Google AI Confirms Earliest Church Fathers Held Catholic Beliefs on Eucharist and Mary

Google AI says that Bible Christians who believe in Sola Sciptura (the Bible Alone) say that Catholics deviated from biblical teachings in the late 4th century or the early middle ages. What Google AI failed to say was that this can not be true.

As early as the time of the Apostles, during the Apostolic Fathers time period, many Church fathers were teaching about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and about Marian teachings such as Immaculate Conception, New Eve, Mother of God, Perpetual Virginity and even the Assumption.

When pressed further Google AI exposed the Bible Christians as being wrong about when the Catholic Church began to teach these things.

Keep in mind, the Apostolic Fathers knew and studied under some of the Apostles and writers of the New Testament in their life time. They predate Constantine by centuries. No wonder Cardinal John Henry Newman said, "To study Church history is to ceast to be Protestant". Now we can add, "To use Google AI is to cease to be Protestant". 

When asked, “What did the Apostolic Fathers teach about the Eucharist?"

Google AI responded: The Apostolic Fathers consistently taught a "realist" view of the Eucharist, widely understanding the consecrated bread and wine to be the actual Body and Blood of Christ, not merely symbolic. They emphasized its sacrificial nature, its role in Christian unity, and that partaking of it nourished the participants with eternal life. 

Key figures and their teachings on the Eucharist include:

Ignatius of Antioch (d. c. 110 AD): Ignatius countered those who denied Christ's physical humanity by asserting the Eucharist was the flesh of the Savior. He expressed a desire for the bread and blood of Christ.

Justin Martyr (d. c. 165 AD): In his First Apology, Justin explained that Christians receive the elements as the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus, made so by prayer, rather than common food or drink.

Irenaeus of Lyons (d. c. 202 AD): Irenaeus taught that the bread and wine become the Eucharist, the body of Christ, upon receiving the Word of God. He linked this belief to the reality of Christ's physical body and the future resurrection of the flesh.

The Didache (c. 90-125 AD): This early text refers to the Eucharist as a "pure sacrifice" and "spiritual food and drink," indicating its sacred nature. It also restricted participation to the baptized. 

When asked, “What did the Apostolic Fathers teach about Mary?

Google AI responded: The Apostolic Fathers and other early Christian writers taught that Mary held a unique and vital place in salvation history, primarily defining her through the following key concepts:

The New Eve

A central theme among the Apostolic Fathers was the parallel between Eve and Mary. 

Disobedience vs. Obedience: Eve, a virgin, disobeyed God's word and brought sin and death into the world. Mary, a virgin, was obedient to God's word (her fiat, "let it be done to me according to your word") and became the cause of salvation for the human race.
Restoration: The "knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary". This parallel highlighted Mary's active, free cooperation in God's plan and her necessary role in the Incarnation and Redemption of humanity alongside the "New Adam," Jesus Christ. 

The Mother of God (Theotokos) 

The Fathers universally recognized Mary as the Mother of God (in Greek, Theotokos, or "God-bearer"), a title affirmed by the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD to defend the divinity of Christ. Denying this title was considered a sign of heresy, as it implied a separation of Christ's human and divine natures. 

Perpetual Virginity (Aeiparthenos)

The belief that Mary remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus was widely held and defended by many Fathers, including Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Athanasius, Ambrose, and Jerome. 

Before and During Birth: The early apocryphal Protoevangelium of James and other works asserted that she was a virgin even in partu (during childbirth), which some Fathers used to emphasize the miraculous nature of Christ's birth.
After Birth: The idea that Mary had other children after Jesus (the "brothers of the Lord" mentioned in the Gospels being interpreted as cousins or step-siblings from a previous marriage of Joseph) was rejected by mainstream Patristic writers in favor of the teaching that she remained "ever-virgin" (Aeiparthenos) throughout her life. 

Sinlessness and Holiness

Mary was regarded as exceptionally holy, "full of grace," and a model of virtue for all Christians. The Fathers, particularly in the Greek Church, described her as "spotless," "all-pure," and "without blemish". Thinkers such as Augustine of Hippo explicitly exempted her from discussions of universal sin, "on account of the honor of the Lord". 

Intercession and Assumption

While not a defined dogma until later centuries, early traditions and writings, such as the Passing of the Virgin (c. 400 AD), describe Mary's death (Dormition) and bodily assumption into heaven. The Fathers also began to touch upon her role as an advocate (advocata) or intercessor for believers.