Blomfield Jackson says that the Epistle of Polycarp echoes the canonical writings and proves their dissemination and acceptance at the time of its writing. He affirms that it reproduces apostolic thought, even where no verbal quotation from scripture is certain. Of the martyrdom, he says that the letter containing it is the fullest and most important work of its kind. Jackson opens his discussion with references to Polycarp from early Christian writings, which demonstrate the genuineness and semi-canonical status of his correspondence. He then offers a similar treatment of the martyrdom. Jackson reconstructs the life of the Smyrnean bishop from historical documents and outlines the manuscript evidence for his literary remains. The majority of the volume, however, is consumed with a translation and detailed commentary on the epistle and martyrdom. This is perhaps the finest introductory edition of Polycarp ever written, and it belongs in the libraries of clergy, student, scholar, and layman alike.
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Book Description
Polycarp of Smyrna was regarded as "the father of the Christians" in 156 C.E., when the Romans martyred him at the age of 86. As a younger contemporary of Ignatius, who wrote him an eloquent epistle, he is historically linked to the bishop of Antioch. His authority, however, came directly from the apostles, at whose feet he sat as a pupil. Polycarp wrote several letters to the churches of Asia Minor, but only one has survived complete-it was addressed to the Philippians. The story of his death, the Martyrdom of Polycarp, became the earliest tribute to a church leader in this genre and obtained very wide circulation. He has been undervalued as a patristic writer because he did not develop a system of theology; he merely preserved apostolic instruction, which was his greatest strength. His Epistle to the Philippians is an excellent example of the oral church tradition at the beginning of the second century; it was written during the reign of Trajan (98-117 C.E.). Due to his old age, Polycarp represents apostolic teaching until the middle of the second century.
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