The Church of Smyrna: History and Theology of a Primitive Christian Community

Abbreviations ........................................................................................................XV
Introduction ...............................................................................................................1
Part One: Presentation of the Sources
Introduction ...............................................................................................................7
Chapter I: Analysis of the direct sources .......................................................9
1. Epistula ad ecclesiam Smyrnaeam (Rv 2, 8–11) ............................................. 9
2. Ignatius Antiochenus, Epistula ad Smyrnaeos ...............................................10
3. Ignatius Antiochenus, Epistula ad Polycarpum .............................................14
4. Polycarpus Smyrnensis, Epistula ad Philippenses .........................................17
5. Ecclesia Smyrnensis, Epistula de martyrio s. Polycarpi ................................19
6. Irenaeus Lugdunensis, Ad Florinum de monarchia ......................................21
7. Irenaeus Lugdunensis, Epistula ad Victorem papam
Romanum de festo paschali ..............................................................................23
8. Polycrates Ephesinus, Epistula ad Victorem papam Romanum ..................24
9. Hippolytus, Adversus Noetum .........................................................................25
10. Fragments on Polycarp ......................................................................................27
11. Martyrium Pionii ................................................................................................29
12. Vita Polycarpi ......................................................................................................31
13. Index Patrum Nicaenorum ...............................................................................32
Chapter II: Brief study of the indirect sources ..........................................33
1. Ignatius Antiochenus, Epistulae genuinae ad Ephesinos,
ad Magnesios, ad Trallianos, ad Romanos......................................................33
2. Acta Ioannis ........................................................................................................34
3. Acta Pauli .............................................................................................................37
4. Irenaeus Lugdunensis, Adversus Haereses 3, 3, 4 ..........................................40
5. Tertullianus, De praescriptione haereticorum 32, 2 .....................................40
6. Eusebius Caesariensis, Historia Ecclesiastica .................................................40
7. Hieronymus presbyter, De Viris Illustribus 17 ..............................................40
8. Aelius Aristides, Sacrorum Sermonum: Ἱερῶν λόγων ..................................41
9. Aelius Aristides, Oratio de concordia ad civitates Asiaticas:
Περὶ ὁμονοίας ταῖς πόλεσιν ..............................................................................44
10. Aelius Aristides, In smyrnam oratio: Σμυρναϊκὸς πολιτικὸς ......................45
11. Aelius Aristides, Monodia de Smyrna: Ἐπὶ Σμύρνῃ μονῳδία ......................46
12. Aelius Aristides, Oratio de Smyrna ad Reges Romanorum:
Ἐπιστολὴ περὶ Σμύρνης πρὸς τοὺς βασιλέας .................................................46
13. Aelius Aristides, Palinodia de Smyrna instaurata:
Παλινῳδία ἐπὶ Σμύρνῃ καὶ τῷ ταύτης ἀνοικισμῷ .........................................47
14. Aelius Aristides, Gratulatio Smyrnaea (ad Commodum):
Σμυρναϊκὸς προσφωνητικός.............................................................................48
15. Constitutiones apostolorum 7, 46, 8 ...............................................................49
16. Pseudo-Dionysius, Epistula ad Polycarpum ...................................................49
17. Gregorius episcopus Turonensis, Historiarum libri decem .........................50
18. Chronicon Paschale ...........................................................................................51
19. Metrophanes, Panegyricum Polycarpi Smyrnensis .......................................52
Chapter III: Historical and literary appraisal of
certain sources and particular problems ............................55
1. The teaching of the presbyter ......................................................................... 55
2. The ancestors of the Valentinians ....................................................................60
3. Epistula ad Diognetum .................................................................................... 65
4. Epistulae ad Timotheum I et II, Epistula ad Titum .......................................71
5. Corpus Polycarpianum ......................................................................................76
a. The beginning of a hypothesis ..........................................................................76
b. Criticism during the twentieth century ...........................................................80
c. The thesis of A. Stewart-Sykes ..........................................................................84
d. Conclusion...........................................................................................................87
Conclusion ...............................................................................................................89
Part Two: Historical and Social Situation of the
Community of Smyrna
Introduction .............................................................................................................93
Chapter IV: Pagan Smyrna, city of Asia Minor .........................................95
1. Geographical location........................................................................................95
2. Legendary origin of the city ..............................................................................98
3. Smyrna in the pre-Hellenic age ..................................................................... 100
4. Hellenic Smyrna .............................................................................................. 101
5. Hellenistic Smyrna .......................................................................................... 106
6. Roman Smyrna ................................................................................................ 107
7. Life and institutions in the city of Smyrna .................................................. 119
8. Divinities in Asia and in particular in Smyrna ........................................... 124
9. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 129
Chapter V: Jews and Christians in Smyrna .............................................. 133
1. Characteristics of Judaism of the diaspora .................................................. 133
2. Judaism in Asia Minor .................................................................................... 136
3. The Christian faith face to face with
Judaism in the New Testament ...................................................................... 141
4. The Christians of Asia faced with Judaism ................................................. 144
5. Judaism in the letters of Ignatius of Antioch............................................... 146
6. The role of the Jews in the Martyrdom of Polycarp ................................... 149
7. Jewish proselytism and the Christian response in the
Martyrdom of Pionius .................................................................................... 154
