John or Paul? Who was Polycarp's mentor?

Abstract

In some of the patristic writings, Polycarp of Smyrna is explicitly linked with the Apostle John. These writings also include the implication that he was taught by John or installed in his office by John. In contrast (or seemingly), there is a substantial literary (and to a lesser degree, theological) connection to the Apostle Paul in the only surviving letter written by Polycarp himself. The question that concerns us in this study is as follows: Should Polycarp be viewed as standing in the tradition of the Apostle John, as he has been viewed throughout church history, or should he be viewed as standing in the tradition of the Apostle Paul, as one might suppose simply by reading the letter Polycarp himself wrote?