What happened after the apostles died?
The New Testament ends. The apostles disappear from the stage of history. The Christian movement begins to spread across the Roman world. But enormous questions remain. Who preserved the teachings of the apostles? How did early Christians organize the Church after Peter, Paul, and John were gone? What did Christians believe about heaven, hell, resurrection, and the fate of the dead? How did stories about the apostles continue to grow long after the New Testament ended? And what do these ancient writings reveal about the centuries leading to the Great Apostasy? Ancient Scripture Beyond the Bible, Volume 4: Apostles, Visions, and Letters Taylor Halverson, Ph.D., explores fifteen of the most important early Christian writings outside the New Testament, including the Apostolic Fathers, Christian apocalypses, and the famous Acts of the Apostles traditions.
Inside you will discover:
- The Apocalypse of Peter and Apocalypse of Paul, two of the earliest Christian visions of heaven and hell
- The Shepherd of Hermas, one of the most beloved Christian books of the ancient world
- 1 Clement, the earliest surviving Christian letter after the New Testament
- The letters of Ignatius, written on his final journey to martyrdom
- The Didache, the earliest surviving Christian handbook of worship and church practice
- The Epistle of Barnabas and Epistle of Polycarp
- The legendary Acts of Paul, Acts of Peter, Acts of John, Acts of Thomas, and Acts of Andrew
- The Martyrdom of Polycarp
- The remarkable Epistle to Diognetus
Learn:
- How Christianity changed after the death of the apostles
- Why bishops emerged as leaders throughout the Christian world
- How early Christians worshipped, prayed, fasted, baptized, and administered the Eucharist
- What ancient Christians believed about heaven, hell, resurrection, judgment, and salvation
- How stories of Peter, Paul, John, Thomas, Andrew, and other apostles developed through the centuries
- Why some writings were nearly included in the New Testament
- What these documents reveal about the growth of Christian doctrine and church organization
- How these texts illuminate the New Testament and the Restoration
- Why understanding these writings helps explain the need for apostolic restoration
Written for thoughtful Latter-day Saint readers, students of the Bible, teachers, and anyone interested in Christian origins, this volume provides historical context, literary analysis, theological insights, Restoration connections, cautions, and practical takeaways for every text.
Volumes 1-3 explored the worlds before Christ, the Jewish traditions surrounding scripture, and the many ways early Christians remembered Jesus. Volume 4 explores the generation that inherited Christianity after the apostles. These writings stand at one of the most important turning points in religious history. They reveal a Church searching for authority, identity, doctrine, and direction in a world where the apostles were no longer present.
Read the documents that shaped Christianity. Understand the centuries that followed the New Testament. Discover what happened after the apostles died.
