19
votes
How did Christians respond to abortion in the early Church?
There were church commandments against it, and from the earliest times.
The Didache, i.e. the earliest Christian catechetical document (and contemporaneous with the Gospels, probably earlier than A.D....
- 8,390
16
votes
What was the Early Church’s view on socialism?
To what extent was the early church "socialist"?
Acts 4:32-37 (NASB95)
And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one [of them] claimed that anything ...
- 5,939
15
votes
Accepted
What is the earliest mention of how often the Eucharist was celebrated?
The earliest indication may be in the Didache, typically dated at the end of the first century. It describes the celebration of the Lord's Supper in terms of the cup and breaking bread, and then says:...
- 42.6k
15
votes
Why is there no archaeological evidence that Christians existed for 200 years after 70 AD?
Douglas Boin addresses the two main reasons given for the lack of archaeological evidence of Christianity during the period in question:
Theological: Christians applied a Biblical prohibition on ...
- 1,156
15
votes
Accepted
Are there any biblical examples of Early Church disciples praying to deceased saints in order to request their intercessory prayer?
Is there any biblical evidence that [asking dead saints for intercession] was a common practice in the early church?
The New Testament contains neither any example of nor any reference to this ...
- 436
14
votes
Accepted
Was universalism the majority belief of the early church?
Background
Obviously, this topic suffers from dogmatists on both sides. Universalists are desperate to overstate their case, and traditionalists are desperate to prove the early church didn't have ...
- 1,249
14
votes
Are there any biblical examples of Early Church disciples praying to deceased saints in order to request their intercessory prayer?
Are there any biblical examples of Christians in the Early Church communicating with dead saints in order to request their intercessory prayer?
The short answer seems to be no.
There are no clear ...
- 73.9k
13
votes
What was the Early Church’s view on socialism?
Modern-day Socialists would be unlikely to view the first century Christians as Socialists, despite a few similarities. This dictionary definition of socialism states that Socialists believe in a
&...
- 33.9k
12
votes
Accepted
What does "persecute with cups" refer to in Augustine's first homily on 1 John?
“Calcibus” is the ablative or dative plural of calx, which means “limestone” (from which we get the term “calcium”) or, alternatively, “heel.”
I believe the translator mistook “calcibus” for “...
- 13.2k
12
votes
Accepted
When was the early Christian apology "Dialogue with Trypho" written?
Justin's Dialogue with Trypho is usually dated toward the end of his life, after AD 155. According to Craig D. Allen, this is largely based on evidence that it was written after his First Apology, ...
- 42.6k
12
votes
Accepted
Who are the hypocrites associated with fasting in the Didache?
It is indeed about the Pharisees. Here's what Shmuel Safrai's paper “Religion in Everyday Life" says:
Mondays and Thursdays, which were synagogue days, when country-folk came to town and the courts ...
12
votes
Accepted
Did any early Church Fathers record the event of the ceasing of spiritual gifts?
As bradimus has indicated, this is a tricky issue, because projecting the modern debate of cessationism vs. continuationism onto church fathers is anachronistic. That said, some figures in the early ...
- 42.6k
12
votes
Was any early martyr of the Church sawn in two, as mentioned in Hebrews?
Was any martyr of the Church sawn in two, as mentioned in Hebrews?
The short answer is yes.
The term "death by sawing" indicates the act of sawing a living person in half, either sagitally (...
- 73.9k
12
votes
According to the LDS, when did the “true church” cease to exist?
Official Answer
No exact year is given, but the loss of priesthood keys held by the apostles resulted in the inability to carry out the saving ordinances of Christ's church. See Depperm's answer.
...
- 13.5k
10
votes
Which church father first taught the perpetual virginity of Mary?
As with many doctrines in the first few hundred years of the church, they tended not to be explicitly defined until heretics arose forcing the church to define doctrine.
This is why history is ...
- 1,269
10
votes
Accepted
Did the early church accept lifelong, faithful concubinage?
Pope Calixtus I, who died around 222, permitted the marriage of high born women to men of a lower class, and even to slaves. This was contrary to Roman law, so the Pope was recognising as validly ...
- 7,892
10
votes
Accepted
What is the earliest systematic New Testament commentary?
Origen's commentaries do indeed appear to be the earliest surviving line-by-line, self-contained biblical commentaries. This becomes evident when we examine his closest competitors. We'll look first ...
- 42.6k
10
votes
Accepted
Why does Justin Martyr say that those who are unworthy of seeing God will become imprisoned in animal bodies?
First, keep in mind that Trypho is (almost certainly) a fictional character. He takes the statement in stride because it suits Justin's purpose.
To answer your question, transmigration of the soul ...
- 3,700
10
votes
Is there any extra-biblical evidence of tongues from the first, or even second, century?
Ronald A. N. Kydd in his book Charismatic Gifts in the Early Church mentions several second-century quotes that he argues refer to glossolalia, what we call speaking in tongues. His work clearly ...
- 42.6k
10
votes
Accepted
Was the 66 book Bible being used by early Christians?
The answer is most certainly no.
The oldest complete Bible that we have is the Codex Vaticanus, dating to between 300 and 325. It contains 68 books: 45 Old Testament books plus 23 New Testament ...
- 5,698
10
votes
Accepted
Has the term "born again" always been synonymous with baptism with the Christians of the Early Church?
Some Clarification
You question specifically asks if there were any in the Early Church (~2nd to 4th century) who separated "born again" with baptism. Meanwhile, the site you quote claims that this ...
- 1,249
10
votes
Why is there no archaeological evidence that Christians existed for 200 years after 70 AD?
Why is there no archaeological evidence that Christians existed for 200 years after 70 AD?
This is historically not true. To say there is no archaeological evidence that Christians existed for 200 ...
- 73.9k
10
votes
What was the Early Church’s view on socialism?
Dan Walden, a Christian writer who has written on socialism from a Christian perspective, addresses a related question in the essay, "Was Jesus a Socialist?":
Jesus was obviously not a ...
- 101
9
votes
Accepted
What did the fathers of the early church think of Tertullian?
Like today, those in the early church had differing opinions regarding Tertullian. Some were largely critical, some largely complimentary, and some more balanced.
The first writings we have ...
- 42.6k
9
votes
Who first associated the fourth beast of Daniel 7 with the Roman Empire?
Several commentators before Jerome make this connection. We'll mention three,1 starting with Cyril of Jerusalem (313–386), who indicates that he is not the originator of this interpretation:
The ...
- 42.6k
9
votes
How did Christians respond to abortion in the early Church?
Since apostolic times the Church has been opposed to abortion and contraception.
The following sources from the early Church are given in Brian Clowes's Facts of Life (2nd ed.) PDF pp. 866-7. I've ...
- 41k
9
votes
Famous Pre Reformation Christian Pastors (Non Catholic)
Famous Pre Reformation Christian Pastors (Non Catholic and Non Orthodox)
Just how far back does one desire to go? Here is one example from the second century:
Marcion of Sinope (c. 85 – c. 160) was ...
- 73.9k
9
votes
Accepted
Were the early Christians known by any other name?
Were early Christians known by other names than Christians?
Take your pick, those who followed Jesus were called Christians, Sect of the Nazarenes, Followers of the Way and Sheep.
The early ...
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