapolis — Fragments of Papias, from the lost work Exposition of the Sayings of the LordAugustine of Hippo — The ConfessionsThomas Aquinas — Summa TheologicaExplore the Project:Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.comPatreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpattonCredo Courses – https://www.credocourses.comCredo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org#ThroughTheChurchFathers #EarlyChurch #Papias #ChurchHistory #ApostolicFathers