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What did early Christians believe?
(Before 500AD)

Uninspired records of how early Christians worshipped and what doctrine they believed!

Important note: This collection of quotations are from early Christians who wrote prior to 400 AD. These writings are not inspired. They are not part of the Bible. They are absolutely not authoritative in determining doctrine. ONLY THE BIBLE, (sola scriptura) is authoritative and inspired. The Bible is our sole guide. However, these quotes do contain an interesting snapshot of the doctrine early Christians believed after the apostolic age. All quotes are sorted by date. But one final warning. Like the Muslim Hadith, there are forgeries within what Christians commonly call the, "Early Church Fathers". Some of the forgeries are obvious, but for others, we really cannot be sure what is forgery and what is genuine. We host the entire collection of Early Church Fathers

Notice this quote from Philip Schaff: More on the Ignatian Forgeries

1. "It is now the universal opinion of critics, that the first eight of these professedly Ignatian letters are spurious. They bear in themselves indubitable proofs of being the production of a later age than that in which Ignatius lived. Neither Eusebius nor Jerome makes the least reference to them; and they are now by common consent set aside as forgeries, which were at various dates, and to serve special purposes, put forth under the name of the celebrated Bishop of Antioch." (Introductory Note To The Epistle Of Ignatius To The Ephesians)
2. "The whole story of Ignatius is more legendary than real, and his writings are subject to grave suspicion of fraudulent interpolation." (History of the Christian Church, Philip Shaff, Vol 2, ch 4)

More on the Ignatian Forgeries

Having said all this, we hope you enjoy reading the materials here, for at the very least, they do represent real history.

Reference: Apostolic Fathers:

Apostolic Fathers: Dates they lived and other info.

Salvation:

• Early Christians on BAPTISM
• Early Christians on FAITH ONLY
• Early Christians on ETERNAL SECURITY
• Early Christians on WORKS
• Early Christians on FREEWILL

Godly living, Sin & morality:

• Early Christians on TELEVISION
• Early Christians on DIVORCE & REMARRIAGE
• Early Christians on SELF-DENIAL
• Early Christians on ABORTION?
• Early Christians on deviant sex

False religions:

• Specific false prophets mentioned in the New Testament (Simon, Theudas, Egyptian)
• Early Christians on PROPHETS OUTSIDE THE APOSTOLIC AGE
• Early Christians on EVOLUTION
• Early Christians on REINCARNATION
• Early Christians on OCCULT, SPIRITISM & ASTROLOGY

Doctrines:

• Early Christians on HELL & ETERNAL PUNISHMENT
• HADES, the temporary two part receptacle of the conscious dead
• Nature of man, Conscious life after death: DEATH DEFINED AS A SEPARATION of body and soul
• Early Christians on DEACONS
• Early Christians on the fulfillment of Mt 24 and the destruction of Jerusalem

Prophecy and eschatology:

• Fulfillment of the 70 Weeks of Daniel 9
• Early Christians on the complete fulfillment of Mt 24 and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD
• Early Christians on Revelation prophecies already fulfilled

Nature of God:

• Early Christians on the TRINITY
• Early Christians on DEITY OF CHRIST
• Early Christians on ETERNAL PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST
• Early Christians on PERSON & PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Worship:

• Early Christians on INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN WORSHIP
• Early Christians on the LORD'S SUPPER
• Early Christians on the SABBATH DAY vs. SUNDAY

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