Posted on 11/28/2014 9:44:39 PM PST by Steelfish
The Early Church Fathers
The Early Church Fathers were the disciples of the 12 apostles, the disciples of the disciples of the 12 apostles, the disciples of the disciples of the disciples of the 12 apostles, etc. In short they were the Christian leaders who took charge of the Church following the death of the 12 apostles.
They were not only taught by the 12 apostles, they were also first-hand witnesses to the creation of the Church worldwide. Most, if not all, were martyred by being crucified, beheaded, fed to the lions at the Roman Coliseum, boiled in oil, or skinned alive. They were the ones empowered by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13 and 1 John 4:6), and who personally handed on the oral teaching of Jesus Christ, before the New Testament canon was created by the Catholic Church in the late 4th century, at the councils of Rome, Hippo, and Carthage.
One of the great early ones, St. Clement, is actually mentioned in the bible in Philippians 4:3. None of these early Church Fathers just stood up and started preaching on his own. They followed the Biblical model in Acts of “being sent” (Romans 10:15). Who sent them? Jesus sent the 12 apostles (“as the Father sent me, so I send you”). The 12 apostles then laid hands on others and sent them (Acts 6:6).
This apostolic tradition has been followed for 2000 years by the Catholic Church, who continuously lays hands on new disciples in every generation since Jesus walked the earth, and then sends them to the four corners of the earth to preach the good news of Jesus Christ, to forgive sins in His Name, and to bring Jesus in the Eucharist to us all. We, the members of the 21rst Century, owe these early Church Fathers a lot of gratitude, because they died horrible deaths in order to preserve and to hand on the Word of God to us today.
A lot of Protestants ignore these early Christian leaders, preferring instead to believe that the history of Christianity began with Jesus and the 12 apostles, and then somehow skipped over 15 centuries to Martin Luther. That would be like saying that the history of the United States began with George Washington in 1776, and then skipped over to Franklin Roosevelt in 1932. For some reason, a lot of Protestants will refuse to read any of the writings of the early Church Fathers, proudly proclaiming to everyone that “Those writings are not in my Bible!”
But they will read the writings of Martin Luther, Billy Graham, and Max Lucado, even though those aren’t in the Bible either! They will even read and believe the heretical "Left Behind" books of LaHeye and Jenkins (there is no "secret" rapture of believers mentioned anywhere in the bible. When it happens, according to the bible, there will be trumpet blasts, and every eye will see Jesus). The writings of the early Church Fathers elucidate what is taught in the Bible, so that it’s no mystery whether or not the Eucharist is the actual body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, whether or not Mary is the new Eve, or whether or not there is a purgatory.
After all, the early Church Fathers were taught by the 12 apostles, handed on the faith to the next generation, and were then martyred for their actions! Why someone would trust more in the writings of people coming along 15 centuries later over their writings is very strange indeed.
Some of the greatest early Church Fathers are mentioned below. To read about them, just click on their name.
St. Polycarp
St. Iraneaus
St. Justin Martyr
St. Ambrose
St. Ignatius of Antioch
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
St. Athanasius
St. Clement of Rome
St. Augustine
St. Jerome
To read about what they thought about the following issues, click on each one of the topics below.
Purgatory
Homosexuality
Contraception
Old Testament Canon
Good Works
The Catholic Church
The Pope
The Eucharist
Apostolic Succession and Tradition
The Blessed Virgin Mary
The Mass
Divorce
Against Heresy
Unity of the Church
Infant Baptism
Degrees of Sin
Abortion
Some great writings of these early Church Fathers are below:
The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
The Epistle of Polycarp to the Phillipians
The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians
The Martyrdom of Ignatius
The First Apology of Justin Martyr
Iranaeus Against Heresies
Confessions of St. Augustine
A Complete Index of the Early Church Fathers' Writings
Jimmy Akin's New Blog on the Early Church Fathers
So don't get trapped in the Protestant philosophy that actually says that if it isn't in the Bible, then it can't possibly be true. If that were truly the case, then none of Martin Luther's writings can be seen as true, because they aren't in the Bible either! Take the time to read what our Catholic martyred ancestors had to say. After all, we are all united through time and space in the Eucharist. St. John says in his gospel that if we eat the body of Christ and drink His blood, then Christ abides in us, and we in Him! And because we are all united in Christ, we are all united with each other.
