QUOTES FROM
EARLY CHURCH
FATHERS
Early Church Topical Quotes
Conditions of Salvation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3
Eternal Security (Once Saved, Always Saved) ------------------------------------------------------- 8
Election (Predestination) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
End Times ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
Deity of Christ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13
Faith ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13
Foreknowledge ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14
Free Will -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14
Gnosticism (Antinonianism) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25
Hebrews 6:4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28
Hell -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28
Images ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 29
Imputation of Righteousness ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 30
Law and Grace ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31
Oneness -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33
Original Sin ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 37
Paradise ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39
Repentance ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40
Perseverance ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 44
Prosperity ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 45
Romans 9 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45
Sabbath --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46
Salvation, Loss/Forfeiture of ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47
Seal ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48
Sin --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48
Total Depravity (Spiritual Death) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50
Trinity (And the Deity of Christ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53
Truth, Preservation of ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58
Universal Atonement --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60
Water Baptism -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60
Works ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 71
Conditions of Salvation (Also see Repentance)
1 CLEMENT (written A.D. 80-140)
2 Clement 6:7 “For, if we do the will of Christ, we shall find rest; but if otherwise, then nothing shall deliver us from eternal punishment, if we should disobey His commandments.“
2 Clement 6:9 “…with what confidence shall we, if we keep not our baptism pure and undefiled, enter into the kingdom of God? Or who shall be our advocate, unless we be found having holy and righteous works?“
Didache (Di-da-kay) “Teaching of the 12 Apostles” (40-60 AD.)
“Watch for your life’s sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ready, for you know not the hour in which our Lord will come. But come together often, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if you are not made perfect in the last time.For in the last days false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness increases, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and then shall appear the world-deceiver as Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, and many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but those who endure in their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then shall appear the signs of the truth: first, the sign of an outspreading in heaven, then the sign of the sound of the trumpet. And third, the resurrection of the dead — yet not of all, but as it is said: “The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him.” Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.”
EPISTLE OF BARNABAS (written A.D. 80-120)
Barnabas 4:9 But though I would fain write many things, not as a teacher, but as becometh one who loveth you not to fall short of that which we possess, I was anxious to write to you, being your devoted slave. Wherefore let us take heed in these last days. For the whole time of our faith shall profit us nothing, unless we now, in the season of lawlessness and in the offenses that shall be, as becometh sons of God, offer resistance, that the Black One may not effect an entrance.
Barnabas 4:10 Let us flee from all vanity, let us entirely hate the works of the evil way. Do not enter in privily stand apart by yourselves, as if ye were already justified, but assemble yourselves together and consult concerning the common welfare.
Barnabas 4:11 For the scripture saith; “Woe unto them that are wise for themselves, and understanding in their own sight”. Let us become spiritual, let us become a temple perfect unto God. As far as in us lies, let us exercise ourselves in the fear of God, [and] let us strive to keep His commandments, that we may rejoice in His ordinances.
Barnabas 4:12 The Lord judgeth the world without respect of persons; each man shall receive according to his deeds. If he be good, his righteousness shall go before him in the way; if he be evil, the recompense of his evil-doing is before him; lest perchance,
Barnabas 4:13 if we relax as men that are called, we should slumber over our sins, and the prince of evil receive power against us and thrust us out from the kingdom of the Lord.
Barnabas 4:14 Moreover understand this also, my brothers. When ye see that after so many signs and wonders wrought in Israel, even then they were abandoned, let us give heed, lest haply we be found, as the scripture saith, “many are called but few are chosen”.
Barnabas 4:6 Ye ought therefore to understand. Moreover I ask you this one thing besides, as being one of yourselves and loving you all in particular more than my own soul, to give heed to yourselves now, and not to liken yourselves to certain persons who pile up sin upon sin, saying that our covenant remains to them also.
Barnabas 4:7 Ours it is; but they lost it in this way for ever, when Moses had just received it. For the scripture saith; “And Moses was in the mountain fasting forty days and forty nights, and he received the covenant from the Lord, even tablets of stone written with the finger of the hand of the Lord”.
Barnabas 4:8 But they lost it by turning unto idols. For thus saith the Lord; “Moses, Moses, come down quickly; for thy people whom thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt hath done unlawfully”. And Moses understood, and threw the two tables from his hands; and their covenant was broken in pieces, that the covenant of the beloved Jesus might be sealed unto our hearts in the hope which springeth from faith in Him.
THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS (written A.D. 139-155)
2[6]:5 For the Master sware by His own glory, as concerning His elect; that if, now that this day has been set as a limit, sin shall hereafter be committed, they shall not find salvation.
2[6]:6 Thou shalt therefore say unto the elders of the Church, that they direct their paths in righteousness, that they may receive in full the promises with abundant glory.
3[7]:2 But herein is thy salvation, in that thou didst not depart from the living God, and in thy simplicity and thy great continence. These have saved thee, if thou abidest therein; and they save all who do such things, and walk in guilelessness and simplicity. These men prevail over all wickedness, and continue unto life eternal.
3[7]:3 Blessed are all they that work righteousness. They shall never be destroyed.
Ignatius To the Magnesians (105 -115 AD)
5:1 Since, therefore, things have an end, the choice of two things, death and life, is placed at once before us, and each is about to depart to his own place.
5:2 For as there are two kinds of coins, the one of God, the other of the world, and each hath its own impression, the unbelieving the impress of the world, the believers in love the impress of God the Father through Jesus Christ, through whom unless we attain voluntarily to die unto his passion, his life is not in us.
