The Martyrdom of Polycarp

The Martyrdom of Polycarp is a famous record of one of the martyrdoms of the AD160s, of Polycarp a disciple of the Apostle John. See full text of his martyrdom.

Questions: How did Polycarp see martyrdom? What does his prayer teach? ... and about prayer to the Trinity? What place does the miracle have?

Ignatius on false teaching, Church leaders and Eucharist

St Ignatius wrote 7 letters while he was on his way to martyrdom c. 105 AD. He was the third bishop of Antioch, following Peter and Evodius. That makes his life overlap that of the apostles. The full text of his writings is available, and here is his Letter to the Church at Smyrnea. It seems the church there was plagued by the false teaching of the Docetists (those who taught that Christ only seemed to have a real human body, from Greek dokeo).

Questions:  How does Ignatius prove Christ's real human flesh? What does he teach about the roles and authority of bishops, priests(presbyters) and deacons? What does he say about the Eucharist (especially in light of the error of the Docetists)? What does this tell us about the nature of Church in 100AD?

The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, Commonly Called the Didache

The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, Commonly Called the Didache

The Didache is an important early Christian document that describes the faith in a way that seems quite Jewish! But this should not be surprising, since all Christians were Jews for the first 10 years or so until Acts 10. The Didache is usually dated to around 90AD although some suggest even earlier. The full text is here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/richardson/fathers.viii.i.iii.html

Thought Questions:

1. The Two Ways: (vss 1-5) What "Jewish" elements are in this first section? What does this say about how early Christians understood the gospel? In what way is the first few verses like some sections of the Deuteronomy passage around the Ten Commandments? What does this teach about social issues like the poor and abortion?

2. Vss 6-15. What does this tell us about the problem of false teachers and how to deal with them? What does it say about pragmatism (or grace) in Baptism, "being perfect" etc? How does this answer the ongoing Protestant debates about the correct form of baptism? What does it teach about fasting? About bishops and deacons? And liturgical format? Overall, what is the "vibe" of this teaching?

What this is about

Many people ask me what the early church taught about various topics, so this is a blog where I will regularly post sections of their material, with questions to consider about what they wrote. It is basically material from a course I prepared for Tabor College several years ago.
Each post will have links to the relevant texts and wiki, and relevant questions to consider. Warning- some of this may upset your settled theology.

Topics and church fathers will include:

The Didache: A Jewish-Christian understanding of salvation

Martyrdom and holiness in Ignatius and Polycarp

Eucharist and bishop in Ignatius

Philosophy as preparation for the gospel in Clement of Alexandria

Poetic imagery of salvation in Ephraim the Syrian

Prayer and spiritual warfare in Athanasius' biography of Anthony

Creation, Fall, Incarnation, and Re-creation in Athanasius

Salvation history- two views: Augustine and Basil

The Holy Spirit in Basil

Mercy and social justice in John Chrysostom

Pastoral care and the church in Gregory Nazianzus

Simplicity, prayer, spiritual struggle in the Egyptian desert fathers

The psychology of healing in the Ascetic Discourses of Isaac of Nineveh

Jesus as Wisdom and Word of God in Philo, Athenagoras, Melito of Sardis etc.

The “holy man” and veneration of the saints in Ambrose, Jerome etc.

Aphrahat and ascetic effort

Ps Macarius and joy, spiritual growth etc

Also Hilary, Gregory Nyssa etc…