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What is Advent?

It’s that time of year when Christmas lights and decorations go up, things start to look a little more sparkly, and kids are getting ready to open their Advent Calendars. But what exactly is “Advent”? You may be from a Church tradition which recognises this each year so are more familiar, but if not, you may be curious to know more about this ancient Christian tradition. Advent, derived from the Latin “adventus,” signifying “coming” or “arrival,” stands as a sacred season deeply entrenched in the hearts of many Christians globally. This period of expectant waiting and preparation marks the initiation of the liturgical year in Western Christia...

Christians and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

We currently live in troubled times lately with a lot of uncertainty around us, both locally and globally. But even now as I write this and think on the topic of the virus, one verse in particular springs to mind: Psalm 23:4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of deathI fear no evil;for you are with me;your rod and your staff — they comfort me. It does feel a little bit like we are all walking through “the valley of the shadow of death” at the moment! But as the Psalmist says, “I fear no evil” for God is with us and comforts us. That doesn’t necessarily mean we won’t get sick (or die), but that no matter what is happening aroun...

The Coming of Jesus: The Olivet Discourse – Part 2

...s://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J9hETdMVwowC&lpg=PA13&ots=Ulfqn-kt4s&dq=epistle%20of%20barnabas%20given%20to%20new%20converts&pg=PA13#v=onepage&q=epistle%20of%20barnabas%20given%20to%20new%20converts&f=false] http://www.academia.edu/2057245/Fleeing_Forward_the_Departure_of_Christians_from_Jerusalem_to_Pella http://www.redcliffe.org/Portals/0/Content/Documents/Centres/Encounters/37/Burning_up_or_Being_Renewed_37.pdf http://www.theopedia.com/gospel-of-luke http://www.theopedia.com/gospel-of-matthew https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_to_Pella https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_History_(Eusebius) http://www.preteristarchive.com/Stu...

Is fasting an expectation for Christians?

...s://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_Y-8BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT24&lpg=PT24&dq=Who+does+not+know+that+the+fast+of+the+fourth+and+sixth+days+of+the+week+are+observed+by+Christians+throughout+the+world?&source=bl&ots=vgFd0DtZtk&sig=ACfU3U0JluUrTn_OcNx0icUZR6-kZF04Pw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwin6dD8qvXnAhUPbcAKHZqyBY8Q6AEwAHoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=Who%20does%20not%20know%20that%20the%20fast%20of%20the%20fourth%20and%20sixth%20days%20of%20the%20week%20are%20observed%20by%20Christians%20throughout%20the%20world%3F&f=false https://patristics.info/didache.html https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=fasting&qs_version=NRSV ht...

Debunking the Myth: The Council of Nicaea and the Formation of the Biblical Canon

...A myth that never seems to fade away: the idea that the Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 AD under the authority of Roman Emperor Constantine, played a pivotal role in establishing the Biblical canon. This notion suggests a conspiracy and power play orchestrated by a select group of elite bishops; a narrative popularised by works like Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. However, a closer examination reveals a lack of historical basis for this claim. The Council of Nicaea and the Canon Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence that the Council of Nicaea discussed or established the Canon of Scripture, leading to the creation of the Bible. Early Christian cano...

Free Early Church Resources

...Free Early Church Resources I've created a few resources to aid with your studies or interest in the Early Church. The below maps are converted from the appendices in my book. I'll also soon add some hi-res versions as A3 poster size to purchase as well. Below the maps is an interactive chronological timeline of when the New Testament and Early Church texts were written. At the time of writing, I have covered most of the Ante-Nicene (pre-325 AD) period. Geographical Locations of Early Church Texts Approximate locations of where the NT and Ante-Nicene texts were written (or sent). Blue book icons represent the New Testament books, the red crosses are a selec...