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Lent Day 20: Cyprian: On the Unity of the Church: 19-27

...summit of salvation”, and not the summit itself, which is why we need to watch ourselves and keep on the narrow path because every time we repent and confess our sins, “the adversary is more provoked”! “For the Lord chose Judas also among the apostles”, Cyprian points out, even though Judas betrayed the Lord afterwards. This didn’t break the faith of the Apostles, and neither should seeing those in the Church fall away, as sad as it may be at times. We are a corporate Body together in the Faith, but our salvation is our own to “work out with fear and trembling” and isn’t dependant on anyone else, even though they may be someone you respect and...

Lent Day 28: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 71-80

...y for the salvation and well-being of man, that having shared in human birth He might make man partake in the divine and spiritual nature; or to liken the divine to senseless animals and consequently to worship four-footed beasts, creeping things and the likenesses of men?  For these things, are the objects of reverence of you wise men. But how do you dare to mock us, who say that Christ has appeared as man... He goes on to say that they talk endlessly about “the wanderings of Osiris and Isis, the plots of Typhon, the flight of Cronos, his eating his children and the slaughter of his father” as their form of wisdom, yet mock the cross but marvel at the r...

Lent Day 40: Leo the Great: Sermon LXXII: ON THE LORD'S RESURRECTION, II

...p for the salvation of mortals” which is both a “mystery and an example” for us to follow. It's “a sacrament where by the Divine power takes effect” and “an example whereby man's devotion is excited” to be “inseparably united to” Christ, who is “the Way that is of holy living, the Truth of Divine doctrine, and the Life of eternal happiness (Jn 14:6). Christ took our nature upon Him for our salvation In the beginning, when the “whole body of mankind had fallen”, our merciful God had purposed in himself to make a way to reconcile “His creatures made after His image [...] through His only-begotten Jesus Christ”. Leo goes on to say th...

Rob Bell's “Love Wins” (Review)

...oncerning salvation and how are you “attain” it and the consequences if you don't – while the same time pointing out the flaws in modern theology and general beliefs held by many in the Church today. He then presents a lot more question to get you thinking and quotes Jesus' words, and a few other scriptures, which leads to more questions. Therein lies the purpose of this book – not for Rob to push you to believe what he does, but to get you to question and really think about the things we say we believe. Bell then moves on to heaven. Unless you've really studied the Bible on Heaven, this chapter will likely smash a lot of cultural ideas you hold withou...

Lent: Day 4 - Polycarp to the Philippians

...Day Four: Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians (full text) Who: Polycarp of Smyrna, who was a direct disciple of the apostle John. We also have some information about Polycarp via Irenaeus (who knew Polycarp) in his book, Adv. Haer., III.3.4: “But Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna”. What: Lots of exhortations are contained in this letter, and is also referenced by Irenaeus as being for “those who wish to do so, and are anxious about their salvation, can learn the character of his (Polycarp's) faith, and the preachin...

Did a Roman Catholic priest perform 'invalid' baptisms for years?

...faith and salvation, due to the guidance issued by the Vatican back in June 2020, which stated that “the ‘We’ formula was invalid and that anyone who was baptised using it must be re-baptized using the proper formula”. This flies in the face of what was already discussed, written about, and settled, during Cyprian (250) and Augustine’s time (400) concerning the very same predicament. If we read more of Augustine’s work, On Baptism Against the Donatists, it’s as though he is speaking into this very issue today: Supposing, then, that it were shown that some persons were baptised when these [erroneous] prayers had been uttered over the water, will th...