Blog Search Results

8 Most Controversial Topics In The Church Today

What are Christians' thoughts on homosexual marriage? Are spiritual talents biblically sanctioned? Can Christians have alcohol? These are some of the issues that frequently spark passionate debate inside the church today. Christians hold widely varied views on these matters, and both sides cite Scripture to buttress their positions. Even within a community of Christians in today's world, discernment is unquestionably required. Whatever your thoughts are on each of those issues, studying this list of areas wherein the church regularly reviews division will hopefully inspire us as Christ-followers to strive for unity within our personal church buildings or even a...

The Deity of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew - Part 1

The titles “Jehovah” and “God” given to Jesus in Matthew 1 This is a guest post by “KingsServant”, see Part 2 here. In this series of articles, I want to present the case that Matthew teaches Jesus is God, from the arguments I made in 2 moderated debates with a Muslim apologist, Mohammed Abd al Razack, commonly known as Al Yemeni. Although I will be going into far more detail, not having to deal with the tight time controls of a debate format. The moderated debate on YouTube with me (KingsServant)   Matthew’s teaching of the Trinity and in particular that Jesus is God is by no means limited to the baptismal formula given by Christ after h...

How Old Was Jesus When He Died? A Fresh Look At The Historical Clues

We often hear that Jesus was “about 33 years old” when he was crucified and only had a three-year ministry. But have you ever wondered how precise that number is, or why we assume that was his age, especially when Scripture doesn’t specify? Table of Contents The Gospel of Luke: “About Thirty” Early Church Testimony: Irenaeus and the Longer Ministry Historical Anchors: Birth, Pilate, and the Crucifixion Window The Death of Herod Cross-referencing with Pilate, Caiaphas, and Jesus When Did Tiberius Begin to Reign? 1. From his co-regency with Augustus (AD 11–12) 2. From the death of Augustus (AD 14) How Does This Affect Jesus’ Ag...

From Paradise to Presents: The Christian Story Behind the Christmas Tree

...t of much debate, with some questioning whether it has biblical support or condemnation. One of the most frequently cited passages in these discussions is Jeremiah 10:1–5. Some claim that these verses condemn the use of Christmas trees, but a closer look reveals that the text is not addressing this tradition at all. Reading Jeremiah in Context What Does Jeremiah 10:1–5 Say? The passage reads: Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord:Do not learn the way of the nations, or be dismayed at the signs of the heavens; for the nations are dismayed at them.For the customs of the peoples are false:a tree from the forest is c...

The World's Oldest Anti-Christian Meme

...literary debate. They had filtered all the way down to bored workers scratching things onto walls. “But Maybe It’s Just an Egyptian God?” I should mention, because it comes up sometimes, that some people argue the donkey-headed figure could simply be a depiction of the Egyptian jackal-headed god Anubis, and therefore proves nothing about Christianity at all. A few 19th century scholars floated this idea, noting the visual similarity. Egyptian Jackal Headed God Anubis.Not very donkey-like, if you ask me! It doesn’t really hold up, for one simple reason: the inscription. Alexamenos worships his god is written right underneath the image, mocking...

Why do bad things happen to 'good' people?

...there is debate about whether Job is a historical account, or simply an allegorical story to try and give an answer to a similar question, I think the principle of the story is that despite the circumstances of life, we should still praise God and keep ourselves righteous in his sight no matter what - to persevere in faith even when those around us doubt - like Job's wife and friends did: Then his wife said to him, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” In all this Job did not sin with his l...