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The Historic Practice of Abortion and How Ancient Christians Responded

...icons of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:49) being renewed back to that original image we were created to be (Col. 3:10) as imagers of God because Jesus is also the icon of God — his exact character and image (Heb. 1:3). Colossians 1:15He is the image [εἰκών] of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. Hopefully, this explains a little more about why life is seen as precious and something to be protected. Christian views on abortion, love and charity Abortion is nothing new though, but the worldview that all life is precious was quite revolutionary in the ancient world. Christianity took this idea and really ran with it more than any other social or...

Is it the end of the world as we know it?

...nd follow Jesus. I don't think it gets much clearer than this in the book of Galatians: Galatians 3:6-9Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.” For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed. I've already wrote extensively on this topic before, here and here, which you can read and comment on, if you want. I believe wholeheartedly, that if you want to...

Immanuel, God with us

...hink that Jesus is still in the manger. We put a statue in the manger to remember that Jesus was a baby, that He took up our flesh and our burden. An empty manger just won’t do. The fact that God has a body, was born of a woman, for us, is not a tiny detail in the story or somehow not the important part. It is the essence of the story. In the same way, we do not put a statue of Jesus on the cross because we think that He is not risen. We know and we rejoice that He is risen. But an empty cross just won’t do. The fact that He was crucified in His body is not just a detail or somehow the prelude to the more significant event. It is the essence of the story. We...

So, where are we going?

..., through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all. This is in line with Revelation's depiction of judgment as God looks at their deeds in his books, he sees everything we've ever said and done, and even then some deeds and thoughts may "excuse them" on the day of judgement. I feel confident in God's justice here that those who didn't know Christ "personally" but still lived as though they did, or still lived as though they followed his commands, will have that taken into account by God. But before you quote John 14:6 at me and cry out "but none come to the Father except through Christ!" - remember who is the one judging: Jesus. If he accepts the...

Lent: Day 9 - Ignatius to the Philadelphians

...Day Nine: St. Ignatius of Antioch: Letter to the Philadelphians (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: As usual, a general call to remain in unity and heed their bishop. Also to avoid listening to Judaizers who would have them follow the Law. 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 As with the re...

He is risen!

...  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. — 1 Peter 1:3-5...