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150 AD – The Rule Before the Book – Faith That Traveled Faster Than Scripture and United Believers Before a Bible Existed
150 AD The Rule Before The Book - Faith That Traveled Faster Than Scripture
Published on: 2025-07-02 20:07
The Rule of Faith: How the early church preserved and proclaimed the gospel through a memorized, spoken summary of truth—before the Bible was finalized or widespread.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJdTG9noRxsEKpmDoPX06VtfGrB-Hb7T4&si=W7jZcm46Ka3eJlm5
Imagine you’re a Christian in the year 150.
Your church doesn’t have a Bible.
Your bishop can’t quote chapter and verse.
Your city doesn’t even own a full Gospel.
But somehow…
you know exactly what to believe.
You were taught that there is one God,
maker of heaven and earth…
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
born of a virgin, crucified under Pontius Pilate,
who rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.
You don’t have Scripture in your hand—
but you have something ancient, trusted, and clear:
A Rule of Faith—a verbal summary
passed down by the apostles,
remembered by the churches,
and recited by the faithful across the empire.
You were baptized into it.
You confess it every week.
You teach it to your children.
And even though Rome mocks you,
even though heretics twist theology,
even though you can’t read a word of Greek…
You know the truth.
Because before the Bible was bound,
before the canon was closed,
before churches had full libraries—
They had the Rule of Faith.
And it was enough.
From the That’s Jesus Channel, welcome to COACH—where we are tracing the story of Church Origins and Church History. I’m Bob Baulch. On Mondays, we stay between 0 and 500 AD.
And today… we’re going back to the second century.
A time before Nicea.
Before Constantine.
Before the New Testament was fully formed.
And way before anybody had a leather-bound Bible on a shelf.
Christianity was growing fast.
But it was fragile.
Churches were scattered across cities and deserts and villages.
Many couldn’t read.
Most didn’t own a single scroll.
So how did they know what to believe?
Not by debating proof-texts.
Not by googling sermons.
Not even by reading Paul’s letters.
They had something spoken.
Something memorized.
Something trusted.
They had what early fathers called the Rule of Faith—
a short summary of Christian truth
that preserved the gospel across geography, persecution, and illiteracy.
It was the church’s way of saying:
“Here’s what the apostles taught.
Here’s what every church believes.
Here’s what we would die to defend.”
Before there were creeds, there was the Rule.
Before there was canon, there was confession.
And today, we’re going to tell its story.
The phrase “Rule of Faith” shows up in the writings of some of the most important early Christian leaders:
Irenaeus in Gaul
Tertullian in North Africa
Origen in Alexandria
Hippolytus in Rome
And what’s remarkable is this:
Even though these men lived thousands of miles apart—
they described nearly the same Rule.
Here’s how Irenaeus put it around 180 AD:
“The church, though dispersed throughout the whole world,
carefully preserves this faith…
believing in one God, the Father Almighty…
and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God…
and in the Holy Spirit…
who spoke through the prophets.” 📌 (paraphrased from AH 1.10.1)
It wasn’t Scripture—but it reflected the heart of Scripture.
It wasn’t a creed—but it united churches like one.
And it wasn’t a full theology—but it protected the essentials.
Some scholars call it the proto-creed.
Others call it the apostolic echo.
But what mattered most is what it did.
It gave every church—from Rome to Jerusalem to Carthage—
a shared doctrinal spine when the New Testament was still being copied, debated, and delivered.
Because remember—this was a world before:
Bookstores
Printing presses
Mass literacy
Church libraries
Many believers could not read.
And even if they could, most didn’t own Scripture.
The best they could hope for was hearing a Gospel read aloud in worship—
maybe a letter from Paul if their bishop had a copy.
But the Rule?
They could remember it.
Recite it.
Defend it.
And that Rule became the glue of orthodoxy
in a church with no centralized headquarters and no single book.
By the early 200s, the Rule of Faith wasn’t just something you believed.
It was something you spoke aloud—in baptism, in worship, in persecution.
Imagine this:
You’re a Christian catechumen in North Africa.
You’ve spent three years preparing for baptism.
You’ve memorized the Rule word for word.
And on the night before Easter, you step into the baptistry,
confessing:
“I believe in God the Father Almighty…
and in Christ Jesus, His only Son, our Lord…
and in the Holy Spirit…” 📌 (based on Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition 21)
It wasn’t just a personal statement.
It was your passport into the church.
In Rome, Hippolytus preserved these words in the early third century.
They sound like the Apostles’ Creed—but came a century earlier.
That’s no coincidence.
The Rule of Faith shaped the creeds.
