A commentary by Victorinus does not mention the seven churches of the Apocalypse but does mention the churches Paul wrote to. It is possible that he and Eusebius had an early version of the Apocalypse that did not contain the seven churches. History helps us understand what is possible.
A Church History
A book by Eusebius does not mention Antipas but does mention Carpus and Papylus who are also martyrs from Pergamos. Six of the seven churches are mentioned but never associated with the Apocalypse. Is it possible that there was an early version that didn’t contain them?
A Church History
A problem with the churches. Eusebius mentions six of the seven churches of the Apocalypse but never associates them with the Apocalypse. He doesn’t mention Antipas. All this would be consistent with an earlier version of the Apocalypse written by John the Baptist. Victorinus has a similar problem.
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A History of the Church
A dog that didn’t bark. Eusebius never associates the churches with the Apocalypse. He does mention six of the seven churches but does not connect them with the Apocalypse. Since Victorinus has the same problem, it suggests that there may have been a version of the Apocalypse that didn’t have the seven churches.
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A History
A witness to what no longer exists. What was Victorinus looking at when he wrote his commentary on the Apocalypse? What was Eusebius looking at when he wrote his history of the Church? We can only speculate based on what they wrote and what is reasonable. Can we make sense of it?
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A Failure To Mention The Seven Churches
A fourth century historian, Eusebius, mentions six of the seven churches but fails to associate them with the Apocalypse. Early copies of the Apocalypse no longer exist but if they did they might not contain seven churches. John the Baptist knew the “lamb” but not the churches.
A Church History
A dog that didn’t bark. A commentary that doesn’t include the seven churches. A Church history that doesn’t connect the seven churches with the Apocalypse. Is there a reasonable explanation? Their version of the Apocalypse did not mention the seven churches. There are other reasons to suspect this.
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A Critical Time In Church History
A return of the great to lead the Church. Augustine, Chrysostom, and Jerome guided the Church into the fifth century. The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. It may have been Augustine who said, “Oh no, not another Latin Bible”. The Vulgate would become the official bible of the Church.
A Commentary With Missing Churches
A reason to believe an early Apocalypse. Victorinus wrote a commentary with missing churches. Eusebius wrote a Church History and mentions 6 of the seven churches but never connects them with the Apocalypse. This suggests an early version of the Apocalypse that did not contain the churches.
A Church History
A problem with the churches. Eusebius mentions six of the seven churches of the Apocalypse but never associates them with the Apocalypse. He doesn’t mention Antipas. All this would be consistent with an earlier version of the Apocalypse written by John the Baptist. Victorinus has a similar problem.
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apocalypse 