Isaiah’s King: Jesus in Isaiah 6

This article is part of a series on Old Testament Christophanies. For important background information, see An Introduction to Old Testament Christophanies–with Justin Martyr.  In John 12:37–40, the apostle explained how two key prophecies from the Book of Isaiah had been fulfilled. The first was from Isaiah 53:1, which opens the famous chapter on the Messiah being […]

The Premillennialism of Papias

Alongside Polycarp, Papias was a student of the apostle John.  He was the bishop of Hierpolis in Phrygia and was martyred in 163 AD (around the same time that Polycarp was martyred).  In addition to enjoying friendship with the apostle John, Papias intimately knew several others who had been alive to interact with Jesus and […]

The Gospel of Matthew Was First Written in Hebrew

Though no copies are extant, there is good historical evidence that Matthew’s Gospel was first written in Hebrew.  Around 130 A.D., Church father Papias (a former student of the Apostle John) explained: So then Matthew wrote the oracles in the Hebrew language, and everyone interpreted them as he was able.  (Recorded by Eusebius in Church […]