texts: Is there any historical evidence of Early Church Christians denying the divinity of Jesus during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD?

texts:
I'm essentially asking the counter-question to this one. Is there any historical evidence of Early Church Christians (post-New Testament) openly denying the divinity of Jesus in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD? I know that Arianism became a thing in the 3rd century AD, but what about the previous two centuries?

Some clarifications:

Documents published at the time that include unambiguous statements are preferred. By unambiguous statement I mean something like "Jesus is not God, he is not divine, he didn't pre-exist, he was just a human being and nothing more, period."
I'm open to answers that cite the New Testament as a piece of historical evidence, as long as only unambiguous quotes are provided (see previous point).


texts: In what language was the Book of Matthew written?

texts:
I have heard it taught in several places that Matthew was originally written in Hebrew and its intended audience was the Jews (which would help explain why it seems a bit more vague on key Christian concepts). But recently I have been told that there are no Hebrew manuscripts of this text. I assume at least that the person who told me this meant that there are no Hebrew manuscripts that outdate the Greek ones.

So in what language was Matthew written?


texts: What are the Church fathers' arguments that Peter is the rock?

texts:
The Roman Catholic Church asserts that the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, is the legitimate successor of the apostle Peter, the "rock" upon whom the Lord Jesus Christ founded his Church, according to its interpretation of Matt. 16:18:

  And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. NABRE

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church,

  The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head." This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope. §881

Are there any writings of the early Church fathers that identify the apostle Peter as "the rock" upon which Christ founded his Church?

Moreover, if these writings do identify the apostle Peter as the rock upon which the Lord Jesus Christ founded his Church, does his identity as the rock have any significance in regards to identifying Christ's true Church?

That is, since the Roman Catholic Church identifies the Bishop of Rome as the successor of the apostle Peter (who they identify as the rock), do any of the writings of the early Church fathers identify the church which the bishop of Rome oversees (i.e., the Roman Catholic Church) as the same church which was founded upon the apostle Peter?


texts: What is Reasoning behind the Inquisition and Separation of Holy days to be separate from the Israeli Sabbath

texts:
I have been studying the Catholic religion lately and a great question came to mind which is explained below.

We know that despite all the differences in branches of Christianity, most denominations share in common the same basic beliefs. We almost all believe Christ died to save us from our imperfect selfs.

Therefore, I did some research on previous persecutions here and in the associated links. According to the Bible Jesus himself and all of his followers are commanded to "keep the Sabbath holy". The Bible also explicitly states that the Sabbath that God has commanded is on the Seventh Day of the week or Saturday.

The Links also describe how the Catholic Church and Spain used evidence that the families of potential Jews were celebrating the Sabbath on the correct day to persecute the Jews. The Inquisitions in general were supported by the pope and the church despite the fact that in Matthew 23:23 Jesus specifically demands mercy. All known versions of the Bible and in every one the meaning remains the same.

Furthermore Luke 6:36, James 2:13, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 103:1-22, Titus 3:5, Psalm 23:6, John 3:16, Hosea 6:6 and the extremely point-on verses in Matthew 9:13 and Mathew 12:7 all demand mercy or say something about it. I could go on and on but I would lose interest after the umpteenth verse.

I mean no offense to Catholics despite what my recent questions might suggest and there are many Catholics who are just as righteous and faithful as any other believer, but my question is the following.

How does the modern Catholic Church justify this defiance to what Jesus said about mercy being BEFORE justice? After all, the Catholic Church believes in Papal Infallibility so does the church not recognize that this was wrong according to the very religious scripture that our Lord commanded them to follow whole-heartedly?

(As a side note, the two questions I have asked are directly related and in my opinion would not be complete without each other. They are related because the church prosecuted Jews as well as changed their religious observance of the sabbath to separate themselves from the Jews to avoid as much as possible being seen as Jewish trouble-makers by Rome)

Again, I am just trying to learn about the Catholic Church because my brother recently converted to Catholicism. I do not mean to even imply that the Catholic Church is anything bad or wrong which is what three of my Catholic relatives thought when I asked them.


texts: According to Catholicism, do the saints and martyrs in heaven rise again on judgment day?

texts:
Do Saints and martyrs who are already in heaven rise again on judgment day and assume a new body?

If so, why when they are already in heaven and with the Lord?


texts: When we look for the messianic prophecies that Jesus completed, should we only look at the Old Testament?  What would be the basis for using the prophecies which were in books written after his death?


texts: What service is more 'important' in Orthodox Christianity?

texts:
If you can go to one as an Orthodox Christian, which one would be better to attend?

Holy Thursday - 12 Gospels or
Holy Friday - Lamentations


texts:
So I was trying to sync my iPod to the doomsday clock when I realized that I don't know what is meant by:

  You will hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end. (Matthew 24:6 (NABRE))

I do recall that being said as "rumors of war," but that must be in another Bible translation.

So, even if it's not the end, it's still important.  My conception of rumors of war is all wrapped up in George Orwell, but since he didn't write for quite a few years after Matthew perhaps it's not the right notion.

So here's my two parter, which is really a four parter.

What to Jesus and His disciples, what constituted a "Report of war"?  Was it the result of deliberate misinformation campaigns by the Romans?
Was the Cold War a "Rumor of a war"? In reading the signs of the times, was the confluence of wars (i.e. Vietnam) and rumors of war (i.e. Cold War) anything to get worked up about, as a harbinger bringing about the end times?


texts: According to Mormonism, how does a person get saved?

texts:
My question is pretty straightforward; I'm just wondering how a person gets "saved" according to Mormons.

By "saved" I'm referring ultimately to entrance into the "third heaven" of Mormon doctrine, which as I understand it, would correspond to the place that Chalcedonian Christians call "Heaven" (i.e. the "New Earth" of Revelation 21).

I know Mormonism teaches that all non-Mormons will go to "a heaven", but as they are considered apostate, they don't make the cut for getting into "the third heaven" (i.e. what the rest of us mean when we say "heaven".)

So what does a person have to do to make the cut? If the answer varies based on gender, race, etc., please indicate this in your answer.


texts: What was at issue in the Clark-Van Til controversy?

texts: In the 1940s, Cornelius Van Til and other professors at Westminster Theological Seminary first tried to block Gordon Clark's entry into the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, then later put him on trial for removal from the denomination. What theological issues were at stake in the controversy, why was it such a serious issue that Clark was removed from the OPC, and who are today's Clarkians and Van Tillians? For the last question, I'm not looking for a list but lines of demarcation.


texts: Do Baptists teach that baptism by full water immersion is essential to salvation

texts:
My understanding is that Baptists and Jehovah’s Witnesses reject infant baptism and advocate full water immersion of adults who fully understand what they are doing and what baptism means.

Believer's baptism (occasionally called credobaptism, from the Latin word credo meaning "I believe") is the Christian practise of baptism as is understood by many evangelical denominations, particularly those that descend from the Anabaptist and English Baptist tradition. According to their understanding, a person is baptized on the basis of his or her profession of faith in Jesus Christ and as admission into a local community of faith.  Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Believer%27s_baptism

The Baptist Union of Great Britain says this in their Declaration of Principle:

Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who 'died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried, and rose again the third day'.  Source: https://www.baptist.org.uk/Groups/220595/Declaration_of_Principle.aspx

Do Baptists believe adult water baptism is essential to salvation?  If not, why not?  This question is not about “right or wrong” but is seeking clarification on how Baptists view baptism in relation to salvation.


texts: If you are forgiven through the Grace of God, why do you need an Indulgence?

texts:
Ephesians 2:8,9 (NIV)

  8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

And from Wikipedia's definition of "Indulgence", it

  is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven....They are granted for specific good works and prayers.

What I don't understand is, if you are forgiven, what punishment does the Indulgence remove? If you are "saved not by good works", how can good works remove that punishment?


texts: Do any denominations teach that humans exist before birth?

texts:
I'm agnostic, and there is is a specific symmetry in the timeline of life, when looking at it over all time.

To me, a person does not exist before it is born, and does not exist after it died. During the lifetime, there is a period of growth, and a period of decay.

Looking at it from the beginning of time to the end of time, this has a symmetry that has a certain beauty in it, I almost feel the symmetry is spiritual.

Whether time is finite or not does not matter for it.

It would be interesting whether it is seen that a person exists between conception and birth, but does not fundamentally change the question.

Is there a concept comparable to this in any Christian denomination?