8. Jews and Christians before the civil
authority in the Life of Polycarp ................................................................... 158
9. Conclusion........................................................................................................ 159
Chapter VI: The community of Christians in Smyrna ........................... 161
1. The foundation of the community ................................................................ 161
2. Development of the community and
configuration of its first leaders ..................................................................... 165
3. The author of the Revelation and the “angel” of the
Church of Smyrna ........................................................................................... 170
4. The bishop Polycarp ........................................................................................ 176
5. The successsors of Polycarp ........................................................................... 186
6. Missionary Smyrna in the middle of the second century ......................... 191
7. Crisis in the Church of Smyrna at the end
of the second century ...................................................................................... 192
8. Leaders of the community in the third century .......................................... 197
9. Smyrna towards the Council of Nicaea of 325 ............................................ 199
10. Conclusion........................................................................................................ 200
Chapter VII: The Christians of Smyrna in the
face of the imperial cult ........................................................... 203
1. The Revelation and the persecution of Domitian ....................................... 204
2. The persecutions under Trajan and Hadrian .............................................. 206
3. The persecutions under Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius
and Commodus ............................................................................................... 209
4. The persecutions under Septimius Severus and Maximinus .................... 214
5. The persecution of Decius .............................................................................. 216
6. The persecutions under Valerian,
Diocletian and Maximinus Daia ................................................................... 223
7. Conclusion........................................................................................................ 229
Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 231
Part Three: Theological and Ecclesial
Aspects of the Community of Smyrna
Introduction .......................................................................................................... 235
Chapter VIII: The Old Testament in the Church of Smyrna .....................237
1. The Old Testament in the early Christian community .............................. 237
2. The Old Testament in the letters of Ignatius ............................................... 238
3. The Old Testament in Polycarp’s letter to the Philippians ......................... 239
4. The Old Testament in the Martyrdom of Polycarp .................................... 241
5. Conclusion........................................................................................................ 242
Chapter IX: The Pauline tradition in the Church of Smyrna ............ 243
1. Formation of the Pauline tradition in Asia ................................................. 243
2. The Pauline tradition in the letters of Ignatius ........................................... 245
3. The Pauline tradition in Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians .................... 248
4. The Pauline tradition in the Martyrdom of Polycarp ................................ 253
5. The silences of the Pauline tradition in Asia ............................................... 254
6. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 257
Chapter X: The Synoptic Gospels in the Church of Smyrna ............. 259
1. The Synoptic Gospels in Asia ........................................................................ 259
2. The Synoptic Gospels in the letters of Ignatius ........................................... 261
3. The Synoptic Gospels in Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians ................... 261
4. The Synoptic Gospels in the Martyrdom of Polycarp ................................ 262
5. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 265
Chapter XI: The Johannine tradition in the Church of Smyrna ...... 267
1. Formation of the Johannine tradition in Asia............................................. 267
2. Letter to the Church of Smyrna, Rv 2, 8–11 ................................................ 274
3. The Johannine tradition in the letters of Ignatius ...................................... 277
4. The Johannine tradition in Polycarp’s letter to the Philippians ................ 279
5. The Johannine tradition in the Martyrdom of Polycarp ........................... 280
6. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 283
Chapter XII: The deposit of faith in the Church of Smyrna .............. 287
1. Confessions of faith in the New Testament ................................................. 288
2. The lex orandi in the Church of Smyrna of the second century .............. 291
3. The profession of faith of the presbyters of Smyrna ................................... 295
4. The lex credendi in the Church of Smyrna .................................................. 297
5. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 307
Chapter XIII: Sacramental and spiritual life of the
Church of Smryna .................................................................. 309
1. The conception of Church and the
ministries in the community ......................................................................... 309
2. Baptism and penance in the community ..................................................... 319
3. Easter, Eucharist and cult of the martyrs in the community .................... 326
4. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 334
Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 337
General Conclusions .......................................................................................... 341
Bibliography ....................................................................................................... 349
Editions and translations from the ancient sources ............................................ 349
Studies ....................................................................................................................... 352
Index of References ................................................................................................. 377
Old Testament .......................................................................................................... 377
New Testament ........................................................................................................ 378
Christian Writers ..................................................................................................... 382
Other ancient literature .......................................................................................... 390
Modern authors ....................................................................................................... 392
Other Terms and Names .................................................................................. 397