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Every Catholic appeal to the writings of the [[Ante-Nicene Fathers]] as demonstrations of the apostolic origin and root of Catholic doctrine and [[dogma]] is rejected on the ground that those writings only clearly demonstrate how early the false and corrupt apostate doctrines of Catholicism began to develop in the Church—which only proves to those who reject Catholic doctrine and dogma that a great apostasy ''must'' have occurred. Catholic apologists see this as a [[logical fallacy]]. They protest that a great apostasy of the whole Church is rooted in one fundamental [[premise]]: that Jesus did not keep his promises.<ref name=promises/>

Every Catholic appeal to the writings of the [[Ante-Nicene Fathers]] as demonstrations of the apostolic origin and root of Catholic doctrine and [[dogma]] is rejected on the ground that those writings only clearly demonstrate how early the false and corrupt apostate doctrines of Catholicism began to develop in the Church—which only proves to those who reject Catholic doctrine and dogma that a great apostasy ''must'' have occurred. Catholic apologists see this as a [[logical fallacy]]. They protest that a great apostasy of the whole Church is rooted in one fundamental [[premise]]: that Jesus did not keep his promises.<ref name=promises/>

*Churches professing [[Apostolic succession]] hold that the Ante-Nicene Fathers only articulate or express the original, authentic apostolic Christian doctrine that was faithfully handed on by word of mouth and guarded by the Holy Spirit in the full deposit of the faith handed on once and for all to the apostles of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:15 and 3:6; 1 Timothy 3:15; 2 Timothy 1:13-14 and 2:1-2, 14-15; 1 John 2:24; 2 John 9-11; Jude 3).

*Churches professing [[Apostolic succession]] hold that the Ante-Nicene Fathers only articulate or express the original, authentic apostolic Christian doctrine that was faithfully handed on by word of mouth and guarded by the Holy Spirit in the full deposit of the faith handed on once and for all to the apostles of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:15 and 3:6; 1 Timothy 3:15; 2 Timothy 1:13-14 and 2:1-2, 14–15; 1 John 2:24; 2 John 9-11; Jude 3).

*Churches professing the rule of ''[[sola scriptura]]'' hold that every doctrine in the Ante-Nicene Fathers not explicitly set forth in the [[Apocrypha#Protestant canon|Protestant canon]] of the inspired 66 books of the [[Bible|Holy Bible]] is a deviant attempt by the writers to corrupt the pure Christian Gospel of salvation by [[Syncretism|''syncretistically'']] introducing [[pagan]] beliefs and practices (1 Corinthians 4:6; Galatians 1:7-8; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:15-17 and 4:3-4; 2 Peter 3:17-18).

*Churches professing the rule of ''[[sola scriptura]]'' hold that every doctrine in the Ante-Nicene Fathers not explicitly set forth in the [[Apocrypha#Protestant canon|Protestant canon]] of the inspired 66 books of the [[Bible|Holy Bible]] is a deviant attempt by the writers to corrupt the pure Christian Gospel of salvation by [[Syncretism|''syncretistically'']] introducing [[pagan]] beliefs and practices (1 Corinthians 4:6; Galatians 1:7-8; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:15-17 and 4:3-4; 2 Peter 3:17-18).

*The catholic Church has been reviled as evil and hated for ''claiming'' to preach Christ and the truth of God (Luke 21:17 and 6:22-23; John 15:18-21 and 17:14; Acts 28:22; James 2:7)

*The catholic Church has been reviled as evil and hated for ''claiming'' to preach Christ and the truth of God (Luke 21:17 and 6:22-23; John 15:18-21 and 17:14; Acts 28:22; James 2:7)

*The catholic Church has grown until it is the largest religion on earth and the largest Christian denomination (Daniel 2:34-35 and 44-45; Matthew 13:31 and 16:18; John 15:1-6; Revelation 21:24-26)

*The catholic Church has grown until it is the largest religion on earth and the largest Christian denomination (Daniel 2:34-35 and 44–45; Matthew 13:31 and 16:18; John 15:1-6; Revelation 21:24-26)

*The catholic Church has an altar from which the Jews had no right to eat and from which Catholics claim to partake of the body and blood and divinity of the Lord (Hebrews 13:10; 1&nbsp;Corinthians 10:16-18 and 11:23-30; 2 Peter 1:3-4; John 6:52-58)

*The catholic Church has an altar from which the Jews had no right to eat and from which Catholics claim to partake of the body and blood and divinity of the Lord (Hebrews 13:10; 1&nbsp;Corinthians 10:16-18 and 11:23-30; 2 Peter 1:3-4; John 6:52-58)

*The catholic Church condemns apostasy. (John 15:6; Hebrews 6:4-6 and 10:23-31; Jude 5-25)

*The catholic Church condemns apostasy. (John 15:6; Hebrews 6:4-6 and 10:23-31; Jude 5-25)

== ''Epistle to the Hebrews'': Apostasy: major Biblical commentaries ==

== ''Epistle to the Hebrews'': Apostasy: major Biblical commentaries ==

The [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] is an empassioned [[treatise]] on the superiority of [[Christianity]] compared to [[Judaism]], of [[the Gospel]] of [[Jesus Christ|Christ]] compared to [[Torah|the Law]] of [[Moses]]. All major biblical scholars and expositors over the centuries concur in their understanding that the leading object of the author of this work is to guard those to whom it was addressed against the deadly danger of provoking the wrath of the Lord by apostasy from Christianity, by falling away from Christ and turning back to Judaism.<ref>See Topical Bible "provocation" (of God) at https://biblehub.com/topical/p/provocation.htm </ref>

The [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] is an empassioned [[treatise]] on the superiority of [[Christianity]] compared to [[Judaism]], of [[the Gospel]] of [[Jesus Christ|Christ]] compared to [[Torah|the Law]] of [[Moses]]. All major biblical scholars and expositors over the centuries concur in their understanding that the leading object of the author of this work is to guard those to whom it was addressed against the deadly danger of provoking the wrath of the Lord by apostasy from Christianity, by falling away from Christ and turning back to Judaism.<ref>See Topical Bible "provocation" (of God) at https://biblehub.com/topical/p/provocation.htm</ref>

See the following representative direct quotes in italics from multiple [[Exegesis|expository commentaries]] on ''apostasy from Christ'', verse by verse, in '''Hebrews''' (explicitly mentioned 387 times):<ref>See general index to multiple commentaries on every verse in ''Hebrews'' at biblehub.com site at http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/ —For each of the 82 verses linked here the ''key word search on-page is'': "aposta"—''apostasy, apostacy, apostate, apostates, apostatize, apostatizing''. <br> For an amplified understanding of the broader meaning of "apostasy" see also Topical Bible "apostasy" at https://biblehub.com/topical/a/apostasy.htm ''and'' Topical Bible "apostacy" at http://biblehub.net/searchtopical.php?q=apostacy</ref>

See the following representative direct quotes in italics from multiple [[Exegesis|expository commentaries]] on ''apostasy from Christ'', verse by verse, in '''Hebrews''' (explicitly mentioned 387 times):<ref>See general index to multiple commentaries on every verse in ''Hebrews'' at biblehub.com site at http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/ —For each of the 82 verses linked here the ''key word search on-page is'': "aposta"—''apostasy, apostacy, apostate, apostates, apostatize, apostatizing''. <br> For an amplified understanding of the broader meaning of "apostasy" see also Topical Bible "apostasy" at https://biblehub.com/topical/a/apostasy.htm ''and'' Topical Bible "apostacy" at http://biblehub.net/searchtopical.php?q=apostacy</ref>