The following is a summary containing some of the highlights that are found in the 9 page PDF File and the Audio below.

 

Are our beliefs the same as the early Church?

 

Christianity stands on the conviction that truth about God and salvation is timeless, for God Himself does not change (Malachi 3:6). We can rest assured our beliefs remain true, when we look to the Scriptures and the testimony of those who learned directly from the Apostles. Early church leaders—such as Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, and others—affirmed the same foundational doctrines that many Christians hold today.

 

First, the early church upheld the reliability of Scripture as the inspired word of God, trustworthy and authoritative for faith and life. They also clearly taught the doctrine of the Trinity: that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons, yet one God in essence. Jesus Christ was proclaimed as fully God and fully man, who died on the cross for our sins, was bodily raised from the dead, and will one day return.

 

Salvation, according to these early witnesses, is a free gift of grace through faith in Christ—not something we can earn by our works. They also affirmed the reality of Satan and hell, warning that these are not myths but spiritual truths.

 

The writings of these early Christians show remarkable consistency with the New Testament. Their willingness to suffer and even die for these beliefs testifies to their conviction that these truths are not mere doctrines, but the very reality of God’s redemptive work in history. Thus, the core beliefs of Christianity have remained unchanged from the days of the Apostles, offering a firm foundation for faith today.