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The Early Christians
Meet the teachers, martyrs, and ordinary believers who inherited the apostolic faith.
Begin the introduction →
Explore the faith of the earliest Christians
Ancient faith.
Lived today.
Have you ever heard of Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Papias, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, or Lactantius? Their writings bring us remarkably close to the world of the apostles—and challenge us to take Jesus at His word.
A guided journey
Read Scripture alongside the people closest to the apostles.
Explore the beliefs of Christians before AD 325 and compare them with the Bible and with what churches teach today. The journey can be enlightening, disconcerting, troubling—and strangely reassuring.
Belief and practice
Articles of Faith
A concise overview of what the early Christians taught about salvation, obedience, baptism, and life in the kingdom.
Read the overview →Daily discipleship
Christian Life
Consider how the commands of Jesus shape prayer, generosity, simplicity, family, and community.
Explore Christian life →People and context
Church History
Trace the writers, movements, and turning points that formed the first centuries of Christianity.
Explore church history →The message of Jesus
Salvation
Study repentance, faith, obedience, grace, covenant, baptism, and endurance in the words of Jesus and the early church.
Explore salvation →Careful study
Theology
Examine doctrine without losing sight of the simple, lived faith at the heart of the New Testament.
Explore theology →“We are philosophers—not in words—but in deeds. We do not speak great things; we live them.”
Cyprian