Pre-Nicene Differences on Worship Grid – May 2026

 

 

Legend for Cells

-Wo1. Don’t burn incense in church (4-1)

In7. Don’t worship any images or idols (17-0)

W = wrote explicitly on this

-Wo2. Bellos in worship (0)

In8. Do not worship other gods (23-0)

I = Implied

-Wo3. Festival of Annunciation (0)

In9. Don’t make idols/images to worship (10-0)

m = Mixed or Inconsistent

-Wo4. Celebrate Christians Dec. 25th or Jan. 7 (0)

Di10. No worshipping true God with images (8-0)

P = partial

-Wo5. Lent (40 days) (0)

Ca12. Mention ot Easter/Pascha[l] (13-0)

- = no reference found

-Wo6. Musical instruments in the church (0)

 

X = Disagree

Rows: white=Christian writer, orange=schism, pink=strange writer

Christian writer

< Pages

Date A.D.

Wo

Wo

Wo

Wo

Wo

Wo

In

In

In

Di

Ca

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

12

 

Clement of Rome (wrote 1 Clement)

16.25

96/98

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Papias of Hierapolis, disciple of John

2

95-110

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

“Presbyters” (Papias?)

0.5

-95-117

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Ignatius disciple of John (shortest version)

13

c.100-117

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

W

 

Didache (=Teaching of the Twelve Apostles)

4.75

c.60-120

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

W

 

Apology of Aristides (Greek version)

4

125-161

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

W

 

Quadratus of Athens fragment (apologist)

.125

126

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Epistle of Barnabas

12.5

c.70-130

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

W

-

-

 

2 Clement (anonymous writer)

5.75

120-140

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Polycarp to the Philippians

3.5

100-155

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Mathetes to Diognetus – teaching a disciple

5.25

c.130-200

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

W

 

Apostolic fathers totals: all symbols except P

67.5

-155

1

0

0

0

0

0

1

4

1

0

4

 

Shepherd of Hermas (= Hermas, = The Pastor)

46.5

c.115-155

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Justin Martyr, philosopher, apologist

116.5

c.138-165

W

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Evarestus Martyrdom of Polycarp

5

c.169

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Tatian's Diatessaron

86

c.172

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Christians of Vienna and Lugdunum (Lyons)

6.5

177

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

 

Athenagoras (apologist)

33.5

177

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

W

-

-

 

Melito/Meleto of Sardis (Quartodecimian)

11

170-177

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

W

-

 

Hegesippus (chronicler)

2.5

170-180

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Theophilus of Antioch (to Autolycus)

32

168-181/188

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

W

W

 

Irenaeus of Lyons, disciple of Polycarp

284.75

182-188

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

W

W

 

Polycrates of Ephesus

0.5

196

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

I

-

 

Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs -died 180 A.D.

0.75

180-202

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

 

Caius and the Muratorian Canon (Latin)

3

190-217

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas

7

c.201/205

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Serapion of Antioch -against Marcion, Montanists

1.333

191/200-210

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

The Octavius of Minucius Felix

25

210 A.D.

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

W

-

-

 

Clement of Alexandria

389

193-202

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

W

-

W

 

Tertullian

891

198-220

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

W

W

 

Hippolytus, pupil of Irenaeus (undisputed)

218

222-235/236

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

W

-

 

Theodotus the probable Montanist

7.75

ca.240

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Instructions of Commodianus

16

ca.240

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

W

W

 

Julius Africanus (undisputed writings)

9

232-245

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Martyrdom of the Holy Martyrs

1.5

< 250

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

 

Origen (heterodox teacher)

1005.15

225-253/254

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

W

W

W

 

Novatian (his schism lasted over 200 years)

38.5

250/254-257

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Treatise Against Novatian

6.5

254-256

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

 

Treatise on Rebaptism

11

c.250-258

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Cyprian of Carthage (against Novatian)

250.5

c.246-258

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

W

-

 

Roman church leaders (letters 2,29,30)

1+4.75

250-251

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Lucian et al. (letters 16, 21)

.875

250-251

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Moyses, et al. to Cyprian (letter 25)

2.5

250

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

 

Maximus, et al. to Cyprian (letter 49)

0.25

c.246-256

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Firmilian of Caesarea to Cyprian (letter74)

7.25

256

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

 

Seventh Council of Carthage (85 bishops)

7.25

258

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Pontius’ The Life and Passion of Cyprian

7.5

258

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Theognostus of Alexandria (Origenist)

0.5

260

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Gregory Thaumaturgus (undisputed works)

28.5

240-265

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Dionysius of Alexandria (Origenist)

39.5

246-265

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

 

Malchion (Against Paul of Samosata)

0.25

270

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

P

-

 

Pierius of Alexandria (fragment)

0.5

275

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Anatolius of Alexandria (mathematician)

7.5

270-280

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

 

Adamantius Dialog on the True Faith in God

42

c.300

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

 

Arnobius Against the Heathen (undisputed)

126.5

297-303

P

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

W

 

Victorinus of Petau, Austria –commentator

18.5

-304

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

-

-

-

 

Phileas of Thmuis/Tmai, Egyptian Delta

2.5

306/307

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

 

Pamphilus disciple of Pierius (Origenist)

2.75

309

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Creed of Lucian of Antioch

0.3

c.300-311

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Peter of Alexandria (undisputed)

8.5

306-311

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

 

Hesychius [Egypt],Pachomius,Phileas,Theodorus

1

-311

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Methodius (corrected Origen’s followers)

79.5

270-311/312

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

W

-

 

Council of Arles I, France. 26-44 bishops.

0.333

Aug. 314

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

 

Council of Neocaesarea (Basil and c.19 others).

1.333

c.315

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Martyrdom of Habib the Deacon by Theophilus

5.5

event c.315

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Athanasius Against the Heathen & Incarnation

56

318

-

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

W

-

W

 

Lactantius, tutor of Constantine’s son

305.5

303-325

W

-

-

-

-

-

W

-

W

-

W

 

Alexander of Alexandria-Origenist, undisputed

11.5

313-326

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

Eusebius of Caesarea

1055.4

318-325

X

-

-

-

-

-

W

W

-

-

W

 

23 others that do not have references.

39.11

170-325

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

92 Christian writer totals: all symbols except P’s + Eusebius of Caesarea prior to 325 A.D.

4425+

1055.4

up to 325:

4-1

0

0

0

0

0

17-0

23-0

10-0

8-0

13-0

 

Christian writer

Pages

Date A.D.

Wo

Wo

Wo

Wo

Wo

Wo

In

In

In

Di

Ca

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

12

 

.www.Biblequery.org/History/ChurchHistory/PreNiceneDifferencesOnWorshipGrid.html.

References at www.Biblequery.org/History/ChurchHistory/DifferencesInWhatChristiansTeach.html.

by Steven M. Morrison, PhD. If you find what you think are any omissions or errors, please email webmaster@biblequery.org