This article is a discussion of the different contemporary viewpoints on the roles of the Old Testament and New Testament Prophets. It is not a declaration of the viewpoint in the time of original Christianity. The names of the prophets in the Old Testament bring incredible visions of power to mind: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Samuel. […]
Prophecy Appears Different in NT than in OT Read More »
I recently read an interesting report about predestination, “President Wayland, in ‘Notes on the Principles and Practices of the Baptists,’ says that in the early part of his ministry he was settled in an intelligent community in the goodly commonwealth of Massachusetts. In his church was a gentleman reputed to be intelligent in the doctrines
This is an article primarily about what the Bible says about homosexuality, not about culture, or individual people and relationships. But because culture and individual people and relationships are involved I am going to say that in the United States and a lot of the western world a cultural shift has been going on where
H1 Homosexuality Revisited Read More »
Christian gospel writing was not limited to the four Gospels we know as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. There are many known accounts of the life and times of Jesus. These include the Protevangelium of James, the Infancy Story of Thomas, the Arabic Infancy Gospel, the Armenian Gospel of the Infancy, the History of Joseph
In the Christian Churches of early Christianity there simply wasn’t an Old Testament, New Testament, or Bible when Christ arose, or even later when Paul died. These books, these collections of sacred writings developed over centuries. The Law and the Prophets were scrolls that were widely read in these times. There were epistles, mainly by
Eternal Security is the teaching that “once saved, always saved”. There are two extremes relating to this doctrine. Catholics teach that if you die with mortal sin you can go to hell for eternity. Pentecostals, Assemblies of God, Methodists and Lutherans also teach that salvation can be lost. Anglicans, Baptists and Presbyterians as well as
Original Christianity was not the huge international religion people know today. It was considered by most to be a sect of Judaism, initially called the Nazarenes, later the group became identified as “Christians” at Antioch. The teaching of this early Christianity was distinct, and identifiable in tracing its Jewish roots.i This only makes sense as
Original Christianity was in a Jewish Culture with Jewish Thinking Read More »
Original Christianity was much simpler. In contrast, the scope of modern theology is mind-boggling. Studying Christianity today in depth requires learning and comparing numerous “ologies” and “isms”. There is Soteriology (salvation), Christology (Christ), Eschatology (end times), Angelology (angels), Ecclesiology (church), Hamartiology (sin), Bibliology (bible), Pneumatology (spirit) besides Theology (God). There is covenentism, dispensationalism, ecumenicism, sacerdotalism,
Many Christians today rely on the Gospels and Epistles as the only authority for faith and practice of the New Covenant. Some justify this by saying that the books of the New Testament were always accepted as the Word of God. We have already looked at how Papias in the late first century did not
Gospels were Called Memoirs in the Second Century Read More »
MATURE CONTENT WARNING: Parents may want to keep their children, especially younger ones, from viewing this material. The sexual revolution did not start in the 60s. Sexual practices have varied over human history. When Christianity was starting people practiced all kinds of sexual behavior besides marriage. Pederasty was very common. (Pederasty is men having sexual
Sexual Purity Revolution Read More »
These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you Jude 1:12 While there is just a little information on what this term “love-feast” means there is enough to get a sense of what it was, and know that its practice was very early on because of its mention in
Love Feasts – Fellowship So Sweet Read More »
There was an incredible sense of community and sharing in original Christianity. This was seen at the beginning of the Book of Acts, from the day of Pentecost on. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any
Incredible Community and Sharing Read More »
Joyfully most Christians agree on a lot of things concerning what is going to happen in the end times. Most agree that Jesus will reappear suddenly in the clouds and that is something that we should all eagerly anticipate. The reappearing will be at an unexpected time as opposed to some prophesied time and date.
End Times (Eschatology) Read More »
I recently went to a Greek food Festival at a Greek Orthodox Church. This annual festival is a popular event around where I live. Besides some great gyros and lamb dinners, one of the stations in the festival is a bar where you can buy alcoholic beverages. That denomination not only allows drinking alcoholic beverages,
Dear Father, Thank you for giving us life. And thank you for leading us closer to you in this time of uncertainty. Father, people are troubled everywhere. Stock markets can rise but suddenly drop in value. Home ownership is down because it is harder for some to buy a house. The rich keep getting richer
A Prayer for Peace and Confidence in Uncertain Times Read More »
Underlying some of the basic differences in the interpretation of the bible and consequently, divisions among believers, are the concepts of Covenantism and Dispensationalism. Covenantism is a theology that puts all of history into the framework of old and new covenants. Covenant can also be translated testament. In other words and while this may be
Covenantism and Dispensationalism Read More »
Pentecostal and charismatic churches are commonplace today, but in the not too distant past speaking in tongues and other manifestations of the spirit including miracles were somewhat taboo in the Christian Church. The official doctrine, which is called Cessation Doctrine, was that these spiritual manifestations were an apostolic phenomenon. As such they ended in the
The Argument that Tongues and other Gifts and Manifestations have Ceased Read More »
If the epistles and other books of the New Testament were immediately received as the word of God then we would expect that disciples writing at that time would treat the New Testament writings with that status and respect. Unfortunately, that is not the case. There is no evidence that the New Testament writings were
Lent started this week, and with it countless Catholics began the fasting requirements dictated by the Roman Catholic Church. “What are you giving up for lent” is often asked this time of year among Catholics. On no less than that national model of religious programming, Mike And Mike in the Morning, a significant portion of
Lenten Fasting – Is it the one that the Father has chosen? Read More »
Prayer is universal to most religions and is central to Christiainity. In more mainline denominations prayer appears more ritualized centering on the “the Lord’s Prayer”, and pre-written orations compared to the composed on the fly, free flowing petitions of Pentecostal and Bible centered churches. Nevertheless faithful followers in groups from Assemblies of God to Baptists
Prayer is Universal Read More »
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Mat 4:10 Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13 in this response to the devil’s attempt to get Jesus to worship the devil. This speaks to the high importance of the worship
This is an article about the divisions among believers over the multiple views among the Christian churches on the place of scripture, including biblical inerrancy, biblical infallibility, biblical sufficiency, and myth. The divergence of these views is at the heart of many of the divisions in the church. This article does not focus on the
Biblical Inerrancy Read More »
Baptism is one of these topics that has caused serious division in the Christian church, yet some call it a non-essential doctrine, you know, one of those doctrines that people should not divide over. The problem is not that people shouldn’t have divided over this issue, but that they have divided over this issue and,
Baptism, Universally Accepted, Widely Disputed Read More »
There are some things in Christian churches that are assumed. Even though there is no proof, these tenets are accepted without question. For example, some assume water baptism every time the word baptism is used. Some assume that the 66 books in the protestant bible are the Word of God, complete and entire. That the
LP0.1 Only The Law and the Prophets Had Divine Status Initially Read More »
In modern Christianity many churches adopt the stance that the gifts and power of the apostles ceased with the apostles or shortly thereafter. This is completely untrue. The standard is set in the book of Acts. There we see that receiving the spirit was a priority. In Acts chapter 8 we see that the Apostles
The Power of the Spirit in Original Christianity Read More »