Fragments

PAPIAS: whom we mentioned earlier, claims that he received the sayings of the apostles from those who were with them, and he also asserts that he personally heard Aristion and the presbyter John. He frequently mentions them by name, and in his writings, he shares their traditions. Our notice of these details may prove useful. It may also be worthwhile to add to Papias's statements already given, other passages of his where he describes some miraculous deeds, saying that he learned of them from tradition. The stay of the Apostle Philip with his daughters in Hierapolis has already been mentioned. We should now highlight how Papias, who lived at the same time, says that he received an extraordinary account from the daughters of Philip, reporting that a dead man was raised to life in his day. He also mentions another miracle regarding Justus, also known as Barsabas, who consumed a deadly poison but was unharmed, due to the grace of the Lord.

Papias also notes other things as coming to him from unwritten tradition, including some unusual parables and teachings of the Saviour, and some other more fanciful items. Among these, he says there will be a millennium after the resurrection of the dead, when the personal reign of Christ will be established on this earth. He also records, in his own writings, other narratives given by the previously mentioned Aristion concerning the Lord’s sayings, and the traditions of the presbyter John. For further information on these topics, we refer readers to the books themselves; but now, in addition to the extracts already made, we will add, as a matter of primary importance, a tradition regarding Mark, who wrote the Gospel, which Papias stated in these words: The presbyter said this: Mark, having become Peter's interpreter, accurately wrote down everything he remembered. However, he did not recount the sayings or deeds of Christ in exact order. For he neither heard the Lord nor followed Him directly. But later, as I mentioned, he accompanied Peter, who adjusted his teachings to the needs of his listeners, without intending to provide a systematic account of the Lord’s sayings. Therefore, Mark did not err in writing some things as he remembered them. For he took particular care not to omit anything he heard and not to include anything fictitious in his accounts.

This is what Papias reports about Mark; regarding Matthew, he made the following statements: Matthew compiled the oracles of the Lord in the Hebrew language, and each person interpreted them as best as they could. The same individual uses examples from the First Epistle of John and the Epistle of Peter similarly. He also provides another story of a woman accused of many sins before the Lord, which is found in the Gospel according to the Hebrews.