First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

Introduction

13

Final Thought The writings of the Apostolic Fathers are not inspired and should never be considered as authoritative for the Christian life. They are examples of the way in which the early saints lived out their Christian lives. In many instances, we should consider imitating them, especially where we find congruency with the New Testament. In other cases, we can appreciate the challenges they faced as they engaged culture with their faith. They do, after all, make up part of that great cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1–2). Even so, we do well in our ministry today to pay careful attention to the Apostolic Fathers and how they lived out the faith passed down to them. Indeed, we currently live in a spiritual climate that has much in common with the late first and early second centuries. Still, we “do church” as if we are living in the sixteenth century. Yet even the Reformer John Calvin looked back to the early church as his anchor while the Reformation progressed. We also do well to follow his example as we root our identity in the entire history of Christianity. Calvin notes, But we do not despise [the Church Fathers]; in fact, if it were to our present purpose, I could with no trouble at all prove that the greater part of what we are saying today meets their approval. Yet we are so versed in their writings as to remember always that all things are ours (1 Cor 3:21–22), to serve us, not to lord it over us (Luke 22:24–25), and that we all belong to the one Christ (1 Cor 3:23), whom we must obey in all things without exception (cf. Col 3:20). 11 11 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion , ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 1, Library of Christian Classics 20 (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960), 18–19.