What Early Christians Taught on Family and Government Grid – January 2012 version

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE

KING, GOVERNMENT, AND LAWS

Legend for Cells

F1. Honor marriage no extra-marital relations Heb12

K1. Honor the king or government Rom 13:1-5; 1Pt 2:17

W = Wrote explicitly on this teaching

F2. No divorce except for unfaithfulness Mt 5:31-32

K2. Obey government when not against God Rm13:1-5

I = Implied as true or opposite is false

F3. We should be modest and pure Rm13:4; Eph5:3-4

K3. Do not aid in persecuting Christians 1 Cor 13:7

m = Mixed: some agree others not

F4. Don’t watch violent/lewd shows implied Php4:8-9

K4. Pay taxes  Mk 12:14-17; Lk 20:22-25; Rom 13:6-7

P = Partial (ex: Didache on F5 condemns homosexuality of boys, but not say all)

F5. No homosexuality. Rom1:26-27;1Cor6:9-11;Lv20:13

K5. Pray for rulers and those in authority 1 Tim 2:1-3

F6. We should honor our parents Mk 7:10-12; Ex 20:12

K6. Bless or pray for those who persecute you

- = no reference found

F7. Cherish and nurture our family  Eph 5:22-33; 6:1-4

K7. Government officials ought to be just Rom 13:3-4

X = Disagree

F8. Having kids is fine within marriage Eph 5:1-4

K8. Disobey or change unjust laws Acts 4:19; 5:29

blank = not researched yet

F9. Celibacy is better than marriage 1 Cor 7:1-9,25-35

K9. Providence, or God governing the world Isa 46:10

 

F10. Remarriage OK after death of spouse Rm 7:1-3

K10. Christ is king or kingdom of Christ.Jn1:49;Rv11:15

Writer totals include W’s & I’s but not P’s

Rows: red = persecution of Christians, green = heresy, orange=schism, pink=strange writer, blue=Bible manuscript, brown=Christians persecute others

Christian writer, heretic, or Bible manuscript

Pages

Date A.D.

F1

F2

F3

F4

F5

F6

F7

F8

F9

F10

K1

K2

K3

K4

K5

K6

K7

K8

K9

K10

Nero and Domitian persecute Christians

 

50 & 95/96

est. 500K Christians. Labeled atheists; killed for refusing to worship emperor/idols

Clement of Rome (wrote 1 Clement)

16 ¼

97/98

-

W

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

W

W

W

Ignatius disciple of John (shortest version)

13

c.100-117

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Trajan persecutes Christians

 

107-117

Answered Pliny the Younger’s letter. Christians not sought after but killed if found

Didache (=Teaching of the Twelve Apostles)

4 ¾

before 125

W

-

-

-

P

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

-

-

Apology of Aristides (Greek version)

4

125or138-161

W

-

-

-

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

I

W

W

-

Quadratus of Athens fragment (apologist)

1/8

126

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Letter to Diognetus (=Mathetes to Diognetus)

5 ¼

c.130

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

Hadrian persecutes Christians

 

118 & 134

Hadrian loved Greek culture, and he persecuted both Jewish and Christian people

Bar Cochba persecutes Christians

 

135

Christians persecuted in Israel because they would not join Bar Cochba’s revolt.

Letter of Barnabas

12 ½

100-150

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

p52+p104+p87  5+5+4 verses (Jn, Mt, Philemon)

-138,100-150

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

p46 Chester Beatty II - 1,680 verses (70%) Paul+Heb

100-150

W

P

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

-

W

W

-

-

-

2 Clement (anonymous writer)

5 ¾

c.150

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

Polycarp to the Philippians

3 ½

100-155

W

-

W

-

W

-

W

I

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

-

-

-

Papias of Hierapolis, disciple of John

2

130-150

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

“Presbyters” (Papias?)

½

-150

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Apostolic fathers totals: all symbols except P

62

-150

7

1

1

0

2

1

5

3

1

0

0

1

1

0

1

2

2

2

2

4

Justin Martyr, philosopher and apologist

137

c.138-165

W

W

W

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

W

I

W

W

W

-

-

W

W

Shepherd of Hermas

46 ½

c.160

W

W

-

-

-

W

I

-

-

W

-

-

I

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

Evarestus’ Martyrdom of Polycarp

5

c.169

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

Gnostic heresies become widespread

 

c.170-

Gnostics believed Creator was evil or foolish, rejected O.T., mixed in paganism.

