- Share created outlines/timelines of history
- Begin to plan to study resources, names, events of 70 – 100 AD.
- Share some thoughts from “Persecuted & Hidden” (below)
Persecuted & Hidden (33 -70)
“Both Paul and Peter resolved this issue for us when they wrote that Jesus’ death upon the Cross covered all our sins once for all (Rom 6:10; Heb 7:27, 9:12, 9:26, 9:28, 10:10; 1 Pet 3:18). Jesus does not need to re-Incarnate Himself multiple times after AD 70 to die again for our sins today. Once was enough, once for all. Thus, the benefits of the Cross apply to all saints from the Cross onward throughout all generations of the eternal kingdom. This phrase “once for all” is also used in reference to the Parousia and the completion of the New Testament Scriptures (see Heb 9:26-28; Jude 3). Just as there were not two or more different Parousia(s), neither were there multiple closings of the New Testament canon. Both of those things were once for all events with eternal ongoing benefits and application to all believers, just like the Cross. This “once for all” principle also applies to the Church, as Paul demonstrated when he wrote that there would be “glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations of the age of the ages” (Eph 3:21 lit. trans.; cf. Eph 2:7 “in the ages that are coming” YLT). The phrase “all generations” necessarily implies that he is speaking of the Church on earth in “all generations” of human history, not just the first generation up until AD 70. If he had only been speaking of the Church in heaven, he could simply have said “for all eternity.” There are no “generations” (births and deaths) in heaven. Generations are something which only pertain to the physical world of humanity. Therefore, Paul is teaching that the Church would not come to an end at AD 70, but continue bringing glory to God throughout all generations of human history for eternity. Furthermore, there are numerous texts (e.g, Luke 19:15, 21:31; Acts 14:22; 1 Cor 15:24; 2 Tim 4:1; Heb 12:28; 2 Pet 1:11; Rev 11:15; 12:10) which teach that the Kingdom, when it arrived in its fullness at the Parousia, would be an Eternal Kingdom (Dan 2:44; 7:14; 7:22; 7:27), the continual increase of which there would be no end (Isa 9:7). The Church and the Kingdom are the same group of people, and they both exist forever to bring glory to God throughout “all the generations of the age of the ages” (Eph 3:21 YLT).” – Ed Stevens, Church Continuity
“Some preterists also agree that some of the 83 different saints mentioned in the NT remained alive on earth after AD 70, probably down into the first few decades of the second century (especially the younger ones such as Timothy, Titus, Gaius, Aristarchus, and others, etc.). C. This means that those pre-70 saints who were still alive on earth after AD 70, were still around at the very time when the Didache, Barnabas, Hermas, Clement, Papias, Polycarp, and Ignatius were being written, all of which claim that the Parousia was still future. Do you see the dilemma here? The very folks who lived through AD 70 and who experienced the Parousia, Resurrection, and Judgment were supposedly still around afterwards at the very time when the apostolic father writings began to appear in the late first and early second century. Every one of those post-70 writers say that the Parousia is still future. Why didn’t those pre-AD 70 saints who were still alive, set the record straight?” – Ed Stevens, First Generation After AD 70
“Redate four of the Apostolic Fathers (Didache, Barnabas, Clement, Hermas), so that they are clearly seen as pre-70 documents, thus removing them from the arsenal of evidence that the futurists use against preterists. These four books have been a major thorn in our side. Redating them before AD 70 would be a giant leap toward solving this historical problem. “ – Ed Stevens, First Generation After AD 70
“This redating of the four writers would create a much wider gap between the NT writings and the first productions of the post-70 period (Papias, Polycarp, Justin, Ignatius, Hegesippus, Irenaeus). This means that the first Christian writings did not appear until almost a decade into the second century, making a gap of over 40 years from the last NT writings. This raises all sorts of questions about the pause in writings. If there was no rapture, and some of the apostles and other pre-70 saints were still around, then why didn’t they continue writing books, doing missionary work, and teaching the late first and early second century church fathers about the occurrence of the Parousia which they just experienced?” – Ed Stevens, First Generation After AD 70
- http://www.bible-researcher.com/canon.html
- https://probe.org/the-christian-canon/
- Chapter 1 of The Story of Christianity
- The Age of Jesus & The Apostles (Church History in Plain English)
Names & writings relevant to this period: - Barnabas (Early 57; Matthew was written as a response)
- Clement to the Corinthians (63-64)
- The Shepherd of Hermas
- Polycarp (earliest date of birth – 69)
- Papias (60 – 140)
- Didache
Advancing Past AD 70 ( 100 AD – 312)
(Church Leaders & Apologists Emerge amidst persecution)
- Chapter 2 – of The Story of Christianity
- Chapter 2 of Church History by Bruce Shelley
- Ignatius
- The Early Christians in Their Own Words
Christianity Legalized (312)
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Councils & Heretics
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