Allusions to the NT in the Ante-Nicene Fathers"Several uses for catenae can be imagined, especially for scholarship. First, text critics can easily refer to the locations in the early Church Fathers in which certain passages are cited...."
The English translation of the patristic texts can indicate textual variations to be verified by consulting a critical edition. Second, exegetes can use the comments made by the patristic authors in determining the sense of the passage or the way in which it could be taken. Third, patristic scholars gain a helpful tool for analysing how various Church Fathers interpreted the New Testament, which may shed light on the development of doctrine and practice in early Christianity.