Who was Papias, who did he know, and what did he believe about the writings that now comprise the canonical New Testament? Very little can be objectively known about him, his ministry, and his work, and yet he demands the attention of any scholar, student, or layperson who desires to understand the origins of the New Testament. This book explores Papias as a source and what he wrote about the origins of certain New Testament books. It also analyzes what other patristic and medieval authors understood about him. Shanks argues that the surviving "Fragments of Papias" are indeed a valuable resource because they document a very early Christian belief that certain books of the New Testament originated from some of the original followers of Jesus Christ. This evidence cannot be quickly dismissed in proposals about the origins of these books. "For too long there has been no fresh, book-length study of Papias in the English language. This work fills the gap admirably. Along with examining the full range of historical and literary questions the Papias' fragments raise, Shanks succeeds at showing how Eusebius deserves both credence (in most places) and suspicion (in others). This is a welcome addition to critical study of the late New Testament and early patristic periods."--Robert W. Yarbrough, Professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary"Papias is a significant link between the apostolic generation and the second century, and he rightly merits more attention than he has received. In this fine study of his writings and what can be known about Papias' life from them and other early Christian records, Shanks does such an excellent job of synthesizing this material that we feel Papias has emerged somewhat from the shadows of history that have hitherto enveloped him."--Michael A. G. Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary"Shanks' work covers a wide scope of issues related to Papias and the early development of the New Testament. . . . Perhaps this book's greatest value is in bringing together all the strands of research on Papias' life and writings into a single volume, making it an invaluable reference tool."--From the foreword by John B. Polhill, Senior Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Southern Baptist Theological SeminaryMonte Shanks is Assistant Professor at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.