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Jesus Like You've Never Seen Before - Discoveries from Early Christian Art

...ries with magic. Consequently, in their depictions of these events, they represented Jesus with a wand to signify the miraculous or “magical” acts described in the stories and how Jesus performed them. Lee M. Jefferson of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, wrote in his Biblical Archaeology article, “Jesus the magician? Why Jesus Holds a Wand in Early Christian Art” (Autumn 2020): The implement that Jesus holds (sometimes called a virga or rabdos) is portrayed as either thick and ruddy, such as on the sarcophagi, or thin and reed-like, such as in catacomb paintings. He uses it in the performance of a miracle, leading several scholars to conclude tha...

Lent Day 28: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 71-80

...ns of the magicians? When did all these things cease and grow weak except when the Cross of Christ arose?” He argues that if by the rising of the cross and the death of Christ put an end to all these powers (Col 2:15), then how is it something to be mocked, surely the only things worthy of mockery now are those powers which have been disarmed. For in every city, “our side flourishes and multiplies over yours” despite the persecutions and mockery Christians receive. Even though the Greek legends are honoured everywhere, their followers diminish and their faith perishes, yet the Christians, even though killed by kings, flourishes all the more! As Tertullian...

Did a Roman Catholic priest perform 'invalid' baptisms for years?

...is is not magic that needs the correct spell to be cast in order to make it effective. The faith and intent of all involved should suffice as far as this part is concerned. A few caveats though, as I don’t want my words to be misconstrued. There are correct words that need to be said for baptism to be valid on one very important level: what and who you are being baptised into. When being baptised, we are baptised into Christ in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That much is pretty important to be clear on, as it is what Jesus instructed and it makes it clear who we belong to through the baptismal process. In the case of these so-called “invalid...

Horus, Jesus, and Egyptian Mythology: Separating Fact from Fiction

...oddess of magic and healing. Osiris was murdered by his jealous brother Set, who dismembered his body and scattered the pieces throughout Egypt. Isis, determined to bring her husband back to life, searched for and reassembled Osiris' body parts. Using her magical powers, she temporarily revived Osiris, and during this brief period, she conceived Horus without engaging in sexual intercourse by taking the form of a bird and hovered over Osiris' reassembled body, receiving his “seed” and becoming pregnant with Horus. Afterward, Osiris died again and descended to the underworld, where he became the god of the afterlife. This miraculous conception has led some p...