The Apostolic Fathers were early Christian writers who either knew the Apostles personally or were closely connected to them. They represent a distinct group within the broader category known as the Ante-Nicene Fathers—those who lived and wrote before the Council of Nicaea (Nicea) (AD 325).

The Apostolic Fathers lived in the first and second centuries after Christ. Their writings date from about from AD 80-180. They represent the first and second generations after the Apostles and served as key links in preserving and passing on apostolic teaching.

The Apostles were the original twelve chosen by Jesus (minus Judas Iscariot, who was replaced by Matthias). These men were disciples (learners) during Christ’s ministry and became the Apostles (meaning “sent ones” or missionaries) after His resurrection. The word apostle(s) appears ten times in the Gospels, thirty-eight times in Acts, and frequently throughout the Epistles and the book of Revelation.

The Ante-Nicene Fathers include both the Apostolic Fathers and the succeeding generations of church leaders and writers who lived before AD 325 and the Council of Nicaea.

While the Apostolic Fathers were closely tied to the Apostles themselves, the broader group of Ante-Nicene Fathers includes those who carried the faith forward in the decades and centuries that followed.

Two of the main heresies that threatened the early church were gnosticism and docetism, both of which denied essential truths about Christ’s incarnation, humanity, and role in salvation.

Both gnosticism and docetism were major themes of the Apostolic Fathers.

(Information to this point came from: https://www.gotquestions.org/Apostolic-Fathers.html)

Gnosticism:

“Christian Gnosticism refers to the amalgamation of certain Christian terminology and narratives with ‘gnosis,’ a Greek word signifying ‘knowledge.’ This special ‘knowledge’ was claimed to be the key to salvation or spiritual enlightenment. Adherents of Christian Gnosticism typically combined biblical names and themes with speculative systems that taught the physical world was evil and that only a secret, inner revelation could lead to union with the divine. This system stood in contrast to the biblical teaching of redemption through the literal death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the biblical assertion that God’s creation is fundamentally good (Genesis 1:31).” (https://biblehub.com/q/what_defines_christian_gnosticism.htm)

Some verses refuting Gnosticism: Colossians 2:8; 1 John 4:2; 1 Timothy 6:20-21; 1 Corinthians 2:6-8

Docetism:

“Docetism was an error with several variations concerning the nature of Christ. Generally, it taught that Jesus only appeared to have a body – that he was not incarnate (Greek, ‘dokeo’ = ‘to seem’). This error developed out of the dualistic philosophy, which viewed matter as inherently evil–that God could not be associated with matter and that God, being perfect and infinite, could not suffer. Therefore, God as the word, could not have become flesh per John 1:1, 14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us . . . ” This denial of a true incarnation meant that Jesus did not truly suffer on the cross and that He did not rise from the dead. This denies the sufficiency of the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and it violates the essential doctrine of the physical resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:14, 17). So, docetism is a serious heresy that invalidates the truth of gospel and the person of Jesus.” (https://carm.org/carm/docetism/)

Some verses refuting docetism: 1 John 4:2-3; 2 John 7; Jesus’s genealogies in Matthew 1:1-16 (Joseph, His step-father’s) & Luke 3:23-38 (Mary’s); Hebrews 2:14-17

Here is a sampling of the Apostolic Fathers / Ante-Nicene Fathers’ writings from Andrew, one of our contributors:

Apostolic Fathers/
Ante-Nicene Fathers