Even though he is named the Clement of Alexandria, Clement was actually probably from Athens. He was not raised in a Christian household, and the method of his conversion is not known. What is known is that he set out on a life quest to find a Christian teacher who could school him in his …
Part of the law received on Mount Sinai related to the operation of what is referred to as the Priestly Law. In fact, the whole liturgy of Old Testament times is changed radically with the giving of the Law. Whereas before altars had been set up in places where contact with God had been made, …
Dating ancient events has always proved challenging. For one thing, there have been numerous calendars that different cultures have used and synchronizing them is not always easy. The Egyptians had a 12 month calendar but each month had the same 30 days, (three 10 day weeks, no less). The Romans had several calendars; the original …
As we have seen in a previous articles, O.1 Overview of Worship in Old Testament Times, it was common in the early centuries to worship outdoors. A determining factor in where an altar or might be created would be the presence of God. If someone experienced the presence of God in a place it was …
When a lot of us Christians think of worship services what comes to mind are church services. For Catholics it is the Mass. For others it is a different service, but it is complete with a church, and a pastor or worship leader of some kind, and maybe musicians, and very possibly, communion, and probably …
I remember when I was about 10 years old, standing in the choir chambers to the right and left of the main passageway that led from the congregation to the altar in my beautiful church. Sacred Heart church is a stunningly beautiful church. I had been in other churches, and none were as grand as …
The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1Co 15:26 ESV) Death is such an enemy. The fear of death drives so many decisions in our lives. We have safety standards, guidelines, practices to avoid injury and death. We have medical systems, doctors, clinics, pharmacies, hospitals to avoid sickness and death. We have fire departments …
I want to preface this article by saying I had a hard time writing it because I love pastors and Bible teachers even when they teach opposing doctrines. They’re dedicated, hard-working, sincere, loving people who sacrifice much of their lives for their people. But it hurts my heart when I see teachers teaching different things …
Did Jesus Really Break God’s Rules by Healing on the Sabbath? Read More »
I heard another person say that prophecy is foretelling the future. This time it was from a pulpit in the church. That certainly is the definition that I learned as a child. And it seems to be the definition the world gives. And there are numerous examples in the Bible of prophets predicting things that …
Sections of church history are like sections of the Old Testament. While there are glorious moments, there are many periods where people just plain messed up! In the previous post, Part of the Good News is Bad News, I include an appendix that lists 40 verses where the people “did evil in the sight of …
Walking and Rejoicing in the Lord is the Priority Read More »
In the previous post 03.8.2 The Sanitizing of the Writings of the Church Fathers I wrote about the sad state of affairs where the Roman Catholic Church made it the law of the land where Christians persecuted and even killed heretics and burned their writings. As a result the record of what happened after the …
This is a 2018 post in which I have added a little more information for clarification. The writing of the early church fathers is a wonderful resource for learning what early Christians believed and how different elements of the church including doctrines and rites developed. However, the problem with reading the early church fathers is …
03.8.2 The Sanitizing of the Writings of the Church Fathers Read More »
The Roman response to Christianity varied from severe persecution to an attitude of “Don’t ask … don’t look for them.” This latter attitude was initiated by the Emperor Trajan. Before we discuss Trajan it needs to be noted that the Roman Empire was a huge place, and obviously, people couldn’t travel nor communicate at the …
01.1.1.1 Trajan’s Response to Pliny as an example of the Roman View on Christianity Read More »
Augustine was born of a pagan father and a Christian mother in Thagaste in Algeria in 354[i] AD. It was an interesting time. There was a strong clash between the liberal Christianity in the West of the Empire and the dogmatic, conservative Christianity of the eastern part of the Empire. Christianity in the west was …
On September 20, 1295 Pope Boniface VIII named Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the first “Doctors of the Church.” This made official what had been accepted for centuries, that these men were: Great teachers who were Inspired of the Holy Spirit and were orthodox in what they taught These were only the first. At last …
Wayne Grudem, in his SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY, says that Augustine’s On the Trinity, “is considered the most thorough development of the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity in the history of the church.”[i] That is just one example of how the accolades for Augustine abound everywhere in Christian texts. Williston Walker begins his chapter on Augustine with …
04.0 Augustine, the Most Influential Christian Theologian of All Time Read More »
There have always been divisions in the church. This article talks about sects that abounded in the mid-second century and some of the fallout. According to Encyclopedia Brittania, the Antonine Era is the period of years between 132 and 180 AD when “the Roman emperors Antoninus Pius (reigned AD 138–161) and his adopted son and heir, Marcus Aurelius (reigned AD …
As discussed in an earlier post, 15.0.1 At the Heart of the Reformation was the Call to Return to the Practices of Early Christianity, one of the things happening in the 15th century were comparisons of Greek texts to Latin Vulgate translations. Here is an example: In the year 1440, a humanist scholar named Lorenzo Valla examined …
The beginning of the 16th century was one of the worst times in Christianity. Corruption was everywhere from the pope down. “The decline and corruption of the papacy was well-known. After its residence at Avignon, where had it had served as a tool of French interest, the papacy had further weakened by the Great Schism, …
The teaching in church this week centered on the inspiring story of Esther. In a nutshell when Xerxes was king of Persia the Queen was named Vashti. And in a moment of defiance Vashti refused the command of the King. After consulting with his advisers the king decided on a process to find a new …
The Marvelous Story of Esther, Absent From Early Canons of Scripture Read More »
We have all seen the following scenario: little Joey and Tommy are playing in the playground. Joey starts hitting Tommy. Joey’s mom comes over and separates the boys and tells little Joey that he needs to say I’m sorry. Little Joey doesn’t want to say I’m sorry, but after a while reluctantly agrees, and mutters …
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod’s president Rev. Mark G. Schroeder made the statement: “We rejoice that even in the Catholic Church (where we believe the gospel has been distorted) there are many Catholics who hold to a simple faith in Jesus Christ as their savior and who will ultimately be saved,”i I focus here of …
First, it should be noted that not all Quakers consider themselves Christians but many doi, and since they do that is why they’re being considered here. On the other hand the Salvation Army considers itself “an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church” ii, and they appear to be unique as a group that as …
Neither Baptism Nor Communion Services for Quakers and the Salvation Army Read More »