The

Apostolic Fathers
in English

Rick Brannan

General Editor

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS IN ENGLISH.

Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software.

All rights reserved.

Dedication

For Amy, Ella, and Lucas

Preface

As work on The Apostolic Fathers Greek-English Interlinear was winding down, I realized that buried within the interlinear was a puzzle that could be, with some work, reassembled into a relatively readable English translation.

So I started a project to generate an English translation from the interlinear readings. And before too long, I had assembled a translation. From here I read the text several times and smoothed over some woodeness of the renderings. I also reviewed the notes and removed some and edited others that only seemed appropriate in the context of an interlinear. I read through the drafts some more, and had some friends and colleagues read them as well. Their feedback was very helpful.

A further step was taken. Logos Bible Software can support the concept of a reverse interlinear in Bibles and other resources. This is a set of data that associates the underlying original language with the modern language translation. I decided to create a reverse interlinear as well, to make the source text of the Apostolic Fathers even more accessible. However, please note that some versions and configurations may not include the reverse interlinear data set.

My time spent in the Apostolic Fathers has been profitable. I'm deeply appreciative of their works, from Clement's words of wisdom to the Corinthian church, to the account of Polycarp's martyrdom, to Ignatius' interaction with other churches on his path toward martyrdom, and even to Hermas and his incessant questioning. I have learned much from these writings, and hope that you will too.

Rick Brannan
February, 2012
Didache 10.6

Introduction

Several translations of the writings of the Apostolic Fathers have been published over the past 150 years. The major translations available today are those of Michael W. Holmes and Bart D. Ehrman. These both are excellent translations, available in print (and, in the case of Holmes, electronically), with excellent editions of the Greek. Holmes' edition in particular has a concise and useful textual apparatus.

About the Translation

This translation is not meant to replace either Holmes' or Ehrman's editions in print. Instead, my goal in creating a new English translation was to create a tighter and more transparent relationship with the underlying Greek text. As this translation has its genesis with my Apostolic Fathers Greek-English Interlinear, it began with a direct relationship with every word and phrase of the underlying Greek. From here, the English translation was reviewed and edited to become more readable yet still retain its relationship with the Greek text. Finally, using tools provided by Logos Bible Software, the English text was completely re-aligned with the Greek text, word by word, phrase by phrase. When the English text is read with the reverse interlinearized ...