What did early Christians believe about...?

(Before 300 AD)

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

Salvation by Faith Alone?

• 30-100 AD Clement of Rome, who was a, wrote, "It is necessary, therefore, that we be prompt in the practice of good works. For He forewarns us, 'Behold, the Lord comes and His reward is before His face, to render to every man according to his work.' ... Let us therefore earnestly strive to be found in the number of those who wait for Him, in order that we may share in His promised reward. But how, beloved ones, shall we do this? By fixing our thoughts on God by faith. By earnestly seeking the things that are pleasing and acceptable to Him. By doing the things that are in harmony with His blameless will. And by following the way of truth, casting away from us all unrighteousness and sin." (Clement of Rome Letter to the Corinthians chaps. 34, 35 [companion of the apostle Paul and overseer of the church in Rome])
• 69-156 AD Polycarp "He who raised Him up from the dead will also raise us up-if we do His will and walk in His commandments and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness." (Polycarp, personal companion of the apostle John, Letter to the Philippians chap. 2)
• 125 AD Barnabas "He who keeps these [commandments], will be glorified in the kingdom of God; but he who chooses other things will be destroyed with his works." (Barnabas Letter of Barnabas chap. 21)
• 125 AD Hermas, "Only those who fear the Lord and keep His commandments have life with God. But as to those who do not keep His commandments, there is no life in them.... All, therefore, who despise Him and do not follow His commands deliver themselves to death, and each will be guilty of his own blood. But I implore you to obey His commands, and you will have a cure for your former sins. " (Hermas Shepherd bk. 2, comm. 7; bk. 3, sim. 10, chap. 2)
• 110-165AD Justin Martyr "We have been taught...that He accepts only those who imitate the virtues that reside in Him-self­restraint, justice, and love of mankind.... And so we have received [this teaching] that if men by their works show themselves worthy of His design' they are deemed worthy of reigning in company with Him, being delivered from corruption and suffering." (Justin First Apology chap. 107, written before 150 A.D.)
• 190 AD Clement of Alexandria "The Word, having unveiled the truth, showed to men the summit of salvation, so that either repenting they might be saved, or refusing to obey, they might be condemned. This is the proclamation of righteousness: to those who obey, rejoicing; to those who disobey, condemnation." (Clement Exhortation to the Heathen chap. 11)
• 190 AD Clement of Alexandria "Whoever obtains [the truth] and distinguishes himself in good works shall gain the prize of everlasting life.... Some people correctly and adequately understand how [God provides necessary power], but attaching slight importance to the works that lead to salvation, they fail to make the necessary preparation for attaining the objects of their hope." (Clement Rich Man chaps. 1, 2)
• 185-255 AD Origen "The soul... [will] be rewarded according to what it deserves, being destined to obtain either an inheritance of eternal life and blessedness, if its actions shall have procured this for it, or to be delivered up to eternal fire and punishments, if the guilt of its crimes shall have brought it down to this." (Origen Of First Things preface, chap. 6)
• 170-236 AD Hippolytus "The Gentiles, by faith in Christ, prepare for themselves eternal life through good works." (Hippolytus Fragments from Commentaries "On Proverbs.")
• 170-236 AD Hippolytus "[Jesus], in administering the righteous judgment of the Father to all, assigns to each what is righteous according to his works.... Justification will be seen in the awarding to each that which is just; to those who have done well, there will be justly assigned eternal happiness. The lovers of wickedness will be assigned eternal punishment.... But the righteous will remember only the righteous deeds by which they reached the heavenly kingdom." (Hippolytus Against Plato sec. 3)
• 200-258 AD Cyprian "To prophesy, to cast out demons, and to do great acts upon the earth are certainly a sublime and admirable thing. However, a person does not attain the Kingdom of Heaven even though he is found in all these things unless he walks in the observance of the right and just way. The Lord says, 'Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed other powerful works in your name? And then I will confess to them, I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of evil.' [Matt. 7:22,23] There is need of righteousness so one may deserve well of God the Judge. We must obey His precepts and warnings that our merits may receive their reward." (Cyprian Unity of the Church sec.16)
• 260-330 AD Lactantius "Why, then, did He make [man] frail and mortal? ... [So] He might set before man virtue, that is, endurance of evils and labors, by which he might be able to gain the reward of immortality. For since man consists of two parts, body and soul, of which the one is earthly, the other heavenly, two lives have been assigned to man. The first, which is appointed for the body, is transitory. The other, which belongs to the soul, is everlasting. We received the first at our birth. We attain to the latter by striving, that immortality might not be available to man without some difficulties.... For this reason He has given us this present life, that we may either lose the true and eternal life by our sins, or win it by our virtue." (Lactantius Institutes bk. 7, chap. 5)

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