It prepared the way for Nicene clarity.
And it grounded the church long before the canon was closed.
Tertullian called it “the rule of truth handed down from Christ through the apostles.” 📌
He used it to shut down heretics who twisted isolated Scriptures.
He didn’t say “just read your Bible.”
He said:
“The Scriptures belong to those who hold the Rule of Faith.” 📌 (Prescription Against Heretics 37)
In other words—interpretation requires tradition.
And the Rule kept interpretation anchored.
It wasn’t a rival to the Bible.
It was the lens that ensured the church read the Bible rightly.
And that made it powerful.
Powerful enough to unite churches in Gaul, Africa, and Syria.
Simple enough to teach to the illiterate.
Strong enough to survive the flames of Roman persecution.
Because when the scrolls were burned—
and the bishops were exiled—
and the churches scattered—
The Rule of Faith remained.
So what exactly did the Rule of Faith protect?
At its core, it was a framework of the gospel:
Creation: One God, Maker of heaven and earth
Incarnation: Jesus Christ, His only Son, born of a virgin
Crucifixion: Suffered under Pontius Pilate
Resurrection: Raised on the third day
Ascension: Seated at the right hand of God
Return: Coming again to judge the living and the dead
Spirit: Belief in the Holy Spirit, the Church, the forgiveness of sins, resurrection, and life eternal
That might sound familiar—because it became the Apostles’ Creed.
But for decades—before that creed was finalized—
the Rule of Faith filled the gap.
It told the story of salvation in miniature,
in a way that could be learned, loved, and lived—
even if you had no written Gospel at all.
It was the gospel without paper.
And when heretics arose—like Marcion, who rejected the Old Testament,
or the Gnostics, who denied Jesus’ true humanity—
the Rule gave faithful Christians a way to spot the lie.
Because if someone preached a message
that didn’t match what every church had always confessed—
they were rejected.
“This is not the faith handed down,” they would say.
“This is not the Rule.” 📌
Even illiterate shepherds and widows could defend their faith
by remembering what they had been taught.
Origen once wrote that even those who “cannot explain their faith in words… still have learned it by heart, and hold fast to the Rule handed down by the Church.” 📌 (paraphrased from On First Principles, Preface 4)
This was theology for the people.
This was doctrine that traveled faster than Scripture.
This was unity without a textbook.
And it worked.
Because when the books were few and scattered…
the truth still echoed in every believer’s mouth.
Today, we have Bibles in every translation.
Study apps. Concordances.
We’ve got seminaries, podcasts, and digital archives.
But sometimes—
with all our access—
we still miss the simplicity that held the early church together.
The Rule of Faith was never about control.
It was about continuity.
It said:
“We don’t make this up.
We don’t follow a private vision.
We believe what the apostles believed.”
And that’s what the Rule gave them:
Not just a checklist…
but a confession.
A confession strong enough to unify believers from Gaul to Jerusalem,
simple enough for children to learn,
and powerful enough for martyrs to die for.
The canon would come.
The creeds would come.
But long before either… the Rule preserved the core.
So what about us?
What do we believe—really?
Is our faith anchored in the historic gospel?
Could we pass it on to someone who can’t read?
Would it still be recognizable to Irenaeus… or to Jesus?
Maybe we don’t need more words.
Maybe we need to remember the ones that shaped the world:
One God. One Lord. One Spirit.
One Church. One hope. One gospel.
Before there was a book…
there was the Rule.
And it’s still worth confessing today.
If this story of the Rule of Faith challenged or encouraged you, would you consider sharing this episode with a friend? You never know who might need to hear it. Leave a review on your podcast app—or follow COACH for more episodes every week.
You never know what we’ll cover next on COACH—every episode dives into a different corner of early church history. But if it’s a Monday, you know we’re staying somewhere between 0 and 500 AD.
And if you’d rather watch me tell these stories while staring at my ugly mug, you can find this episode—and every COACH video—on YouTube at the That’s Jesus Channel.
Thanks for listening to COACH – Church Origins and Church History.
I’m Bob Baulch with the That’s Jesus Channel. Have a great day—and be blessed.
