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The Coming of Jesus: The Olivet Discourse – Part 1

...prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. (cf. Matthew 23:34-36) Jesus bluntly tells them that basically the Pharisees are hypocrites, and are partakers in the slaughter of God's holy prophets, even if they weren't alive at the time since they built tombs for them and proclaimed that they wouldn't have aided in the killing of the prophets – all the while plotting to kill Jesus who was regarded as a prophet by the people. Now because of this, Jesus says that his generation would have the c...

An Examination of Conditional Immortality (Part Two)

...rences to shed some light on the meaning of these phrases which we can examine below: Ezekiel 20:46–48Mortal, set your face toward the south, preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negeb; say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it. All flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it; it shall not be quenched. So, in our first example, Ezekiel was obviously not prophesying that the forests of Negeb wo...

God from God: The Eternal Son in the Crib

...how does she relate to Christ the Word and Son of God? Christotokos — bearer of Christ’s humanity? Theotokos — bearer of God Himself? The Church chose Theotokos — God-bearer during the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. This wasn’t about elevating Mary: it was about protecting Christology. If Mary bore only a human Christ, and divinity “joined” Him later, then Jesus would be two persons: one human, one divine. But Scripture proclaims: The Word became flesh. Not “the Word entered a man,” but became human (flesh). The title Theotokos safeguards that: Christ is one Person His humanity and divinity are united The One born...

Did Herod’s Massacre Of The Innocents Historically Happen?

...e had banished away whatsoever might afford him the least suggestion of reasoning better about this matter, so he already made haste to bring his purpose to a conclusion. He also brought out three hundred of the officers that were under an accusation … whom the multitude stoned with whatsoever came to hand, and thereby slew them. — Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 16.11.7 So, why the silence here about Bethlehem? The answer, I would say, isn’t anything nefarious or made-up by Matthew, but just something simply down to scale. Bethlehem Was a Very Small Place Bethlehem in the early first century was not a city. It was a village — small, agri...