The important and beautiful aspect is the symmetry in spacetime.


texts: What's the source of the "new world religion" memorandum signed in Strasbourg?

texts:
There is a document which is shared on the internet these days. I saw it in Romanian language and then searching a bit, I found it in English as well: it's a "memorandum" signed in Strasbourg containing a list of weird rules which they say they're going to be implemented in different dates in the future.
I quickly read it, but it looks to me like a non-credible thingy. However, I have many friends who tend to believe it. In our country, this appeared on sites I don't trust.
What I'm wondering is if we can find out if this is a credible (at least official/true) document. If not, I'm also wondering if we can find out who created this and what is the source.
Can we do that?
For reference, I will leave here (downloaded from here):


texts: Do Cessationists believe that there are no modern miracles?

texts:
The general concept of Cessationism that I have is that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not given these days, having fulfilled their purpose nearly 2000 years ago. What I'm not sure about is whether or not Cessationists believe that miracles don't happen anymore. That is, no healings, no resurrections, nothing of that sort.

Is it accurate to say that Cessationists believe in the complete cessation of all miracles?


texts: Does the Bible give the reasons (if any) for God choosing Abraham?

texts:
Is there any reason given in the Bible as to why God chose Abram to be the father of Israel?

For example, Noah seems to be chosen by God because he is Righteous.

  "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation." (Gen 6:9 ESV)

Is any reason given for God choosing Abram/Abraham to be the father of Israel?


texts: What is the catholic argument that justifies the usage of statues and pictures of Jesus Christ and saints?


texts: What was the first recorded near death experience of a Christian claiming to have one?

texts:
What is the first recorded description of a Christian claiming to have what we would today call a near death experience? Did perhaps any of the early church fathers describe such an event that happened to themselves or others?

While near death experiences have become more common with modern resuscitation techniques, they were described in ancient times, such as with Plato describing Er  (c. 380 BC) and Plutarch describing Aridaeus of Soli (c. 560 AD). Both describe non-Christians claiming to have near-death experiences.

Note that I am interested in someone who nearly died and came back to life and then told their tale, thus I wouldn't count the Biblical accounts of Lazarus (the one Jesus resurrected) or the rich man associated with another Lazarus (the one of whom Jesus described his post-death experiences in one of his parables).

If there is an obvious one in the New Testament that I am forgetting, let me know so I can edit my question. I am interested in post-Biblical times.


texts:
What are the steps for a non-Catholic Christian to become a Catholic?

What is the process, and what does it entail?

What actions are incumbent upon such an aspirant?
Where does confession fit in?
How does the Church assist the candidate in overcoming obstacles like  family and friends who may not be supportive of the decision?


texts: If most of the Jehovah's Witnesses today are not a part of the 144,000, then what exactly are they?

texts:
I understand that the Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there are few of their members today who are part of the 144,000 mentioned in the book of Revelations.  This implies that most of their members are not included in that number.

What, then, is the status of these people?  Are they just believers who will go to heaven when Christ returns?  Will they live on earth at that time?  What are they called, and what will happen to them according to the teaching of the Jehovah's Witnesses?


texts: How could God's form be seen prior to His incarnation?

texts:
In a seeker's Bible discussion last week, I had explained that God created the physical world and, therefore, existed outside the physical world.  I stated that He entered into the physical world in His incarnation.  It seemed that God would not have a physical form until then.

However, Adam and Eve are said to have walked with God in the garden.  Furthermore, it would seem that God spoke to Abraham regarding the destruction of Sodom.  It is also believed by many that the fourth person in the fiery furnace was the pre-incarnate Christ.  Moses also saw the glory of God.  Jacob wrestled with God.  Isaiah saw the throne of God.

However, this brings up the question of how God could have a physical appearance prior to His incarnation.  Were the instances where people were enabled to see spiritual things with physical eyes?


texts: How does one reconcile the changelessness of God with Jesus' incarnation?

texts:
The Bible says that God "remains the same" (Ps 102:27), and that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:8). This seems to mean that he is changeless.

However, Jesus was not always human. For eternity, he had only a divine nature, up till his physical incarnation, when he gained a human nature as well. He changed from being fully God to being both fully God and fully man (unless one believes that Jesus always had a human nature, even before humans were created).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for eternity prior to his incarnation, Jesus had no physical body, and then he gained one.

This sounds like a profound change to me.

How is this reconciled with his immutability?


texts: There is a passage in the Bible talks about an eunuch traveling on the road and reading from Isaiah. The Phillip saw him, talked to him, and baptized him. Which passage is it? Is that passage enough to prove that repentance, faith, and therefore salvation is not necessarily followed by an emotional experience, but it is as decision to follow Christ? Especially if one has grown up in the church and taught to obey the 10 commandments anyway? Also, do we have an account of Timothy's (or someone else who grew up in the church) salvation?  Thanks.


texts: Why doesn't God remit everyone of original sin in Catholicism?

texts: I know that in Catholicism, Mary didn't have the original sin. If God had the power to do this, why didn't he do this with other people?


texts: Why does blood need to be put on the mercy seat

texts:
In Leviticus 16:14-15 it says:

  And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with
  his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in
  front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his
  finger seven times. Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering
  that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with
  its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the
  mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.

I understand that sin leads to death and so forgiveness of sin comes through a sacrifice (something or someone dying in our place), however why is Aaron instructed to sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat? How does this point back to Jesus?

I'm looking for an Evangelical view


texts: According to Catholicism, Can God annihilate the soul?

texts:
Catechism of the Catholic Church

  362 The human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual. The biblical account expresses this
  reality in symbolic language when it affirms that "then the LORD God
  formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the
  breath of life; and man became a living being." Man, whole and
  entire, is therefore willed by God.

  366 The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by
  God - it is not "produced" by the parents - and also that it is
  immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death,
  and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection.

The Catholic Church teaches that the soul is immortal because God breathed the breath of life into the man.

My argument here is that, if God created the man in His likeness and breathed His life into the man, it would mean that man or the soul was created to be immortal, just like God. If this is true, then it would mean that even God himself cannot reverse the immortality that was imparted into the man!

According to Catholicism, is God able to annihilate the soul? Can God make the soul vanish forever?


texts: What did Pilate mean by asking "What is truth?"

texts:
When Jesus is brought before Pilate, he asks him if he is a king. When Jesus admits that he is Pilate says

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. (John 18:37-38)

Does Pilate actually believe Jesus, or is he simply being dismissive of Jesus' "naivite" in assuming there is such a thing as truth?
I'd like answers that pull from the tradition of mainstream Christian factions and scripture.


texts: Athanasian Creed: taking of the Manhood into God

texts:
The Athanasian Creed was an expression of western Nicene-Chalcedonian belief, including the hypostatic union.  But there is one sentence where the intention is not as obvious to me as the rest:

  ... unus est Christus. Unus autem non conversione divinitatis in carnem, sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum.

which the Book of Common Prayer translated as:

  ... one Christ; One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh: but by taking of the Manhood into God;

Which particular misunderstanding or heresy was this particular distinction aimed at?

How is it read with John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh ..." or even the plain etymology of incarnation?


texts: What did God mean when He said to Moses, "I have made thee a god to Pharaoh"?

texts:
Perhaps I'm not seeing the meaning behind the translation, but while reading the KJV Exodus, I'm confused by chapter 7 verse 1, which reads:

  "And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet."

The verse throws me off. I'm sure that God isn't meaning that Moses is literally God. But I thought Moses was the prophet, and Aaron was just a priest under Moses (the prophet). Why would God use this wording, calling Moses "a God"?


texts: Who was the intended audience for the Book of Matthew?

texts:
See my other question first.

I have heard it taught in several places that Matthew was originally written in Hebrew and its intended audience was the Jew (which does help explain why it seems a bit more vague on key Christian concepts). But recently I have been told that there are no Hebrew manuscripts of this text. I assume at least that he meant there are no Hebrew manuscripts that out date the Greek ones.

So this makes me wonder that if there are no Hebrew manuscripts of Matthew why would one argue this point? Essentially the question is then, who is the intended audience?

Ultimately it's everybody, right, but I mean were a specific people in mind when it was written?


texts: How do soul sleep adherents make sense of Jesus' acknowledgement of the existence of disembodied spirits and ghosts?

texts:
Luke 24:36-39 (NASB):

36 Now while they were telling these things, Jesus Himself suddenly stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be to you.” 37 But they were startled and frightened, and thought that they were looking at a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why are doubts arising in your hearts? 39 See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you plainly see that I have.”