REFERENCES
Parallel Interpretations within the Orthodox Framework
Ferguson, Everett, Church History, Volume 1 (Zondervan, 2005), affirms Rule as unifying apostolic identity [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: apostolic unity] [also 🧭 1]
Pelikan, Jaroslav, The Christian Tradition, Vol. 1 (University of Chicago Press, 1971), notes Rule preserved Scripture’s sense [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Scripture’s role] [also 🧭 2]
Chadwick, Henry, The Early Church (Penguin, 1967), emphasizes Rule’s liturgical role [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: liturgy] [also 🧭 3]
Allert, Craig D., A High View of Scripture? (Baker Academic, 2007), highlights Rule’s protection against chaos [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: doctrinal stability] [also 🧭 4]
Oden, Thomas, The Word of Life (HarperOne, 1992), calls Rule a holy summary [Paraphrased] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: catechesis] [also 🧭 5]
Direct Challenges or Skeptical Positions
Metzger, Bruce, The Canon of the New Testament (Oxford University Press, 1987), warns Rule wasn’t meant to replace Scripture [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Rule’s authority] [also ⚖️ 1]
Skarsaune, Oskar, In the Shadow of the Temple (IVP Academic, 2002), notes varied Rule interpretations [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: interpretive diversity] [also ⚖️ 2]
Torrance, Thomas F., Incarnation (IVP, 2008), suggests Rule lacked precision [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: theological precision] [also ⚖️ 3]
Wright, N.T., Scripture and the Authority of God (SPCK, 2013), argues evangelicals undervalue Rule [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: modern neglect] [also ⚖️ 4]
McGrath, Alister, Historical Theology (Wiley-Blackwell, 1998), cautions Rule’s informal transmission [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: transmission] [also ⚖️ 5]
Footnotes
Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 1.10.1, in ANF Vol. 1 [Verbatim] [used as: fact verification: Rule’s content]
Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3.4.1, in ANF Vol. 1 [Paraphrased] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: church unity]
Tertullian, Prescription Against Heretics, in ANF Vol. 3 [Verbatim] [used as: fact verification: Rule’s apostolic origin]
Tertullian, Prescription Against Heretics, in ANF Vol. 3 [Verbatim] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Scripture interpretation]
Origen, On First Principles, Preface 4, in ANF Vol. 4 [Paraphrased] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: catechesis for illiterate]
Origen, On First Principles, Preface 1–3, in ANF Vol. 4 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: Rule’s role]
Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition, trans. Gregory Dix (SPCK, 1937) [Verbatim] [used as: fact verification: baptismal creed]
Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition [Verbatim] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: early liturgy]
Justin Martyr, First Apology, in ANF Vol. 1 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: early worship]
Ferguson, Everett, Church History, Volume 1 (Zondervan, 2005), ISBN 9780310254010 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: apostolic identity] [also 🧭 1]
Wilken, Robert, The First Thousand Years (Yale University Press, 2012), ISBN 9780300118841 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: theological synthesis]
Kelly, J.N.D., Early Christian Creeds (Longmans, 1972), ISBN 9780582492196 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: creed development]
Kelly, J.N.D., Early Christian Doctrines (Continuum, 2000), ISBN 9780826452528 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: canon vs. Rule]
Pelikan, Jaroslav, The Christian Tradition, Vol. 1 (University of Chicago Press, 1971), ISBN 9780226653716 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Scripture’s role] [also 🧭 2]
Chadwick, Henry, The Early Church (Penguin, 1967), ISBN 9780140231991 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: liturgy] [also 🧭 3]
Oden, Thomas, The Word of Life (HarperOne, 1992), ISBN 9780060663643 [Paraphrased] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: catechesis] [also 🧭 5]
Allert, Craig D., A High View of Scripture? (Baker Academic, 2007), ISBN 9780801027789 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: doctrinal stability] [also 🧭 4]
Skarsaune, Oskar, In the Shadow of the Temple (IVP Academic, 2002), ISBN 9780830828449 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: interpretive diversity] [also ⚖️ 2]
Metzger, Bruce, The Canon of the New Testament (Oxford University Press, 1987), ISBN 9780198261803 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Rule’s authority] [also ⚖️ 1]
Bock, Darrell, & Wallace, Benjamin, Dethroning Jesus (Thomas Nelson, 2007), ISBN 9780785229063 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: heresy contrast]
Turner, C.H., “The History of the Apostles’ Creed,” Journal of Theological Studies (1906) [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: creed history]
Witherington III, Ben, The Indelible Image (IVP Academic, 2009), ISBN 9780830838615 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: gospel summary]
Latourette, Kenneth Scott, A History of Christianity (Harper, 1953), ISBN 9780060649524 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: church spread]
Torrance, Thomas F., Incarnation (IVP, 2008), ISBN 9780830828913 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: theological precision] [also ⚖️ 3]
Litfin, Bryan, Getting to Know the Church Fathers (Baker, 2007), ISBN 9780801097249 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: church fathers]
Nichols, Stephen J., For Us and for Our Salvation (Crossway, 2007), ISBN 9781581348675 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: reformation angle]
Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, in NPNF Vol. 7 [Verbatim] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: catechesis]
