Papias of Hierapolis

Papias (Παίας) was a Greek apostolic father. The term “apostolic father” is given to Christian leaders nearer to the apostles’ time. Papias lived A.D. 60–130 and served as a bishop in Hierapolis in modern-day Turkey, making him an apostolic father. Irenaeus, another church leader from the second century, mentioned that Papias was a disciple of John, the son of Zebedee and Jesus’s disciple. Papias wrote that Mark translated Peter’s sermons into his Greek Gospel.

Having finished Mark’s Gospel, I thought we’d listen to Peter’s words in 1 & 2 Peter. Peter’s letters are remarkedly different in grammar and style from Mark’s Gospel, as he used another secretary, Silvanus (1 Pet 5:12). Silvanus was Paul’s companion (2 Cor 1:19) and coauthor of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. He must have been a valued scribe for Paul and Peter to utilize his skills in writing their letters.

Critical scholars doubt Peter wrote 2 Peter, but not 1 Peter. I will attribute both letters to Peter – he was instrumental in composing them directly or indirectly (through a disciple).

Peter began his letter by introducing himself as the author and listed his addressees. This was a common practice in ancient letter writing.

“Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen diaspora exiles of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.” (1 Pet 1:1)

“Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ.” Peter was Jesus’s right-hand man appearing in key places like when Jesus healed a twelve-year-old young girl (Mark 5:37), when Jesus walked on water (Matt 14:28–29), when Jesus transfigured (Mark 9:2), when Jesus explained the destruction of the temple (Mark 13:3), at Gethsemane (Mark 14:33), in Jesus’s trial (Mark 14:54), and as a first witness to the resurrection (Luke 24:12). Jesus prayed for Peter that he would be restored after the troublesome night of betrayal and the following days of crucifixion, death, and burial so that Peter could restore other disciples to their faith (Luke 22:32). Jesus promised he would establish his church with Peter as a key leader (Matt 16:18–19), “a pillar of the Jerusalem church,” in Paul’s words (Gal 2:9). Sure, Peter had his ups and downs, but now he speaks not as a disciple of Jesus, afraid to be caught and crucified with him, but as “the apostle of Jesus Christ,” the commissioned spokesperson of Jesus, the king of Israel.

He addressed “the chosen diaspora exiles.” “Chosen” is an adjective, whereas “diaspora” and “exiles” are nouns. In the eighth century B.C., the Assyrians captured the Hebrews from the northern part of Palestine, known as the “Israelites,” and deported them to Assyria. In the sixth century B.C., the Babylonians captured the Hebrews from the southern part of Palestine, the “Judeans” or “Judah,” and deported them to Babylon. When these Hebrews were released from Assyria and Babylon, some returned to Palestine, the Promised Land, while others scattered throughout Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. These Hebrews were called “diaspora exiles,” meaning people dispersed because of Assyrian and Babylonian exiles. Since they were still God’s people, they were “chosen diaspora exiles.” Peter was addressing this letter to the Hebrew people (i.e., the Jews) who were in Asia Minor, specifically in the regions of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

Since this letter was addressed to the Hebrews, unlike Paul’s letters addressed to the nations (or the Gentiles), and we are not Hebrews, some of the specific teachings within these letters will not apply to us. The general principles will apply.