Matthew 14:26-27 (NASB):

26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

In these passages we see Jesus acknowledging the existence of disembodied spirits / ghosts. Of course, these entities are awake, not asleep, and yet they lack physical bodies. How do soul sleep adherentes make sense of this?


texts: Intelligent design - Creationism by a different name?

texts:
I've heard that many believe that intelligent design is creationism by a different name.

However, if my understanding of intelligent design is correct, it does not deny the the big bang or evolution occurred. It does not even deny that abiogenesis occurred by anything but natural means.

It just means that the universe exists or was created in such a state that allowed for the extra unlikely sequence of events that lead to life existing on earth and eventually humanity.

Is my interpretation of Intelligent Design off base? If not then it hardly seems that it is a form a creationism, although I cannot speak for it being a illegitimate scientific theory or not. Or is this incorrect and why?


texts: Why is it said that the Gospel of Luke presents Jesus as "the Son of Man"?

texts:
It is said that the Gospel of Luke presents Jesus as "the Son of Man"--not the Christ or King or God Incarnate, but distinctively the Son of Man.

What is it in the Gospel of Luke that gives rise to this particular distinction.  Why is this assertion made and what is the basis of that statement?


texts: Were Jesus’ hands tied on the way to Calvary?

texts: Traditions say that Jesus fell three times under the weight of the cross, out of which  two instances took place after Simon of Cyrene had been  entrusted to help Him carry the cross. One wonders whether Jesus had been hand-cuffed on the way to Calvary , on account of which He was not able to balance the weight of the cross over His shoulder. My question therefore is: Do the teachings of Catholic Church indicate that Jesus was  hand-cuffed on the way to Calvary ?


texts: Do Evangelicals see Catholics as pagans?

texts:
This question is based on my personal experience. Some time ago I had a discussion with a friend of mine who's an evangelical pastor.

In a very subtle way, he was asserting that I actually believe in a false God, and that the only way to the truth is convert myself.

I was quite astonished of such discussion, both because I follow and love ecumenical movements which tends to find common paths rather than deep differences, and because this vision seems to be integralist to me.

Of course the discussion truncated there and I didn't want to take it up again because it was really a sad situation.

So my questions are:

Does evangelicalism really consider all non-evangelicals like pagans, because they are worshiping a false God?
Which other Christian confessions have this vision?
Is evangelicalism really an integralist confession?


texts: How do I have self confidence, self esteem and work hard if I am a true Christian?

texts:
In church we learn to not lean on ourselves. We learn we can do nothing with our own power. That we must completely let go of control and let God. That everything that happens is from God and that we must be humble and let people do whatever they wish to us because it is God's will and doing.

I almost get the impression that all my OWN thoughts and actions are wrong.

That I must be a true servant to other peoples needs and that I can never say no to them, even if they are manipulative or crazy.

In addition, I leave service feeling bad to be ambitious and work hard.

How do I have self confidence, self esteem, think for myself, feel free, proud of my achievements and feel good about working hard, if I follow what is preached ?

What part of Christianity am I missing?


texts: What are the practical effects of sanctifying grace?

texts:
My eldest daughter (bless her soul) answered a question in her Catechism work book

Q: "What must we do once we receive sanctifying grace?"

A: "Nothing, it's not real"

So how can I prove to her that sanctifying grace is real?

Answers coming from Bible, Saints and Catholic apologists would be most appreciated.


texts:
I saw this in a user profile, and would just like a description of what the movement is.  Beliefs, how it varies from "the norm" (if it does) history, etc.

So, simply, what is the Light-Life Movement?


texts: Who can move Easter celebrations in the Orthodox Churches?

texts:
I have come to understand that the autonomous Finnish Orthodox Church celebrates Easter at the same time as Western Churches.

Who made the decisions, and was the Ecumenical Patriarch involved?


texts: Does the Catholic Church teach that God requires our consent to work miracles on us?

texts:
Matthew 13:57-58 (RSVCE) says:

  57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is
  not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58
  And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. [58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (NIV)]

Mark 6:4-6 (RSVCE) also says:

  4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in
  his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” 5 And
  he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a
  few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their
  unbelief [6 He was amazed at their lack of faith. (NIV)]

  And he went about among the villages teaching.

Reading the above verses together, one reaches at the conclusion that God  cannot work miracles on us without our consent. I would like to know if there are authentic interpretations from the side of Catholic Church involving both Matthew 13:57-58 and  Mark 6:4-6 in order to establish the active involvement of the faithful in working of miracles by God.


texts: Why does Paul call Peter "Cephas" in his writings?

texts:
In John 1:42 Jesus called Peter as Cephas.

  Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

But throughout the Gospels, Peter was called as Peter and his books also called in his name I Peter and II Peter.

But why did Paul call Peter, Cephas (Galatians 2:7-14, I Cor. 1:11-13, I Cor. 3:21, I Cor. 9:5 and I Cor. 15:5)? In some occasions he also calls him as Peter. When I asked my mom, she said Paul was rebuking Peter in the name Cephas. Is this true? Or is calling Peter as Cephas normal?

At times, Paul and Peter had disagreements as in Galatians 2:11-16:

  11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
   14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

  15 “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

How was their relationship as fellow apostles?


texts: What is the Biblical basis for saying that God can annihilate human souls?

texts:
We know that God is love and He is merciful. However, the idea of eternal torment seems too horrifying and doesn't seem to be in parallel with the nature of God.

My argument is that, if God were capable of annihilating the soul, He would have done it long ago. Annihilating Adam and Eve would stop all these countless people going to Hell. It is not just at all if God allowed only a few to enter Heaven and the majority suffer eternal torment. Why can't God simply make us all vanish? Maybe because God is not able to! Perhaps this is the reason why God had to sacrifice His one and only Son for us, who was flogged, tortured, mocked, crucified and died, only with the hope of saving some souls.

Moreover, the idea of annihilation seems appealing as it gives hope to the unsaved souls. However, I still have trouble with this theology because I can't find any reference from the Bible that God can annihilate the soul.

According to Annihilationism, what is the Biblical basis that God can annihilate the soul? Which verses do they use and what is their interpretation?


texts: According to the doctrine of the LDS Church what is man's relationship with God

texts:
According to the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints what is man's relationship with God?

Specifically what does the LDS church teach about God's view of man and how man should view God?

How are God and man related?

Please answer in context of scriptures in the bible and Book of Mormon that the LDS church doctrine on this pertains. Also sources from church leaders would be appreciated.


texts: How should Reformed people deal with Wrong doctrine?

texts:
Question for Calvinists/Reformed people!

There are some teachers in my Evangelical church who teach Salvation by works to the  children in the church. Their Justification for this is make the children behave well. I have judged this as dishonouring to GOD and his Word - and have confronted them on several occasions on their doctrine.

Because I have done this several times, fellow church members have accused me of dividing the Church, disturbing the peace and being intolerant.

I am working with the challenge of both When to speak up and how to speak up.

When?

When should I correct faulty doctrine?
When should I refrain?
Does the Bible have a 'formula' for correcting doctrine (like Matt
18:15-17)?

How?

If you have ever confronted somebody on their doctrine, could you
please recount how you did it?


texts:
A Tweet by some fans of Franz Pieper recently said,

  God has blessed the "repristination theology" of our fathers with success also in this country. #lcms #lutheran

Growing up in Lutheranism, that was the first time I'd ever heard the term.

Britannica defines it as:

  “The Repristination Theology” (i.e., restoration of earlier norms), led by Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg (1802–69), made 17th-century orthodoxy normative for the interpretation of Luther’s teachings and fought the rising historical-critical approach to the Bible by affirming the verbal inspiration...

Do any Lutheran denominations (or parachurch reform groups) successfully represent "repristination theology"?


texts: What is the biblical argument against having a concubine?

texts:
It is generally accepted that "having a concubine" = "not socially accepted." However,

Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.
Having concubines was mentioned in the Old Testament.
I cannot find any New Testament verse against having concubines.

Thus, the question:

What is the scriptural evidence against a man having a concubine?


texts: How did the doctrine of the pope having "supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of souls" originate?

texts:
The Pope enjoys, by divine institution, "supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of souls"

This is the text of paragraph 937 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. How did this text get here? What council or authority decided that this is the doctrine of the Catholic Church?


texts: Not understanding the meaning of the song Resurrecting by Elevation Worship

texts:
There is a song by Elevation Worship named Resurrecting. As I am not a Christian, I failed to understand some of these lines:

  Our God is alive
  The tomb with soldiers watched in vain
  was borrowed for three days
  HIS body there would not remain
  Our God has robbed the grave

Can anybody explain me these lines? Thanks.


texts:
I have a few related questions:

How did Adam and Eve die?
Who died first - Adam or Eve?
Were Adam and Eve buried after their deaths?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Blood transfusions and Christianity?