Vincent of Lérins, Commonitorium, in NPNF Vol. 11 [Verbatim] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Rule’s tradition]
Kreider, Alan, The Patient Ferment of the Early Church (Baker Academic, 2016), ISBN 9780801048494 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: catechesis]
Noll, Mark, Turning Points (Baker Academic, 2000), ISBN 9780801062117 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Rule’s legacy]
Blowers, Paul, Drama of the Divine Economy (Oxford University Press, 2012), ISBN 9780199660414 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: patristic unity]
McGrath, Alister, Historical Theology (Wiley-Blackwell, 1998), ISBN 9780631208440 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: transmission] [also ❖ 5]
Myers, Ben, The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism (Lexham Press, 2018), ISBN 9781683590880 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: spiritual formation] [also 🧭 6]
Wright, N.T., Scripture and the Authority of God (SPCK, 2013), ISBN 9780281057238 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: modern neglect] [also ❖ 4]
Z-Footnotes
The term “Rule of Faith” appears prominently in writings by Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, and Hippolytus [used as: fact verification: Rule’s prominence]
Irenaeus claimed the church across the world held the same faith without written standard (AH 1.10.1) [used as: fact verification: global unity]
The Rule was used in catechism, baptism, refutation of heresies, and early worship [used as: fact verification: Rule’s use]
Many churches did not yet possess a full New Testament until at least the late 3rd century [used as: fact verification: Scripture scarcity]
Illiteracy was common; oral memorization and liturgical repetition sustained doctrine [used as: fact verification: illiteracy]
Hippolytus’ Apostolic Tradition preserves one of the earliest formal baptismal creeds [used as: fact verification: baptismal creed]
The Apostles’ Creed likely evolved directly from these earlier Rule of Faith formulas [used as: fact verification: creed evolution]
The Rule emphasized unity of doctrine across geography before canonization [used as: fact verification: doctrinal unity]
Tertullian argued that Scripture must be read within the boundaries of the Rule [used as: fact verification: interpretive framework]
Origen taught that those without learning could still be orthodox through catechesis [used as: fact verification: catechesis accessibility]
The Rule summarized core redemptive history: creation, incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and return [used as: fact verification: Rule’s content]
The Rule preceded both Nicene and Chalcedonian creeds and helped prepare the church to receive them [used as: fact verification: creed preparation]
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Rule of Faith Episode References
Ferguson, Everett, Church History, Volume 1 (Zondervan, 2005)
ISBN: 0310205808
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Pelikan, Jaroslav, The Christian Tradition, Vol. 1 (University of Chicago Press, 1971)
ISBN: 0226653714
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Chadwick, Henry, The Early Church (Penguin, 1967)
ISBN: 0140231994
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Allert, Craig D., A High View of Scripture? (Baker Academic, 2007)
ISBN: 0801027780
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Oden, Thomas, The Word of Life (HarperOne, 1992)
ISBN: 0060663642
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Metzger, Bruce, The Canon of the New Testament (Oxford University Press, 1987)
ISBN: 0198261802
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Skarsaune, Oskar, In the Shadow of the Temple (IVP Academic, 2002)
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Torrance, Thomas F., Incarnation (IVP, 2008)
ISBN: 0830828915
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Wright, N.T., Scripture and the Authority of God (SPCK, 2013)
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McGrath, Alister, Historical Theology (Wiley-Blackwell, 1998)
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Wilken, Robert, The First Thousand Years (Yale University Press, 2012)
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Kelly, J.N.D., Early Christian Creeds (Longmans, 1972)
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Kelly, J.N.D., Early Christian Doctrines (Continuum, 2000)
ISBN: 0826452523
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Bock, Darrell, & Wallace, Benjamin, Dethroning Jesus (Thomas Nelson, 2007)
ISBN: 0718097904
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Witherington III, Ben, The Indelible Image (IVP Academic, 2009)
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Latourette, Kenneth Scott, A History of Christianity (Harper, 1953)
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Litfin, Bryan, Getting to Know the Church Fathers (Baker, 2007)
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Nichols, Stephen J., For Us and for Our Salvation (Crossway, 2007)
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Kreider, Alan, The Patient Ferment of the Early Church (Baker Academic, 2016)
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Noll, Mark, Turning Points (Baker Academic, 2000)
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Blowers, Paul, Drama of the Divine Economy (Oxford University Press, 2012)
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Myers, Ben, The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism (Lexham Press, 2018)
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By That’s Jesus Channel / Bob Baulch150 AD The Rule Before The Book - Faith That Traveled Faster Than Scripture
Published on: 2025-07-02 20:07
The Rule of Faith: How the early church preserved and proclaimed the gospel through a memorized, spoken summary of truth—before the Bible was finalized or widespread.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJdTG9noRxsEKpmDoPX06VtfGrB-Hb7T4&si=W7jZcm46Ka3eJlm5
Imagine you’re a Christian in the year 150.
