Evaluating Hitchcock’s Evidence for the Late Date
Another of Hitchcock’s “numerous other strong witnesses from church history for the Domitianic date of Revelation” (p. 38) is Clement of Alexandria. Does this writer support a late date … or an early date?
Continue reading “Hitchcock’s Dissertation on the Late Dating of Revelation: A Critique (Part 5): Clement of Alexandria”Was the canonical status of Revelation disputed in the early church?
It is often thought that the canonicity of Revelation was widely disputed in the early church, along with such books as 2 Peter, Jude, James, and Hebrews. In fact, Revelation was very well received in the first few centuries, and it first seems to have been rejected by Gaius of Rome at the turn of the third century, who appears to have rejected all of the Johannine books (including John’s Gospel).
Continue reading “The Early Reception of Revelation”Jerome’s universal decree: is there any historical evidence?
In part 1, I quoted a passage from Jerome in which he states that presbyters and bishops were the same, and that a time came when it was universally decreed in the church that one presbyter should preside over the others, in order to remove the seeds of schism.
What was this “universal decree” that he alludes to?
Continue reading “Jerome on the Origin of Bishops (Part 3): The Decree”John’s ministry in Asia Minor and the Dating of John’s Gospel and Revelation
According to a number of ancient writers, John founded the bishoprics in the churches of the province of Asia.
What was the historical situation of these ordinations, according to early Christian tradition, and what can it tell us about when early sources placed the writing of the Gospel and Revelation of John?
