What Early Christians Said About the Apostles
Early Christians saw the apostles as Jesus’ chosen witnesses and teachers, sent by Christ to preach the gospel. Clement of Rome, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Cyprian all tie true church teaching to the apostles and what they passed on. Bible passages like Acts 4:33, Ephesians 2:20, and Jude 1:17 match that same picture. This page collects direct early Christian and Bible evidence about the apostles.
133 early-church witnesses · 248 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about the apostles?
Early Christian writings teach that the apostles were Christ’s chosen witnesses, carriers of his teaching, and the foundation of the church. Clement of Rome says the apostles preached the gospel from Christ and were sent by him, while Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian, and Origen use apostolic succession and apostolic tradition to defend true teaching against false claims.
The Bible passages in Acts, Ephesians, and Jude fit this picture by showing the apostles as witnesses, teachers, and the church’s foundation. The evidence is broad and early, though some cards are indirect because they speak about apostolic authority while arguing against heretics or describing later church order. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- The apostles were seen as Jesus’ chosen witnesses and messengers.
- Early Christians tied true teaching to what the apostles handed down.
- The apostles were treated as the church’s foundation, not just local leaders.
- Bible passages in Acts and Ephesians match the early Christian view.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did early Christians say the apostles were chosen witnesses of Jesus?
The sources describe the apostles as people chosen by Christ, empowered to preach, and sent as witnesses of his resurrection and teaching. The Bible passages and early Christian writers agree that apostolic witness was central to the church’s origin.
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Clement of Rome, Connection to Acts 1:8 Direct teaching
The apostles have preached the Gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ from God. Christ therefore was sent forth by God, and the apostles by Christ.
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Justin Martyr, The First Apology Direct teaching
and afterwards, when He had risen from the dead and appeared to them, and had taught them to read the prophecies in which all these things were foretold as coming to pass, and when they had seen Him ascending into heaven, and had believed, and had received power sent thence by Him upon them, and went to every race of men, they taught these things, and were called apostles.
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Acts 4:33 Direct teaching
And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
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Acts 1:2 Direct teaching
until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
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Jude 1:17 Supporting witness
But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
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2 Peter 3:2 Supporting witness
that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,
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Acts 10:41 Supporting witness
not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
Did early Christians believe apostolic teaching had to be preserved?
Several writers say the Church received teaching from the apostles and should keep that tradition rather than invent new doctrine. The Bible texts selected here also stress holding to apostolic teaching and traditions.
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Direct teaching
2. But, again, when we refer them to that tradition which originates from the apostles, [and] which is preserved by means of the succession of presbyters in the Churches, they object to tradition, saying that they themselves are wiser not merely than the presbyters, but even than the apostles, because they have discovered the unadulterated truth.
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Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Direct teaching
But if there are any heresies bold enough to place themselves in the middle of the apostolic age, so that they may seem to have been handed down by the apostles because they existed in the time of the apostles, we can say this: Let them bring out the original records of their churches. Let them unfold the list of their bishops, coming down in proper succession from the beginning, in such a way that their first bishop can show that his ordainer and predecessor was one of the apostles or one of the apostolic men, and moreover, a man who remained faithful with the apostles. For this is how the apostolic churches pass down their records. The church of Smyrna records that Polycarp was placed there by John. In the same way, the church of Rome says that Clement was ordained by Peter. In exactly the same way, the other churches also present their own notable men. Since these men were appointed to their places as bishops by apostles, the churches regard them as those who pass on the apostolic seed. Let the heretics invent something similar. After their blasphemy, what is unlawful for them to attempt? But even if they manage to invent such a thing, they will gain nothing by it. For when thei
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Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching
so, seeing there are many who think they hold the opinions of Christ, and yet some of these think differently from their predecessors, yet as the teaching of the Church, transmitted in orderly succession from the apostles, and remaining in the Churches to the present day, is still preserved, that alone is to be accepted as truth which differs in no respect from ecclesiastical and apostolic tradition.
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Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness
...human argument and return with sincere and reverent faith to the authority of the Gospel and to the apostolic tradition, we will see that those who scatter and attack the Church of Christ can do nothing to give ecclesiastical and saving grace. They are called adversaries by Christ Himself, and by His apostles, Antichrists.
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Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness
...d or faltered in any respect, we should return to our original and Lord, and to the evangelical and apostolic tradition. From there the basis of our action may arise, from where both our order and our origin have arisen.
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness
For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its pre-eminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere.
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Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness
so that no other teaching will have the right of being received as apostolic than that which is at the present day proclaimed in the churches of apostolic foundation.
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Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Supporting witness
In this way all are primitive, and all are apostolic, while they are all proved to be one, in (unbroken) unity, by their peaceful communion, and title of brotherhood, and bond of hospitality — privileges which no other rule directs than the one tradition of the selfsame mystery.
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Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Supporting witness
for even they did not of themselves choose to introduce anything, but faithfully delivered to the nations (of mankind) the doctrine which they had received from Christ.
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2 Thessalonians 3:6 Supporting witness
But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.
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2 Thessalonians 2:15 Supporting witness
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.
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1 Corinthians 11:2 Supporting witness
Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.
Did early Christians connect the apostles with church succession?
The strongest evidence shows early Christians using apostolic succession to defend church continuity, especially through bishops and ordered transmission from the apostles. These sources present the churches as preserving records, succession, and faith from the apostolic beginning.
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Hermas, Connection to Ephesians 2:20 Direct teaching
""The first," he said, "the ten, viz, that were placed as a foundation, are the first generation, and the twenty-five the second generation, of righteous men; and the thirty-five are the prophets of God and His ministers; and the forty are the apostles and teachers of the preaching of the Son of God."
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Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Supporting witness
and the forty are the apostles and teachers of the preaching of the Son of God.
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Hippolytus, Treatise on Christ and Antichrist Supporting witness
And the words, upon her head a crown of twelve stars, refer to the twelve apostles by whom the Church was founded.
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Ephesians 2:20 Direct teaching
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
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Ephesians 4:11 Supporting witness
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
Common Questions
Did early Christians think the apostles had special authority?
Yes. They treated the apostles as Christ’s chosen witnesses and as the source of true teaching.
Did early Christians connect church teaching to the apostles?
Yes. Writers like Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian, and Origen linked true teaching to apostolic tradition and succession.
Did early Christians see the apostles as the church’s foundation?
Yes. Hermas and the Bible passage in Ephesians 2:20 speak of the apostles as part of the church’s foundation.
Source Index for the apostles
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 160 ranked source links from 248 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 160 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 133
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
Bible Passages 80 shown of 115
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.
Related Resources
Course Lesson
After the Apostles
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The tradition of the apostles
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