The Epistle of Barnabas was written around 100 A.D. and is attributed to one Barnabas. Tradition identifies the writer as an Alexandrian Jew living during the time of Trajan and Hadrian. His name may have actually been Barnabas, though it is just as likely that the epistle was named after an apostle to give it […]
The Premillennialism of Irenaeus
November 19, 2014 by 2 Comments
Irenaeus lived from A.D. 120 to 202, and he served as the bishop of the church in what is now Lyon France. He was a pupil of the bishop of Smyrna and martyr Polycarp[1], himself a student of the apostle John. Irenaeus being only one teacher removed from the disciple whom Jesus loved (e.g. John […]
Papias Said Judas Was an Amillennialist
April 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The Ante-Nicene Church Father Irenaeus taught extensively on Chiliasm (the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus upon the Earth beginning after His Second Coming) in his fifth book of Against Heresies. In chapter thirty-three, Irenaeus provides further proofs that mandate a Chiliastic or Premillennial realization of the Kingdom. This includes the blessing made from Isaac to Jacob: […]
The Gospel of Matthew Was First Written in Hebrew
January 4, 2014 by 25 Comments
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 […]
Adam Died in that “Day” or Millennium
November 23, 2013 by 9 Comments
God told Adam that in the day that he ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil he would surely die (Gen. 2:17). Adam did eat of the tree (Gen. 3:6) and nevertheless went on to live to the impressive age of 930 years (Gen. 5:5). The most common explanation for the apparent […]
Tertullian Reported that the New Jerusalem Appeared During His Lifetime
August 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Ante-Nicene Church Fathers as a whole are believed to have taught some unusual or bizarre doctrines. Quite often this reputation stems from readers neglecting to understand the material carefully in its given context and not taking into account the different writing styles that were common to the ancients. However, there are times when something […]
Tertullian Does Not Want You to Baptize Your Babies
May 24, 2013 by 1 Comment
John MacArthur has written a powerful work entitled “A Scriptural Critique of Infant Baptism.” My own awareness of this teaching came from an almost visceral anger toward it from paedobaptists (advocates of infant baptism). MacArthur has effectively given new life to the old debate on the practice of infant baptism. Both seminary trained theologians and […]
Irenaeus Did Not Teach that Jesus Lived into His Fifties Before Being Crucified
May 16, 2013 by 12 Comments
Several ante-Nicene Church Fathers confirm that Revelation was written toward the end of Domitian’s reign. This places the date of Revelation’s composition at approximately 95 or 96 A.D. Irenaeus’ teaching on this represents the earliest extant quote on the matter. Because the partial and full preterists scheme falls apart if Revelation was written after 70 […]
Athanasius Did Not Pen the First List of the New Testament Canon
The idea that Athanasius’ thirty-ninth Festal Letter (367 AD) contains the first complete extant list of the New Testament Canon is common. It is not just a common belief among layman, but it is even taught by many Bible scholars and professors of Church history. I believed this for quite some time and even referred […]