Re: The Early Christians: Creed, Confession and Scripture

The first elders tell us that some men who have been found worthy of 
dwelling in heaven shall go there, others shall enjoy the delights of 
paradise, while others again shall find the glory of the City, for in 
every place the healing Savior will be seen in different measure 
according to the worthiness of each one who beholds him. The first elders 
say that the different dwelling places shall be determined according to 
whether men bring forth fruit a hundred-fold, or sixty-fold, or thirty-
fold; the first shall be taken up into heaven, the second shall live in 
paradise, and the third shall inhabit the City.

All things are God’s. To each one he gives the appropriate dwelling. His 
Word says, to each one will the Father give according to how worthy each 
one is or will be. That is the table at which those who are invited to 
the Wedding shall recline in their different places to share in the meal. 
The first elders, the disciples of the apostles, say that this is the 
arrangement and distribution of those who are being saved. Through these 
steps they go forward, that is, through the Spirit to the Son, and 
through the Son they ascend to the Father. Finally, however, the Son 
delivers up his work to the Father, as the apostle also said.

Therefore the first elders, who were the disciples of the apostles, say 
that those who are being translated from the earth will be taken to 
paradise, for paradise has been prepared for the righteous and for those 
gifted with the Spirit. The apostle Paul was carried there too, where he 
heard unspeakable words, unspeakable for us in our present life. There 
those who were translated shall remain until the end of the world, and 
this shall be the beginning of their immortality.

Since it was through a tree that we lost the Logos in paradise, it was 
through a tree again that the Logos was made manifest to all when he 
showed in himself the length, the height, the depth, and the breadth and, 
as one of the oldest Christians said, he gathered together the two 
peoples to one God by stretching out both his hands.

"Traditions of the Elders" in Irenaeus, Against Heresies V. 36.1, 2; 5.1; 
17.4.

Megan R. wrote:

> Bruderhof Communities wrote:
> 
>> What did the first Christians believe? Despite the diversity that
>> marked the early church, and despite the lack (at that time) of a New
>> Testament canon, there emerged a basic common confession of faith in
>> "one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
>> one God and Father of all..." (Eph. 4:4-6). In our day, formalized
>> expressions of religion are often looked at askance. To early
>> believers, however, the "rule of faith" was regarded as a yardstick
>> by which to measure and shape all thinking and conduct. Embraced by
>> recent converts, it bespoke apostolic authority and thus illuminated
>> their search to understand - and promulgate - the new faith.
> 
> The intention of the Creator in creating humans was to make
> intelligent beings who should look upon the works of God and serve
> their creator. 
> 
> Since this destiny will never come to an end, the human race will
> never come to an end either. Body and soul together make up the human,
> for the soul without the body is not a person.
> 
> Athenagoras, On the Resurrection of the Dead 12-15 (summary).