And once non-Catholic Christians start to read these writings of the early Church Fathers, they will soon discover that there were NO Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Mormons, Episcopaleans, etc., anywhere in the Early Church. Those traditions of men were all started centuries later, based on what people thought Jesus' Church was all about, rather than on what it actually was.
Most of the early church fathers were anti Semitic and their teachings were all colored through this perspective.
So don’t get trapped in the Protestant philosophy that actually says that if it isn’t in the Bible, then it can’t possibly be true.
For instance I believe Jesus was Mary`s only child but the Bible does not say that.
Most protestants believe Mary had other children but neither does the Bible say that.
Revelation 22
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
No doubt some one will tell me that it just means don`t take away or add to revelations, yeah real handy, it might be a good idea to use this same rule on the rest of the Bible.
When the Greeks and Romans departed from the Torah and turned the movement into a religio/political power grab they descended into heresy. That drift away from a truth took them so far from Torah that they ended up 180 degrees opposite the plain teaching of Scripture. By the third century they were indeed anti-Semitic as well as anti-Torah. In a word, lost. Sixteen hundred years of “scholarship” was just a journey into theological exile. This will not be healed until the so called “church” repents, goes back and re-learns the Torah. Until then the consolidated rigor of Christendom will be powerless to save the west or redeem mankind. Like a blind man playing scrabble with a pack of pirates.
By the third century they were indeed anti-Semitic as well as anti-Torah.
But I believe God preserved the scripture which we have in the bible, thanks.
Or rather I probably under stood ladyL wrong, as that is probably what she meant.
Anti-Semitic or anti Jew? Most of the Apostles were Jews, Jesus and His Mother were Jews. By the end of John’s Gospel it is clear the term Jew was used in a theological construct and had nothing to do with race or DNA.
Most protestants believe Mary had other children but neither does the Bible say that."I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother." Galatians 1:19
Hey Look.. The Apostle were the 1st Catholics..
The Catholics were part of Finalizing the Old Testament in 70AD still with the same one today referred to by Apostles in new Testament.
I have Evangelical friends who Claim they don’t need to be Baptized.Even Christ was Baptized. I am told Tradition is Wrong while they quote me Baptist Tradition.
The immaturity is not reading or accepting the Early Church Fathers. , Not accepting the Eucharist. Not accepting the Grace of the Sacraments in the Bible.
I will place my Faith in the Interpretation of Disciples who listened to the apostles.
It is not easy to be a Catholic but to condemn us to Hell, Calling the POPE as the anit-christ and Mary as the whore of Babylon is extremely insulting, Uncharitable and Ignores The 2nd most important commandment. Love your Neighbor as yourself!
“I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother.”
“I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother.”
“It started out as an interesting discussion of early Church Fathers and turned into a snarky straw man attack on Protestants”.
That’s because in the protestant brain the early Church fathers were not Catholic. In the protestant mind the Catholic Church is given credit for nothing.
Hmmmmm, I posted a question and it has been removed ? I asked “,I thought the pope was infallible? Has this doctrine been changed?”
Does anyone have any idea why this would be removed?
What is sad is the way you proclaim one set of unclear and malleable man made traditions over what you claim to be man made traditions for the specific reason that one shouldn’t follow man made traditions.
Truly you have a dizzying intellect...
I don’t know what a theological construct is but Jew had everything to do with DNA and race. The Jewish people only came from ONE Tribe...THERE WERE TWELVE TRIBES. All twelve tribes were ISRAELITES... You are correct that Jesus and Mary were Jews from the Tribe of Judah BUT PAUL SAYS HE IS A BENJAMITE. Paul is NOT A JEW. Actually, Abraham, Issac, Jacob and even Moses are not Jews! So you see there was an ABSOLUTE differentiation...even James writes his letter TO THE TWELVE TRIBES SCATTERED... He doesn’t write to the “Jews”.
If you don’t understand the Truth your not going to be able to interpret scripture correctly.
Which nonCatholic denomination/sect/group do you assemble with ?
Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
Rather the early Church fathers DID honor Bible based faith via their writings which do refer to scripture.
But still, for gentle correction, Paul was RAISED A JEW. He said it in his letters.
It was used, the term “brothers” to mean COUSINS of Jesus or at best, step-brothers if, and this would be a big “if”, Joseph was married before and was a widower.
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