Apostolic Doctrine in Early Christianity

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Direct teaching

If, then, these things are so, it is in the same degree manifest that all doctrine which agrees with the apostolic churches— those moulds and original sources of the faith must be reckoned for truth, as undoubtedly containing that which the (said) churches received from the apostles, the apostles from Christ, Christ from God.

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Direct teaching

We hold communion with the apostolic churches because our doctrine is in no respect different from theirs. This is our witness of truth.

Alexander of Alexandria, Epistles on the Arian Heresy Direct teaching

12. We believe these things concerning Him, just as the Apostolic Church believes. We believe in one unbegotten Father, who has from no one the cause of His being. He is unchangeable and immutable. He is always the same and admits no increase or decrease. He gave to us the Law, the prophets, and the Gospels. He is Lord of the patriarchs and apostles, and of all the saints. And we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He was not begotten from things that are not, but from Him who is the Father. He was not begotten in a bodily manner, by excision or division, as Sabellius and Valentinus thought, but in a certain inexplicable and unspeakable manner, according to the words of the prophet quoted above: "Who shall declare His generation?" Isaiah 53:8. Since no nature that is begotten can investigate His subsistence, just as no one can investigate the Father, because the nature of rational beings cannot receive the knowledge of His divine generation by the Father. But men who are moved by the Spirit of truth have no need to learn these things from me. For the words spoken before by Christ on this very matter are sounding in our ears: "No man knows the Father, sav

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

so, seeing there are many who think they hold the opinions of Christ, and yet some of these think differently from their predecessors, yet as the teaching of the Church, transmitted in orderly succession from the apostles, and remaining in the Churches to the present day, is still preserved, that alone is to be accepted as truth which differs in no respect from ecclesiastical and apostolic tradition.

Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Direct teaching

but that ye give heed to the doctrine of the apostles, and believe both the law and the prophets: that ye reject every Jewish and Gentile error, and neither introduce a multiplicity of gods, nor yet deny Christ under the pretence of [maintaining] the unity of God.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

being fellow-heirs and joint-partakers of His beloved Son: hearken to this holy doctrine, you who enjoy His promises, as being delivered by the command of your Saviour, and agreeable to His glorious words.

Aristides, The Apology Supporting witness

For great indeed, and wonderful is their doctrine to him who will search into it and reflect upon it.

Acts 2:42 Direct teaching

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

2 Timothy 2:2 Direct teaching

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

2 John 1:9 Direct teaching

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

1 Timothy 6:3 Direct teaching

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness,

Titus 1:9 Direct teaching

holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Direct teaching

...tempt? But even if they manage to invent such a thing, they will gain nothing by it. For when their doctrine is compared with the doctrine of the apostles, its very difference and opposition will show by itself that its author was neither an apostle nor an apostolic man. As the apostles would never have taught things that contradicted each other, so apostolic men would not have taught something different from the apostles, unless those who received instruction from the apostles went out and preached the opposite. Therefore, they will be tested by this standard and judged by those churches which, although they do not trace their founder back to apostles or apostolic men, because they are much later in date and in fact are still being founded daily, are nevertheless counted as no less apostolic because they agree in the same faith and are related in doctrine. Then let all the heresies, when they are challenged by our apostolic church on these two tests, offer proof for how they consider themselves apostolic. But in truth they are not apostolic, nor are they able to prove themselves to be what they are not. Nor are they allowed peaceful relations and communion by those churches tha

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Direct teaching

...ever proofs they want to take from the Scriptures so that those proofs fit their own ideas. But the apostolic word has already marked out this case beforehand: "If anyone preaches to you any other gospel than what you have received, let him be accursed." Therefore, besides what was once delivered to us by the apostles, a disciple of Christ ought to receive nothing new as doctrine. But so that what I have to say does not become too long, I return directly to the matter before us. This man taught that the law of Moses, to speak briefly, does not come from the good God, but from the prince of evil. He said that it has no kinship with the new law of Christ, but is opposite and hostile to it, the one being the direct enemy of the other. When I heard such an opinion being taught, I repeated to the people that saying from the Gospel in which our Lord Jesus Christ said about Himself, "I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it." But the man insisted that He did not say this at all. He argued that when we see that Christ actually set aside that same law, we must pay attention above all else to what He actually did. Then he began to quote many passages from the law, and also ma

