Church History Debates: Should We Venerate Icons?
A hallmark of Old Testament Judaism was its strict opposition to idolatry, and hence to religious images that could lead to image worship. The earliest Christians seemed to follow their Jewish predecessors with an uneasiness to such things. Their rejection of image-worship contributed to their caricature in the broader society as “atheists.” At some point […]
Singing the Song of the Lamb: A Review of Jonathan Young’s Commentary on Revelation
Sitting on the back deck of my home one afternoon, my young teenage son, Jonathan, told me that he no longer believed in God. I cannot say I was surprised. Yes, he grew up in a Christian home, often at a Christian school, in a great Christian youth ministry, with parents who had daily devotionals […]
What Does Our Faith Teach That Our Society Needs?
Christianity emerged in a world vastly different from the values espoused by followers of Christ. Slavery was assumed to be a necessary part of a functioning society, and slaves could be thought of as living property and tools.[1] An adulterous wife was a disgrace to be dealt with harshly, but men were free (even expected!) […]
Church History Debates: What Is Monophysitism?
It seems clear from Scripture that Jesus was both human and divine. Could it be that both natures combined to form a single, hybrid nature? That’s the logic behind a view called “monophysitism.” Background and Summary To understand monophysitism, it’s helpful to go back and look at the debate over whether Jesus was one or […]
Church History Debates: Why Believe the Trinity?
The word “Trinity” takes the prefix “tri” (three) and connects it with the word “unity.” The doctrine teaches that God is a unity of three persons. The word itself isn’t used in the Old or New Testament. Is it a biblical teaching, nonetheless? What follows is a brief retelling of the story of how early […]
Formation of the Old Testament Canon
How did we get our Old Testament? Who decided which books made the cut (and became “canon”)? Why are there differences between the list of books in Catholic and Protestant Bibles? Before we get into these questions, however, it is important to differentiate a couple terms: “Scripture” and “Canon.” “Scripture” can refer to any writing […]
Church History Debates: Is Pelagianism a Heresy?
It’s clear from Scripture and our own experience that humans, though created in God’s image, are sinners. We have a decided inner propensity toward sin. But is it at least possible that a regular human who is capable of sinning could somehow live a sinless life? Theoretically? That’s where “Pelagianism” comes in. Background of the Pelagian […]
4 Ways I Was Impacted by ‘Fool of God: A Novel Based on the Life of Alexander Campbell’
I became a disciple of Jesus at the University of Calgary (Canada) and was baptized on my 20th birthday. I was discipled to closely read and obey Scripture. It was an exciting journey, and the process completely changed my life. Soon I was married to a godly, young lady and we pursued Jesus and following […]
