Please Support the Bible Translation Work of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
$5.00
 |
 |
 |
The study of early citations of the Gospels by the Apostolic Fathers is an essential dimension of New Testament textual studies. The Apostolic Fathers—those Christian writers active during the late first and early second centuries C.E.—form the bridge between the apostolic age and the post-apostolic Church. Their writings not only bear theological and moral continuity with the New Testament but also serve as documentary witnesses to the early use and recognition of the canonical Gospels. When properly analyzed, their quotations and allusions offer a significant line of evidence confirming that the four canonical Gospels were already in wide circulation and recognized as authoritative Scripture by the early decades of the second century.
This article examines these early citations with rigorous attention to manuscript evidence, linguistic features, and historical context. It also highlights how these citations demonstrate both the stability and the early authority of the Gospel text. The documentary evidence overwhelmingly supports the position that the four canonical Gospels were composed, circulated, and recognized long before any apocryphal gospels were written, establishing a direct historical line between the apostles and the second-century Church.
 |
 |
 |
The Apostolic Fathers and Their Chronological Context
The term “Apostolic Fathers” designates a collection of early Christian writers who lived approximately from 70–150 C.E. They were either direct disciples of the apostles or stood in immediate succession to them. The key figures include Clement of Rome (ca. 30–100 C.E.), Ignatius of Antioch (35–107 C.E.), Polycarp of Smyrna (69–155 C.E.), the author of the Didache (ca. 70–120 C.E.), the author of the Epistle of Barnabas (ca. 80–120 C.E.), Hermas (author of The Shepherd, ca. 90–140 C.E.), and Papias of Hierapolis (60–130 C.E.).
These men wrote during a time when the memory of the apostles was still fresh. The eyewitnesses of Jesus’ ministry were dying, but their written testimony, preserved in the Gospels, had already achieved wide authority. This transitional period provides the ideal context for tracing how the Gospels were transmitted and received in the early Church. The Apostolic Fathers did not invent new theological traditions; they passed on what they had received. Their frequent use of Gospel material confirms that the canonical Gospels were both accessible and authoritative.
 |
 |
 |
Clement of Rome (ca. 96 C.E.) and the Synoptic Tradition
Clement’s First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Clement), written around 96 C.E., is one of the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament. It demonstrates an intimate acquaintance with the Synoptic Gospels, especially Matthew and Luke. Clement frequently reproduces the sayings of Jesus with striking verbal correspondence.
In 1 Clement 13:2, we read: “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, ‘Woe to that man; it were better for him if he had not been born than to cause one of My elect to stumble.’” This clearly echoes Matthew 26:24 and Mark 14:21. Another citation in 1 Clement 46:8 reads, “Be merciful, that you may obtain mercy; forgive, that it may be forgiven you; as you do, so shall it be done to you.” This combines phrases from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:7; 6:14; 7:2).
Clement’s use of Jesus’ sayings is neither paraphrastic nor vague; he quotes with formulaic precision, reflecting a written rather than purely oral dependence. This indicates that the Gospels, particularly Matthew and Luke, were already written and disseminated before the close of the first century. The external evidence supports this, as Papyrus P104 (100–150 C.E.)—a fragment of Matthew—shows the Gospel circulating at precisely the same time as Clement’s letter. The combined evidence thus supports the view that Clement drew upon the established written Gospels.
 |
 |
 |
The Didache (ca. 70–120 C.E.) and the Synoptic Sayings
The Didache, also known as The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, provides early evidence of Christian ethical instruction based directly on Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels. In Didache 1:2, it states: “Bless those who curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you.” This directly parallels Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:27–28. Another citation appears in Didache 8:2, which commands the faithful to pray, “Our Father in heaven,” following the exact opening of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9.
The close verbal agreement with the Gospel texts, particularly with Matthew, confirms that the Didache’s author was using a fixed written text rather than relying solely on oral transmission. The ethical structure of the Didache—especially its “Two Ways” section—relies heavily on the words of Jesus as preserved in the Synoptic Gospels. The Didache thus provides decisive early testimony to the authority of the Gospel tradition within a generation of the apostolic age.
|
 |
|
Ignatius of Antioch (35–107 C.E.) and the Authority of the Gospels
Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, wrote seven letters on his way to martyrdom in Rome (ca. 107 C.E.). His writings show clear familiarity with the Synoptic Gospels, particularly Matthew and Luke, and possibly John. In Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans 3:2, he writes: “I know and believe that He was in the flesh even after the resurrection, and when He came to those who were with Peter, He said to them, ‘Handle Me, and see that I am not a spirit without body.’” This statement parallels Luke 24:39.
Ignatius also cites the words of Jesus found in Matthew 19:12 (“He who is able to receive it, let him receive it”) in Ignatius to the Philadelphians 7:1. Furthermore, he uses the distinctive Matthean phrase “not as I will, but as You will” (Ignatius to the Ephesians 14:2) from Matthew 26:39.
Ignatius’s dependence upon written Gospel material is unmistakable. His citations consistently display the linguistic and syntactical form of the canonical Gospels, not later apocryphal writings. This demonstrates that by the early second century, the Synoptic Gospels were already functioning as authoritative documents within the Church. Ignatius’ reverence for the sayings of Jesus parallels his regard for the writings of the apostles, implying that the Gospels were considered part of the same inspired corpus.
 |
 |
 |
Polycarp of Smyrna (69–155 C.E.) and the Fourfold Gospel Tradition
Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John and teacher of Irenaeus, wrote his Epistle to the Philippians around 110–135 C.E. His letter is a mosaic of New Testament citations, showing extensive familiarity with all four Gospels. In Philippians 2:3, he writes: “Blessed are the poor and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” This reflects Matthew 5:3 and 5:10. In Philippians 7:2, he says: “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak,” echoing Matthew 26:41 and Mark 14:38.
