Early Christian Beliefs About Old Testament Epigrapha

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Direct teaching

...What came before the coming and suffering of Christ—that is, the Law and the Prophets—is called the Old. But the things written after His resurrection are called the New Testament. The Jews use the Old; we use the New. Yet they are not in conflict, for the New is the fulfillment of the Old. And in both there is the same testator, that is, Christ. Having suffered death for us, He made us heirs of His everlasting kingdom, while the people of the Jews were deprived and disinherited. As the prophet Jeremiah testifies when he speaks these things: Jeremiah 31:31-32, "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new testament with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not according to the testament which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my testament, and I disregarded them, says the Lord." Also in another place he says in the same way: Jeremiah 12:7-8, "I have forsaken my house, I have given up my heritage into the hand of its enemies. My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest. It has cried out against me; therefore I have hated it." Since the inher

Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas Direct teaching

Yes, it is indeed so; but let us ask if the Lord truly gave that testament which He promised to the ancestors that He would give to the people. He did give it, but they were not worthy to receive it because of their sins. For the prophet declares, “Moses was fasting for forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai to receive the testament of the Lord for the people.” And he received from the Lord two tablets, written in the spirit by the finger of the hand of the Lord. Moses, having received them, went down to give them to the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Moses, Moses, go down quickly; for your people have sinned, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt.” And Moses understood that they had made molten images again; and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and the tables of the testament of the Lord were broken. Moses then received it, but they proved themselves unworthy. Learn now how we have received it. Moses, as a servant, received it; but the Lord himself, having suffered on our behalf, has given it to us, that we should be the people of inheritance. But He appeared to perfect them in their wickedness, and so we, being made heirs through Him, might receive the testame

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching

Stay away from all pagan books. What do you have to do with such foreign teachings, laws, or false prophets that overthrow the faith of unstable people? What lack do you find in the law of God, that you should turn to those pagan fables? If you want to read history, you have the books of the Kings. If you want books of wisdom or poetry, you have the books of the Prophets, Job, and Proverbs. In them you will find greater depth of understanding than in all the pagan poets and sophists, because these are the words of the Lord, the only wise God. If you want something to sing, you have the Psalms. If you want the origin of things, you have Genesis. If you want laws and statutes, you have the glorious law of the Lord God. Therefore, completely stay away from all strange and diabolical books. No, when you read the law, do not think that you are required to keep the added precepts, if not all of them, then even some of them. Read those only for the sake of history, so that you may know them and glorify God that He has delivered you from so great and so many bonds. Aim to distinguish which rules came from the law of nature, and which were added afterward, or were additional rules introduce

Justin Martyr, The First Apology Supporting witness

...e kings who were ruling among the Jews at various times. The prophets themselves arranged them into books in their own Hebrew language. When Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, established a library and attempted to gather the writings of all men, he also learned about these prophets and sent a request to Herod, who was king of the Jews at that time, asking that the books of the prophets be sent to him. King Herod did send them, written in the mentioned Hebrew language. When their contents proved to be unintelligible to the Egyptians, Ptolemy again sent a request for men to be assigned to translate them into Greek. Once this was done, the books remained with the Egyptians, where they still are to this day. They are also in the possession of all Jews throughout the world; but they, although they read, do not understand what is written and consider us foes and enemies. Like you, they kill and punish us whenever they have the power, as you can well believe. For in the recent Jewish war, Barchochebas, the leader of the Jewish revolt, ordered that only Christians should be subjected to cruel punishments unless they denied Jesus Christ and shouted blasphemies. In these prophetic books, we fou

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Direct teaching

... the truth? But the holy John, the greatest of the evangelists, also tells us of the giving and diffusing of grace for grace. For he indicates that we have received the law of Moses out of the fullness of Christ. And he means that, for that one grace, this other grace has been made perfect in us through Jesus Christ. “It was also to show this that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself spoke in these words: ‘Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, even Moses, in whom you hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?’ “And besides all these words, there are still many other passages that could be brought forward, both from the Apostle Paul and from the Gospels. By these we are able to prove that the old law belongs to no other than that Lord to whom the New Testament also belongs. And it would suit us very well to present them, and to use them in a satisfying way. But now the evening prevents us from doing so, for the day is drawing to its close, and it is right that we should now bring our disputation to an end. However, tomorrow you will

