Did you know that the apostles had students? The New Testament was not the only thing being written in those early years. We have writings from Christians that either existed during the time of the New Testament or immediately following. Those that wrote some of these texts personally knew apostles. They heard them preach, they followed them as students, some may have been baptized by them, and some became the next generation of leaders.
In an age that lacks Christian unity—and when young people are seeking a religion that is stable, ancient, and true—getting to know the students of the apostles helps shed light on the faith surrounding the New Testament. These students, not including those like St. Mark who wrote a portion of the New Testament, are referred to as the Apostolic Fathers.
While the list of these texts differs, most will agree that it includes: the Didache, St. Clement of Rome, St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Polycarp, St. Hermas, and St. Papias. The Didache is believed to be the kind of guidance the apostles would leave with churches. St. Clement of Rome was an early pope; Tertullian explains that St. Clement was ordained by St. Peter, and Eusebius holds that he knew St. Paul (cf. Phil. 4:3). St.
Ignatius of Antioch wrote several letters on the way to his execution in Rome. He was a student of St. John the Apostle and because of St. Peter’s being the first Bishop of Antioch (cf. Gal. 2:11), he played a part in St. Ignatius becoming Bishop of Antioch. St. Polycarp of Smyrna was a bishop known to be associated with multiple apostles; in particular, he was a student of St. John, a colleague of St.
Ignatius, and the teacher of St. Irenaeus of Lyons from the generation of Christians after