Tatian+Diatessaron. Encratite Gnostic later

18+86

died 172

X/W

W

-

W

P

W

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

W

W

Dionysius of Corinth (wrote against Marcion)

1/3

170

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

p66 Bodmer II Papyrii - 817 verses (92%) of John

c.125-175

-

-

-

-

-

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-

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-

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-

-

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-

W

p4+p64+p67 Lk 1:58-59,etc. Mt 26:7-8,etc. 95 verses

c.150-175

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

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-

-

-

-

-

-

-

p90 Jn 18:36-19:7 (11 verses)

c.175

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

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-

-

-

-

-

-

W

Persecution of Marcus Aurelius

 

162/166-180

Aurelius was a Stoic philosopher. Persecution mainly in Gaul, ended when he died

Christians of Vienna and Lugdunum (Lyons)

6 ½

177

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

W

-

Athenagoras (apologist)

33 ½

177

W

W

-

W

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

-

W

W

W

W

-

Claudius Apollinaris of Hierapolis

½

177, 160-180

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Hegesippus (chronicler)

2 ½

170-180

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

W

Melito/Meleto of Sardis (Quartodecimian)

11

170-180

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

Rhodon (against Marcion and Apelles)

½

180

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Theophilus of Antioch (to Autolycus)

32

168-181/188

W

W

W

W

P

W

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

W

W

W

W

-

W

-

Ebionites & Clementina (Law,Father,Son)

265½+

- 188 -

W

-

W

-

I

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

W

W

Irenaeus of Lyons, disciple of Polycarp

262

182-188

W

-

-

-

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

W

W

-

W

W

Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs -died 180 A.D.

¾

180-202

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

Maximus of Jerusalem -wrote on origin of evil

5

185-196

W

-

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-

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-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Polycrates of Ephesus (Quartodecimian)

½

196

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

p32 (=P. Rylands 5) Titus 1:1-15; 2:3-8 (21 verses)

150-200

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

-

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-

Caius and the Muratorian Canon

3

190-217

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

Sabellian heresy (Praxeas, Noetus,Callistus)

 

c.200-257-

Also called Patripassians, they believed Father, Son, & Spirit were one person.

Persecution of Septimus Severus

 

202

est. 2M Christians. A Christian helped him when ill, but did not repeal existing laws

Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas

7

c.201/205

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

I

-

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-

-

-

-

-

-

-

I

-

-

Romans kill first known martyrs in Britain

 

209

Alban, Julius, and Aaron were formerly thought killed in 304/5 A.D.

Serapion of Antioch (against Marcion)

1/3

200-210

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Minucius Felix (The Octavius)

25

210

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

Apollonius of Ephesus (against Montanists)

1

c.210

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Clement of Alexandria

424

193-217/220

W

W

W

W

P

W

W

W

W

I

-

-

I

W

-

W

-

-

W

W

p75 Lk 3:18-22; etc. Jn 1:1-11:45,etc. 1,166 verses

175-225

W

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

P

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

P

-

p45 Chester Beatty I – 833 verses (4 gospels + Acts)

200-225

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

P

-

p30 1 Th 4:12-13,16-17 etc. 2 Th 1:1-2 etc. 25 verses

ca.225

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Tertullian (joined the Montanist Church)

734

198-220

W

-

W

W

W

W

-

W

W

W

W

W

I

W

W

W

-

W

W

W

Tertullian’s 5 Books Against Marcion

194

207/8

W

W

-

W

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

W

-

W

W

W

Theodotus the probable Montanist

7 ¾

ca.240

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

I

-

-

-

-

-

-

Bardaisan/Bardesan of Syria (heretical)

11 ½

154-224/232

-

-

-

-

P

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Asterius Urbanus (against Montanists)

2 ¾

c.232

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Elchasaite Ebionites (said Jesus God’s Son)

2 ¼

before 236

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

Hippolytus, pupil of Irenaeus (undisputed)

218

222-235/6

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

Maximin Thrax persecutes Christians

 

235-238

First empire-wide persecution, but only of clergy. It stopped when he was killed.

Instructions of Commodianus

16

c.240

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

I

Julius Africanus (undisputed writings)

9

232-245

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

p13 Heb 2:14-5:5;10:8-22;10:29-11:13;etc. 114 verses

225-250

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Alexander of Cappadocia (Clem. A’.s pupil)

¾

233-251

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

Origen (heterodox teacher)

622

225-254

W

W

-

W

W

W

-

I

W

P

-

-

-

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Severe persecution by Decius and Gallus

 

250-251 - 253

1st Christian schism. Could fallen Christians return or doomed forever (Novatian)

Novatian (his schism lasted over 200 years)

38 ½

250/254-257

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

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-

W

W

Anonymous Treatise Against Novatian

6 ½

254-256

-

-

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-

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-

-

-

-

-

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-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

Anonymous Treatise on Rebaptism

11

c.250-258

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

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-

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-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Cyprian of Carthage (against Novatian)

250 ¾  

c.246-258

W

P

W

W

I

W

W

W

W

-

-

-

I

-

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-

W

W

W

W

Roman church leaders (ltr 2,29,30)

1+4 ¾

250-251

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

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-

-

-

-

Lucian et al. (letters 16, 21)

7/8

250-251

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

Caldonius to Cyprian (letter 18)

¾

250-251

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

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