Episode 395: May Those Who Come Behind Us

The earliest church leaders—some of whom knew and learned from the actual apostles themselves—were left not only with the responsibility of teaching their own generation of believers but also preserving and passing down the faith. Who were these faithful pastors and teachers? We identify 10 early church leaders who were entrusted with preserving the Christian faith and Scriptures through some of the toughest decades of church history. During the time of the church’s infancy, these early leaders stood strong for Christ, Scripture, and the Christian tradition in the face of false messiahs, forged scriptures, and competing heresies. We also discuss five more modern leaders who continued that tradition.