Papias: Surviving Fragments

This fragment is found in Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. iii. 39.

Literally, “the things of faith.”

Papias states that he will give an exact account of what the elders said; and that, in addition to this, he will accompany this account with an explanation of the meaning and import of the statements.

Literally, “commandments belonging to others,” and therefore strange and novel to the followers of Christ.

Given to faith has been variously understood. Either not stated in direct language, but like parables given in figures, so that only the faithful could understand; or entrusted to faith, that is, to those who were possessed of faith, the faithful.

Which things : this is usually translated, “what Aristion and John say;” and the translation is admissible. But the words more naturally mean, that John and Aristion, even at the time of his writing, were telling him some of the sayings of the Lord.

This fragment is found in the Scholia of Maximus on the works of Dionysius the Areopagite.

Literally, “a guilelessness according to God.”

This fragment is found in Œcumenius.

Literally, “great.”

Literally, “were emptied out.” Theophylact, after quoting this passage, adds other particulars, as if they were derived from Papias. [But see Routh, i. pp. 26, 27.] He says that Judas’s eyes were so swollen that they could not be seen, even by the optical instruments of physicians; and that the rest of his body was covered with runnings and worms. He further states, that he died in a solitary spot, which was left desolate until his time; and no one could pass the place without stopping up his nose with his hands.

From Irenæus, Hær. , v. 32. [Hearsay at second-hand, and handed about among many, amounts to nothing as evidence. Note the reports of sermons, also, as they appear in our daily Journals. Whose reputation can survive if such be credited?]

[See Grabe, apud Routh, 1. 29.]

This fragment is found in Irenæus, Hær. , v. 36; but it is a mere guess that the saying of the presbyters is taken from the work of Papias.

In the future state.

The new Jerusalem on earth.

John xiv. 2 .

Commentators suppose that the reference here is to Matt. xx. 23 .

Matt. xxii. 10 .

1 Cor. xv. 25, 26 .

1 Cor. xv. 27, 28 .

From Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. , iii. 39.

[A certain presbyter, of whom see Apost. Constitutions , vii. 46, where he is said to have been ordained by St. John, the Evangelist.]

“In his day” may mean “in the days of Papias,” or “in the days of Philip.” As the narrative came from the daughters of Philip, it is more likely that Philip’s days are meant.

[Again, note the reduplicated hearsay. Not even Irenæus, much less Eusebius, should be accepted, otherwise than as retailing vague reports.]

Rufinus supposes this story to be the same as that now found in the textus receptus of Gospel of John viii. 1–11 ,—the woman taken in adultery.

This extract is made from Andreas Cæsariensis, [Bishop of Cæsarea in Cappodocia, circiter , A.D. 500].

That is, that government of the world’s affairs was a failure. An ancient writer takes τάξις to mean the arraying of the evil angels in battle against God.

This also is taken from Andreas Cæsariensis. [See Lardner, vol. v. 77.]

This fragment, or rather reference, is taken from Anastasius Sinaita. Routh gives, as another fragment, the repetition of the same statement by Anastasius.

This fragment was found by Grabe in a ms. of the Bodleian Library, with the inscription on the margin, “Papia.” Westcott states that it forms part of a dictionary written by “a mediæval Papias. [He seems to have added the words, “Maria is called Illuminatrix, or Star of the Sea,” etc, a middle-age device.] The dictionary exists in ms. both at Oxford and Cambridge.”