Roland

Does anyone know who the first Christian writer is who quotes or mentions by name the Book of Acts?

I often hear the argument from Christians that the gospels should be dated early because the abrupt ending of Acts seems to imply that it was written before the death of Paul (meaning that at least Luke had to have been written before that time and probably the other gospels as well). Yet, why do no early writers seem to be aware of its existence? Or are they?

Thanks

aa5874

As far as I understand, Irenaeus was probably the first to mention Acts of the Apostles, in "Against Heresies", sometime around the end of the 2nd century.

Justin Martyr in his extant writings, around the middle of the 2nd century, never mentioned Acts of the Apostles, Paul, or letters to any of the Churches.

Roland

Thanks for the info.

dog-on

Maybe Irenaeus was just plugging his own book...

Ben C Smith

Irenaeus is the earliest, to my knowledge, who can be securely dated. Within a span of about 20-25 years we have Irenaeus, the Muratorian canon, Clement of Alexandria, Hippolytus, and Tertullian.

We also have the anti-Marcionite prologues, but their date is uncertain. Shortly after Tertullian we have Origen.

Ben.

Roger Pearse

Remember that 99% of these writers are lost...

All the best,

Roger Pearse

chrisengland

How do they know it's 99%?

dog-on

It sounds more authoritative than saying 1% were lost...

Sheshbazzar

Do we actually have the writings of Irenaeus, the Muratorian canon, Clement of Alexandria, Hippolytus, Tertullian, and Origen? or are we only being fed with claimed "quotations" from their works by a much later church writer of questionable integrity and motives?
Can anyone produce the independent writings of these "sources", without having culled them from the claims found in a 4th century writers works?
Perhaps 99%, were "lost", because only 1% of those writings were ever actually originated with the authors that they were ascribed to?

DCHindley

Whaaaaaat? Evey one of those works exists either intact or damn close to intact. The writers whose works are known from fragments (usually quotes in later authors) are the likes of Papias, Hegesippus, and Julius Africanus.

DCH