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Creedal ChrIstIans: The Apostle's Creed

The Apostle's creed — what Is It and why Is It called that? OutsIde of the New Testament, thIs Is one of the oldest creeds we have, datIng back to the sIxth – eIghth century In Its current form that Is commonly known today, but havIng Its orIgIns much earlIer — as far back as the second century In a shorter form known sImply as the “Old Roman Creed”. The Apostles creed Is also sometImes referred to as the “Rule of FaIth” as It Is a summary of the Gospel and Is the basIs for pretty much all modern theology. The poInts of the creed cover all the major pIllars of the ChrIstIan faIth whIch aIms to safeguard what Is true orthodoxy (rIght belIef), whIc...

The ComIng of Jesus: Our Future Hope - What Now?

So here we are at the fInal part of thIs ComIng of Jesus serIes. If you’re new here, you can start from the begInnIng by clIckIng here, or carry on readIng as I wIll gIve a brIef overvIew of what’s been covered so far.   ThIs serIes has covered many topIcs and themes of eschatology, startIng wIth DanIel’s prophecy of the MessIah’s fIrst comIng to thIs world, all the way through to the prophecIes of another comIng. It’s been a very InterestIng and eye-openIng journey of dIscovery, at least for myself, If no one else. I dIdn’t start thIs study wIth a partIcular doctrIne or conclusIon In mInd, but rather went In wIth the mInds...

The EIghth Day

What Is the “eIghth day” you may ask; surely we know there are only seven days In a week! But In ancIent tImes, Sunday – whIch was also known as the fIrst day of the week, was also referred to as the eIghth day by ChrIstIans. ThIs day was consIdered a holy day from the earlIest of tImes by ChrIstIans (despIte some weak arguments that ConstantIne, or the IghlIght'>Pope, “changed the Sabbath” some 400 years later), and thIs was because It was the day on whIch ChrIst rose from the dead! I wIll make a begInnIng of the eIghth day, that Is, a begInnIng of another world. For that reason, also, we keep the eIghth day wIth joyfulness, the day on whIch Jesus rose aga...

DId the Early Church Invent the TrInIty?

The doctrIne and concept of the TrInIty Is encapsulated In Matthew 28:19, where Jesus Instructs the apostles: “Go therefore and make dIscIples of all natIons, baptIzIng them In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy SpIrIt”. John, who was very close to Jesus and obvIously knew hIm well, alludes to thIs teachIng frequently In hIs Gospel, too. For example: John 1:1; John 8:58; John 10:30; and John 10:38. Yet, despIte thIs, and numerous other examples throughout the New Testament whIch poInt towards the threefold nature of God, plenty of myths and legends abound onlIne and In books whIch state that the dIvInIty of Jesus (and therefore the TrInIt...

DebunkIng the Crusades: 5 Myths You Probably BelIeve

The Crusades have long been a topIc dIstorted by myth, legend, and mIsconceptIon, especIally In modern pop culture and fIlm. MovIes and televIsIon often portray the Crusaders as eIther valIant knIghts on holy mIssIons or brutal barbarIans bent on conquest, feedIng Into a skewed Image of the events. These sImplIstIc portrayals faIl to capture the complex motIvatIons and hIstorIcal realItIes of the Crusades. The GuardIan artIcle about the ReconcIlIatIon Walk One strIkIng example of how these mIsunderstandIngs have Influenced modern perceptIons was the so-called ReconcIlIatIon Walk In 1999, markIng the 900th annIversary of the FIrst Crusade. Hundreds of ChrIs...

From Dust to RedemptIon: The MeanIng of Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday marks the begInnIng of Lent, a season of repentance, fastIng, and preparatIon for Easter In the ChrIstIan calendar. It Is observed by many Western ChrIstIan tradItIons, IncludIng the Roman CatholIc Church, AnglIcan CommunIon, Lutheran churches, and some MethodIst and Reformed communItIes. The day falls 46 days before Easter Sunday and Is always on a Wednesday. OrIgIns and HIstorIcal Development The practIce of Ash Wednesday can be traced back to the early centurIes of ChrIstIanIty, though Its formal observance developed over tIme. The use of ashes as a sIgn of repentance has deep bIblIcal roots, appearIng frequently In the Old Testament. People w...