Perhaps he just wants to know what others think?
Why do you think that the Early Church Fathers and Doctors of the Church would know anymore than people now? As you said, pretty much all questions on this have been asked by now, yet people still ask them.
LOL! That's like saying "why would Reggie Jackson and Noland Ryan play better baseball than us kindergarten students"?
For one, the early Church Fathers and Doctors were not just any persons. They were just a few great holy men. Don't waste your time on FR asking nobodies, spend your time reading the Church Fathers.
re: As you said, pretty much all questions on this have been asked by now, yet people still ask them.
From the day we are born we have questions. The problem is that you children are only asking other children. "In a country of blind men, the one eyed man is a king".
May I humbly suggest that it is good to ask others first? Are not there alive today others who know the scriptures far deeper than we do?
Of course, the real deficiency in God’s people is that 99% of what they believe to be true came from others (a pastor, a SS teacher, a bible teacher, a book, etc.), and few believers know first hand what scripture says about much. Our first action when we have a question is that we should search the scriptures ourselves, like the Berean’s (Acts 17:11). They were commended for not accepting Paul’s message alone, in spite of his AAA rating (apostleship, anointing and authority). Berean’s today are very rare.
And I suggest that is is a sad decision to inquire of the church fathers and “doctors of the church” BEFORE searching the scriptures oneself first. This too, is dependence upon man rather than God.
It is far wiser to first search the scripture oneself, asking God to personally give light, with utter dependence on Him to guide, lead and teach - and reveal the truth. And then, after finding what we think is the answer, refer to those with established wisdom and history in the Lord for confirmation/correction to see if our conclusions are from God.
Over 40 years ago I was with a group who, seeking to return to a more true paradigm of the church, gradually went from studying first hand the scriptures, to seriously studying the writings of the early church fathers. After a time of doing this, study of scripture was abandoned, and the writings of the church fathers was elevated to being the only source of truth. Sad. A small group of these (most of the leaders) later abandoned their own company to join an eastern orthodox sect.
We are told to not be the followers of men, but of the Lord Jesus. And to be in fellowship (sharing, communing, learning) with others. Acts 2:42.
arlis