Welcome to Restoring Apostolic Faith

Christianity did not begin in the modern West. Scripture emerged from the ancient Near East, Second Temple Judaism, the Greco-Roman world, and the earliest Christian communities. RAF exists to help ordinary readers recover that world and hear these texts more nearly as their original audiences would have heard them.

Context Before Conclusions

Begin with what an author communicated to the original audience. Language, history, genre, culture, and audience help us ask better questions before drawing conclusions or applying a passage today.

Scripture in Its Ancient World

The ancient Near East, the Septuagint, Second Temple literature, Greco-Roman sources, archaeology, and related historical evidence help illuminate the world of Scripture. These are contextual resources, not replacement scriptural authorities.

The Earliest Christians Matter

The Didache, Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin, Irenaeus, and other early Christian witnesses help us examine how early communities understood and practiced their faith. Their writings are valuable historical witnesses without being treated as Scripture.

Follow the Evidence

RAF is not attempting merely to replace one rigid theological system with another. Conclusions remain open to correction when better textual, linguistic, historical, or archaeological evidence warrants it.

What Does “Apostolic” Mean Here?

RAF uses “Apostolic” in its historical and theological sense, referring to the earliest Church. For the full explanation of RAF’s beliefs and its distinction from modern movements using that label, read the existing clarification and disclaimer.

Choose Your Starting Point

You don’t have to agree with RAF to use RAF. Read the evidence, examine the sources, and decide whether the argument holds.