And just think of it. Most of them knew the apostles, knew the Blessed Virgin Mary, knew the disciples — maybe they even were some of the first disciples.
And some people doubt them?
“And just think of it. Most of them knew the apostles, knew the Blessed Virgin Mary, knew the disciples — maybe they even were some of the first disciples.
And some people doubt them?”
The first church father is Clement of Rome, who wrote his letter around the year 96 AD
The golden period of the fathers runs from the fourth to the sixth century. Most date the end of the age of the Fathers of the West with the death of Isidore of Seville in 636, and the age of the Fathers of the East with the death of John Damascene in 749
Not trying to be antagonistic, but:
How old were the apostles, Mary and the disciples at their deaths if most of the the Church Fathers knew them?
Will
And some people doubt them?
No, they hate the Church. If they admit that the Church was right, then they have to re examine all of their deeply held beliefs which usually consists of the premise of self-held and developed doctrine. And that now moves into the emotional world, out of the spiritual one. Being wrong is emotionally upsetting to most people. Therefore, if you don't admit you're wrong, you're not upset...
And some people doubt them?
No, they hate the Church. If they admit that the Church was right, then they have to re examine all of their deeply held beliefs which usually consists of the premise of self-held and developed doctrine. And that now moves into the emotional world, out of the spiritual one. Being wrong is emotionally upsetting to most people. Therefore, if you don't admit you're wrong, you're not upset...
No, I don't think most of them knew the apostles, Mary and/or the disciples.
Very few of them did.
Without getting into the "most, many, some, few" debate I'd like to point out a slight distinction that I and most/many/some/a few other Fundamentalists see.
While we don't outright doubt the early Church Fathers, we also don't extend the idea of infallibility to them either. Only the Apostles have that cloak, and then only in matters where the Holy Spirit was guiding them. We actually have an example of an Apostle acting outside of the Holy Spirit's guiding in Galatians 2:11 where Peter and Barnabas were guided by peer pressure from the Jewish converts to shun Gentile believers.
Now that's not to say that the Holy Spirit couldn't and didn't work through the early Church Fathers, since it was by His guidance that we were given the Canon of Scripture, but discernment becomes of the utmost importance due to their lack of a first hand knowledge of the events surrounding Christ's life, crucifixion, burial and resurrection.
Simply put, we hold to the idea that Reagan put so succinctly as "Trust, but Verify". I personally find it very enlightening and rewarding to read what some of the early Church Fathers have written, as it gives a great insight to what they went through to help spread the Gospel in those early years.