Alexander of Alexandria, Epistles on the Arian Heresy Supporting witness

...with a veil. By feigned words and writings, they deceive them. Therefore, by hiding their pestilent doctrine with pleasing and flattering speech, they ensnare simpler people and those who are open to fraud. Meanwhile, they do not spare our piety, but slander it to everyone. As a result, some, signing their letters, receive them into the Church, although in my opinion the greatest guilt belongs to those ministers who dare to do this. This is because not only does the apostolic rule not allow it, but by this means the working of the devil in these men against Christ is kindled even more strongly. Therefore, beloved brothers, without delay I have stirred myself up to show you the faithlessness of these men, who say that there was a time when the Son of God was not, and that He who was not before came into existence afterward, becoming such, when at last He was made, just as every man is accustomed to be born. For they say that God made all things from things that are not, including even the Son of God in the creation of all things rational and irrational. To these things they add, as a consequence, that He is of mutable nature, and capable both of virtue and vice. Once this idea is

Cyprian, Epistles Direct teaching

...escension to the Church alone, then what stubbornness is this, or what presumption, to prefer human tradition to divine ordinance? Why do they not observe that God is indignant and angry whenever human tradition loosens and sets aside the divine commands, as He cries out and says through Isaiah the prophet, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain they worship me, teaching the doctrines and commandments of men." Isaiah 29:13 Also, the Lord in the Gospel, in the same way rebuking and reproving, declares and says, "You reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition." Mark 7:13 Remembering this command, the blessed Apostle Paul also warns and instructs us, saying, "If any man teaches otherwise, and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with His doctrine, he is proud, knowing nothing." From such a man withdraw yourself. 1 Timothy 6:3-5

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Direct teaching

...ame to me some days ago and tried to introduce a new kind of knowledge here, different from what is apostolic and ecclesiastical, has also come to you. I gave no place to that person. For when we held a disputation together, he was confuted. I would now like to copy out for your benefit all the arguments I used on that occasion, so that by them you might understand what that man's faith is. But that could be done only if I had leisure at my disposal. So, because of the present urgency, I have thought it necessary to write you a short reply about what you wrote to me concerning the statements advanced by him. I understand, then, that his chief effort was aimed at proving that the law of Moses is not in agreement with the law of Christ. He tried to base this position on the authority of our Scriptures. But on the contrary, we not only established the law of Moses, and all the things written in it, by the same Scripture, but we also proved that the whole Old Testament agrees with the New Testament and is in perfect harmony with it. They truly form one fabric, just as a person may see one and the same robe made of weft and warp together. For the truth is simply this: just as we can

Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness

...ny doubt, lest he turn out to belong to the one who can prove his claim to him by producing all his apostolic writings. Paul claims that he is an apostle — to use his own words — "not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ." Galatians 1:1 Of course, anyone may make a claim about himself. But that claim is made valid only by the authority of a second person. One man signs, another countersigns. One man puts on his seal, another records it in the public register. No one can be both the proposer and the seconder of himself. Besides, you have surely read that many will come, saying, "I am Christ." Luke 21:8 Now if anyone can pretend to be Christ, how much more can a man claim to be an apostle of Christ? Still, for my own part, I come as a disciple and an inquirer. In this way I may both refute your belief, which has nothing to support it, and expose your shamelessness, since you make claims without having the means to prove them. Let there be a Christ, and let there be an apostle, even if they belong to another god. But what does that matter? They can draw their proof only from the Testament of the Creator. For even the book of Genesis promised me the Apostle Paul long

Dionysius of Alexandria, Epistles and Epistolary Fragments Supporting witness

3. For since of the doctrine, which lately has been set on foot at Ptolemais, a city of Pentapolis, implores and full of blasphemy against Almighty God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Tertullian, Scorpiace Supporting witness

...t ancient times perhaps may have had the sacrament as their own exclusively, to examine the present Christian system, as if, though it is also from God, it might be different from what came before, and besides, therefore opposed to it also in its rule of life, so that its Wisdom does not know how to murder her own sons. Evidently, in the case of Christ, both the divine nature and the will and the sect are different from anything previously known. He will either have commanded no martyrdoms at all, or else those that must be understood in a different sense from the ordinary. He would be such a person as to urge no one to a danger of this kind, and to promise no reward to those who suffer for Him, because He does not want them to suffer. And therefore He says, when setting forth His chief commands, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The next saying indeed applies first to all without restriction, then especially to the apostles themselves: "Blessed will you be when men revile you, and persecute you, and say every kind of evil against you, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, since very great is your reward

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Supporting witness

... of God, so that Spirit, the Paraclete, could not come into any other, but could only come upon the apostles and the sainted Paul. For He says, "He is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before kings and the Gentiles." The apostle himself also states the same thing in his first epistle, where he says, "According to the grace that is given to me of God, that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God." "I say the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost." And again, "For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not wrought by me by word and deed." "I am the last of all the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle." "But by the grace of God I am what I am." And it is his wish to deal with those who sought the proof of that Christ who spoke in him, for this reason: that the Paraclete was in him. And as one who had obtained His gift of grace, and as one enriched with magnificent honor, he says, "For this thing I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me." And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you; for strength is made perfect in weakness."

