Papias Traditions

The Catholics base much of their doctrines on non-biblical traditions that were handed down from early teachers who claimed to be taught by those who were taught by the apostles.

They were likely a generation away from the apostles.

Thus wrote Irenaeus. Moreover, Papias himself, in the introduction to his books, makes it manifest that he was not himself a hearer and eye-witness of the holy apostles; but he tells us that he received the truths of our religion2 from those who were acquainted with them [the apostles] in the following words:]

Papias is one such teacher who claimed to enjoy spoken tradition more than studying what was written. He considered the writings of Matthew hard to figure out.

what Andrew or Peter said, or what was said by Philip, or by Thomas, or by James, or by John, or by Matthew, or by any other of the Lord’s disciples: which things6 Aristion and the presbyter John, the disciples of the Lord, say. For I imagined that what was to be got from books was not so profitable to me as what came from the living and abiding voice.

So Papias enjoyed hearing stories and sayings over writings.

The belief Christ's brothers were actually cousins is perported to be from a 5th century Papia, found in libraries in England. There is no evidence that it was the 2nd century Papias. The only evidence is the name Papia written in a margin.

27 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 mediaeval 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.

The tradition that Jesus' brothers were actually cousins follows. Notice the uncertainty in his writing,

"Some affirm that she is the same as Mary of Cleophas"

 "either from her father or from the family of the clan, or for some other reason. "

and

Three sisters all named Mary, but he says two were the same person, as she (Mary Cleophas) was supposedly remarried and became Mary Salome. Still two sisters named Mary.

• • Mary mother of the Lord.

  • Mary of Cleophas.

  • Mary Salome.

Also notice the son's of the aunt or Aunts do not match the names in the New Testament exactly.

James, Simon, Thaddeus, Joseph  (If sons of Mary of Alphaeus)

John the Evangelist, James (Mary Salome)

If Mary was remarried, the names should still match.

Mat 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

Thaddeus is added while Judas omitted. Joses is renamed Joseph.

He names James the Bishop as an Apostle, but James the brother of John was killed in Acts 12 while James the Bishop was alive in Acts 15.

X.27

(1.) Mary the mother of the Lord; (2.) Mary the wife of Cleophas or Alphaeus, who was the mother of James the bishop and apostle, and of Simon and Thaddeus, and of one Joseph; (3.) Mary Salome, wife of Zebedee, mother of John the evangelist and James; (4.) Mary Magdalene. These four are found in the Gospel. James and Judas and Joseph were sons of an aunt (2) of the Lord’s. James also and John were sons of another aunt (3) of the Lord’s. Mary (2), mother of James the Less and Joseph, wife of Alphaeus was the sister of Mary the mother of the Lord, whom John names of Cleophas, either from her father or from the family of the clan, or for some other reason. Mary Salome (3) is called Salome either from her husband or her village. Some affirm that she is the same as Mary of Cleophas, because she had two husbands.

The key is that Papias, whether from the 2nd century or 5th century, had many traditions that were questionable. The Catholics simply borrowed questionable commentary for their doctrine.

1. For instance he had a tradition that Judas was ran over by a chariot.

Judas walked about in this world a sad10 example of impiety; for his body having swollen to such an extent that he could not pass where a chariot could pass easily, he was crushed by the chariot, so that his bowels gushed out.11

2. He had a tradition of Christ's 1000 year reign of Christ on earth.

3. He got a story from Phillip's daughters who tradition said lived in Hierapolis, Phillip settled in Caesarea.

Act 21:8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.

4. He said Isaiah 11:6 was about Judas and Christ, and then claimed it was a prophecy of man and animal dwelling together in Christ's kingdom.

5. He said angels were given charge over ordering the earth, but did a bad job.

VII.23

Papias thus speaks, word for word: To some of them [angels] He gave dominion over the arrangement of the world, and He commissioned them to exercise their dominion well. And he says, immediately after this: but it happened that their arrangement came to nothing.24

Papias is a good example of why oral tradition has many failures, we should follow scripture.