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

...see that before the foundation of the world He was the Word of God and God, we rightly believe and hold, according to the teaching of the Old and New Testament, that Christ Jesus is both God and man. What if this same Moses presents God as saying, “Let us make man after our image and likeness,” and then below says, “And God made man; in the image of God He made him; male and female He made them”? If, as we have already shown, it is the Son of God by whom all things were made, then certainly it was also the Son of God by whom man was appointed, for whose sake all things were made. Moreover, when God commands that man should be made, He is said to be God who makes man. But the Son of God makes man, that is, the Word of God, by whom all things were made, and without whom nothing was made. And this Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Therefore Christ is God. Therefore man was made by Christ as by the Son of God. But God made man in the image of God. Therefore He who made man in the image of God is God. Therefore Christ is God. So, with good reason, the witness of the Old Testament does not waver concerning the person of Christ, since it is supported by the revelation of the New

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

...Gospel in any other way than as He had been promised before by the Creator in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. This is especially clear since the things predicted about Him were fulfilled, and the things that were fulfilled had been predicted. So, with good reason, I could truly and constantly say to that imaginary—I do not know what—thing of those heretics who reject the authority of the Old Testament, concerning a Christ invented and colored from old wives' fables: Who are you? From where do you come? By whom were you sent? Why have you chosen to come now? Why are you such as you are? How have you been able to come? And why have you not gone to your own people, except that by coming to what belongs to another, you have shown that you have none of your own? What do you have to do with the Creator's world? What do you have to do with the Creator's man? What do you have to do with the likeness of a body, when you take away the hope of resurrection from it? Why do you come to another man's servant, and why do you want to draw away another man's son? Why do you try to take me away from the Lord? Why do you force me to blaspheme and to be impious toward my Father? And what will

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

...stles, and were delivered by them as they received them from the Lord; and, though concealed in the Old Testament, were manifested to the saints. And on the other hand, there is the riches of the glory of the mystery among the Gentiles, which is faith and hope in Christ, which in another place he has called the foundation. Colossians 1:27 And again, as if eager to make this knowledge known, he writes in this way: “Warning every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man, the whole man, perfect in Christ.” Not every man simply, since then no one would be unbelieving. Nor does he call every man who believes in Christ perfect. But he says the whole man, as if he meant the complete man, purified in body and soul. For that this knowledge does not belong to all, he expressly adds, “Being knit together in love, and to all the riches of the full assurance of knowledge, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God in Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3 “Continue in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2 And thanksgiving has a place not only for the soul and spiritual blessings, but also for the body, and for the

Origen, Commentary on John Direct teaching

2. How the Prophets and Holy Men of the Old Testament Knew the Things of Christ.

Origen, Commentary on John Direct teaching

14. The Old Testament, Typified by John, is the Beginning of the Gospel.

Origen, Commentary on John Direct teaching

...ut that those outside are the many books of the Preacher. The proof of this must be drawn from Holy Scripture. It will be established most clearly if I can show that it is not only one book, taking the word in its more common meaning, that we find written about Christ. Christ is written about even in the Pentateuch. He is spoken of in each of the Prophets, and in the Psalms, and, in a word, as the Savior Himself says, in all the Scriptures. He refers us to them all when He says in John 5:39, “Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me.” And if He refers us to the Scriptures as testifying of Him, He does not send us to one and exclude another, but to all that speak of Him, those which in the Psalms He calls the chapter of the book, saying, “In the chapter of the book it is written of Me.” If anyone proposes to take these words, “In the chapter of the book it is written of Me,” literally, and to apply them to this or that special passage where Christ is spoken of, let him tell us on what principle he prefers one book over another. If anyone thinks that we ourselves are doing this, and applying those words to the book

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

...en, we must notice this passage in its bearing on the heretics, who search out those parts from the Old Testament where there is shown, as they themselves boldly claim, the cruelty of the Creator of the world in His purpose of avenging and punishing the wicked, or by whatever other name they wish to describe such a quality. They speak this way only so that they may say that goodness does not exist in the Creator. And they do not deal with the New Testament in a similar way, nor in a spirit of fairness, but pass by places similar to those which they think deserve blame in the Old Testament. For plainly, and according to the Gospel, the Savior is also shown, as they say, by His former words, not to speak distinctly for this reason: so that men might not be converted, and, being converted, might become deserving of the remission of sins. This statement by itself is in no way less than those passages from the Old Testament which they object to. And if they seek to defend the Gospel, we must ask them whether they are not acting in a blameworthy way by dealing differently with the same questions. While they do not stumble at the New Testament, but seek to defend it, they nevertheless