The Bible makes it known that blood is Holy, it is what gives us life. The Jehovah's Witnesses seem to think that a person should not accept another living creature's blood; I am aware that they use scripture to back up this claim.

Is there any scripture to suggest the contrary of this idea? Is it more important that we reject a blood transfusion to give God glory, or should we fight for life in order to give God glory?


texts: Did anyone understand the Holy Spirit to be a person prior to the Council of Constantinople in AD 381?

texts:
Do we know of any case of the concept of the Holy Spirit being a person existing among Christians before the Constantinople council of 381 A.D.?

The reason I am asking this question is because one Muslim believer that I just had a conversation with told me that this concept was not existing among Christians before that time. It looks like what he meant was that prior to 386 A.D. (not sure exactly why he gave me this date) Christians would only consider the Holy Spirit to be a kind of power rather than a person, and, therefore, all the references in the Bible to the Holy Spirit were taken accordingly.

I think he got the date wrong and meant the year of 381 A.D., that is the Second Economical Council, which is the First Council of Constantinople.


texts:
I have noticed that some Lutheran churches refer to their ministers as "priests" while others refer to their ministers as "pastors."

When did some Lutheran churches cease using "priest" in favor of "pastor"?

What is the foremost reason for this change in terminology?

Conversely, why did some Lutheran churches continue using the word "priest"?


texts: Scriptural basis for a Christian Congregation to vow to “guide and nurture” an infant being baptized

texts:
My children were baptized in a Presbyterian church, using a Baptismal Liturgy from the PC(USA) Book of Order.  I had some difficulty explaining the Biblical basis of the liturgy to a relative, especially the section in which the Congregation vows to “guide and nurture” the child:

  The minister addresses the congregation: Do you, as members of the
  church of Jesus Christ, promise to guide and nurture N. and N. by word
  and deed, with love and prayer, encouraging them to know and follow
  Christ and to be faithful members of his church? The people respond:
  We do.
    PC(USA) Book of Order, 1993

My question then is, what is the Biblical basis for this Congregational vow?


texts: Are the Word and Spirit also called God because the Father isn't made up of parts in accordance with the the doctrine of the Trinity?

texts: Do Christians worship the Word and Spirit as God too because the Word and Spirit are inseparable attributes of the Father and because the Father isn't made up of parts? Actually I am just trying to understand the logic followed by the early church fathers in declaring God as a Trinitarian being. The Jews worshiped only the Father as God. The Word and Spirit were declared God later by the followers of Christ.


texts:
I have never heard of any verse more quoted and memorized than this one. Many people know it without knowing a single other thing about Christianity.* If there was one verse we don't need to quote in a post this would be it, but  here it is for reference anyway:

  John 3:16 (ESV)
  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

In fact you almost certainly didn't recognize those words since that's a new-ish translation. The one you memorized as a kid was probably NIV or KJV:

  John 3:16 (KJV)
  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

So what does it mean? Are there different interpretations or is the breadth of Christian tradition pretty much united on this one? Is the meaning so clear that people with no other context are able to understand it? Is it a secret code that you need a legend to understand?  Most specifically what is the scope of the concepts of love, belief, and the world in this verse?

* True story. I asked a guy one time if he'd read the Bible. His answer was quote: "Oh ya you mean like the John 3:16 thing? Ya I've heard of it." When pressed if he knew what what the three and the sixteen had to do with it, he was shocked to learn that it was just a fragment of a larger text.


texts: What were the topics of discussion which Jesus had at the Temple? (Catholic perspective)

texts:
Luke 2:42-47 (RSVCE) has this narrative:

" And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom;  and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,  but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances;  and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.  After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions;  and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. "

I would like to know what were the possible topics of discussion which Jesus had with the teachers. Has the Catholic Church ever come out with a speculative list of topics of the discussion of young Jesus at the temple ?


texts: What does it mean that Eve was beguiled?

texts:
In Genesis 3:13 (King James Version) we read that Eve was "beguiled":

  And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done?
    And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

In this context, what does "beguiled" mean?

I am not so much looking for a linguistic explanation. I have looked up the definition and etymology of the word "beguile" and see that there are many different meanings for the word (to charm; fascinate; to delude; influence by slyness; deceit, wile, fraud, ruse, trickery; sorcery, witchcraft).

I really want to understand what it means that Eve was beguiled.


texts: What did CS Lewis think didn't reflect God?

texts:
Lewis followed Plato's notion of the Forms. He believed everything on Earth reflected the all-perfect, all-joyous God.
Or did he?
I asked a Christian recently if he thought CS Lewis thought 'all' (books, films, footballs, Frankenstein, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves...even termites or earthworms....EVERYTHING) things reflected God. He said no.
But surely this is incorrect? Lewis (I would have thought) felt evil was negation of good, not existing, created forms...Therefore all 'things' cannot be entirely ungodly (in so much as something exists of them!) and, therefore, nothing existing is 'unqualified' to reflect Him?- particularly pleasurable things for He created pleasures...
But am I missing something and is there 'something' Lewis would have felt unreflective?


texts: Any instructions given by the church fathers on how to receive the gift of tongues?

texts:
1 Corinthians 14:39 (NIV)

  Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not
  forbid speaking in tongues.

In the early church, the gift of tongues was a common gift which almost everyone received, as we see in the church in Corinth as an example. Paul had to give advice on how to utilize their spiritual gifts in an orderly manner in the church.

However, I can't find any specific method/instruction given in the New Testament on how to receive the gift of tongues. If I want to receive the gift of tongues, what must I do? Is there any instructions given by the early church fathers on how to receive the gift of tongues? Since the New Testament doesn't give any specific instructions on how to receive the gift of tongues, there must be some writings from the church fathers on this issue.


texts: How does Original Sin come back in man even after being washed at the time of baptism?

texts: According to Catholic thought, if we are washed of Original Sin at the time of baptism, why do we transmit Original Sin to our children? In other words, how is it that my child is born with Original Sin when I was freed from Original Sin at the time of my baptism?


texts: What does this reference in the Watchtower Online Library mean?

texts:
I found the Jehovah's Witnesses Bible research site (the Watchtower Online Library) and wanted to look up their explanation regarding the year 1914.

According to the section highlighted in red on this page,

  the March 1880 edition of the Watch Tower magazine identified the year 1914 as the time for the close of “the appointed times of the nations”

On another hand, this page contains a reference stating:

  end in 1914 suggested before Russell: g94 11/8 10; jv 134

I knew from before that their calculations about 1914 seem to have come from their founder, C.T. Russell. According to the information on the first link above, these calculations were first publicized in the March 1880 edition of the Watchtower.

However reference in the second link seems to state that someone else had come to that conclusion before Russell.

What does the reference mean, and who was the person(s) who suggested it before Russell?


texts: What are the current views of the Catholic Church on the right to secession?

texts:
I’ve recently heard an interesting opinion that no entity has moral right to exercise authority upon any social group that is unwilling to remain under this authority (excluding inmates). Therefore, any group has the right to secede, and the central authority may not try to force the seceding entity to remain within the state, even if the secessions would lead to the end of the larger state.

For example, the Union had no right to wage war against the Confederation in attempt to enforce the integrity of the U.S.A.; the Basques and the Scottish should be granted independence; the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had no right to fight the Cossacks as they did, instead they should have granted the Cossacks independence, and limit themselves to defending their new, shrunken borders against the Cossack raids. Note that it is not my intend to discuss these particular examples, I am providing them only to help understand the main issue.

These claims were made by a Catholic priest and were backed up by some ecumenical council (sadly I don’t remember which one), which allegedly stated that each nation has the right to self-determination or even to have it’s one state (again, sadly I don’t remember the details here). Additionally, these opinions seem to be backed up by CCC 1901, which states: “If authority belongs to the order established by God, "the choice of the political regime and the appointment of rulers are left to the free decision of the citizens."” – with a footnote directing to “GS 74 # 3.”

Does the Catholic Church really teach that every group has the right to secede whenever it wishes so? Does it forbid forceful attempts to prevent such secession in any case? Are there any official documents on the matter?


texts: Trying to track some information on those who rose from the dead on Good Friday

texts:
Many years ago I read that according to their records, it took the Temple two years to interview all the dead that were raised at the Crucifixion. Two of these people were rabbis or priests, a father and son who had both died within the previous six months, and were thus well known to the Temple staff.

