In the Bible, in the Gospel according to St Matthew (16:18), Jesus says: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
This verse is used frequently for a variety of reasons. One of the most common uses of the verse is as a prooftext for claiming that no matter what happens against the Church, ranging from external attacks to internal scandals, the Church will prevail and weather the storm.
Is that a legitimate use of the passage?
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When the Apostle Paul tells Christians to “put on the whole Armor of God,” there is only one “offensive” weapon — The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
People like that clean end of thought period at the end of the statement. It allows them to go no further in the text. Having the passage told to them, with the firm period at the end of the text, allows the verse to be memorized and quoted so easily. Continue reading
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
~ 2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV
From my early days of going to church at a small independent Baptist congregation, I have heard the above text used to teach a few closely related messages/doctrinal points. From that passage being taught in Sunday School, to sermons from the pulpit, to my initial seminary experience for the sake of gaining the Master of Divinity, that passage has had a tightly focused emphasis: Trust the Bible – The Bible is Continue reading
Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
I have heard people argue that Jesus’ observation is speaking of Christians’ love for other Christians.
In contrast, the revered theologian John Chrysostom (circa AD354-407), explained that the passage was to be seen as evangelistic – Continue reading
I recently listened to a lecture by Professor Tyler Roberts, PhD (Harvard), professor of religious studies at Grinnell College. The lecture was on Liberation Theology (AKA Theologies of Liberation) and was recorded in 2009 (so there may be more recent scholarship on the topic), and it made me think about Liberation Theology through a new lens – What is the purpose of Liberation Theology? With that new lens comes the question – In light of its controversial nature, is Liberation Theology redeemable? Continue reading
In the Gospel according to Saint John, Pontius Pilate asks Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38).
The philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard asked, “Can we learn the truth?”
Kierkegaard was reflecting on a teaching by Socrates, as relayed by Plato, that the soul is in possession of the truth but (being a person who believes in reanimation) that between lives the soul “drinks the waters of forgetfulness” and once reanimated in a new life must relearn, have brought to the new physical surface, that truth within itself through the guidance of a teacher who knows the truth.
Ultimately, Kierkegaard determined that yes, we can in fact learn the truth. He goes on to explain that Christ is the ultimate teacher and will teach us the truth, answering Kierkegaard’s own question, and teach us what truth is, answering Pilate’s question.
How then does it happen? Continue reading
In the book written by Luke named “Acts” (AKA The Acts of the Apostles) in the Bible, there are a couple of separate stories in chapter 8. The first is about Simon the Magician trying to buy the Apostles’ blessing of the Holy Spirit. It is a good story and worth Continue reading
The Bread of Heaven: People still ask: “What is it?” – Then Argue About It
Looking at what the Bible tells us about the Eucharist Continue reading
Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. Fr Steven Rindahl
~ Mark 16:9–11
“She was there at the beginning of his ministry. And she was there at the end. She was there when they were following him in cheering throngs. And she was there when they were taking his life, dashing it against the stones of temple and state, turning on him, jeering him, shouting for his death, Continue reading
I recently read an article written by a Protestant theologian explaining the salvific role of Eve. As I read it, the thing that stood out to me was the author’s dismissal of Eve being the foreshadowing of Mary – just as Adam foreshadows Jesus. Eve and Adam both had their roles to play in the Garden. Both Eve and Adam failed in their roles. Both of those failures had to be reversed for salvation. Although the author acknowledged the reality that Jesus is the new Adam, he rejected the idea that Mary is the new Eve. This short review provides a couple quotes from the journal article and then demonstrates the direct parallels to the author’s points about Eve, which are found in Mary. The concludes with one bonus point – alluded to by the author but not Continue reading
