The Gospel of Jesus Christ began to diminish and eventually disappeared in about (2- second century) the middle of the second century A.D. The Apostles were gone by then and those whom they had ordained were depleting quickly.
The revelations from heaven were withdrawn, as were most of the miracles of the priesthood and the spiritual gifts thereof. The few branches of the original church that were still operating were no longer connected to the original structured church of Christ because it was gone.
These branches (small groups of the church) began to slip away from true doctrine into the idea that they were still the Lord’s church. Many of the intellectual community like Augustine, Origen, and the philosophers of that day and time seized the opportunity to capture their audiences and develop a new religion based on two points. One was their assumed authority and the other was size, there were a number of religions that preached Christ but their religion (idea) had the largest population…
After this early new order became popular with the politicians (Kings and rulers) of that day they took charge and began to develop their state religion. The words of Christ “you shall know them by their works,” took on a new meaning.
There are several striking beliefs of these early theologians that seem to conflict with those of present Christian churches of today and what life is about.
Papias
The fragment of Papias which includes only ten surviving fragments leaves us with good information of importance. He writes “to set you down for you whatsoever I have correctly learned from the Elders, and well remembered as to their interpretations having confirmed first their reliability.”
“If any who had been followers of the Elders, I would enquire into what the Elders had said. What Andrew or Philip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any of the Lord’s other disciples had to say about this or that. I did not think that I would be helped as what was in the books or writings but by those things which came by the living voices that remained.”
He talks about the Millennium or a later age, in another fragment which tells us this. The teaching of the Elders “to some of them, that is, those angels who had been faithful to God in former times, he gave supervision over the government of the earth, trusting or commissioning them to rule well … but nothing has occurred to put an end to their order.”
Before or former times, seems different when he makes this statement that people lived before they came to earth. Were the men mentioned angels or were they just plain people like you?
Justin Martyr
This opportunity was abundant and one called Justin Martyr began to insert the philosophy of men into the dwindling truth and original apostolic constitution. A few of his writings which illustrate the true doctrine are now available and they are frowned upon, but the main philosophy of their doctrine is referred to as the truth and adopted as doctrine in their churches.
The writings of Marty’s apology give an account of what was taught by the Apostles. “If men of their own good works or goodness prove themselves to be worthy of His plan they are considered as worthy or qualified to return into His presence, to return to rule with Him.”
To return is a strong statement. One has to leave, means he existed and then he returned, which means he is coming home. Before life and after life does exist.
Clement of Alexandria
Clement is recalling what Peter taught him as related in the Recognitions of Clementine. Clement, recalling what Peter has taught him, says.
“After these things when you were explaining the creation of the world, you said something about God’s plan or decree, which he presented as his own will in the presence of all the first angels, and which laid down an eternal law for everyone; and you said that it provided two kingdoms, that is, the present and the future and fixed a time for each, setting up a future day of judgment, which he himself determined, in which all things and spirits would be judged and sent to their proper place.”
Again we read Angels. These were men but in the former life they were angels. Clement, paraphrasing Peter, then goes on to describe the creation of the earth and concludes.
Early Christian Fathers
These early fathers believed that the spirit of man is older than his body. This is known today as the spiritual pre-existence where we (those who live on earth) are the spirit children of God. This shows this doctrine is very old and the church Christ organized would and did teach this truth, but the church of man has lost the knowledge and prophecies of God and knows not these simple things.
So from these and other Christian Theologians we find that they preached and believed in a pre-existent state. They were called angels from heaven. These quotes from early Christian Fathers indicate we are spiritual children of God. If they are correct we humans, are the children (angels) of God, made of flesh and bone and the spirit within each person will return from where they were before becoming a mortal.
These men knew something that most Christians do not know. Man exists, before being born in a finite state, a spiritual condition made in the likeness of God the Father. Abortions are killing actual children of God and who has a right to kill anyone. “Thou shalt not kill.”
If you don’t believe, then fine, but understand this one thought. If we do exist as spirit children before we are born, who has the right to take a life of an unborn child? Having children is a sacred event and we should not consider a child a result of a sexual encounter gone wrong.
Credit: The World and the Prophets:
Hugh Nibley