Polycarp’s writings also display familiarity with the Johannine Gospel. His emphasis on Christ as “the eternal Son of God” and “the one sent from the Father” resonates with Johannine language (John 3:17; 17:3). His use of these Gospels is natural, fluid, and authoritative. Polycarp does not introduce these sayings as citations from “some writing” but as the direct words of the Lord, demonstrating their recognized canonical status.
Irenaeus, Polycarp’s student, later testified that his master “had been instructed by apostles” and “always taught what he had learned from them.” The consistency between Polycarp’s Gospel quotations and the canonical text confirms that the fourfold Gospel canon was not a late ecclesiastical development but a historical reality rooted in apostolic transmission.
 |
 |
 |
The Epistle of Barnabas (ca. 80–120 C.E.) and Matthean Parallels
The Epistle of Barnabas, though not written by Paul’s companion, reflects early Alexandrian Christianity and draws heavily upon Matthew. Barnabas 4:14 quotes: “Many are called, but few are chosen,” which reproduces Matthew 22:14 verbatim. Barnabas 5:9 echoes Matthew 9:13 and 12:7 (“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”). The author’s formulaic use of “it is written” to introduce Gospel sayings implies that he regarded these words as scriptural.
The lexical correspondence between Barnabas and Matthew’s Gospel suggests not merely oral recollection but reliance upon a fixed Greek text. The author’s use of Gospel material also aligns with Alexandrian textual tendencies, consistent with the documentary stability seen in papyri such as P64 and P67 (150–175 C.E.), which preserve portions of Matthew closely matching the text of Vaticanus (B).
Thus, the Epistle of Barnabas offers additional evidence that by the early second century, the Gospel of Matthew was circulating in written form in Egypt and already treated as sacred Scripture.
 |
 |
 |
The Shepherd of Hermas (ca. 90–140 C.E.) and Indirect Gospel Influence
Although the Shepherd of Hermas is largely allegorical and moral in tone, it reflects knowledge of the Gospels in its ethical teaching. In Mandate 2:4, Hermas writes: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” a direct citation of Matthew 22:39. In Similitude 5:2:7, he writes: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted,” which mirrors Matthew 23:12 and Luke 14:11.
The Shepherd’s repeated emphasis on repentance, forgiveness, and endurance in persecution parallels Jesus’ teachings in the Synoptic Gospels. The text’s allusive style suggests that the author expected his readers to be familiar with these Gospel sayings, reinforcing the view that the canonical Gospels had achieved wide circulation in Rome by the early second century.
 |
 |
 |
Papias of Hierapolis (60–130 C.E.) and the Origins of the Written Gospels
Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, is the earliest writer to explicitly mention the origins of the Gospels. Writing around 110–120 C.E., he stated: “Matthew composed the sayings in the Hebrew dialect, and each interpreted them as he was able.” He also said: “Mark, having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote accurately all that he remembered.” These statements, preserved by Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History 3.39), confirm that Papias regarded the Gospels of Matthew and Mark as apostolic records based on eyewitness testimony.
Papias’ testimony is crucial because it comes from one who lived within a generation of the apostles. His description of Mark’s Gospel as the record of Peter’s preaching and Matthew’s as a written compilation of Jesus’ sayings confirms the apostolic origins of the Gospel tradition. This direct link between the apostles and the written Gospels undermines modern critical claims that the canonical Gospels emerged through long oral evolution or ecclesiastical redaction.
Papias’ writings, though surviving only in fragments, corroborate what the manuscript evidence shows—that the canonical Gospels were produced in the first century and recognized as authoritative by the early second century.
 |
 |
 |
The Combined Testimony of the Apostolic Fathers
When the citations of Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Barnabas, Hermas, the Didache, and Papias are considered collectively, several decisive points emerge. First, all four canonical Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—were known and used within a single generation after the apostolic age. Second, these writings were regarded as the words of the Lord, not as anonymous traditions. Third, the early Fathers quote them in forms consistent with the Alexandrian textual tradition preserved in papyri such as P66 (125–150 C.E.) and P75 (175–225 C.E.).
This convergence of documentary and patristic evidence demonstrates that the textual form of the Gospels was remarkably stable from the first to the early second century. The Apostolic Fathers did not exhibit the kind of free paraphrase or theological revision characteristic of apocryphal writings. Instead, their dependence upon the canonical Gospels confirms that the New Testament text was already fixed and authoritative well before the middle of the second century.
 |
 |
 |
Theological and Textual Implications
The Apostolic Fathers’ use of the Gospels establishes three key implications for textual criticism and canon history. First, it confirms the early existence and stability of the Gospel text. The Fathers’ quotations align closely with the Alexandrian witnesses, indicating minimal textual corruption during the first century of transmission. Second, their use of the Gospels as normative authority demonstrates that these texts were already viewed as inspired Scripture, on par with the Old Testament writings. Third, the early and widespread recognition of the four Gospels excludes any later claim that other “gospels” were considered equal in status.
Far from being a product of later ecclesiastical decision, the fourfold Gospel canon emerged naturally from apostolic usage and transmission. The Apostolic Fathers’ writings serve as external verification of what the manuscript record already shows—the Gospel text was faithfully preserved and rapidly disseminated across the early Christian world.
 |
 |
 |
You May Also Enjoy
About the Author
CLICK LINKED IMAGE TO VISIT ONLINE STORE
