Blog Search Results

So, where are we going?

On judgement ...there is only the Spiritual realm, ...and to which one either serves God in heaven or resides in hell awaiting Judgment. Is it as simple as that? This is an actual quote from someone during an online discussion on the subject, but this is not anything against who ever said it, but rather a response to the prevailing view behind it that people generally seem to adhere to. The topic of Hell in itself is a rather large subject that is much more complex that you might initially think, and is a topic I intend to cover here soon as a series. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. A lot of Christians would say that hell is the 'final destin...

Lent: Day 5 - Ignatius to the Ephesians

...cuted — something which he was apparently looking forward to, “so by martyrdom [he] may indeed become the disciple of [Jesus]”! Ignatius also has a lot of respect for the bishop of this church in Ephesus, and really sings his praises throughout the first few chapters. The man sounds quite something, but I especially liked this imagery that Ignatius uses to describe how well suited this man is for the position of bishop, “like strings to a harp” which makes the rest of the church sing in unity: For your justly renowned presbytery, worthy of God, is fitted as exactly to the bishop as the strings are to the harp. Therefore in your concord and harmonious...

Lent: Day 14 - Justin Martyr: First Apology, Chaps. 24-35

...ine, with somewhat compact arguments for the reality of what is believed and accepted. I’m going to try and summarise as much as I can and pull out any points which stand out, though not necessarily cover everything written in each chapter. Persecution and false gods Mark 13:13...and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. This next part of the apology really shows the truth of Jesus's words here. Justin continues on from the thought in the previous chapter (yesterday’s reading) about how the things which Christians believe are not far off from what the Greek say and believe, yet despite this, the...

The Temptations of Jesus: Pride

...h him. In some ways that’s true; he was fully in tune and in the will of his Father that he sets the example for us, and what we can achieve. But at the same time, he has “in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). This is why we can learn much from these few short temptations that Jesus faced in the desert. While on the face of it, we may think it’s unrelatable to be asked to miraculously turn stones into bread — there’s more to it than meets the eye. It’s not necessarily about the bread, or the miracle, but the insinuation that “If you are the Son of God...”, trying to do to the Second Adam what that old snake d...

Scientist Uncovers Hidden 1,750-Year-Old New Testament Translation with Ultraviolet Imaging

...predates some of the oldest surviving Greek manuscripts, including the Codex Sinaiticus, by at least a century. The Codex Sinaiticus is a complete Gospel text, thought to be older than the fourth century. Rapp emphasizes the significance of combining modern digital technologies and basic research when examining medieval manuscripts, as demonstrated by this discovery. In February, The Christian Post reported the upcoming auction of the Codex Sassoon in May, possibly the earliest single codex containing all Hebrew Bible books. Created around 900, the book comprises 24 books split into three sections. The Hebrew Bible is fundamental to Christianity, Judaism, an...