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Melchizedek to Jesus: The Divine Thread of Bread and Wine

...and Abram has rescued Lot and subdued the king who captured Sodom. Then “the king of Sodom went out to meet [Abram] at the Valley of Shaveh, that is, the King’s Valley.” (Gen 14:17), which is modern-day Kidron Valley, just outside of Jerusalem. So the meeting was local and close to Melchizedek, but still doesn’t explain what happens next to Abram: Genesis 14:18–20And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth,and blessed be God Most High,  who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” The blessing of bread and w...

The Reformation: A Sound-Bite History (Book Review)

...This short little book on the Reformation and some of the leading men who helped to kick-start it and continue to fan its flames has been very enjoyable to read. It really is a “sound bite history” as the chapters are short and snappy, and really only cover the absolute basics of each of the Reformers lives. The book has seven chapters, with six of them dedicated to an individual who had a pivotal role in the beginnings of the Reformation: Martin Luther, John Wycliffe, John Huss, John Calvin, Hugh Latimer and George Whitefield. The Reformation:A Sound-bite History I found it to be very educational and easy to read and digest; gleaning just enough info...

Lent: Day 5 - Ignatius to the Ephesians

...Day Five: St. Ignatius of Antioch: Letter to the Ephesians (full text) Who: Ignatius converted at a young age and later became Bishop of Antioch. A friend of Polycarp and fellow disciple of John, there is a long standing tradition that Ignatius was the child that Jesus held in his arms and blessed in Mark 10:13-16 What: The letter has a strong call to and for unity within the church, along with respect for their bishop. Why: Ignatius wrote a series of letters to the churches in Asia Minor whilst en route to Rome to face martyrdom by wild beasts in the Colosseum around 108 AD. When: Around 107-108 AD There is a strong theme to this letter from the outset, an...

The Battle for the Trinity: Historical Heresies and Church Defences

...pture and has been affirmed by the Church through various councils and creeds. Common Historical Heresies Arianism What It Taught: Arius, a priest in the early 4th century, claimed that Jesus Christ was not of the same substance as the Father. He taught that the Son was a created being, distinct and subordinate to the Father. Church’s Response: The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD condemned Arianism, affirming that the Son is “of the same substance” (homoousios) as the Father. This is reflected in the Nicene Creed: “We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God… of one Being with the Father.” Patristic Quote: Athanasius, a staunch defend...

Biblical Inspiration and the Canon: How We Got the Bible

...the Bible has been altered or corrupted over the centuries, making it unreliable. However, the sheer number of surviving New Testament manuscripts allows us to reconstruct the original text with a high degree of confidence. We possess over 5,800 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, along with thousands more in Latin, Syriac, and other languages. Among these, we have fragments from the second century, including Papyrus 52 (P52), a small portion of John’s Gospel dating to around AD 125. By the fourth century, we have complete copies of the New Testament, such as Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus. With this wealth of manuscript evidence, scholars ca...

Why God Is Necessary For Morality

...“No. It has no context, it just happens to exist for no reason, and even though we don’t have access to it, we believe this rule says your monitors are too big.” This is atheist moral realism. It claims that objective moral facts exist, but they come from nowhere, are grounded in nothing, and are backed by no authority. It’s like walking into an abandoned building, seeing graffiti on the wall that says “Don’t wear red,” and thinking you’re somehow obligated to obey it. Even if the rule exists in some strange metaphysical way, why does it have any binding force on you? You’d be right to say: “That has nothing to do with me, this company,...