Your church doesn’t have a Bible.
Your bishop can’t quote chapter and verse.
Your city doesn’t even own a full Gospel.
But somehow…
you know exactly what to believe.
You were taught that there is one God,
maker of heaven and earth…
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
born of a virgin, crucified under Pontius Pilate,
who rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.
You don’t have Scripture in your hand—
but you have something ancient, trusted, and clear:
A Rule of Faith—a verbal summary
passed down by the apostles,
remembered by the churches,
and recited by the faithful across the empire.
You were baptized into it.
You confess it every week.
You teach it to your children.
And even though Rome mocks you,
even though heretics twist theology,
even though you can’t read a word of Greek…
You know the truth.
Because before the Bible was bound,
before the canon was closed,
before churches had full libraries—
They had the Rule of Faith.
And it was enough.
From the That’s Jesus Channel, welcome to COACH—where we are tracing the story of Church Origins and Church History. I’m Bob Baulch. On Mondays, we stay between 0 and 500 AD.
And today… we’re going back to the second century.
A time before Nicea.
Before Constantine.
Before the New Testament was fully formed.
And way before anybody had a leather-bound Bible on a shelf.
Christianity was growing fast.
But it was fragile.
Churches were scattered across cities and deserts and villages.
Many couldn’t read.
Most didn’t own a single scroll.
So how did they know what to believe?
Not by debating proof-texts.
Not by googling sermons.
Not even by reading Paul’s letters.
They had something spoken.
Something memorized.
Something trusted.
They had what early fathers called the Rule of Faith—
a short summary of Christian truth
that preserved the gospel across geography, persecution, and illiteracy.
It was the church’s way of saying:
“Here’s what the apostles taught.
Here’s what every church believes.
Here’s what we would die to defend.”
Before there were creeds, there was the Rule.
Before there was canon, there was confession.
And today, we’re going to tell its story.
The phrase “Rule of Faith” shows up in the writings of some of the most important early Christian leaders:
Irenaeus in Gaul
Tertullian in North Africa
Origen in Alexandria
Hippolytus in Rome
And what’s remarkable is this:
Even though these men lived thousands of miles apart—
they described nearly the same Rule.
Here’s how Irenaeus put it around 180 AD:
“The church, though dispersed throughout the whole world,
carefully preserves this faith…
believing in one God, the Father Almighty…
and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God…
and in the Holy Spirit…
who spoke through the prophets.” 📌 (paraphrased from AH 1.10.1)
It wasn’t Scripture—but it reflected the heart of Scripture.
It wasn’t a creed—but it united churches like one.
And it wasn’t a full theology—but it protected the essentials.
Some scholars call it the proto-creed.
Others call it the apostolic echo.
But what mattered most is what it did.
It gave every church—from Rome to Jerusalem to Carthage—
a shared doctrinal spine when the New Testament was still being copied, debated, and delivered.
Because remember—this was a world before:
Bookstores
Printing presses
Mass literacy
Church libraries
Many believers could not read.
And even if they could, most didn’t own Scripture.
The best they could hope for was hearing a Gospel read aloud in worship—
maybe a letter from Paul if their bishop had a copy.
But the Rule?
They could remember it.
Recite it.
Defend it.
And that Rule became the glue of orthodoxy
in a church with no centralized headquarters and no single book.
By the early 200s, the Rule of Faith wasn’t just something you believed.
It was something you spoke aloud—in baptism, in worship, in persecution.
Imagine this:
You’re a Christian catechumen in North Africa.
You’ve spent three years preparing for baptism.
You’ve memorized the Rule word for word.
And on the night before Easter, you step into the baptistry,
confessing:
“I believe in God the Father Almighty…
and in Christ Jesus, His only Son, our Lord…
and in the Holy Spirit…” 📌 (based on Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition 21)
It wasn’t just a personal statement.
It was your passport into the church.
In Rome, Hippolytus preserved these words in the early third century.
They sound like the Apostles’ Creed—but came a century earlier.
That’s no coincidence.
The Rule of Faith shaped the creeds.
It prepared the way for Nicene clarity.
And it grounded the church long before the canon was closed.
