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How many apostles are there in the New Testament?

Often in any discussion on the gifts of the Spirit and whether they are still active today (Cessationism vs Continuationism), the topic of Apostles comes up and whether the gift/office is still active today in the Church. Detractors of the Continuationist position will often quip that ‘if there were modern-day apostles, they would be world famous!’ – though I’m not sure why. Even the original Twelve weren’t “world famous” in the sense that they mean. But I digress. This isn't a question of practice, or opinion, but to examine the Scriptures to see what they say about the gift. Scripture gives us an indication that this gift, or role, wasn’t jus...

Fasting: A spiritual and physical discipline

The topic of fasting often comes up in online discussion groups that I'm a part of, more often in Protestant circles where the practice is more often sidelined in low churches. So let's take a look at the practice of fasting from a practical and historical view, as it seems to be a spiritual discipline which has been pushed aside in many churches today, with prayer, worship and bible reading taking more precedence in a Christian's life instead (not that those are bad things to do!). Why fast? There are many reasons to fast, and recent studies have shown a lot of health benefits that can be derived from fasting. But on the spiritual side of life, there are also...

Creedal Christians: The Nicene Creed

...att 1:21; 1 Timothy 2:4; Romans 3:23 came down came down from heaven John 3:13, 3:31; 6:38, 41 and was incarnate and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, Luke 1:34-35 and was made man. and was made man, John 1:14; Heb 2:14   and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. Mark 15:15, 25; John 19:16-18; 1 Peter 2:24 He suffered He suffered and was buried, John 19:1-3; Luke 23:53; Matt 27:50, 59-60 and the third day he rose again, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Luke 24:6, 45-46;...

Spiritual Disciplines of the Early Church: Ancient Practices for the 21st Century

...ts 20:35; 1 Timothy 2:1–3, 6:6–8; Hebrews 13:5; Philippians 4:19; Proverbs 11:24, 23:4; Deuteronomy 16:17. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and [money]. Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:24 – 25 (WEB) Living a simple life isn’t purely about being poor or minimalistic in terms of physical possessions, but also in our attitudes and inte...

Slavery in the Bible – Does God Condone Slavery?

...my 24:7, 1 Timothy 1:9-1:11). These servants were willing bond-slaves. There is even a book (actually a letter) in the Bible (Philemon) that was written by the Apostle Paul to Philemon (a slave master) emphasizing the fact that all who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness of their sin should be treated in the same way … with the same love and respect. What about Leviticus 25:44-46? It is true that God specifically made room for forced slavery, as seen in Lev. 25:44-46. However, this passage should not be seen in the same context as other passages we have considered when dealing with the moral implications of slavery. The reason being that this...

The Gospel of Jeffrey Dahmer

...anyone. 1 Timothy 1:16But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate His extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Jeffrey Dahmer was definitely “the worst of them”, yet not beyond the reach of our ever-loving saviour, Christ Jesus. I understand the human desire to want to see the vilest of people punished or condemned to hellfire, and even the Apostles and other believers were wary of Paul’s conversion and claim to have faith, understandably so. “When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, f...