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Direct teaching

...Gospel in any way other than as He had been promised before by the Creator in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. This is especially so because the things predicted about Him were fulfilled, and the things that were fulfilled had been predicted. So, with good reason, I could truly and constantly say to that fanciful—I do not know what—Christ imagined by those heretics who reject the authority of the Old Testament, a Christ feigned and colored up from old wives' fables: Who are you? From where are you? By whom are you sent? Why have you now chosen to come? Why are you such as you are? Or how have you been able to come? Or why have you not gone to your own, except that by coming to what belongs to another you have proved that you have none of your own? What have you to do with the Creator's world? What have you to do with the Creator's man? What have you to do with the image of a body, from which you take away the hope of resurrection? Why do you come to another man's servant, and do you desire to win over another man's son? Why do you strive to take me away from the Lord? Why do you compel me to blaspheme and to be impious toward my Father? Or what shall I gain from you in the r

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Direct teaching

...immediately began with a blasphemous word against the Maker of all things. He said, "The God of the Old Testament is the inventor of evil, and He says this about Himself: 'I am a consuming fire.'" But the wise Archelaus completely destroyed this blasphemy. For he said, "If the God of the Old Testament, according to your claim, calls Himself a fire, then whose Son is He who says, 'I have come to send fire on the earth'? If you find fault with the One who says, 'The Lord kills and makes alive,' why do you honor Peter, who raised Tabitha to life, but also put Sapphira to death? And if, again, you find fault with the One because He has prepared a fire, why do you not also find fault with the other, who says, 'Depart from me into everlasting fire'? If you find fault with Him who says, 'I, God, make peace, and create evil,' explain to us how Jesus says, 'I came not to send peace, but a sword.' Since both speak in the same terms, one of these two things must follow: either they are both good because they use the same language, or, if Jesus passes without blame though He speaks in such terms, you must tell us why you condemn Him who uses a similar way of speaking in the Old Testament."

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Direct teaching

Receiving your letter has rejoiced me exceedingly, my dearly beloved friend. I have also been given to understand that this man, who came to me some days ago and tried to introduce a new kind of knowledge here, different from what is apostolic and ecclesiastical, has also come to you. I gave no place to that person. For when we held a disputation together, he was confuted. I would now like to copy out for your benefit all the arguments I used on that occasion, so that by them you might understand what that man's faith is. But that could be done only if I had leisure at my disposal. So, because of the present urgency, I have thought it necessary to write you a short reply about what you wrote to me concerning the statements advanced by him. I understand, then, that his chief effort was aimed at proving that the law of Moses is not in agreement with the law of Christ. He tried to base this position on the authority of our Scriptures. But on the contrary, we not only established the law of Moses, and all the things written in it, by the same Scripture, but we also proved that the whole Old Testament agrees with the New Testament and is in perfect harmony with it. They truly form one f

Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness

The whole of the Old Testament, the heretic, to the best of my belief, holds in derision.

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Supporting witness

...rsy against pure tradition and the Catholic faith, because they take offense at Christ, and because Scripture also declares that He is God, and we also believe this, we must rightly contend that Christ is also God, so that every heretical slander may be removed from our faith. Yet we must do this in such a way that it does not fight against the truth of Scripture, nor against our faith, by which Scripture declares that God is one, and by which we also hold and believe this. For both those who say that Jesus Christ Himself is God the Father, and those who want Him to be only a man, have gathered the sources and reasons for their error and perversity from there. When they saw that it was written that God is one, they thought they could hold that opinion only by supposing that either Christ must be believed to be only man, or else truly God the Father. And they were used to joining their clever arguments together in such a way as to try to defend their own error. And so those who say that Jesus Christ is the Father argue like this: "If God is one, and Christ is God, then Christ is the Father, since God is one. If Christ is not the Father, because Christ is God the Son, then two God