It then seemed to me this would be why Christianity would grow like wildfire, but I cannot find the source for this, and I have been looking for years.

The Gospel of St. Mathew has this to say about those who rose from the dead on Good Friday.

  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. (Matthew 27: 50-54)

Is anyone familiar with this interviewing story?


texts: What is the present attitude of the Church of England towards the 39 articles and the 33 Homilies?

texts:
The Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, together with the Thirty Three Homilies were, at one time, accepted as the authoritative statement of doctrine and practice within the Church of England congregations.

What is the present day situation? Can they be reliably quoted as that which the Church of England now preaches and practices?


texts: What has the Holy Spirit taught people after Jesus left?

texts:
I know that the below verse is explained to foretell the coming of the Holy Spirit according to Catholics.  Even though the Holy Spirit was already mentioned previously, it is explained that Jesus is saying when he comes he will guide you into all the truth.

  12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.  13
  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all
  the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he
  hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

I want someone to explain to me the following:

What exactly has the Holy Spirit guided people to in terms of 'All Truth'.
Why was this truth something the people at Jesus's time could not bear?
If it is the Holy Spirit, and if the HS is the 3rd person of the Trinity, why can He not speak on His own?

Note:  I'm looking for an answer that fulfills the criteria of the verse 1) cannot bear it now 2) guiding to all truth  3) tell you what is yet to come  etc.

In addition, if the Holy Spirit is considered God, why would not speak of his own, but only what he hears?  If he is God, he will have authority on his own.

I am asking because I believe it was Tertullian, the famous Church Father, who ended up being declared a heretic because he believed this was referring to a person (it sure sounds like it to me also - the holy ghost was already mentioned to be present anyhow).


texts: Can God replace his covenent with Abraham?

texts:
In the book of Genesis, God makes the covenant of circumcision with Abraham for him and his descendants.  In verse 7 we are told this is an everlasting covenant.
How does this go in hand with the fact that a new covenant is established by at the Last Supper?
This question is addressed to any Churches that believe in the New Covenant theology (Catholic,Lutheran,Reformed,etc.)


texts: How do opponents of Penal Substitution explain God's declaration that He "will not leave the guilty unpunished"?

texts:
In referring to opponents of Penal Substitution theory, I'm referring specifically to those who view it as a false view of the Atonement, not merely that it is incomplete (eg those who hold to alternative theories of Atonement may assert their theories are more holistic, but will not necessarily deny that penal substitution is a contributing element within them).

Consider:

  ... the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. - Nahum 1:3b NIV

  Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—
      the Lord detests them both. - Proverbs 17:15 NIV

  Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty. - Exodus 23:7 NIV

If Christ doesn't bear the penalty or punishment for our sins by taking our guilt upon himself, where does the condemnation and punishment go? What is the specific mechanism by which, a sinner can be saved from their sins without making nonsense or lies of the preceding declarations?


texts: Baptism of the Holy Spirit according to Martin Lloyd Jones' "Joy Unspeakable"

texts:
Context

To the best of my understanding of Martin Lloyd Jones' "Joy Unspeakable", the baptism of the Holy Spirit is described as

not automatically granted to all Christians upon conversion
not necessarily granted to all Christians even in this life
the closest one can get to heaven on this side of eternity
an experience many greats (Spurgeon, Whitfield, Wesley, ...) had gone through

Question

What Christian denomination does Martyn Lloyd Jones beliefs on the Holy Spirit fall under? What else does that particular denomination believe about the baptism of the holy spirit? [Please cite resources so I can read more.]


texts: Which people in the Bible are antichrists?

texts:
Mormons have the view that antichrist refers to anyone who lives to deny/replace Christ. Korihor, Sherem, and Nehor are examples from the Book of Mormon; are there specific people from the Bible?

I got this question after reading this related question, where the idea that antichrist refers to "The Antichrist" (specifically one of the beasts in Revelation) is debated. Looks like the Bible (1st John 2:22) says antichrist just means someone who denies Christ. I like to be able to recognize antichist teachings, and I'm grateful the Book of Mormon points out prevalent ones in our day. I think the bible and book of mormon support each other, so again my question is specifically who has been an antichrist in the Bible? any specific examples? Specifically an answer from either Mormon doctrine or just what the Bible says.

I'm thinking Cain, and his idea that he didn't have to be his brother's keeper.


texts: Is there any tradition that informs us of how old Mary was when she gave birth to Jesus?

texts:
I have heard that the legal age of marriage was quite young in Jewish culture at the time of Christ. I believe young girls at the age of twelve could marry. However, I find it difficult to imagine Mary as young as thirteen years years old around the time of her giving birth, because of the maturity of her words that are found in the gospels.

Is there any tradition that would place a more realistic age of Mary? Or is this just completely unknown even when guessing?


texts: What prophesies are people alluding to when they say "look at the Middle East"?

texts: I don't know where the Bible prophesies about the Middle East, and much less do I know if they're coming true in our day. I've heard people witnessing to others by saying "look at the Middle East", but I'm at a loss about it myself, even though I am a Christian too. Can anyone shed some light?


texts: What is the biblical basis for Jesus' eternal pre-existence (as opposed to having been created a long time ago)?

texts:
I know that many verses can be cited to argue for Jesus' pre-mortal existence (e.g. here). I'm also perfectly aware that a question asking for the biblical basis for Jesus being God incarnate has already been asked. However, I want to defend the validity of this question on the grounds of the following reasons:

Pre-mortal existence does not logically entail eternal pre-existence. In principle, if the only thing we know about a being is that it had a pre-mortal existence, then we cannot rule out a priori the possibility that that being could still have had a beginning in the past, either recently or a long time ago (e.g. see the viewpoint of Jehovah's Witnesses on the nature of Jesus).
Eternal pre-existence does not logically entail being God (or does it?). In addition to being eternal, a being needs to be omniscient, omnipotent, and many other things to be regarded as God. So I don't see the two as equivalent statements, although I acknowledge that there is a clear overlap.

Having presented my reasons for asking the question, I ask: What is the biblical basis for Jesus having eternal pre-existence? Are there passages in Scripture that strongly suggest that Jesus never had a beginning in time?


texts: Which book of the law is Joshua 1:8 referring to?

texts:
Since Joshua 1:8 says

  Do not let this Book  of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night,

So which Book of the Law is Joshua 1:8 referring to, since we have 66 books in the Bible and three laws, namely The Law of Moses, Psalms, and the prophets


texts: Why did Luther curse those who oppose indulgences?

texts:
In the 95 Theses, Luther makes a stand against corruption in the Catholic church of that day. This resulted in events leading to the separation between the Catholic and Protestant churches.

It seems the theses are always referred to, but never actually read. Their content does make me a bit uneasy, especially this part (the English translation used as source):

  71: Let him who speaks against the truth concerning papal indulgences be anathema and accursed.

Or, the original for those that know Latin:

  71: Contra veniarum apostolicarum veritatem qui loquitur, sit ille anathema et maladictus.

Now, I have never heard even one Protestant speak positively about indulgences. What are Luther's motives in saying this (especially in such strong words), and did he later on change his mind?

Edit: Thanks to Caleb's suggestion, I'll add some other relevant theses to provide context.

  67: The indulgences which the demagogues acclaim as the greatest graces are actually understood to be such only insofar as they promote gain.
  68: They are nevertheless in truth the most insignificant graces when compared with the grace of God and the piety of the cross.

  91: If, therefore, indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved. Indeed, they would not exist.

It seems quite clear to me that Luther didn't oppose indulgences per se, rather just the sale and abuse of them and the exaggeration of their power. If I'm wrong here, please provide some good references to show that.


texts:
When was "time" created in Genesis? Was it on "day three", when day and night were created? Please present an overview of differing positions or at least the most common view.

This is from a literal perspective, where the 6-day Creation literally did happen.


texts: Was there a sacrifice in the Old Testament for intentional sins?

texts: When reading through the law in the Old Testament it seems that there are only sacrifices for unintentional sins. Is this true? How does the New Testament handle intentional sins such as drunkenness, lust, bad habits, etc? And, how does the Old Testament deal with these sins as far as forgiveness goes?


texts: How do "faith alone" proponents interpret James 2:24?

texts:
James 2:24 (KJV)

  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith
  only.

