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The Gospel of Jeffrey Dahmer

...gh” for salvation and Dahmer isn’t? If you do think this, then, again, you don’t understand the Gospel or God’s grace.   Many Christians are aware of Paul’s words in Romans 3:23: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. I often see this quoted online as inspirational images and posters, or as a way to explain human failings, since no one can live up to what God requires of us through our own efforts. But when you apply this to a repentant murderer, suddenly it’s no longer valid? That’s not how grace works. Look at the surrounding context; Paul makes it abundantly clear that there are no exceptions — for falling short or...

Man-Made Tradition vs Apostolic Tradition

...out their salvation, can learn the character of his faith, and the preaching of the truth. Irenaeus, Against Heresies III, 3:4 And the amazing thing is, we still have Polycarp’s letter today! It has survived and been preserved by the Church for over 2000 years, so we can still learn from him today as one who “would speak of the conversations he had held with John and with others who had seen the Lord” (a description by Irenaeus, who knew Polycarp). Know your history, know your heresy What about the Bible? Scripture was canonised to preserve and teach the basics of the Gospel and the way of salvation. Not everything that was written was canonised...

Understanding The New Testament: Inspiration, Canonisation, And Historical Context

...llness of salvation and faith. Noteworthy texts, like the Didache, were highly regarded, read, and taught to new converts but did not meet the specific criteria for canonisation. The canon was a dynamic concept, and some New Testament books faced scepticism before gaining widespread acceptance. These texts were known as “antilegomena” (from Greek ἀντιλεγόμενα) literally meaning “spoken against”. In the Early Church, the antilegomena enjoyed widespread readership, encompassing works such as the Epistle of James, Jude, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, the Book of Revelation, the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Apocalypse of Peter...

The Battle for the Trinity: Historical Heresies and Church Defences

...d for our salvation. The Holy Spirit: The presence of God active in the world and within believers. This concept is rooted in Scripture and has been affirmed by the Church through various councils and creeds. Common Historical Heresies Arianism What It Taught: Arius, a priest in the early 4th century, claimed that Jesus Christ was not of the same substance as the Father. He taught that the Son was a created being, distinct and subordinate to the Father. Church’s Response: The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD condemned Arianism, affirming that the Son is “of the same substance” (homoousios) as the Father. This is reflected in the Nicene Creed: “We be...

Lent Day 31: Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures: Lecture XX

..., and our salvation in reality”. Like many other early church writers, Cyril views baptism as a way in which our sins are washed away, probably due to passages like Acts 2:38 (“...so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”) and 2 Peter 3:21 (“And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience…). So Cyril writes that baptism “purges our sins, and ministers to us the gift of the Holy Ghost” and is our part in the sufferings of Christ, recalling what Paul says in Romans 6:3 that we are “baptised into his death”. But...

Kirk Cameron And The Biblical Case For Annihilationism

...aren’t salvation or Gospel issues, which can still be grounded in Scripture — even if you disagree with the conclusion! Why the Reaction to Kirk Cameron Reveals a Deeper Anxiety Much of the outrage surrounding Cameron’s comments betrays a deeper fear: that removing eternal conscious torment somehow weakens evangelism. But this assumes that fear is the main thrust of the Gospel. The New Testament presents eternal life — not eternal torment — as the primary motivation of Christian proclamation. The good news is not that hell is horrific, but that God offers life, forgiveness, and resurrection in Christ. salvation is God sa...