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Lent: Day 4 - Polycarp to the Philippians

...ding! It has all the trappings of a classic New Testament pastoral letter to a local church, from the way out opens with the typical greetings and salutations, to the way it closes with praise and recommendations of other believers. This letter is all about encouraging and urging the church in Philippi to continue to stay strong in the faith delivered to them “because the strong root of your faith, spoken of in days long gone by” — which is a direct reference to Paul's letter and encouragement, found in Philippians 1:3-6. There's so many references to other New Testament letters in here, that you can find at least one reference to nearly all of the can...

Lent Day 39: Leo the Great: Sermon XLIX (On Lent XI)

...image in chaste sobriety, and loiters not in the things through which it has to walk”. Leo refers this back to what Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 as a way of living in such a way that we don't get too caught up in this life and this world that we forget about the divine promise and the life we are called to live. Matthew 7:14For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it. “...although that which [the flesh] desires is short-lived and uncertain, yet men endure toil more willingly for the lust of pleasure than for love of virtue”, which leads to the why the wide road is filled with unnumbered peopl...

The Problem of Suffering and How We Approach it

...en! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” And also in James’ epistle: James 1:2-4 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. Lastly, sometimes bad things just happen for no good reason. This kind of relates to point one, but with a bit of a different explanation to point out that just because som...

Losing a Loved One: A Few Ways to Find Solace

...This is a guest post by Lucille Rosetti from thebereaved.org. The views are that of the author and don't necessarily reflect the views of That Ancient Faith. This week I have a guest post by Lucille Rosetti from thebereaved.org looking at the hard topic of death. As Christians we shouldn't fear death, and ought to look on it with a paradoxical hope, since we know that through Christ death has lost its "sting" (1 Cor 15:55-57) and that we look forward to the Resurrection and life to come. But even with that in mind, the physical and earthly loss is still hard and something we need to process and deal with, and the following guest post aims to help with the...

How Polycarp (And Others) Show The Early Use Of The New Testament

...he Church has handed down, and which alone are true. — Against Heresies (Book III, 3.4) For I have a more vivid recollection of what occurred at that time than of recent events (inasmuch as the experiences of childhood, keeping pace with the growth of the soul, become incorporated with it); so that I can even describe the place where the blessed Polycarp used to sit and discourse — his going out, too, and his coming in — his general mode of life and personal appearance, together with the discourses which he delivered to the people; also how he would speak of his familiar intercourse with John, and with the rest of those who had seen the Lord;...

Lent: Day 10 - Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans

...but Jesus has the power to make this happen if he wills. Following on from this there is a comment about this belief in regards to the Eucharist and how these unbelievers say that it is not “the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ” – an early reference to the doctrine of the Real Presence or maybe transubstantiation? Either way, the heretics taught that the bread and wine were not the flesh and blood and were condemned for it, which obviously has implications on those today who hold these to be merely symbols, if there's any weight to Ignatius's words or to early doctrine. It's something to ponder on at the very least. The closing chapters are similar to t...