Lucius Caelius Firmianus Lactantius was a theologian and the spiritual advisor to Constantine I. He helped shape some of the emperor’s theology and even tutored his son Crispus.[1] The father may have been given the name Lactantius because of the milky softness of his skin. He was a master of rhetoric, achieving far greater fame […]
The Premillennialism of Methodius
January 17, 2015 by 2 Comments
Methodius or Eubulius lived from 260-312 A.D. and served as bishop of both Olympus and Patara in Lycia. Jerome records that he was transferred to the See of Tyre in Phoenicia. He suffered martyrdom at Chalcis in Greece or possibly in Syria. Methodius is best known as a critic of Origen and his allegorical method […]
The Premillennialism of Tertullian
January 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, referred to by Jerome as Tertullian, was the father of Latin Christianity and of western theology. He was born somewhere between A.D. 145 to 160 in Carthage and died somewhere between A.D. 220 to 240. Tertullian was a skilled theologian, with an aptitude for apologetics and polemics against various heresies. His […]
The Premillennialism of Justin Martyr
December 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Perhaps the most overtly premillennial ante-Nicene Church father was Justin Martyr. He was a Gentile born around 114 and was martyred in 165 A.D. He was a follower of Plato until he became a disciple of Jesus. Justin identified the Gospel as the only true philosophy and became an evangelist, proclaiming that truth.[1] It would […]
The Premillennialism of Papias
December 5, 2014 by 3 Comments
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 Premillennialism of Barnabas
December 1, 2014 by 2 Comments
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: […]
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 […]
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