Direct Answer
The transcript suggests that apostolic truth was expected to be guarded by faithful transmission from the apostles to the next generations, not by later “special revelation.” It does not directly state God’s intention, but it argues that the early Christians saw themselves as preserving what had already been handed down.
Support from Transcript
- Bercot frames the issue as whether Christians “faithfully preserve[d] the faith that was once for all handed down to them.” - He says the early writers claimed “over and over again” that they were defending “what the apostles themselves taught.” - The transcript says they believed “there was no further special revelation after the apostles.” - Some early Christians, such as “Polycarp and Clement of Rome,” are said to have “received the gospel directly from the apostles.” - Others, like Irenaeus, received the gospel from people who had received it directly from the apostles.
Discussion Follow-ups
This invites discussion about whether continuity with apostolic teaching should carry more weight than later innovations.