There are a lot of views about how the ancient writings actually became part of our Bible. Some have said that, for political and theological reasons, a council of bishops voted on these particular books out of hundreds of competing writings. Others say the church ran each book through a rigorous test to determine whether […]
Read MoreCategory Archives: Church History
Are There “Lost” Scriptures?
Some conspiracy theorists, fiction-writers, filmmakers, and revisionist historians would like us to believe that the books we have in our New Testament were selected by prejudiced or ignorant church leaders from among hundreds of competing gospels, letters, and other Christian writings that were just as good — if not better —representations of Christianity. These people […]
Read MoreMind Over Matter: The Heresy of Gnosticism both Then and Now
Take this simple true or false quiz. Ready? Prayer is more important than mowing your widowed grandmother’s lawn. Sharing the gospel is more important than taking a meal to a new mother and father just home from the hospital. Doing “sacred” work, such as preaching or being a missionary, is more important than “secular” work, […]
Read MoreDid a Unified Church Develop from Diversity and Conflict?
Some modern historians and theologians propose that the early church was characterized by “radical diversity.” They argue that we cannot legitimately speak of a unified “Christianity” during that time, but rather, that the early church consisted of competing “Christianities.” Having denied the reality of the resurrection, these scholars are faced with explaining how Christianity developed […]
Read MoreBible Wannabes
In the early 1800s, Joseph Smith published the Book of Mormon as “another” testament of Jesus Christ. In the mid 1500s, the Roman Catholic Church declared the writings of the “Apocrypha” to be on par with the rest of inspired Scripture. In the 600s, Muslims touted the Quran as the final, superior addition to God’s […]
Read MoreA Tradition You Can Trust
Near the end of his life and ministry, with martyrdom looming before him, the apostle Paul dictated a letter for one of his closest ministry assistants—a young man named Timothy. In that letter, Paul encouraged Timothy to hold on to what he had been taught, to guard believers from harm, to stand firm against temptations, […]
Read MoreDiscovering the Gates of Hades
Of all the gods of Greek mythology, he was one of the ugliest, with goat’s horns growing from his head, goat’s hoofs in place of feet, and the shaggy hair of a goat covering his body. But the half-man, half-goat god, Pan, was merry, bounding among the thickets and mountains playing his reed pipe. It […]
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