It’s always fascinating to compare long-ingrained Church traditions with the words of Jesus. As I write this post, today is Ash Wednesday. It marks the first day of Lent—a period of fasting leading up until Easter Sunday. It is observed by the Roman Catholic church, as well as a number of Protestant denominations. The Orthodox…
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The Prize is Immortality and Eternal Life (Ignatius to Polycarp)
February 23, 2017In one of my recent posts, I discussed how the “crown of life” mentioned in James and Revelations is a way of describing eternal life itself. The “crown of life” is the “crown that is life.” Those who persevere in their faith receive this prize—eternal life. When we study the earliest church fathers, this teaching…
Continue reading →The Lord Will Save Me into His Kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18)
February 20, 2017While analyzing every New Testament use of the Greek verb “sozo” (σῴζω), meaning “to save,” I was surprised to find an instance I never noticed before. Paul uses this verb 29 times in his letters (31 if you include Hebrews), and almost every instance has been consistently translated as some variation of “to save” in…
Continue reading →What Is the Crown of Life?
February 14, 2017The crown of life is mentioned twice in the New Testament—once in James and once in Revelations. In both instances, the crown is received by those who stand the test through perseverance in the faith. Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of…
Continue reading →Test the Spirits and Hold Fast to the Faith
February 9, 2017The Apostle John writes in his first epistle, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1). We are to test “the spirits.” Whatever we read or hear, we are to examine it closely.…
Continue reading →Early Church Teaching on Abortion
February 6, 2017Abortion has been a hot political topic in the United States for many years. Especially in Western culture, where Christianity historically has had influence, it can appear at first glance to be a purely modern, politicized debate. Those arguing for the “right” of a woman to abort her child, frame the issue as one of…
Continue reading →No Immoral, Impure or Covetous Person Has a Kingdom Inheritance (Ephesians 5:1-6)
February 3, 2017In Ephesians, Paul exhorts the believers there to imitate God and avoid grievous sin: Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. 3 But immorality or any impurity or…
Continue reading →Holy Spirit in the Old Testament: Upon or Within People?
February 1, 2017I have heard it often taught that the Holy Spirit only came “upon” people in the Old Testament. This supposedly changed in the New Testament, specifically after the Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost, with the Holy Spirit now coming into and dwelling within us. Before the Spirit was upon, and now the Spirit dwells within. Unfortunately, this teaching is a…
Continue reading →Timothy Keller’s False Gospel in “The Prodigal God” (Part 3)
January 29, 2017This is the final post in a series evaluating the teachings found in “The Prodigal God” by Timothy Keller. “The Prodigal God” is based off of the well known parable found in Luke 15:11-32, the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Despite being a very popular author and teacher, in this book, Keller attempts to redefine…
Continue reading →Timothy Keller’s False Gospel in “The Prodigal God” (Part 2)
January 24, 2017This is the second of several posts, evaluating the teachings found in “The Prodigal God” by Timothy Keller. “The Prodigal God” is based off of the well known parable found in Luke 15:11-32, the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Despite being a very popular author and teacher, in this book, Keller attempts to redefine the…
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