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On Sunday, our pastor in his sermon mentioned Quadratus of Athens, that I do not remember hearing or reading about, previously. An interesting non-biblical, post-New Testament era, source.
From
Early Christian Writings
Cited
Quadratus was one of the first of the Christian apologists. He is said to have presented his apology to Hadrian while the emperor was in Athens attending the celebration of the Eleusinian mysteries. The period of the emperor Hadrian, during which Quadratus is said to have made his apology, was from 117 CE to 138 CE.
Here is the reference from Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. IV.3.
1 After Trajan had reigned for nineteen and a half years Aelius Adrian became his successor in the empire. To him Quadratus addressed a discourse containing an apology for our religion, because certain wicked men had attempted to trouble the Christians. The work is still in the hands of a great many of the brethren, as also in our own, and furnishes clear proofs of the man's understanding and of his apostolic orthodox.
2 He himself reveals the early date at which he lived in the following words: "But the works of our Saviour were always present, for they were genuine:-those that were healed, and those that were raised from the dead, who were seen not only when they were healed and when they were raised, but were also always present; and not merely while the Saviour was on earth, but also after his death, they were alive for quite a while, so that some of them lived even to our day." Such then was Quadratus.
Eusebius, (260/265-339/340, Historia Ecclesiastica or Historia Ecclesiae (History of the Church) IV.3
Our pastor cited this source as non-biblical support for the historical (religious history) resurrections performed by Jesus Christ. These persons, of course, ultimately died again, and were not immortal, in contrast to the resurrection of Christ in the gospels which featured the immortal resurrection body. I would state this is the spiritual, physical resurrected body described in 1 Corinthians 15.
New American Standard Bible
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown [l]a perishable body, it is raised [m]an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:42 Lit in corruption
1 Corinthians 15:42 Lit in incorruption
Cited again from
Early Christian Writings
Here is the reference from Jerome, Illustrious Men 19.
Quadratus, disciple of the apostles, after Publius bishop of Athens had been crowned with martyrdom on account of his faith in Christ, was substituted in his place, and by his faith and industry gathered the church scattered by reason of its great fear. And when Hadrian passed the winter at Athens to witness the Eleusinian mysteries and was initiated into almost all the sacred mysteries of Greece, those who hated the Christians took opportunity without instructions from the Emperor to harass the believers. At this time he presented to Hadrian a work composed in behalf of our religion, indispensable, full of sound argument and faith and worthy of the apostolic teaching. In which, illustrating the antiquity of his period, he says that he has seen many who, oppressed by various ills, were healed by the Lord in Judea as well as some who had been raised from the dead.
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