THE EPISTLE OF POLYCARP (Written A.D. 110-140)
Polycarp: To the Philippians
Polycarp 2:1 “Wherefore gird up your loins and serve God in fear and truth, forsaking the vain and empty talking and the error of the many, for that ye have believed on Him that raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and gave unto him glory and a throne on His right hand; unto whom all things were made subject that are in heaven and that are on the earth; to whom every creature that hath breath doeth service; who cometh as judge of quick and dead; whose blood God will require of them that are disobedient unto Him.”
Polycarp 2:2 “Now He that raised Him from the dead will raise us also; if we do His will and walk in His commandments and love the things which He loved, abstaining from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, false witness; not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing or blow for blow or cursing for cursing;”
Polycarp 3:3 “For if any man be occupied with these, he hath fulfilled the commandment of righteousness; for he that hath love is far from all sin.”
Polycarp 5:1 “Knowing then that God is not mocked, we ought to walk worthily of His commandment and His glory.”
Polycarp 5:2 “…and that if we conduct ourselves worthily of Him we shall also reign with Him, if indeed we have faith.”
2 CLEMENT (A.D. 130-160)
2 Clement 4:1 “Let us therefore not only call Him Lord, for this will not save us:”
2 Clement 4:2 “for He saith, Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, shall be saved, but he that doeth righteousness.”
2 Clement 4:3 “So then, brethren, let us confess Him in our works, by loving one another, by not committing adultery nor speaking evil one against another nor envying, but being temperate, merciful, kindly. And we ought to have fellow-feeling one with another and not to be covetous. By these works let us confess Him, and not by the contrary.“
2 Clement 4:5 “For this cause, if ye do these things, the Lord said, Though ye be gathered together with Me in My bosom, and do not My commandments, I will cast you away and will say unto you, Depart from Me, I know you not whence ye are, ye workers of iniquity.“
2 Clement 6:7 “For, if we do the will of Christ, we shall find rest; but if otherwise, then nothing shall deliver us from eternal punishment, if we should disobey His commandments.“
2 Clement 6:9 “But if even such righteous men as these cannot by their righteous deeds deliver their children, with what confidence shall we, if we keep not our baptism pure and undefiled, enter into the kingdom of God? Or who shall be our advocate, unless we be found having holy and righteous works?“
2 Clement 8:4 “Wherefore, brethren, if we shall have done the will of the Father and kept the flesh pure and guarded the commandments of the Lord, we shall receive life eternal.“
2 Clement 8:5 “For the Lord saith in the Gospel, `If ye kept not that which is little, who shall give unto you that which is great? For I say unto you that he which is faithful in the least, is also faithful in much’.”
2 Clement 8:6 “So then He meaneth this, Keep the flesh pure and the seal unstained, to the end that we may receive life.“
2 Clement 11:5 “Wherefore, my brethren, let us not be double-minded but endure patiently in hope, that we may also obtain our reward.“
2 Clement 11:6 “For faithful is He that promised to pay to each man the recompense of his works.”
2 Clement 11:7 “If therefore we shalt have wrought righteousness in the sight of God, we shalt enter into His kingdom and shall receive the promises which ear hath not heard nor eye seen, nor eye seen, neither hath it entered into the heart of man.“
2 Clement 14:1 “Wherefore, brethren, if we do the will of God our Father, we shall be of the first Church, which is spiritual, which was created before the sun and the moon; but if we do not the will of the Lord, we shall be of the scripture that saith, My house was made a den of robbers. So therefore let us choose rather to be of the Church of life, that we may be saved.“
2 Clement 17:1 “Let us therefore repent with our whole heart, lest any of us perish by the way. For if we have received commands, that we should make this our business, to tear men away from idols and to instruct them, how much more is it wrong that a soul which knoweth God already should perish!“
EPISTULA APOSTOLORUM (A.D. 140-150)
27 “For to that end went I down unto the place of Lazarus, and preached unto the righteous and the prophets, that they might come out of the rest which is below and come up into that which is above; and I poured out upon them with my right hand the water (baptism) of life and forgiveness and salvation from all evil, as I have done unto you and unto them that believe on me. But if any man believe on me and do not my commandments, although he have confessed my name, he hath no profit therefrom but runneth a vain race: for such will find themselves in perdition and destruction, because they have despised my commandments.”
29 But all they that have offended against my commandments and have taught other doctrine, perverting the Scripture and adding thereto, striving after their own glory, and that teach with other words them that believe on me in uprightness, if they make them fall thereby, shall receive everlasting punishment. … according to their works shall they be judged and shall be delivered unto death.
And we said unto him: Lord, will they that believe be treated like the unbelievers, and wilt thou punish them that have escaped from the pestilence? And he said unto us: If they that believe in my name deal like the sinners, then have they done as though they had not believed. And we said again to him: Lord, have they on whom this lot hath fallen no life? He answered and said unto us: Whoso hath accomplished the praise of my Father, he shall abide in the resting-place of my Father.
JUSTIN MARTYR (Written 150 – 160 A.D.)
Chapter 14 “For we forewarn you to be on your guard, lest those demons whom we have been accusing should deceive you, and quite diver you from reading and understanding what we say. For they strive to hold you their slaves and servants; and sometimes by appearances in dreams, and sometimes by magical impositions, they subdue all who make no strong opposing effort for their own salvation.“
THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH (A.D. 180-185)
Theophilus to Autolycus
Chapter 8 “But you do not believe that the dead are raised. When the resurrection shall take place, then you will believe, whether you will or no; and your faith shall be reckoned for unbelief, unless you believe now. And why do you not believe? Do you not know that faith is the leading principle in all matters?”
Eternal Security (Once Saved, Always Saved)