Steve Morrison and Larry Wessels Pre-Nicea: Evidence of What Early Christians Taught Part 1 – Introducing the Cast Steve Morrison and Larry Wessels

A Different Kind of Show Most of our shows are about what is all true or else what counterfeit spiritual groups teach that we believe is wrong. This series of shows is a little different. It is documenting what a group, the consensus of early Christian writers, believed, regardless of whether we agree or disagree.

Approach Did you ever wonder what the early Christian church taught? They lived in a different time, a different culture, and struggled against different issues than many Christians do today, but they had the same truth of the gospel. We can know what they believed by the over 4,100 pages they wrote that we have preserved. Most of the references are on-line at www.ccel.org We highly also recommend purchasing Ante-Nicene Fathers. volumes 1-10 edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Hendrickson Publishers, 1994. For most writers the page numbers are from this series.

How to Tell? There are 100’s of pages of some writers, and less than a page of others How would you define “generally agreed” early Christian teaching? Of course Gnostics, Ebionites, Sabellians, and others were separate groups with different doctrines. But we are focusing on what the Christian Churches agreed upon, but what is agreement?

The Problem with Subjectivity How can we show objectively what the early church taught, and not, consciously of unconsciously, just be projecting back on them our own beliefs and biases? Specifically, should we include the eccentric views of a single guy, especially if we agree with him? On the other hand, if ten or more early Christian writers taught something, and none denied it, we would be right to ignore it?

Methodology Of the 82 or so Christian writers prior to the 325 A.D. Council of Nicea, I called it generally agreed if four or more writers taught it and none denied. Prior to 325 A.D., they had a generally agreed consensus of over 325 topics that Christians today we agree. They also had a consensus on at least 28 topics many Christians today would disagree with.

Reasons to Study While they were not perfect, we can look at what they taught, test it against the Bible, and perhaps discover truths in God’s word that we may have neglected. We can also discover things people took for granted were taught by a consensus of early church writers, but in fact were not. Sometimes it is difficult to count, and I am sure some of the numbers are slightly off. However, I believe are total for each category is accurate within 4%.

Who’s Who There were many admirable people during the time of the early pre-Nicene church, but there were some real characters too. Before we get into what they taught, we are going to introduce briefly a “who’s who” of some of the people. We will hear some alternate viewpoints too.

Heresy Church Writer Persecution/ Reference or Disciple Bible manuscript Clement of Rome 97/98 Ignatius c.100-117 Didache -before 125 Aristides 125,138-161 Quadratus 126 to Diognetus c.130 Letter of Barnabas 100-150 2 Clement c.150 Polycarp 100-155 Papias 130-150 Justin Martyr 138-165 Shepherd of Hermas c.160 Evarestus c.169 Dionysius of Corinth 170 Christians of Vienna & Lugdunum 177 Athenagoras 177 Claudius Apollinaris 177,160-180 Hegesippus 170-180 Melito of Sardis 170-180 Domitian 95/96 Simon Magus (Acts) Trajan 107-117 Menander Carpocrates Nicolaitanes Hadrian 118 & 134 Cerinthus Bar Cochba 135 Cerdo Marcion c.170 p46 70% of Paul & Hebrews 100-150 Valentinus & Heracleon Lucian p66 92% of John c.125-175 Sethians Prepon Tatian, Encratite Gnostic, died 172 Marcus Aurelius 162/166-180 X

Marcion X Melito of Sardis 170-180 Rhodon 180 Theophilus of Antioch 168-181/188 Irenaeus 182-188 Scillitan Martyrs 180-202 Maximus of Jerusalem 185-196 Polycrates of Ephesus 196 Caius, Muratorian Canon 190-217 Serapion of Antioch 200-210 Minucius Felix 210 Apollonius of Ephesus c.210 Clement of Alexandria 193-217/220 Asterius Urbanus c.232 Hippolytus 225-235/6 Commodianus c.240 Julius Africanus 235-245 Alexander of Cappadocia 233-251 Apelles Colorbasus X Ophites Ebionites Marcus Basilides Ptolemy Septimus Severus 202 Justin p45 4 gospels + Acts 833 verses 200-225 Cainites Theodotus X Sabellians Montanists: Tertullian 200-240 Probably Theodotus Peretae X Maximim 235-238 Naassani X Bardesan 154-224/232 Decius & Gallus 250-251-253 Elchasaites

Anonymous Treatise Against Novatian 254-256 Origen 225-254 Novatian 250/254-257 Anonymous Treatise Against Novatian 254-256 Anonymous Treatise on Rebaptism c.250-258 Cyprian of Carthage c.246-258 Roman church leaders 250-251 Lucian 250-251 Caldonius to Cyprian 250-251 Celerinus to Lucian 250-251 Moyses, et al. to Cyprian 250 Cornelius to Cyprian c.246-258 Maximus, et al. to Cyprian c.246-258 Firmilian of Caesarea to Cyprian 256 Nemesianus, et al. to Cyprian 254-257 Lucius and the brethren to Cyprian 254-257 Felix & the rest of the martyrs to Cyprian 254-257 Seventh Council of Carthage (85 bishops) 258 A.D. Pontius’ The Life and Passion of Cyprian >258 A.D. X Novatian 250/254-257 Valerian 257-260

Theognostus of Alexandria 260 Gregory Thaumaturgus 240-265 Origen 225-254 … Theognostus of Alexandria 260 Gregory Thaumaturgus 240-265 Dionysius of Alexandria 246-265 Dionysius of Rome 259-269 Malchion 270 Pierius of Alexandria 275 Archelaus 262-278 Anatolius of Alexandria 270-280 Theonas of Alexandria 282-300 Adamantius -debated gnostics c.300 Arnobius 297-303 Victorinus of Pettau - martyred 304 Council of Elvira (12 canons) 306/7 Phileas of Thmuis - beheaded 307 Pamphilus - martyred 309 Peter of Alexandria 285-311 Valerian 257-260 X Aurelian 270 Paul of Samosata Manes Diocletian 280, 303-305 p47 31% of Revela- tion c.250-300 p72 All of 1, 2 Peter, Jude ca.300 X Meletius c.306 Diocletian & Gallus 284, 303-305

Methodius (corrected Origen’s followers) 260-312 Council of Ancyra 314 Arnobius 297-303… Methodius (corrected Origen’s followers) 260-312 Council of Ancyra 314 Council of Neocaesarea c.315 Theophilus’ Martyrdom of Habib the deacon events c.315 Athanasius (prior to Nicea) Alexander of Alexandria 313-326 Lactantius c.303-c.325 Council of Nicea 325 Licinius 315-323 (persecution in the east only) Persian Persecution of Christians 315-323 Arians c.318-523 Constantine legalizes Christianity and non-violently closes synagogues and pagan temples 325 -

Early Christian Theology Roadmap Bible (17) People & the Fall (13) Salvation (10) God (17) Working of God (12) Ultimate Things (32) Experience & Practice Holy Spirit (13) Jesus (52) Doctrine See this info at www.HistoryCart.com/ChurchHistory

Early Christian Theology Roadmap Family (13) Church (23) Specific Indivi-duals (24) Money & Content- Ment (11) Govern- ment (10) Experience & Practice Experi-encing God (20) Practic-ing Love (20) Evangel- ism (52) Doctrine See this info at www.HistoryCart.com/ChurchHistory