The Doctrine of the Person of Christ in the Early ChurchThe Early Church Fathers
Although the earliest fathers (100-150 A.D.) did not compose detailed doctrinal treatises concerning the nature of Christ, but the writings of Clement of Rome (d. 101) and Ignatius (ca. 35-107 A.D.) in particular provide insight into what the earliest post-apostolic Christians taught. Ignatius affirmed both the deity and humanity of Christ. He went so far as to refer to Jesus as “the Christ God.” Although Ignatius did not have occasion to fully explain the incarnation, he understood that Christ had united flesh with spirit, and continued on in the flesh after His resurrection. Clement of Rome, in his letter To the Corinthians spoke of Christ as the preexistent Son of God, and affirmed that Christ was united with the Father in glory after the resurrection. The earliest leaders in the church taught orthodox theology as it had been passed down from the apostles. Unfortunately, they only wrote in response to outside attacks, focused primarily on their pastoral duties to the persecuted church, with the result that the material from this era is rather sparse.
| . | Bromiley, Geoffrey, Historical Theology: An Introduction (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978), 4. | | . | Ibid., 5. | | . | Hannah, John, “HT200 Class Notes,” Dallas Theological Seminary , ( 2004), 10.2. |
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