Nearly all agreed. Tertullian, Origen and 10 others would say yes to the statement below. Only Gregory of Nazianzus would say no.
The statement in the quiz
“If you believe God is calling you, follow, even if your family begs you not to.”
The quiz puts it in today’s words. Each person below is placed by what they wrote or said. Where their line is clear on its own, it is printed with its source.
You said:
From your result on . See your result
12 early Christians
Your side
Clement of Alexandria c. 150 to c. 215 · Alexandria Clement agrees:
“Should a brother say the like, should a child, should a wife, should any one whosoever, in preference to all let Christ in you be conqueror. For He contends in your behalf.”
Who Is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?
Tertullian c. 155 to after 220 · Carthage Tertullian strongly agrees:
“Parents, wives, children, will have to be left behind, for God's sake. Do you hesitate about arts, and trades, and about professions likewise, for the sake of children and parents?”
On Idolatry
Origen c. 185 to c. 253 · Alexandria and Caesarea Origen strongly agrees:
“Take heed not to change your mind on our account.”
Letter to his father Leonides, as Eusebius records it
Cyprian of Carthage c. 200 to 258 · Carthage Cyprian agrees:
“That, being redeemed and quickened by the blood of Christ, we ought to prefer nothing to Christ.”
Exhortation to Martyrdom, to Fortunatus
Basil the Great c. 330 to 379 · Caesarea in Cappadocia Basil agrees:
“So he who is seized by the vehement desire of following Christ can no longer care for anything to do with this life.”
The Longer Rules
Ambrose of Milan c. 339 to 397 · Milan Ambrose strongly agrees:
“And the anxious entreaties of your parents are your first battles. Conquer your affection first, O maiden. If you conquer your home, you conquer the world.”
On Virgins
John Chrysostom c. 347 to 407 · Antioch and Constantinople Chrysostom strongly agrees.
On record in Homilies on Matthew.
Jerome c. 347 to 420 · Rome and Bethlehem Jerome strongly agrees:
“Should your father prostrate himself on the threshold, trample him under foot and go your way.”
Letter to Heliodorus
He wrote this as a young man. Years later he said he had decked that letter out with the flourishes of the schools.
Augustine of Hippo 354 to 430 · North Africa Augustine strongly agrees:
“A father must be honoured, but God must be obeyed. He that begot us must be loved, but He that created us must be preferred.”
Sermons
John Cassian c. 360 to c. 435 · Egypt, then Marseilles Cassian strongly agrees.
On record in Institutes.
Gregory the Great c. 540 to 604 · Rome Gregory the Great strongly agrees:
“We should love those joined to us by kinship of the flesh, whom we know as our neighbours; but those we suffer as adversaries on the way of God we should refuse to know, by hating and fleeing them.”
Homilies on the Gospels. Our translation
His comment on Luke 14:26, where Jesus says that whoever does not hate father and mother cannot be His disciple.
Isaac the Syrian 7th century · Nineveh and the mountains Isaac strongly agrees.
On record in Ascetical Homilies.
1 early Christian
Your side
Gregory of Nazianzus c. 329 to c. 390 · Cappadocia and Constantinople Gregory of Nazianzus strongly disagrees:
“Now, I had specially pledged myself to become the stay of their old age and the support of their weakness.”
In Defence of His Flight to Pontus
What they said
Quiz Which early Christian thinks like you? And which would argue with you? See where you would stand on this and 22 more. Start Suggest a correction. Corrections that are applied are recorded in the public changelog.
