Methodius:
“Man was made with a free will . . . on account of his capacity of obeying or disobeying God. For this was the meaning of the gift of free will.”
Clement of Alexandria:
“Likewise, no one is saved simply by trusting and believing that he will be saved. Instead, people should investigate the hope that the Savior gives them. By investigation, they should find out how they can confirm that which is unexpected. They can thereby possess the thing they hope for.”
Have you ever heard of Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Hermas, Papias, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Mark Felix, Cyprian, or Lactantius? If not, why not? Were these men of no significance to Christianity? Did they leave no writings behind? Didn’t they grapple with the same issues that Christians face today? Why have their views been hidden to the point that most Christians don’t even know their names?
Explore the beliefs of the early Christians (before AD 325) and compare them to what the Bible says and to what most churches teach today. We think you will find the journey to be enlightening, disconcerting, troubling, alarming, and yet perhaps strangely reassuring. Begin by exploring this site to see if the early Christians can help provide some answers to your questions – answers from men who actually learned at the feet of the Apostles or their disciples.
Let your journey begin…