G******e
发帖数: 9567 | 1 The Apologists
http://www.churchhistory101.com/century2-p6.php
The second century brought with it a steady growth of Gentile Christianity,
but not without opponents. We have seen the rise of various heresies,
opposition marked by a twisting of "apostolic teaching." This led the early
Christian leadership to further develop creeds and formulas as a way to
solidify "orthodox" positions. One must remember that in the early second
century the New Testament had not come fully into form – the writings of
the apostolic successors was held in high esteem. The growth of the church
into something of a "grassroots" movement also brought critics like Lucian (
a writer), Galen (a physician) and Celsus (a philosopher). Celsus is the
most well-known early critic of Christianity. His attack must have had some
influence - we know his writing through Origin's argument against him,
Contra Celsum, written nearly 100 years later. The following arguments,
voiced by Celsus（见末尾）, were commonly used against Christianity:
- Jesus could not have been divine
- with secret teachings, Christianity is suspicious (Eucharist, the Holy
Spirit, etc.)
- how can God be "eternal" and be known?
It is important to understand that intellectual criticism of the Christian
faith and doctrine was not uncommon in the second century. This is important
for many reasons, but let me point out two:
1. Christianity has always had critics. What we see and hear leveled
against the faith is not new – believers before us had to find answers
against critics and so does the contemporary church.
2. The answers we find to the objections clearly indicate that the
primary doctrines of the faith were well established before the NT took its
final form. Those who argue that the faith being taught in the 21st century
is somehow different from what the earliest believers held is simply not
true. The virgin birth, the physical resurrection, the divinity of Jesus –
we find the same cardinal doctrines of faith in early second century
Christianity.
This consistent criticism of the faith gave rise to another special group of
Christian writers, the Apologists. These writers argued for the faith, and
in the process allowed Christians for all ages to know what the second
century church believed. The first two men (Justin Martyr and Irenaeus of
Lyons) are clearly second century; the influence of the two other men (
Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria) was mainly felt in the third century
and beyond, but they are both considered apologists, therefore I will
introduce them as such with a brief discussion of their influence in this
area. These apologists have already briefly appeared in other sections of
CH101 and continue to come up (for example in the next section on the New
Testament canon).
基督教早期批判者代表：
Celsus the Plantonist (c. 175-180 CE)， a pagan campaigner against
Christianity towards the end of the second century：
“It is clear to me that the writings of the christians are a lie, and
thatyour fables are not well-enough constructed to conceal this monstrous
fiction: I have even heard that some of your interpreters, as if they had
just come out of a tavern, are onto the inconsistencies and, pen in hand,
alter the originals writings, three, four and several more times over in
order to be able to deny the contradictions in the face of criticism.”
"Is your belief based on 'fact' that this Jesus told in advance that he
would rise again after his death? That your story includes his predictions
of triumphing over the grave? Well let it be so. Let's assume for the
present that he foretold his resurrection. Are you ignorant of the
multitudes who have invented similar tales to lead the simple minded hearers
astray? It is said that Zamolix, Pythagoras' servant convinced the
Scythians that he had risen from the dead, having hidden himself away in a
cave for several years, and what about Pythagoras himself in Italy - or
Phamsinitus in Egypt? Now then, who else: What about Orpheus among the
Odrysians, Protesilaus in Thessaly, and above all Heracles and Theseus? But
quite apart from all these risings from the dead, we must look carefully at
the question of the resurrection of the body as a possibility given to
mortals. Doubtless you will freely admit that these stories are legends,
even as they appear to me; but you will go on to say that your resurrection
story, this climax to your tragedy, is believable and noble."
"Are these distinctive happenings unique to the Christians - and if so, how
are they unique? Or are ours to be accounted myths and theirs believed? What
reasons do the Christians give for the distinctiveness of their beliefs? In
truth there is nothing at all unusual about what the Christians believe,
except that they believe it to the exclusion of more comprehensive truths
about God." | h******d
发帖数: 1891 | 2 看来从开始就有人怀疑，有人护教。
,
early
(
【在 G******e 的大作中提到】
: The Apologists
: http://www.churchhistory101.com/century2-p6.php
: The second century brought with it a steady growth of Gentile Christianity,
: but not without opponents. We have seen the rise of various heresies,
: opposition marked by a twisting of "apostolic teaching." This led the early
: Christian leadership to further develop creeds and formulas as a way to
: solidify "orthodox" positions. One must remember that in the early second
: century the New Testament had not come fully into form – the writings of
: the apostolic successors was held in high esteem. The growth of the church
: into something of a "grassroots" movement also brought critics like Lucian (
| l*****a
发帖数: 38403 | | i*****t
发帖数: 24265 | 4 秦始皇么?年代不对啊?
【在 l*****a 的大作中提到】
: 可惜到了三四世纪这种异教思想家都被焚书坑儒了
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