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Direct teaching

...ar, and he rose to address them. Then, while he was in prison, he ordered them to get copies of the books of the law of the Christians. For those disciples whom he had sent out through the different communities were hated by everyone, and especially by those among whom the name of Christians was honored. So, after receiving a small amount of money, they left for those regions where the books of the Christians were made available. Pretending that they were Christian messengers, they asked to be shown the books so that they could obtain copies. And, not to make the story too long, they got possession of all the books of our Scriptures in this way and brought them back to their master, who was still in prison. When that clever man received these copies, he began to search through our books for every statement that seemed to support his idea of dualism. Yet this was not really his own idea, but rather that of Scythianus, who had taught it long before him. And just as he did when he was disputing with me, so also then, by rejecting some things and changing others in our Scriptures, he tried to show that they supported his own teachings, except that the name of Christ was attached to

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. James Direct teaching

Then there are read in order the holy oracles of the Old Testament, and of the prophets;

Cyprian, Epistles Direct teaching

By Types Drawn from the Old Testament, the Use of Wine in the Sacrament of the Lord's Body is Illustrated;

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching

85. Let the following books be regarded as venerable and holy by both the clergy and the laity. Of the Old Covenant, these are the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; one book of Joshua the son of Nun, one of the Judges, one of Ruth, four of the Kings, two of the Chronicles, two of Ezra, one of Esther, one of Judith, three of the Maccabees, one of Job, one hundred and fifty Psalms, three books of Solomon: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs, and sixteen prophets. Besides these, be careful that your young people learn the Wisdom of the very learned Sirach. But our sacred books, that is, those of the New Covenant, are these: the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the fourteen Epistles of Paul; two Epistles of Peter, three of John, one of James, one of Jude; two Epistles of Clement; and the Constitutions dedicated to you bishops by me, Clement, in eight books, which it is not fitting to publish before everyone because of the mysteries contained in them; and the Acts of us the Apostles.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

and besides these, the books of Job and of Solomon, and of the sixteen prophets.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

During the captivity lived Esther and Mordecai, whose book is still extant, as also that of the Maccabees.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching

one of Joshua the Son of Nun, one of the Judges, one of Ruth, four of the Kings, two of the Chronicles, two of Ezra, one of Esther, one of Judith, three of the Maccabees, one of Job, one hundred and fifty psalms;

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

... up to the words, “But rather rebuke them,” Ephesians 5:5-11. Their teaching has flowed out of some apocryphal book. And I will now bring forward the saying that is the mother and source of their self-indulgence. Whether they admit that they themselves are the writers of this book, here is their recklessness, though driven by lustful excess they falsely ascribe it to God; or whether they received this splendid teaching from others, after hearing them wrongly, its words are as follows: “All things were one. But after it seemed good to its unity not to be alone, an emanation came out from it, and it entered into communion with it, and made the beloved. Then the emanation came out from him, and when he had entered into communion with it, he made powers that can neither be seen nor heard,” and so on, “each one in its own name.” If these people too, like the Valentinians, had proposed spiritual communions, perhaps someone might have accepted their opinion. But to bring a communion of fleshly lust into holy prophecy belongs to one who has despaired of salvation. The followers of Prodicus also teach such things. They falsely call themselves Gnostics. They say that by nature they themse

Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Background

And where is all this rich knowledge? And where are these mysteries? And where are the books? For the only ones still in existence are Proverbs, Wisdom, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. What then? Does Scripture speak falsely? God forbid. But the subject of his writings was varied, as is shown by the title Song of Songs. For that indicates that in this one book he brought together the contents of the 5,000 songs. Moreover, in the days of Hezekiah, some of the books were selected for use, and others were set aside. Therefore Scripture says, "These are the mixed Proverbs of Solomon, which the friends of Hezekiah the king copied out." And from where did they take them, except from the books containing the 3,000 parables and the 5,000 songs? Out of these, then, the wise friends of Hezekiah took those portions that related to the building up of the Church. And Hezekiah did away with Solomon's books on the Parables and Songs, in which he wrote about the nature of plants, and all kinds of animals belonging to the dry land, and the air, and the sea, and about cures for disease. He did this because the people looked to these for remedies for their diseases, and neglected to seek their h

Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Background

And where are the books? For the only ones extant are Proverbs, and Wisdom, and Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs.