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Lent: Day 10 - Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans

...em to be [Christians]” because of their false teaching! He defends the resurrection by telling of how the Apostles ate and drank with, and touched the risen Christ since “He was still possessed of flesh”, but to this he also adds that he believes Jesus is still possessing a body of flesh, whilst being spiritually “united to the Father”. I'm not sure if he means this in the same way we might today when we talk about the glorified/resurrected bodies, since you don't often hear people say they are “flesh”, but it's probably just a semantics issue here. With regards to the unbelievers who taught that Jesus wasn't really in the flesh, Ignatius gives...

Lent Day 20: Cyprian: On the Unity of the Church: 19-27

...hen those Christians who have not been deceived should heed the advice of Paul when he says, “withdraw yourself from all brethren who walk disorderly” (2 Thess 3:6) and to also “let no man deceive you with vain words” (Eph 5:6), for the wrath of God is upon these people. Therefore, flee from them, “lest, while anyone is associated with those who walk wickedly … should be found in like guilt”. And just as Paul also wrote in Eph 4:4-6, Cyprian echoes this sentiment to back his point of keeping in unity with one another; God is one, and Christ is one, and His Church is one, and the faith is one, and the people is joined into a substantial unity of...

Lent Day 27: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 61-70

...ny became Christians in those few days as one would have seen made in a year”! That must have been quite some party with all those people coming to Christ and worshipping him, what a sight it must have been. I pray that God convicts us all to live a more pious life and to raise up men and women of God who will change cities with the Gospel!  ...

Lent Day 40: Leo the Great: Sermon LXXII: ON THE LORD'S RESURRECTION, II

...val. True Christians, accepting the Creed and the deity of Christ, “rightly exult and devoutly rejoice in this sacred season” of Lent and Easter (or Pascha), and “have no doubt about Christ's Birth according to the flesh, His Passion and Death, and the Resurrection of His body … who was truly born of a Virgin's womb, truly hung on the wood of the cross, truly laid in an earthly tomb, truly raised in glory, truly set on the right hand of the Father's majesty”! Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be c...

What did Jesus actually sacrifice?

...Sometimes the question, or accusation/criticism maybe, is posed by atheists and critics of Christianity that Jesus didn’t really sacrifice anything because he is God and also because he got his life back three days later. So where’s the sacrifice if you know that what you give up will be given back, and given back even better than you previously had it? It’s an interesting question, and one that should cause us to stop and think about what we, as Christians, say to non-believers in case the question is ever given to us. Most people will say Jesus  gave up his life for us – but is that such a big deal if he knew he’d have it back in three days; and th...

Fasting: A spiritual and physical discipline

...to other Christians on the practice. As well as mentioning the 'lifestyle fast' of Isa. 58, he says: “Be on your guard against every evil word, and every evil desire, and purify your heart from the vanities of this world. If you guard against these things, your fasting will be perfect.” Our fasting is as much about living right and conforming ourselves to the mind of Christ, as it is about avoiding certain foods for a time. As Augustine wrote, there are three main things we ought to do in order to live a righteous life, which he deduced from Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels: fasting, alms and prayers. “Now in the fasting [Jesus] indicates the en...