The Development of the Canon of the New Testament

Polycarp of Smyrna (born ~70 -- died (martyred) ~155 in Rome)   

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Polycarp, Greek bishop of Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey) was the leading 2nd-century figure in Roman Asia by virtue of his intermediary position between the apostolic and patristic ages and his work during the initial appearance of the fundamental theological literature of Christianity. A Catholic Encyclopedia article is online at St. Polycarp.

His major writing, The Letter to the Philippians, is intimately connected with the epistles and martyrdom of Ignatius. About 110 CE, while en route to Rome where he suffered martyrdom, Ignatius passed through Smyrna and was warmly greeted by the church and its bishop. Subsequently he was taken by his guards to Philippi, where local Christian leaders visited him. After his departure they wrote to Polycarp requesting him to send them copies of the epistles that Ignatius had written to him and to several churches in Asia Minor. This he did, adding a covering letter of his own. In it Polycarp urges the reader to stand fast in the faith, to avoid heretical teachings, to look to the examples of martyrdom suffered by Ignatius and others, and to persevere in philanthropy and good works. He concludes by saying that he is sending them copies of the epistles of Ignatius as they requested, and asks them to send him the latest news about Ignatius and his companions.

By his letter, and by his widespread moral authority, Polycarp combated the Marcionites (from Rome) and frustrated their attempts to establish Churches in Roman Asia. That sect advocated a rejection of the Hebraic Old Testament deity for the New Testament God. He also struggled against the Valentinian communities, esoteric Gnostic groups that claimed religious salvation exclusively through their arcane spiritual knowledge. Polycarp's anti-Gnostic thesis, an exemplary statement of post-apostolic theology, refuted the sectarian argument that God's incarnation in Christ, his death, and Resurrection were all imaginary phenomena of purely moral or mythological significance.

Despite the proximity in time between Ignatius and Polycarp, as well as the obvious affinity of their spirits in Christian fortitude, one recognizes in Polycarp a temperament much less oriented to ecclesiastical polity and possessing a much wider acquaintance with the New Testament. Proportionate to the length of what they wrote, Polycarp has two or three times more quotations and reminiscences from the New Testament that does Ignatius. Of 112 Biblical reminiscences, about 100 are from the New Testament with only a dozen from the Old Testament. Polycarp does not refer to older Christian writings by name, but The Letter to the Philippians has quotations (of approval) from these writings:

• Gospel according to Matthew
• Gospel according to Mark
• Gospel according to Luke
• Acts
• I Corinthians
• II Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• I Thessalonians
• II Thessalonians
• I Timothy
• II Timothy
• Hebrews
• I Peter
• I John
• III John

In fact, The Letter to the Philippians is a mosaic of quotations from both Old Testament and Christian writings. The letter is important for its early testimony to the existence of various other New Testament texts. English translations of the letter are in the books [LHH] and [Richardson] , and online at Noncanonical Homepage and Christian Classics Ethereal Library. The quotations below follow [Richardson]. For a summary of this evidence see the Cross Reference Table.

Polycarp and the Gospel according to Matthew

Polycarp and the Gospel according to Mark

Polycarp and the Gospel according to Luke

Polycarp and Acts

Polycarp and Romans

Polycarp and I Corinthians

Polycarp and II Corinthians

Polycarp and Galatians

Polycarp and Ephesians

Polycarp and Philippians

Polycarp and I Thessalonians

Polycarp and II Thessalonians

Polycarp and I Timothy

Polycarp and II Timothy

Polycarp and Hebrews

Polycarp and I Peter

Polycarp and I John

Polycarp and III John