As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Even a book that feels as intimate as Confessions was spoken to several of the many scribes Augustine kept busy. That was the normal practice in antiquity. Even in prison, Saint Paul had a scribe on hand. Even when living as a hermit, Saint Jerome had teams of scribes. The population of ancient scribes was a vast one.” - How Augustine Wrote So Many Books
The Gospel of Thomas is a Gnostic text full of alleged “sayings” of Jesus, likely dating from the late 2nd century. It is one of the most popular of the so-called “gnostic gospels” and is frequently mentioned in secular media around Easter or Christmas, when regular attacks against the Christian faith have become almost expected. The best way to understand the contrast between canonical Scripture and these “gnostic gospels” is to actually read them. To that end, here is an excerpt from the Gospel of Thomas, below:1
When I was first saved, many of the people in my new (Bible believing) church held to the Gap Theory. As I began to study the terrain in 1974, I noticed many popular Christian authors held to theistic evolution or perhaps the day-age theory. The young earth creation movement had gained steam by then, and soon this became the predominant viewpoint, at least in my brand of Christianity.
Reposted permission, from The Cripple Gate.
Almost every system or religion proposes some sort of love. From systems in the east to the west, they feature some concept of love. Both the Qur’an and the Bible do so. They both teach that God is loving. But, what do they mean by love? And, what is it about the God of the Qur’an and the God of the Bible that renders them loving? Most assertions of love remain in realm of abstract or human-to-human benevolence. How can we tangibly measure love?
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. (KJV, 1 Cor. 14:34–35)
What kind of sins warrant church discipline?
A sin that merits church discipline should be at least these three things: significant, outward, and unrepentant.
“French radicals inspired by secular, Enlightenment philosophy, wanted to expunge all religious influence and replace it with ‘reason.’ This ideal was exemplified at Notre Dame, where revolutionaries removed Christian symbols and replaced them with ‘Goddesses of Reason’….All clergy were ordered to declare allegiance to the state rather than the church.” - Breakpoint
I thought I would adapt some of my lecture notes on Systematic Theology for my blog. I am continuing to work on my book of biblical theology and thought it would do me good to change things up a bit. The first group of posts will be on the Doctrine of Revelation.
Discussion