Polycarp when and was taught by the Apostle John, who saw and was discipled by Jesus |mehr

Polycarp when and was taught by the Apostle John, who saw and was discipled by Jesus Christ Himself. The idea that Polycarp of Asia Minor had the complete canon is not unique to me. Other scholars, such as the late James Moffatt, have recognized that the church in Asia Minor had the canon first:

Was not the Apostolic Canon of scripture first formed...in Asia Minor? Was not Asia Minor ahead of Rome in the formation of the Apostolic, Episcopal, ministry?...The real thinking upon vital Christianity for centuries was done outside the Roman Church (Excerpt of James Moffatt's review, p.292. In: Bauer W. Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity, 2nd ed. Sigler Press Edition, Mifflinown (PA), 1996). (An article of related interest may be The New Testament Canon - From the Bible and History.)

Furthermore, Polycarp wrote:
For I trust that ye are well versed in the Sacred Scriptures (Polycarp, Chapter XII. Letter to the Philippians. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1as edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885).

By writing that to the Philippians, Polycarp is confirming that they indeed must have actually had the scriptures (including the New Testament which he quotes extensively). And this seem to be an admonition for future Christians to be well-versed in them as well. To the best of my knowledge, other than certain scholars, all non-Gnostic groups that profess Christianity accept the same books of the New Testament. The same books that Polycarp alluded and made reference to.

Notice a relatively recently found and translated ancient document (c. third century) that supports the view that Polycarp logically would have had the canon:

Polycarp...continued to walk [i]n the canons which he had learned from his youth from John the a[p]ostle. (Weidman, Frederick W. Polycarp and John: The Harris Fragments and Their Challenge to Literary Traditions. University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame (IL), 1999, pp. 43,44).

So, John is shown to have taught Polycarp. Notice that John passed the canons to Polycarp, this would seem to mean (at that time in history) the books of the Bible (John wrote the last several and would have known which of the other books were divinely inspired) and/or the way of real Christianity.

A colleague of Polycarp's was Melito of Sardis. Around 170 A.D. Melito has a writing in what has been titled FROM THE BOOK OF EXTRACTS where he lists the books in the Old Testament used by most Jews, Protestants, and those in the Churches of God (COGs). Hence between these writings, as well as the records from scripture (as documented in the articles the Old Testament Canon and the New Testament Canon), it is clear that Polycarp and those in Asia Minor had the complete Bible as those in the COGs and Protestants understand it.

Lecture 1, Polycarp:
How do you define a hero? What qualifications does one need to be listed as a hero of the Christian faith? As we make our way through the twenty-first century, who can Christians look to for encouragement? Dr. Sproul answers these questions in this message, as he introduces us to Polycarp – a man who remained faithful to the very end.

Weltmission | Geschichte | Gemeindegeschichte | R. C. Sproul | Polycarp | martyr | hero | Roman empire | persecution | pagan | Romans | Bible & Teaching | Church | Church History | History | Leadership