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7 things the Lord hates (spoiler: questioning doctrine isn't one of them)

...which the Christians reacted to this news about JoC and the tweets, and how all the bloggers etc. exploded with articles with some hints of condemnation. Jars of Clay at Toronto, Canada. Photo: Ian Muttoo Though I do agree that twitter probably wasn't the best place to voice such questions and thoughts, which I do think were genuine and not merely provocative, that doesn't excuse the way in which people responded.   It all comes across as very judgemental, mean and downright nasty in some comments. Completely Christ-like behaviour. Obviously.   The whole things just comes across very much with the tone of "you can't question...

The Coming of Jesus: Revelation Fulfilled?

...cuted the Christians, though none quite so severely as Nero did. There’s varying accounts of when Revelation was penned by John. I won’t spend too much time on this as many, many others have wrote books on the topic of dating, so I’ll just give a brief overview of both sides of the argument.   One of the earliest accounts mentioning a possible early date for Revelation is from the “Muratorian Fragment” which dates back to the around 170-190 AD. This fragment is one of the earliest lists we have of the accepted Canon of Scripture (or books which were approved to be read in the Churches), and in it there is a curious sentence about Paul “followin...

The Resurrection as a historical event

...Table of Contents Jesus was raised bodily – and historically The resurrection is what makes Christianity unique! Evidence from Paul The mystery of the resurrection The nature of the resurrection The resurrection is more than physical What with Easter still ringing in our ears, I thought it would be a good time to revisit the topic of resurrection, but from a historical standpoint and why we can trust it as a real, world-changing event. So, what really is the resurrection? How will we be resurrected, and what does it mean for us that Jesus rose again? Let’s explore what this means for us as Christians, and see what the Scriptures say. Jesus wa...

Debunking the Myth: The Council of Nicaea and the Formation of the Biblical Canon

...ons among Christians long before and after the Council of Nicaea. Conclusion In conclusion, the myth that the Council of Nicaea, under Constantine’s influence, played a decisive role in shaping the biblical canon is unfounded. Despite the messy aspects of the history of the canon, there is no indication that it was established by a small group of bishops at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Debunking such myths is crucial for a more accurate understanding of the historical development of the Christian Bible. Further Reading Creedal Christians: The Nicene Creed | The Sacred Faith: Timeless Truths for Modern Minds The Council of Nicaea (Nicea) and the Bi...

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

...I was asked not so long ago what kinds of things Christians did in the Early Church (first to fourth century) as a form of spiritual discipline, on a personal level as well as a corporate one. Though the concept of an individual “personal spiritual life” would have been quite foreign to first century believers as faith and Church was very much a corporate venture that had personal implications, rather than the other way around as it can often appear to be thought of today. Much of what made Christianity structured, disciplined and set apart from society, has largely been lost in practice, or forgotten and relegated to the annals of history by many practicin...

Support Israel? OK, which Israel?

..."We interrupt your regularly scheduled programme to bring you this..." Sorry if you were waiting for part 3 of the Coming of Jesus series, but what with all that's going on in the news lately, I felt that this needed to be written first. "Support Israel's right to defend itself from terror." Images like this really don't help anything. If you've been on Facebook, or any other social media no doubt, I'm sure you will have seen (or even said) words to this effect in status' or memes. I keep seeing memes and images posted by people, often from Christians, about "supporting Israel" and each time it makes me stop and question that statement and/or sentiment....