How do Protestants who believe in faith alone interpret James 2:24? And if they believe in sola scriptura (Scripture alone) how come I couldn't find anywhere in the Bible that we are saved by faith alone? But in contrary I found in James

  works alone and not faith alone.


texts: Is there a complete list of Catholic Saints somewhere online?

texts:
I'd like to find a list of Catholic Saints who names end in "bert".  IF we have a boy, I'd like my next child to be named "...bert" Keith Turner after his uncle Keith and potential saint GKC and I'm looking for the most wondrous Northumbrian names to annoy my wife with daily until she finally gives in (or has the baby and names him John).

If a complete list of Saint names, I could grep it for those ending in bert and get my desired list.


texts: How broad and inclusive is the definition of service in exhortations to serve one another?

texts:
In the following quote how is "serve" understood by various Christian traditions?

  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of
  God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever
  serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in
  everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 4:10-11

Is service thought of as limited to the usage of spiritual gifts; or does gift in this context rightly refer to any of the varied blessings that we receive from God that can be used to help others, such as professional and personal skills?


texts: Was there a first God in the Mormon faith?

texts:
This question discusses the LDS teaching that

“As man now is, God once was; as God is now man may be.” ( The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1984], 1.)

The teaching is partially motivated by the passage from John5:19,

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

Joseph Smith himself said:

As the Father hath power in Himself, so hath the Son power in Himself, to lay down His life and take it again, so He has a body of His own. The Son doeth what He hath seen the Father do: then the Father hath some day laid down His life and taken it again
-- History of the Church 5:426
I want you to pay particular attention to what I am saying. Jesus said that the Father wrought precisely in the same way as His Father had done before Him. As the Father had done before? He laid down His life, and took it up the same as His Father had done before. He did as He was sent, to lay down His life and take it up again; and then was committed unto Him the keys. I know it is good reasoning.
-- History of the Church 6:373

From LDS.org:

The Prophet Joseph Smith himself publicly taught the doctrine the following year, 1844, during a funeral sermon of Elder King Follett: “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! … It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God, and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did.”

As to this notion in the modern LDS church, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Joseph Fielding Smith said in an address in 1971:

“This is a doctrine which delighted President Snow, as it does all of us. Early in his ministry he received by direct, personal revelation the knowledge that (in the Prophet Joseph Smith’s language), ‘God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens,’ and that men ‘have got to learn how to be Gods … the same as all Gods have done before.’

So, in summary:

God the Father was once a man who became exalted to godhood, and created us in his own creation.
The man who is exalted now will be God of his own creation, as God is God of this one.
All Gods have endured this process.

My question is:
From a Mormon perspective, is this manhood-godhood cycle infinite, or was there a first God?


texts: What's so bad about monoergism and monothelitism?

texts: Two early heresies that intrigue me a bit are monoergism and monothelitism.  Both basically suggest that while Jesus was both human and divine, he only had one "energy" or one "will."  Both were eventually called heresy by the church, but why? Does this this guard against the frankly worse heresy of Nestorianism?.  What is so bad about these heresies? What practical effect does it have on one's perception of Jesus if we fall into this trap?


texts: Term that means to commit a sin when you know it is a sin?

texts:
I am drawing a blank here, I know that such a term exists but I cannot remember it and my Google Fu is failing me.
There is a term for a sin that means that the sinner who committed the sin did it willfully and knowing that the action was indeed a sin.
It could fill in the blank here:

Steve _____ (past tense verb) by lying, as he knew fully that lying was a sin.

Forgive me, Lord, for my sins and _____ (noun).


texts: Has the US Catholic Church given an imprimatur to any English Bible translations intended for children?

texts:
There are several Bible translations that have an imprimatur in the Catholic Church, such as the New Jerusalem Bible. This Wikipedia article lists other translations with an imprimatur, but as best I can tell, they are all intended for adults.

Has the Catholic Church within the United States given an imprimatur to any English Bible translations intended for children? By a Bible translation intended for children, I mean the likes of the International Children's Bible or the New International Reader's Version.


texts:
Catholics make the sign of the cross by touching the forehead then the chest then lest side then the right then bringing two hands together.

My question What is the history behind the tradition of making the sign of the cross? Why, when, and how did this tradition start?


texts: What determines the denominational "value" of a given Bible translation?

texts:
In related form to a previous question, what makes a given translation (or translational family) more likely to be promulgated by a given denomination over others?

For example, the New American Bible is [almost] exclusively used by the Roman Catholic Church.

Whereas the English Standard Version is generally favored by conservative Protestant churches.

The New International Version and New Living Translation tend to be used heavily by middle-of-the-road and/or liberal denominations more than the New American Standard or New King James, which again tend to be used by more conservative congregations.

What about a given translation makes it more apt to be utilized by a given denomination and/or be discouraged/banned by a denomination?


texts: Who did Christ first appear to after his resurection?

texts: In First Corinthians, St. Paul says the Cephas (Peter) was the first that Christ appeared to after he was raised to life, yet in the Gospels it is said that Mary of Magdala was the first.  I am confused.


texts: Do JWs have books besides the Bible that they view as "sacred" or "inspired"?

texts:
I see that the JW website contains the text of a few different Bible translations: KJV, ASV, Byington, New World Translation and The Kingdom Interlinear Translation.

From articles such as "The Bible Really Is God’s Inspired Word" (here) I can see that their view is that Bible is inspired by God.

Do Jehovah's Witnesses have any other books, besides the Bible, that they view as "canon" (e.g. a separate/additional message from God) on the same level as (or higher than) the Bible?


texts: Did Martin Luther express his views on suicide?

texts:
In the 2003 movie Luther, there is a scene where, while still a monk, Martin Luther comes across a man who has hanged himself. The townspeople are treating the suicide with horror and disdain, believing him to be damned. But Luther says that the man is not responsible for "the demons in his mind" or something to that effect and personally chooses to bury the man as a reputable Christian would be.

In real life, did Luther ever express his views on suicide? And if so, is there any evidence that he expressed them while he was a monk, as he did in the movie?


texts:
Ok, let me start by saying I don't think more or less of a person because of the color of their skin. I consider racism to be both misguided and a sin.  But, when I visualize a person, I like to think of them in ways that at least approximate their actual appearance.

I am skimming some works of that greatest of the Patristics - Augustine of Hippo, later the Bishop of Milan (in Italy), but hailing from what is today, Tunisia.  He wrote the City of God and the Confessions - two classics still studied more than 1500 years after their creation.

And, as I consider the young Augustine of Hippo - a region of northern Africa, nowadays near the Algerian / Tunisian border - I have this image of a white guy in my head.

That said, he was from Africa.  And indeed, this seems wholly legitimate as well.

And, then I remember, the Arab Invasions that went alongside the rise of Islam also changed the area as well.

So, it's a simple question - Was Augustine white or black?  Many of the Church Fathers from Alexandria to Carthage would have probably shared this legacy, and I'm just sort of curious - What did they look like?


texts: How do the rites for a first and second marriage (after death of a spouse) differ in the Orthodox Church?

texts:
If an Eastern Orthodox parishioner becomes a widow(er) and decides to remarry, what are the differences between what it will look like in their first and second marriage? What are the reasons for the differences?

And does it vary based on which Orthodox church?


texts:
In the 10th chapter of the Revelation of John the Theologian, says:

  Rev 10:4 And when the seven thunders uttered with their voices, I was about to write; but heard a voice from heaven saying to me: hide what the seven thunders have said, and do not write this.

According to Full Preterism, what do Thunders mean?


texts: “Jesus said to them 'I am'" (John 18:6) - Did Jesus break a taboo here?

texts:
In the following verse, did Jesus in fact say the word, the name of God, that no Jew would dare to say aloud at that time?

  As soon then as he had said unto them, I am [he], they went backward,
  and fell to the ground (John 18:6)

If yes, why was He not tried for that before the high priest (there were so many witnesses after all), if not, why then so many say that here He was quoting Exodus 3:14 (which means He DID pronounce the forbidden word).


texts: Who rules this Earth after the millenium?

texts:
According to premillenial eschatology, there will be a special period after Christ comes again in which He will reign on earth with His saints for a 1000 years. Their view is typically based on a specific interpretation of this verse:

  Revelation 20:6 (ESV)
  6  Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Who do premillenialsts identify as reigning after this period? What happens after the 1000 years?


texts: How do people who believe in immediate heaven for believers at death explain Tabitha?

texts:
In Acts 9:36-41 is the story of Tabitha (a.k.a. Dorcas) who died and was raised to life through the prayer of Peter.

That would seem to conflict with a commonly held view among theologically conservative Protestants that once a believer dies, that person is in heaven and never returns to this life.

