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Is The Rapture Biblical?

...s them to heaven, away from all the troubles on the earth, before coming back later to do a proper “second coming”. John Nelson Darby, a 19th-century theologian, is often credited with creating this premillennial rapture doctrine, followed closely by C.I. Scofield who wrote a best-selling annotated Bible which promoted Darby’s rapture views in its footnote commentary. This particular Bible became wildly popular across America in the early 1900s and ended up solidifying the futurist dispensational viewpoint for generations to come within Evangelicalism. Despite the popularity of Scofield’s Bible, what it (and Darby) taught was a novel idea which had not...

Unveiling the Trinity: Exploring the Nature of Jesus and the Incarnation

...eated the heavens and the earth. … Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." In Genesis, God's creative act through His spoken word underscores the creative power of the Word. Early theologians like Tertullian, who coined the term "Trinity," and later scholars, such as Augustine, explored the concept of the Triune God. Psalms 33:6 "The heavens were made by the word of the LORD, and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth." This verse highlights the creative power of God's Word, which aligns with the understanding of Christ as the divine Word. Early church fathers, like Irenaeus, played a role in affirming Christ's divinity and His...

Lent Day 22: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 11-20

...ip in the heavens”. To me, that seems pretty amazing! That such conviction could fall on so many people to die to self and truly live a live devoted to God at the expense of the world – it’s inspiring I think, and not something you see a great deal of happening today to that kind of level (in the Western Church at least, and not en masse). Monastic communities form As more monks gathered in the desert, they came to Anthony to hear what he could teach them, and he gave basic rules, saying that  “the Scriptures are enough for instruction, but it is a good thing to encourage one another in the faith, and to stir up with words”, and to take what you le...

BOOK REVIEW: Four Views on Hell 2nd edition

...e idea of heaven and modify the idea of hell, we must cease to think of them as opposites, and thus conceive of hell as annihilation rather than torment. The view of hell as being removed from the love of God for ever by annihilation arguably is not out of line with the main stream of Christian thought…What is the greatest loss a human being can sustain? The answer, most people would agree, is the loss of life itself, that is, death…It is, in short, annihilation, the coming to nothing.”30 Kronen also exposes the root fallacy in the ‘Classical Doctrine of Hell’ compared to the doctrine of God’s essential goodness, regarding the damned: “Their...

The Eighth Day

...im in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus Romans 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Also, just a interesting side-note here: baptismal fonts in the traditional Church buildings are often Octagonal in shape due to the symbolism of the eighth day and baptism representing new creation!   A new Kingdom with God Not only are we within the new creation, raised up and seated with Christ in the heavenlies, but we are co-workers in this new ministry! We work together with God to bring all of Creation back to Him...

Before The Pumpkins: The Day Two Women Defied Rome

...ing up to heaven, guarded by a fierce serpent below, and sharp iron spikes along either side. Only those who stepped on the serpent’s head and climbed the ladder could enter. She interpreted this as her coming trial — the climb of faith through suffering to eternal life, realising that God wasn’t going to deliver her from this trial, but that it should be her passion (i.e. her death). It’s an image of triumph through endurance that echoes Christ’s own words: “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). Felicity’s story is just as moving. She was heavily pregnant at eight months when arrested and gave bir...