As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
Jesus ascended back to heaven 40 days after his resurrection. We know this because Luke tells us (Acts 1:3). It’s a very important event, and Luke is the guy who wrote both accounts of it. One is shorter (Lk 24:50-53), and the other is a bit longer (Acts 1:10). Other New Testament writers constantly reference it, too.
One big reason is that the Christian story makes no sense without it.
“Martin Luther looked upon The Bondage of the Will and his Shorter Catechism as his most significant writings. The first of these, The Bondage of the Will, was Luther’s exposition of the monergism that characterized the Reformation.” - Ligonier
Christians throughout the world will celebrate Pentecost Sunday and the coming of the Holy Spirit—in a new and fresh way, to begin the church age—on Sunday, June 8.
Interestingly, these celebrations may not involve many of our readers, as oftentimes the churches in our circles do not make much of this day on the calendar.
“Most American Christians think of Easter as only a day and of Ascension Day as barely a blip on the calendar. However, in different times and places, Christians put a high priority on the Ascension. In the first few centuries of the Church, it was celebrated, along with Pentecost, as part of the Easter season.” - Breakpoint
“Before exploring the doctrine itself, it’s worth considering: why would God choose to communicate through a book? There are several compelling reasons.” - P&D
“This month, 1,700 years ago, was one of the most significant and consequential events in all of Church history. Across the Bosporus Straight from Constantinople, in Nicaea, a Council met to settle a question plaguing the Church: Who, precisely, is Jesus?” - Breakpoint
Related…
“We all wrestle with rules — especially the ones that tell us no. But what if the freedom we all seek isn’t in fighting of every perceived restriction but embracing the rules from the loving rule of the Creator that created us and the universe we occupy.” - Premier Christianity
“Christian apologetics seems to be more of a hot potato than ever. And I’m talking just within the church.” - Robin Schumacher
“The Four Cs of Doctrinal History Series…Contrary to its name, the creed was not written by the Apostles themselves. However, everything written in it reflects apostolic teaching, and therefore can rightly be called the Apostles’ Creed.” - P&D
“In this series, we will explore the overlap of a few ancient heresies with the modern Western worldview in order to articulate a Christian response or alternative.” - IFWE
Discussion