Blog Search Results

Lent: Day 12 - Justin Martyr: First Apology, Chaps. 1-11

...e Reason (Jesus) which condemns them all for following demons. The word play is lost in English, but the word for “reason” is logos and so he says that the Greeks used their own reasoning (logos) to pass judgement, but that they, along with the Barbarians, were condemned by Reason Himself (the Logos), “who took shape, and became man, and was called Jesus Christ”. It is because of this, Justin argues, that the Christians denounce the gods as being “wicked and impious demons”. Now, to modern ears, what the Christians were accused of will sound strange: their charge was that of atheism! But back in the early second century “atheism” was a phrase wh...

Before The Pumpkins: The Day Two Women Defied Rome

...it” as Jesus taught (Matt 16:18). These women stood firm, not as warriors or rulers, but as mothers, daughters, and servants whose hope burned brighter than whatever devices the devil used to end their lives. They remind us that the cloud of witnesses includes every kind of believer — rich and poor, male and female, young and old — all joined by the same unshakable confession: “Jesus is Lord”. As we remember them today, may we find courage for our own smaller trials, and be inspired by those who stood on the sand of the arena before us: standing on the shoulders of giants, and walking in the steps of Christ, who first endured the Further R...

Lent Day 31: Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures: Lecture XX

...to Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? … since you are not under law but under grace. Now, these people that Cyril was teaching had already gone through the act of baptism, so now he was going over the symbolism and realities of what that meant to them personally. In describing the baptism rite to make one of his points, Cyril gives us a small insight into how the Church in the fourth century performed this, which I always find interesting to see how things have changed or stayed the same over the centuries. Before entering the waters, the one being baptised would strip of their tunic, symbolising “putting off the old man with his deeds” (Co...

Kirk Cameron And The Biblical Case For Annihilationism

...37:20) Jesus Himself warns that God can “destroy both body and soul in Gehenna” (Matt. 10:28). This is not language of preservation, but of finality. Revelation describes the ultimate fate of the wicked as the second death (Rev. 20:14–15). Death, by definition, is the loss of life — not life in another mode. Hence why it is “second”: the first being physical death from the body, the second being spiritual death from existence. Fire, in biblical imagery, does not preserve what it judges. It consumes chaff (Matt. 3:12), destroys the weeds (Matt. 13:40), and leaves nothing remaining. The only exception to this is when God’s fire is refining a...

On the Feast of the Nativity, a sermon by Leo the Great

...d, Christ Jesus. On the Feast of the Nativity, I. I. All share in the joy of Christmas Our Saviour, dearly-beloved, was born today: let us be glad. For there is no proper place for sadness, when we keep the birthday of the Life, which destroys the fear of mortality and brings to us the joy of promised eternity. No one is kept from sharing in this happiness. There is for all one common measure of joy, because as our Lord the destroyer of sin and death finds none free from charge, so is He come to free us all. Let the saint exult in that he draws near to victory. Let the sinner be glad in that he is invited to pardon. Let the gentile take courage in that he is...

Announcing My New Book: What Really Happened at Nicaea?

...For 1700 years, the Council of Nicaea has been surrounded by myths, misunderstandings, and outright fabrications. From claims that Constantine “invented” the Trinity to the idea that the council decided the books of the Bible, there’s no shortage of misinformation floating around. That’s why I’m excited to announce my upcoming book, What Really Happened at Nicaea? This book sets the record straight, taking you inside the actual events of 325 AD—what was debated, what was decided, and why it still matters today. If you’ve ever wondered:✅ Did Constantine rewrite Christianity?✅ Was Jesus’ divinity really up for debate?✅ Did Nicaea creat...