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

Well, they preserving the tradition of the blessed doctrine derived directly from the holy apostles, Peter, James, John, and Paul, the sons receiving it from the father (but few were like the fathers), came by God's will to us also to deposit those ancestral and apostolic seeds.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Direct teaching

...n and interacted with the blessed apostles, still had their preaching echoing in his ears and their traditions before his eyes. He was not alone in this, for many others remained who had received instructions from the apostles. During Clement's time, a significant disagreement arose among the brethren in Corinth, and the Church in Rome sent a powerful letter to the Corinthians. This letter exhorted them to peace, renewed their faith, and declared the tradition recently received from the apostles, proclaiming the one omnipotent God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the Creator of man, who caused the deluge, called Abraham, led the people out of Egypt, spoke to Moses, established the law, sent the prophets, and prepared fire for the devil and his angels. From this document, anyone who wishes may learn that He, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, was preached by the Churches and may also understand the apostolic tradition of the Church. This Epistle predates those who now spread falsehoods and invent another god beyond the Creator and Maker of all things. Clement was succeeded by Evaristus, followed by Alexander; then, sixth from the apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telesp

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Direct teaching

His testimony, therefore, is true, and the doctrine of the apostles is open and stedfast, holding nothing in reserve;

Papias, Fragments Supporting witness

Papias, whom we mentioned earlier, claims that he received the sayings of the apostles from those who were with them, and he also asserts that he personally heard Aristion and the presbyter John. He frequently mentions them by name, and in his writings, he shares their traditions. Our notice of these details may prove useful. It may also be worthwhile to add to Papias's statements already given, other passages of his where he describes some miraculous deeds, saying that he learned of them from tradition. The stay of the Apostle Philip with his daughters in Hierapolis has already been mentioned. We should now highlight how Papias, who lived at the same time, says that he received an extraordinary account from the daughters of Philip, reporting that a dead man was raised to life in his day. He also mentions another miracle regarding Justus, also known as Barsabas, who consumed a deadly poison but was unharmed, due to the grace of the Lord. Papias also notes other things as coming to him from unwritten tradition, including some unusual parables and teachings of the Saviour, and some other more fanciful items. Among these, he says there will be a millennium after the resurrection of th

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

[we do this, I say,] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul;

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book II Supporting witness

The Universal Church, moreover, through the whole world, has received this tradition from the apostles.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

for the deposit rendered to God, according to the teaching of the Lord by His apostles, is the understanding and the practice of the godly tradition.

Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians Supporting witness

The apostles have preached the Gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ;

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

for as the teaching, so also the tradition of the apostles was one.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

...anged," he says, "let nothing be maintained except what has been handed down." From where does that tradition come? Does it come down from the authority of the Lord and of the Gospel, or does it come from the commands and letters of the apostles? For God bears witness and warns that the things written must be done, saying to Joshua the son of Nun, "This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it" Joshua 1:8. Also, when the Lord sent His apostles, He commanded that the nations should be baptized and taught to observe all things that He commanded. If, therefore, it is either ordered in the Gospel, or contained in the letters or Acts of the Apostles, that those who come from any heresy should not be baptized, but should only have hands laid on them for repentance, then let this divine and holy tradition be observed. But if heretics everywhere are called nothing other than adversaries and antichrists, if they are declared to be people who must be avoided, and to be perverted and self-condemned, why then should they not be considered worthy to be condemned by u

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

...ase, observe the things handed down from the beginning, even though they claim the authority of the apostles without reason. This can also be seen from the celebration of Easter and from many other sacred matters. There are some differences among them, and not everything is observed among them in the same way as it is observed at Jerusalem. The same is true in many other provinces also, where many things vary because of differences of places and customs. And yet, because of this, there is no departure at all from the peace and unity of the Catholic Church, as Stephen has now dared to make. He has broken the peace against you, which his predecessors always kept with you in mutual love and honor. In this also he insults the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, as if those very men had handed this down, though in their letters they denounced heretics and warned us to avoid them. Therefore it is clear that this tradition, which supports heretics and claims that they have baptism, even though baptism belongs to the Church alone, is a tradition of men.

Justin Martyr, Hortatory Address to the Greeks Supporting witness

...the uninitiated the mystical expression about the eternity of God, he said: “God indeed, as the old tradition states, includes the beginning, end, and middle of all things.” Here, he clearly and openly refers to the law of Moses as “the old tradition,” out of fear of the hemlock-cup, avoiding directly naming Moses. He understood that the teaching of Moses was disliked by the Greeks and implies Moses by indicating the ancient nature of the tradition. We have sufficiently demonstrated with evidence from Diodorus and other historians in previous chapters that the law of Moses is not only ancient but even the first. Diodorus states that Moses was the first of all lawgivers, and the letters used by the Greeks to write their histories had not yet been discovered.