Tertullian called it “the rule of truth handed down from Christ through the apostles.” 📌
He used it to shut down heretics who twisted isolated Scriptures.
He didn’t say “just read your Bible.”
He said:
“The Scriptures belong to those who hold the Rule of Faith.” 📌 (Prescription Against Heretics 37)
In other words—interpretation requires tradition.
And the Rule kept interpretation anchored.
It wasn’t a rival to the Bible.
It was the lens that ensured the church read the Bible rightly.
And that made it powerful.
Powerful enough to unite churches in Gaul, Africa, and Syria.
Simple enough to teach to the illiterate.
Strong enough to survive the flames of Roman persecution.
Because when the scrolls were burned—
and the bishops were exiled—
and the churches scattered—
The Rule of Faith remained.
So what exactly did the Rule of Faith protect?
At its core, it was a framework of the gospel:
Creation: One God, Maker of heaven and earth
Incarnation: Jesus Christ, His only Son, born of a virgin
Crucifixion: Suffered under Pontius Pilate
Resurrection: Raised on the third day
Ascension: Seated at the right hand of God
Return: Coming again to judge the living and the dead
Spirit: Belief in the Holy Spirit, the Church, the forgiveness of sins, resurrection, and life eternal
That might sound familiar—because it became the Apostles’ Creed.
But for decades—before that creed was finalized—
the Rule of Faith filled the gap.
It told the story of salvation in miniature,
in a way that could be learned, loved, and lived—
even if you had no written Gospel at all.
It was the gospel without paper.
And when heretics arose—like Marcion, who rejected the Old Testament,
or the Gnostics, who denied Jesus’ true humanity—
the Rule gave faithful Christians a way to spot the lie.
Because if someone preached a message
that didn’t match what every church had always confessed—
they were rejected.
“This is not the faith handed down,” they would say.
“This is not the Rule.” 📌
Even illiterate shepherds and widows could defend their faith
by remembering what they had been taught.
Origen once wrote that even those who “cannot explain their faith in words… still have learned it by heart, and hold fast to the Rule handed down by the Church.” 📌 (paraphrased from On First Principles, Preface 4)
This was theology for the people.
This was doctrine that traveled faster than Scripture.
This was unity without a textbook.
And it worked.
Because when the books were few and scattered…
the truth still echoed in every believer’s mouth.
Today, we have Bibles in every translation.
Study apps. Concordances.
We’ve got seminaries, podcasts, and digital archives.
But sometimes—
with all our access—
we still miss the simplicity that held the early church together.
The Rule of Faith was never about control.
It was about continuity.
It said:
“We don’t make this up.
We don’t follow a private vision.
We believe what the apostles believed.”
And that’s what the Rule gave them:
Not just a checklist…
but a confession.
A confession strong enough to unify believers from Gaul to Jerusalem,
simple enough for children to learn,
and powerful enough for martyrs to die for.
The canon would come.
The creeds would come.
But long before either… the Rule preserved the core.
So what about us?
What do we believe—really?
Is our faith anchored in the historic gospel?
Could we pass it on to someone who can’t read?
Would it still be recognizable to Irenaeus… or to Jesus?
Maybe we don’t need more words.
Maybe we need to remember the ones that shaped the world:
One God. One Lord. One Spirit.
One Church. One hope. One gospel.
Before there was a book…
there was the Rule.
And it’s still worth confessing today.
If this story of the Rule of Faith challenged or encouraged you, would you consider sharing this episode with a friend? You never know who might need to hear it. Leave a review on your podcast app—or follow COACH for more episodes every week.
You never know what we’ll cover next on COACH—every episode dives into a different corner of early church history. But if it’s a Monday, you know we’re staying somewhere between 0 and 500 AD.
And if you’d rather watch me tell these stories while staring at my ugly mug, you can find this episode—and every COACH video—on YouTube at the That’s Jesus Channel.
Thanks for listening to COACH – Church Origins and Church History.
I’m Bob Baulch with the That’s Jesus Channel. Have a great day—and be blessed.
