What Is the Earliest Christian Document? Church Fathers, Saints

“What is the earliest Christian document outside of the Bible?” This question opens a discussion on the foundational texts of Christianity, including insights into early Church Fathers and their teachings. The conversation also touches on the perspectives of early church fathers regarding sola scriptura, the Catholic view on the death penalty in light of Genesis 9:6, and the practice of praying to saints in the early Church.

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Questions Covered:

• 03:16 - What is the earliest Christian document outside of the Bible?
• 11:30 - Were there early church fathers that taught sola scriptura? St. Ambrose wrote “how are we to have recourse to things that are not in Holy writ?”
• 15:09 - How do Catholics view the death penalty as it relates to Genesis 9:6? Why do Catholics not require non-resistance, given that it was taught by the Pre-Nicene Fathers?
• 30:42 - How did the early Church and its bishops view praying to the saints in the first few centuries?
• 42:26 - Recommended Church Fathers Reading for New Catholics
• 48:11 - Does the Modern “Way International” Have Any Relation to the Early Church’s “The Way”?