The early church faced numerous heresies, including Gnosticism, which claimed special knowledge and secret truths. Irenaeus, a great early theologian, defended the importance of history and the Bible as the source of certainty. Montanism and Tertullian also emerged as movements against heresy, but their ideas sometimes went too far. Origen, a pioneering theologian, raised important questions and began a process of insight, but was wrong in many of his conclusions. [... more]

Historical evidence suggests that the New Testament canon was established much earlier than previously thought, with scholars arguing that the books were already being used as scripture in the first century. Dr. Michael Krueger examines the writings of early church fathers, including Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, and Papias, to demonstrate that the canon was not a late development, but rather a natural progression of the early Christian faith. [... more]