REFERENCES
Parallel Interpretations within the Orthodox Framework
Ferguson, Everett, Church History, Volume 1 (Zondervan, 2005), affirms Rule as unifying apostolic identity [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: apostolic unity] [also 🧭 1]
Pelikan, Jaroslav, The Christian Tradition, Vol. 1 (University of Chicago Press, 1971), notes Rule preserved Scripture’s sense [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Scripture’s role] [also 🧭 2]
Chadwick, Henry, The Early Church (Penguin, 1967), emphasizes Rule’s liturgical role [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: liturgy] [also 🧭 3]
Allert, Craig D., A High View of Scripture? (Baker Academic, 2007), highlights Rule’s protection against chaos [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: doctrinal stability] [also 🧭 4]
Oden, Thomas, The Word of Life (HarperOne, 1992), calls Rule a holy summary [Paraphrased] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: catechesis] [also 🧭 5]
Direct Challenges or Skeptical Positions
Metzger, Bruce, The Canon of the New Testament (Oxford University Press, 1987), warns Rule wasn’t meant to replace Scripture [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Rule’s authority] [also ⚖️ 1]
Skarsaune, Oskar, In the Shadow of the Temple (IVP Academic, 2002), notes varied Rule interpretations [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: interpretive diversity] [also ⚖️ 2]
Torrance, Thomas F., Incarnation (IVP, 2008), suggests Rule lacked precision [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: theological precision] [also ⚖️ 3]
Wright, N.T., Scripture and the Authority of God (SPCK, 2013), argues evangelicals undervalue Rule [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: modern neglect] [also ⚖️ 4]
McGrath, Alister, Historical Theology (Wiley-Blackwell, 1998), cautions Rule’s informal transmission [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: transmission] [also ⚖️ 5]
Footnotes
Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 1.10.1, in ANF Vol. 1 [Verbatim] [used as: fact verification: Rule’s content]
Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3.4.1, in ANF Vol. 1 [Paraphrased] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: church unity]
Tertullian, Prescription Against Heretics, in ANF Vol. 3 [Verbatim] [used as: fact verification: Rule’s apostolic origin]
Tertullian, Prescription Against Heretics, in ANF Vol. 3 [Verbatim] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Scripture interpretation]
Origen, On First Principles, Preface 4, in ANF Vol. 4 [Paraphrased] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: catechesis for illiterate]
Origen, On First Principles, Preface 1–3, in ANF Vol. 4 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: Rule’s role]
Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition, trans. Gregory Dix (SPCK, 1937) [Verbatim] [used as: fact verification: baptismal creed]
Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition [Verbatim] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: early liturgy]
Justin Martyr, First Apology, in ANF Vol. 1 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: early worship]
Ferguson, Everett, Church History, Volume 1 (Zondervan, 2005), ISBN 9780310254010 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: apostolic identity] [also 🧭 1]
Wilken, Robert, The First Thousand Years (Yale University Press, 2012), ISBN 9780300118841 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: theological synthesis]
Kelly, J.N.D., Early Christian Creeds (Longmans, 1972), ISBN 9780582492196 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: creed development]
Kelly, J.N.D., Early Christian Doctrines (Continuum, 2000), ISBN 9780826452528 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: canon vs. Rule]
Pelikan, Jaroslav, The Christian Tradition, Vol. 1 (University of Chicago Press, 1971), ISBN 9780226653716 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Scripture’s role] [also 🧭 2]
Chadwick, Henry, The Early Church (Penguin, 1967), ISBN 9780140231991 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: liturgy] [also 🧭 3]
Oden, Thomas, The Word of Life (HarperOne, 1992), ISBN 9780060663643 [Paraphrased] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: catechesis] [also 🧭 5]
Allert, Craig D., A High View of Scripture? (Baker Academic, 2007), ISBN 9780801027789 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: doctrinal stability] [also 🧭 4]
Skarsaune, Oskar, In the Shadow of the Temple (IVP Academic, 2002), ISBN 9780830828449 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: interpretive diversity] [also ⚖️ 2]
Metzger, Bruce, The Canon of the New Testament (Oxford University Press, 1987), ISBN 9780198261803 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Rule’s authority] [also ⚖️ 1]
Bock, Darrell, & Wallace, Benjamin, Dethroning Jesus (Thomas Nelson, 2007), ISBN 9780785229063 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: heresy contrast]
Turner, C.H., “The History of the Apostles’ Creed,” Journal of Theological Studies (1906) [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: creed history]
Witherington III, Ben, The Indelible Image (IVP Academic, 2009), ISBN 9780830838615 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: gospel summary]
Latourette, Kenneth Scott, A History of Christianity (Harper, 1953), ISBN 9780060649524 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: church spread]
Torrance, Thomas F., Incarnation (IVP, 2008), ISBN 9780830828913 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: theological precision] [also ⚖️ 3]
Litfin, Bryan, Getting to Know the Church Fathers (Baker, 2007), ISBN 9780801097249 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: church fathers]
Nichols, Stephen J., For Us and for Our Salvation (Crossway, 2007), ISBN 9781581348675 [Summarized] [used as: generic historic cross-reference: reformation angle]
Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, in NPNF Vol. 7 [Verbatim] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: catechesis]
Vincent of Lérins, Commonitorium, in NPNF Vol. 11 [Verbatim] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Rule’s tradition]
Kreider, Alan, The Patient Ferment of the Early Church (Baker Academic, 2016), ISBN 9780801048494 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: catechesis]
Noll, Mark, Turning Points (Baker Academic, 2000), ISBN 9780801062117 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: Rule’s legacy]
Blowers, Paul, Drama of the Divine Economy (Oxford University Press, 2012), ISBN 9780199660414 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: patristic unity]
McGrath, Alister, Historical Theology (Wiley-Blackwell, 1998), ISBN 9780631208440 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: transmission] [also ❖ 5]
Myers, Ben, The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism (Lexham Press, 2018), ISBN 9781683590880 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: spiritual formation] [also 🧭 6]
Wright, N.T., Scripture and the Authority of God (SPCK, 2013), ISBN 9780281057238 [Summarized] [used as: specific historic cross-reference: modern neglect] [also ❖ 4]
Z-Footnotes
The term “Rule of Faith” appears prominently in writings by Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, and Hippolytus [used as: fact verification: Rule’s prominence]
Irenaeus claimed the church across the world held the same faith without written standard (AH 1.10.1) [used as: fact verification: global unity]
The Rule was used in catechism, baptism, refutation of heresies, and early worship [used as: fact verification: Rule’s use]
Many churches did not yet possess a full New Testament until at least the late 3rd century [used as: fact verification: Scripture scarcity]
Illiteracy was common; oral memorization and liturgical repetition sustained doctrine [used as: fact verification: illiteracy]
Hippolytus’ Apostolic Tradition preserves one of the earliest formal baptismal creeds [used as: fact verification: baptismal creed]
The Apostles’ Creed likely evolved directly from these earlier Rule of Faith formulas [used as: fact verification: creed evolution]
The Rule emphasized unity of doctrine across geography before canonization [used as: fact verification: doctrinal unity]
Tertullian argued that Scripture must be read within the boundaries of the Rule [used as: fact verification: interpretive framework]
Origen taught that those without learning could still be orthodox through catechesis [used as: fact verification: catechesis accessibility]
The Rule summarized core redemptive history: creation, incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and return [used as: fact verification: Rule’s content]
The Rule preceded both Nicene and Chalcedonian creeds and helped prepare the church to receive them [used as: fact verification: creed preparation]
Amazon Affiliate Links for References and Equipment
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Below are the Amazon affiliate links for the provided references for the Rule of Faith episode and the current equipment for That’s Jesus Channel production, where available. Some references (e.g., specific chapters, journal articles, or out-of-print editions) are excluded if unavailable on Amazon.
Rule of Faith Episode References
Ferguson, Everett, Church History, Volume 1 (Zondervan, 2005)
ISBN: 0310205808
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Pelikan, Jaroslav, The Christian Tradition, Vol. 1 (University of Chicago Press, 1971)
ISBN: 0226653714
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Chadwick, Henry, The Early Church (Penguin, 1967)
ISBN: 0140231994
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Allert, Craig D., A High View of Scripture? (Baker Academic, 2007)
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Oden, Thomas, The Word of Life (HarperOne, 1992)
ISBN: 0060663642
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Metzger, Bruce, The Canon of the New Testament (Oxford University Press, 1987)
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Skarsaune, Oskar, In the Shadow of the Temple (IVP Academic, 2002)
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Torrance, Thomas F., Incarnation (IVP, 2008)
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Wright, N.T., Scripture and the Authority of God (SPCK, 2013)
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McGrath, Alister, Historical Theology (Wiley-Blackwell, 1998)
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Wilken, Robert, The First Thousand Years (Yale University Press, 2012)
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Kelly, J.N.D., Early Christian Creeds (Longmans, 1972)
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Kelly, J.N.D., Early Christian Doctrines (Continuum, 2000)
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Bock, Darrell, & Wallace, Benjamin, Dethroning Jesus (Thomas Nelson, 2007)
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Witherington III, Ben, The Indelible Image (IVP Academic, 2009)
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Latourette, Kenneth Scott, A History of Christianity (Harper, 1953)
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Litfin, Bryan, Getting to Know the Church Fathers (Baker, 2007)
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Nichols, Stephen J., For Us and for Our Salvation (Crossway, 2007)
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Noll, Mark, Turning Points (Baker Academic, 2000)
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Blowers, Paul, Drama of the Divine Economy (Oxford University Press, 2012)
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Myers, Ben, The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism (Lexham Press, 2018)
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