Did the early church have relics?

[Pathway2]

Did the holy church have relics and what is the evidence?

 

[brian_custer]

emperor constatine’s mother recovered the nails & the lance that pierced Jesus. Also, she found the True Cross.

Helena, mother of Constantine I - Wikipedia

 

[Spyridon]

Peter and Paul in the book of Acts, Elishas bones in the book of Kings in Scripture.

The testimony of many Church Fathers in Tradition.

 

[Titivillus]

The Roman catacombs?

 

[MT1926]

Here is an early Christian writing on the martyrdom of Polycarp.

Polycarp was the Bishop of Smyrna who was ordained by the Apostle John. Polycarp’s Epistles were said to have been written withing a decade of St. John’s death. So somewhere around 110 AD.

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/polycarp-smyrnaeans.html

It’s a good read. If you jump to this section you can see the early Church speaking of what they did with the relics from Polycarp’s bones…

18:1
The centurion therefore, seeing the opposition raised on the part of the Jews, set him in the midst and burnt him after their custom.

18:2
And so we afterwards **took up his bones which are more valuable than precious stones and finer than refined gold, and laid them in a suitable plac**e;

18:3
where the Lord will permit us to gather ourselves together, as we are able, in gladness and joy, and to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom for the commemoration of those that have already fought in the contest, and for the training and preparation of those that shall do so hereafter.

19:1
So it befell the blessed Polycarp, who having with those from Philadelphia suffered martyrdom in Smyrna – twelve in all – is especially remembered more than the others by all men, so that he is talked of even by the heathen in every place: for he showed himself not only a notable teacher, but also a distinguished martyr, whose martyrdom all desire to imitate, seeing that it was after the pattern of the Gospel of Christ.

Hope this helps,

God Bless