Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I

What It's About

This volume brings together the earliest surviving Christian writings outside the New Testament, spanning from the late 1st to the mid-2nd century. It opens with the Apostolic Fathers — Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, and the anonymous Epistle to Diognetus and Epistle of Barnabas — figures traditionally held to have known the apostles or their immediate successors. It then moves into the work of the early apologists, most notably Justin Martyr, and concludes with the surviving fragments of Irenaeus of Lyons.

Key Concepts

The collection documents the church in its earliest, most unsettled period: how authority and doctrine were passed down after the apostles died, how communities organised themselves under bishops and elders, and how Christians defended their faith to a hostile Roman public. Ignatius's letters, written on his way to martyrdom in Rome, argue forcefully for unity around the bishop. Justin Martyr's writings are among the first attempts to explain Christian belief in the language of Greek philosophy. Irenaeus's fragments show the beginnings of organised opposition to Gnostic teaching.

About the Author

Alexander Roberts (1826–1901) was a Scottish biblical scholar and Free Church minister who became Professor of Humanity at the University of St Andrews. James Donaldson (1831–1915) was a Scottish classical and patristic scholar who served as Principal of the University of St Andrews from 1886 until his death. Together they edited this series of translations of early Christian writings.

About This Edition

This ebook is a reader’s edition of the Ante-Nicene Fathers. To improve readability on digital devices, routine biblical cross-reference footnotes supplied by the 19th-century editors have been omitted. All primary texts and substantive editorial notes have been retained.