
After the apostles died, did the faith survive?
From Faith Lab by Nate Hanson & Shelby Hanson
March 18, 2026 · 13 min · Episode 10
About this episode
The episode explores what happened to the Christian faith after the apostles died, focusing on the figure of Polycarp.
Most Christians quietly carry a question they rarely say out loud: after the apostles died, what happened? There's a gap in the story, and in that gap, a worry lives. One man fills it. He was born 35 years after Jesus, personally knew people who personally knew Christ, and his own words still survive on paper. His name was Polycarp, and the chain connecting him to the eyewitnesses is shorter than you think. 🔓 Faith Lab premium members get full unedited interviews with every guest episode, plus early access and bonus content. Support the show at https://faithlabshow.com/premium ★ Support this podcast ★
People in this episode
Hosts: Nate Hanson, Shelby Hanson
Topics covered
- apostles
- Christianity
- faith history
- Polycarp
- early church
- spirituality
Keywords
- apostles
- Polycarp
- Christian faith
- history
- spirituality
- early church
- Jesus
More episodes of Faith Lab
- Why the gospels hold up as history (Craig Keener) · May 13, 2026 · 1h 20m
- Is the gospel just a ticket to heaven? (Dr. Nijay Gupta) · April 29, 2026 · 1h 4m
- What the first Christians believed about Easter · April 1, 2026 · 18 min
- What if the Gospels are more reliable than you were told? · March 25, 2026 · 20 min
- N.T. Wright: Christians don't go to heaven? (Part 2) · March 11, 2026 · 21 min
- N.T. Wright: Did Jesus rise from the dead? (Part 1) · March 5, 2026 · 24 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Faith Lab podcast page.