The Apostolic Fathers - Early Witness

The first generation after the apostles, in their own words, with integrated introductions and discussion questions.

When the last of the apostles died, the church did not fall silent. The men who led it next – some of whom had known the apostles personally – wrote letters, taught new believers, and shepherded congregations through persecution. This volume gathers three of the earliest surviving witnesses to that generation: the Didache, the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch, and the First Epistle of Clement of Rome.

These come from the heart of the early church.

Ignatius of Antioch –
Ignatius, the overseer of the church at Antioch during the reign of Emperor Trajan (AD 98–117), wrote under armed guard on the road to martyrdom in Rome. The Roman column halted in several cities along the way, and at these stops Ignatius met with local Christians and distributed letters to the churches.

The church at Antioch is known to us from the Scripture, and is where “the disciples were first called Christians” and the gospel was first preached to the Gentiles as a matter of course. It was from the church at Antioch that Paul was sent on his missionary journeys, and the records of history show us that Antioch remained a significant center of Christianity for centuries following the biblical account.

All seven of Ignatius' letters are contained here.

Clement of Rome –
Approximately forty years after Paul wrote his letter to the church at Rome, a man by the name of Clement was positioned as an overseer of the same.

Clement wrote an epistle from the church at Rome to the church at Corinth – called the First Epistle of Clement of Rome – which was treasured and read aloud in many churches for centuries. It is one of the earliest Christian writings we possess outside the New Testament, being written around the same time John was writing Revelation on Patmos (mid AD 90s), and is rich both in faith and in practical wisdom.

Clement's epistle is contained here in its entirety.

The Didache –
The Didache has been said to be “without any doubt one of the most important literary discoveries of modern times.”

Forgotten in ancient libraries until its discovery in Istanbul in 1873, and subsequent publication in 1883, this document has provoked significant scholarly attention.

Despite this, much remains unknown. Who wrote it? Where? When? Any firm answer to these questions escapes us. Nevertheless, in the Didache we are afforded the earliest known glimpses into various aspects of church life such as baptism, the eucharist, and developing leadership structures.

The integrated introductions and discussion questions represent the best of modern scholarship to help you read these texts on their own terms and engage with them honestly.

Hardcover. Designed to be treasured.