Apologetics -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600; Celsus (Platonic philosopher), active 180; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
He says, in addition, that “all the Christians were of one mind,” not
observing, even in this particular, that from the beginning there were
differences of opinion among believers regarding the meaning[277] of the
books held to be divine. At all events, while the apostles were still
preaching, and while eye-witnesses of [the works of] Jesus were still
teaching His doctrine, there was no small discussion among the converts
from Judaism regarding Gentile believers, on the point whether they
ought to observe Jewish customs, or should reject the burden of clean
and unclean meats, as not being obligatory on those who had abandoned
their ancestral Gentile customs, and had become believers in Jesus. Nay,
even in the epistles of Paul, who was contemporary with those who had
seen Jesus, certain particulars are found mentioned as having been the
subject of dispute,—viz. respecting the resurrection,[278] and whether
it were already past, and the day of the Lord, whether it were nigh at
hand[279] or not. Nay, the very exhortation to “avoid profane and vain
babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which some
professing, have erred concerning the faith,”[280] is enough to show
that from the very beginning, when, as Celsus imagines, believers were
few in number, there were certain doctrines interpreted in different
ways.[281]
Footnote 277:
Ἐκδοχήν.
Footnote 278:
Cf. 1 Cor. xv. 12 sqq.
Footnote 279:
Cf. 2 Thess. ii. 2.
Footnote 280:
Cf. 1 Tim. vi. 20.
Footnote 281:
Τινες παρεκδοχαὶ.
Chapter XII.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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