My understanding is that God revealed everything He wanted to reveal in the life and teachings of Jesus. Jesus then commanded the apostles to proclaim those teachings to the world, but He didn't give them authority to add anything to His teachings. If Jesus did not mention a topic in His life and teachings, the apostles were not given authority to speak on that topic--only to pass on what they had seen and heard. If we cannot find evidence that Jesus taught or acted on a given topic, that topic cannot become part of the Deposit of Faith--is that a correct assumption?

In the context of related debates such as: - [Bipartite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipartite_(theology)) vs. [Tripartite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripartite_(theology)) natures of man, - [Soul sleep](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_mortalism) vs. Consciousness during the [intermediate state](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermediate_state) , and - [Annihilationism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annihilationism) / [Conditional immortality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_conditionalism) vs. [Immortality of the Soul](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality#Religious_views) , I think it would be quite helpful to know the views held by the Apostolic Fathers, as they had the unique privilege of receiving direct or almost direct teaching from the Apostles themselves. I checked the site assuming someone had probably already asked a similar question in the past, but I'm a bit surprised to say that it appears no one has (please let me know if I overlooked something), so here we go: **Question**: What is an overview of beliefs held by the Apostolic Fathers regarding the state of the dead and the afterlife? What happens when (and after) we die according to the Apostolic Fathers? **Note**: by [Apostolic Fathers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_Fathers) I mean: > [...] core Christian theologians among the Church Fathers who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, who are believed to have personally known some of the Twelve Apostles, or to have been significantly influenced by them. ____ See the answers to this [question](https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/q/73790/38524) for an example of an intense exegetical debate on these controversial subject matters. See also this recently asked [question](https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/q/73816/38524) for another ongoing debate. _____ Related: https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/81207/50422

The four gospels, the book of Acts and the epistles by the apostle Paul affirm very clearly that the early Church was endued with power from on high. Christians during the apostolic age had access to all the supernatural gifts of the Spirit and were able to perform signs and wonders to confirm the message of salvation they were preaching. What are the strongest apologetic arguments for believing all this? Are there sufficient reasons to believe that the apostles and the early Christians in general had access to supernatural power from the Holy Spirit to perform miracles, signs and wonders and to operate in the supernatural gifts of the Spirit? Are the anecdotes recorded in the New Testament reliable (and if so, according to what standard)? Is there any corroboratory extra-biblical evidence? I'm open to any kinds of lines of reasoning and evidence giving credence to the scriptural accounts of miracles in the early Church. Another way to put it: how can we convince a skeptic that supernatural things happened during the apostolic age, or at least that it is not unreasonable to believe that they did? ________________________ **Answering questions in the comments** **Q.** *What in your opinion is the difference between 'apologetic arguments' and 'arguments' in general?* **A.** By asking for 'apologetic arguments' I'm basically expecting arguments that people would present if they were in a formal debate as an apologist against a skeptic and they had to make a case for their belief, in front of an audience. If a dedicated Christian apologist has already addressed this specific question, citing their arguments would be highly encouraged and appreciated as well.

What is first time infant baptism was established and commissioned according to Catholic Church? What does church history says about this? What was reason for infant baptism being established instead of adult baptism according to Catholic Church and according to church history?

The title is pretty explicit. But further, if so, is there any reliable documentation of who the adherents were and how they comported themselves?

What did the early Christians believe about the Holy Spirit **in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD**? What does the historical evidence tell us? Did most Christians believe that the Holy Spirit was a Person? Did most Christians believe that the Holy Spirit was an impersonal divine "energy" or "force" or something like that? Is the historical evidence from the **first two centuries** conclusive or inconclusive in this regard? ______ Related: - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/82780/50422 - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/87052/50422

Was Marian devotion commonplace among early Christians during the first centuries of Christianity? What about **the first century AD**? What about **the second century AD**? There are a few related questions, such as https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/18099/50422 and https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/18182/50422 , but none of the current answers cites sources from the first two centuries indicating widespread devotion. ____ Related: - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/47932/50422 - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/86705/50422 - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/80680/50422 - https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/83791/50422

Once the [apostolic age](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_1st_century) finished with the death of the apostles, is there any evidence that the supernatural gifts of the Spirit (e.g., tongues, prophecy, words of knowledge, healing, miracles, etc.) were still in operation afterwards? Are there any extra-biblical writings from the early post-apostolic age reporting any instances of the supernatural gifts of the Spirit still in action? ______ Related questions: - [Did any early Church Fathers record the event of the ceasing of spiritual gifts?](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/59538/50422) - [What are the strongest apologetic arguments for the existence of miracles and the supernatural gifts of the Spirit during the apostolic age?](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/84293/50422)

In Catholic and/or Orthodox traditions are there any liturgical feast(s) that are celebrated by local dioceses in the regions evangelized by the apostles in the honor of any of the apostles? The feasts in question should reflect an historical event of an apostle during the apostolic age and not found in the General Roman Calendar or its' equivalent in the Orthodox Churches. For example the Catholic Church in Malta celebrates the Feast of the Shipwreck of St. Paul on February 10 each year. Another example could be the Chair of the Church of Saint Peter is celebrated every 21 February in Antakya, Turkey! Saint Peter’s Church at Antioch (from the 4th or 5th century)