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Lent Day 27: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 61-70

...ince they worship that which is created” rather than “the Creator, the Lord of all, by whom all things came into being, with those things which were originated” (John 1:1-4). On hearing that Anthony had denounced the Arians, the city rejoiced and even the Greeks and their temple priests came to see Anthony speak, and in that time many people were healed and set free from demons, and “as many became Christians in those few days as one would have seen made in a year”! That must have been quite some party with all those people coming to Christ and worshipping him, what a sight it must have been. I pray that God convicts us all to live a more pious life...

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?

...with this worship song which celebrates the resurrection, which I really like. Focus on the words of the song and praise God for Jesus! Happy Easter, everyone....

Creedal Christians: Introduction

...turgy and worship of the Church as part of baptisms and hymns, and were also expected to be committed to memory by new converts to the faith. Another well-known example of what could be arguably a creed of sorts, is found in Galatians 3:28 which, upon further inspection, appears to contradict and oppose the more popular expressions and "blessings" that were used by Greeks and Jews of his day. Contrast Paul's wording to the Galatians... "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." (Apostle Paul, Gal 3:28) With that of the Greek and Jewish sayings: “Th...

Lent: Day 2 - Mathetes to Diognetus, pt. 1

...nst Greek worship and that of the Jews too. What I do find odd is how in this book (and others I've read) Jewish beliefs are often called “Jewish superstitions” which the writer relates to meaning much of the traditional practices of the Jews we'd recognise from the Old Testament. Maybe superstition meant something else back then than it does today? This reading then finishes with a description of how Christians live and intermingle with society, yet are distinct from the world around them. I found this challenging and wondered if the description still applies to what we see today in the Church? [The Christians] display to us their wonderful and confesse...

When did Christians become so whiny?

...hrist and worship an image of the Emperor and to also offer incense to him as a god. Governor Pliny (who wrote the letter quoted above) also tried to gain more information about Christianity by " torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses" - but only discovered what he refers to as "depraved, excessive superstition." Even in the face of death and torture, the early Christians held fast to their faith in God. Dionysius c.260 AD Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering...

Does Jesus mean Hail Zeus?

...center of worship for Artemis” Another suggestion is this: Some have suggested that the name Ephesus may have had something to do with the Latin word apis, meaning bee, but although the bee was a dominant symbol of Ephesus and appeared on many of its coins, this etymology is commonly rejected. More attractive, and now generally accepted among scholars, is the hypothesis that the name Ephesus formed from the Hittite name Apasa, which belonged to the capital of an ancient federation called Arzawa, located in western Anatolia.The name Apasa and thus Ephesus would thus literally mean Later Place —abarim-publications.com So you see, there isn't even a REM...