My question asks how that theological view is harmonized with the Tabitha story.  (Is Tabitha the exception that proves the rule?  Is heaven as a one-way ticket only true after the period of the apostolic age, with its miracles?  And wouldn't she have been mighty upset to be called back to earth?)

Please note: I am aware of (and not seeking) alternative explanations as to what really happened when Tabitha died; only want to know know how "immediately-in-heaven" partisans square that view with her experience.


texts: When and how did the names Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John get attached to the gospels?

texts:
Most of the books of the New Testament—all the letters except Hebrews, plus the Revelation—give the author's name at the beginning. The gospels do not. Only one gospel identifies its author ("This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true." John 21:24), and even then it does not state his name.

So how did we get the names for the four gospel writers?


texts: From where does the tradition come that Mary rode on a donkey to Bethlehem prior to the birth of Jesus?

texts:
It seems that most every movie or depiction of Mary and Joseph on the way to Bethlehem depicts Mary as riding on a donkey.  However, I don't recall any place in Scripture from which this idea could be founded.  The only place where the trip is mentioned in in Luke:

  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  Luke 2:4-5

So, is there any source for why this is assumed almost universally or any particular reason?  It seems that she could have just as well walked or ridden a camel.


texts: How does the Jehovah’s Witness view of who Jesus Christ is differ from Protestant Trinitarian Christology?

texts:
The Protestant Trinitarian view of Jesus Christ is that he is the only-begotten Son of God – begotten, not made.  He is of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made.  He is the Word of God who was with God in the beginning and who is God (John 1:1). He came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He is both fully human and fully divine.  He was bodily resurrected from the dead and has ascended into heaven, from whence he came, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father.  As he ascended into heaven, so shall he return, in great power and glory, and accompanied by all the heavenly hosts, to judge and to rule.

Please note that Protestant Trinitarians believe there is only the One Being of God and that Jesus, the Son, is not the same person as God the Father.

This is NOT about trying to establish who might be theologically right and who is wrong, nor is it a question seeking to establish any particular version of “truth”.   I’m on a fact-finding mission, and not trying to start a theological war.  Please give a biblical basis in support of beliefs held.

My question is how does the Jehovah’s Witness view of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, differ from the view held by Protestant Trinitarians of the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Edit for clarification: I'm looking for JW beliefs about the person of Jesus Christ. I have given a simple overview of the Protestant view of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and want to know if JW’s would disagree, and, if so, what it is they believe about the person of Jesus Christ. Was he created? Is he part of the One Being of God? When he came to earth was he God incarnate? Was he resurrected as a spirit creature or did he ascend into heaven with a physical body? I don't want to get bogged down in theological terminology, just an overview of JW beliefs about the origins of Jesus, who he is and what their biblical basis is.


texts: What is the scriptural basis for "Love God and do whatever you please"?

texts:
This quote has been attributed to St. Augustine, referring to what he said in a sermon on 1 John 4:4-12:

  See what we are insisting upon; that the deeds of men are only discerned by the root of charity. For many things may be done that have a good appearance, and yet proceed not from the root of charity. For thorns also have flowers: some actions truly seem rough, seem savage; howbeit they are done for discipline at the bidding of charity. Once for all, then, a short precept is given you: Love, and do what you will: whether you hold your peace, through love hold your peace; whether you cry out, through love cry out; whether you correct, through love correct; whether you spare, through love do you spare: let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good.

It's been paraphrased as:

  Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved.

I've heard people just use the first half without the full expression, usually in a flippant way, but I think Augustine may be onto something here.   We certainly get enough discussion about what God wants us to do or things along that line. Augustine seems to think that if we love God we aren't going to offend him and so don't need any "rules". Jesus seems to me to agree with him when he said:

  Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the  second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

I'd like to hear the scripture that is used to support this quote of Augustine's.


texts: If miracles stopped after the Apostles, then why are there admonitions to pray over people?

texts:
There are a number of groups who believed that after the time of the Apostles, God withdrew miracles from the world (please correct me if that is the wrong understanding). But the book of James clearly says,

  Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (James 5:14, ESV)

For those who believe miracles were limited to the times of the Apostles, then why does James say this? Why would there be an anointing if no miracles are even possible? Or do I misstate their definition of miracles?


texts: When was the early Christian apology "Dialogue with Trypho" written?

texts:
I recently became aware of the Dialogue with Trypho, a Christian apology regarding Jesus being the Messiah, written by Justin Martyr sometime during his lifetime (in the years 100–165). However, Wikipedia doesn't say more specifically when during his lifetime this apology was written.

Have any historians more specifically dated Dialogue with Trypho?


texts: Help interpreting a Christian allusion in Willa Cather's 'One of Ours'

texts:
In Willa Cather's 'One of Ours', there is a passage about a preacher at a country wedding. Here is his thought that I have trouble interpreting:

He looked disconsolately into his ruddy goblet and thought about the marriage at Cana. He tried to apply his Bible literally to life and, though he didn’t dare breathe it aloud in these days, he could never see why he was better than his Lord.

I first though his meaning was that like good wine was served last in the Marriage at Cana, so he coming after Christ was supposed to be the better one, but that seems rather far-fetched.

Here is a little larger excerpt:

The company rose and drank the bride’s health in grape-juice punch. Mr. Royce, however, while the guests were being seated, had taken Mr. Wheeler down to the fruit cellar, where the two old friends drank off a glass of well-seasoned Kentucky whiskey, and shook hands. When they came back to the table, looking younger than when they withdrew, the preacher smelled the tang of spirits and felt slighted. He looked disconsolately into his ruddy goblet and thought about the marriage at Cana. He tried to apply his Bible literally to life and, though he didn’t dare breathe it aloud in these days, he could never see why he was better than his Lord.

source: https://www.bartleby.com/1006/31.html


texts: Before anything was created, did God already know the events that would unfold?

texts:
Before anything in our world was created, God was already there.  Also, there is biblical evidence for omniscience.

However, did God, prior to the creation of everything, already know the events that would unfold in our world?

What are the different viewpoints regarding God's foreknowledge of the events of this world?


texts: Where can I find the original scanned BCP printed in 1662?

texts: Where can I find the original scanned Book of Common Prayer printed in 1662?


texts: How did the pattern of church today come to be?

texts: How did we come up with the way church services are done. Worship, sermon, communion etc. I want to know the roots. What scriptures tell us to do it like this.


texts: Was there any christian church that kept the Passover before the 1900?

texts: I was taught that after the Council of Nicea no christian church kept the Passover on the 14th of Nisan. Is there any truth to that? Is there a church in the middle ages that kept the Christian Passover on the 14th of Nisan? I've tried researching online but no luck. Thanks!


texts: Why did Saul name two of his sons Eshbaal and Merib-baal?

texts:
A common practice in ancient Israel was to incorporate god's name when naming a son.

Two of Saul's sons have interesting names: Merib-baal and Eshbaal  (A later redactor changed the names to Mephiboshet and Ishboshet to hide the fact that their names contain the word baal.)

That being said, what motivated Saul, a worshiper of Yahweh, to incorporate Baal into his sons' names?  Why did Saul's sons' name do not contain "yah", instead of "baal"?


texts: What is an overview of Christian viewpoints on whether evangelized gentiles are expected to tithe?

texts: What are the main views in Christianity regarding the issue of whether evangelized gentiles are expected to tithe? Which scriptures are commonly cited to support each position? Lastly, is this a controversial topic or does there appear to be consensus among the majority of denominations?


texts: Are the names of all people originally written in the Book of Life?

texts:
The Bible speaks about the "Book of Life".  It seems that those whose names are written in it will have life and spend eternity in heaven whereas those whose names are not written in it will be cast into the lake of fire.

  "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose
  face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place
  for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and
  the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the
  book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which
  were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave
  up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead
  which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their
  works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
  second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of
  life was cast into the lake of fire".

However, the Bible also talks about not blotting people's names out of the book of life.

  The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I
  will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his
  name before my Father and before his angels.  Revelation 3:5

So, are the names of all people originally in the Book of Life?  And then are the names of those who reject Christ blotted out of it later?  If so, what are the implications of this?

The Bible also speaks of those whose names have not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life.

  Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.
  And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language
  and nation, 8and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone
  whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in
  the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.  Revelation 13:7-8

So, which is it?


texts: Why have some conservative Reformed churches objected to the Belhar Confession?

texts:
Among the reasons given by several Reformed Church in America churches in the midwestern US when leaving the denomination are issues with the Belhar Confession, a document emphasizing reconciliation and justice in the context of race and poverty.  Kevin DeYoung, the pastor of University Reformed Church in Michigan, wrote:

  Let me simply say at this point that our reason for seeking to leave the RCA is not one thing, but many things. From the adoption of the Belhar Confession, to the removal of the conscience clauses related to women’s ordination, to the growing acceptance of homosexual practice in the denomination, we believe the RCA has changed significantly in the last several years. (source; emphasis added)

After giving the confession a cursory read, I didn't notice anything particularly problematic in it with respect to conservative Reformed theology.  But it sounds as though I might have missed something.  What is an overview of the several most significant objections to the Belhar Confession given by the conservatives leaving the RCA in recent years?


texts: Can knowledge obtained in a seminarian's confession be used to determine if he should be ordained?

texts:
When a seminarian confesses to his superior or bishop, it seems that his future position within the church could be jeopardized.

If a seminarian has a serious habit of mortal sin which his superior or bishop discovers during confession, can the superior or bishop use this information to determine whether the seminarian should be ordained or not?


texts: How is repentance understood in Lutheranism?

texts: Christ talks a lot about repentance, and how we must repent and believe to be saved, he asks the woman caught in adultery to sin no more (John 8:11). But if we are unable to do any good as Paul says in Romans (Romans 7:18), how can we repent of anything? And also, can we truly say we live a life of "repentance" if we will sin for the rest of our lives, sort of "the old Adam still haunting us", when in contrast we should be as "dead to sin" (i.e. sin no more)?


texts:
I've listened to this lecture and I can't, however hard I try, decode the sentence:

  Solomon ignored God's wisdom and later in life, he literally broke every one of them except for being a foreigner. He married 700 women. Not smart. Had 300 concubines. He owned enough horses to fill all of the massive stables at Mageto that you can see in Israel today.

Does anyone know about a place in Israel sounding like stables at Magedo?


texts: Are there any biblical incidents of people condemned for consensual premarital sex?

texts:
I'm reading what is perhaps the funnest and most authentic Christian memoir ever: Angry Conversations with God: A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir

She writes about sex, saying at one point:

  But according to American evangelical churchianity, I’d committed a sin worse than murder or genocide or trying to set myself up as a deity. I’d had sex!

She learned this in her church:

  Instead he produced two large pieces of cardboard that had been glued together. “Sexual intercourse is made for the covenant of marriage. It is a binding act that unites two into one flesh. But if you engage in sexual intercourse outside of marriage—” Pastor Norman yanked the two pieces apart. They shredded into chunks, one side clinging to the other, destroying the cardboard completely. “This is what happens if you have sex outside of marriage.” Well, okay then. Not doing that. He began reciting from his notes. “Sexual intercourse…” His Fargo accent turned the words into a sourball: “SECK-shull INN-turr-course.

The question is, did her pastor get it right?

This question is related to:

What does the Bible say about sex before marriage / premarital sex?
What's is the case for premarital sex being an instance of πορνεία (porneia)?

But, I have a more focused question.  Biblically, is there an example of a person or a clear doctrine wherein what most Americans / people in the West would consider premarital sex is specifically condemned?

Specifically excluded for this question are:

adultery between two people where at least one is married (that seems to be the property crime in Exodus) and
prostitution (which seems to be the focus of 1 Corinthians 6).
Sexual worship, wherein the sex in question is less about "casual intercourse" than in performing some sort of ritual worship

Casual Sex, I would argue, for most modern Westerners is usually a physical act of lust that may occur between unmarried people.  I'm just trying to get a handle on that, separated from the case that Bibilically prohibited sex is a contractual and fealty-based matter rather than just  two horny teenagers indulging their fleshy desires.

While I am open to an exegesis that would contradict these assumptions, I am looking for a biblical mandate against what I would call "casual sex," meaning an instance where sex occurs without exchange of money or breaking an existing marital contract.  In leiu of a strict biblical injunction, what is the earliest condemnation of such a sexual relationship?


texts:
The current version of the Wikipedia article for the First Apocalypse of James has the following sentence at the end of the article:

  One of the most curious features of the First Apocalypse of James is that the range of dating of its original text, assigned to it by scholars, requires that it was written after the Second Apocalypse of James.

Unfortunately, there is no citation for this.

Was the First Apocalypse of James written after the Second Apocalypse of James? If so, on what criteria is this based? And why are the names so confusingly ordered?


texts: What arguments have been advanced against "Angel Therapy"?

texts:
From AngelTherapy.com, I found this short description:

Angel Therapy is a non-denominational spiritual healing method that involves working with a person's guardian angels and archangels, to heal and harmonize every aspect of life. Angel Therapy also helps you to more clearly receive Divine Guidance from the Creator and angels.
Everyone has guardian angels, and these angels perform God's will of peace for us all. When we open ourselves to hear our angels' messages, every aspect of our lives become more peaceful.

I have a (non-Christian) friend who is an "Angel Therapist," and after talking to her, it sounds like she's acting simply as a medium/fortune teller, and using Christian-sounding terms to white-wash it.  Have any Christian groups officially condemned "Angel Therapy" and if so what are their arguments against it.


texts: Why Do Moses' Laws About Slavery and Punishment Not Align with the Teachings of Jesus?

texts:
In Exodus 21, God is telling Moses what the laws should be concerning slaves and servants among the Israelites.  If this is the same God who made all of mankind in His own image, then why would he abet slavery in this way among his own people?

This is also the chapter that says punishment should be administered on an "eye for eye" basis (v23-26).  Why would God instruct Moses to introduce this law and yet come to earth later on as Jesus and teach that we should always forgive others when they sin against us?

Basically, it just seems that the law concerning the Israelites, despite being given to Moses directly from God, is not in the same spirit as the messages that Jesus gives in the new testament.  Is this God of ours really never-changing?  If so, then why do we have this apparent double standard?


texts: What is the history of Irish Catholic resentment toward Protestantism?

texts: In the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Angela's Ashes, the author depicts several instances of Irish Catholic animosity toward Protestants, especially those from America. What is the background of this rift, and does it persist today?


texts:
The Sarum rite was the traditional rule of liturgical worship for Catholics in England, and to some extent in the rest of the British Isles, for many years. It is related to the Roman rite, and to various other historical regional or diocesan versions. It is not used today, though I gather there are still Catholics and Anglo-Catholics who are interested in it (and even some Orthodox churches).

I've heard two stories about why it's defunct. Both relate to the restoration of the hierarchy in England, and of normal church order, in the nineteenth century.

English Catholics were asked whether they wanted to retain Sarum or adopt the Roman rite, and they chose the latter.
Despite the wishes of the local populace, Rome imposed its own rite in a quest for global liturgical conformity.

Which of these, if either, is true?


texts: What is the "homogenous unit principle" of church growth?

texts:
Fred Clark wrote in his blog entry Suburban is not the same as theologically conservative (17 July 2012):

  The suburbanization of American Christianity has altered our theology in other fundamental ways. Consider, for example, the church-growth movement and its focus on the archetypally suburban idea of the “homogenous unit principle.” Could there be a more radical rejection of Pentecost than that?

What is the homogeneous unit principle and how does it relate to the traditional geographic idea of the parish? How did the principle come about?


texts: I've heard it claimed that Satan was the worship leader for God's choir. I cannot find any scripture in the Bible that mentions Satan was in worship in heaven and was closest to God. What is the Biblical basis for this belief?


texts: What's the difference between resurrection and reincarnation?

texts:
I'm pretty sure resurrection is vastly different from reincarnation, even though both describe living again.

So what is the difference between them? And is one doctrine more typical of Christian belief than another? Are there Christian religions that believe them to be similar or the same thing?


texts: Why does the NWT capitalize "YOU" in many verses?

texts:
Throughout many passages in the NWT (Jehovah's Witness specific New World Translation), all instances of the pronoun "you" are written in all capitals. Here is an example from Acts 2:38:

Peter [said] to them: “Repent, and let each one of YOU be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of YOUR sins, and YOU will receive the free gift of the holy spirit.

What is the reasoning behind this capitalization? I am familiar with the practice of capitalizing He/Him and similar pronouns when referring to God or Christ, but this appears to be quite different and I have no idea what the rational is.


texts: What Doctrine Supports The Christian Gun Culture?

texts:
In America, there is a large group of people where being a Christian, active in the gun culture and protecting their right to fire arms is proudly the basis of their identity.

For example, at the shooting range you may see a bumper sticker on a car stating "All I need is my Bible and a gun". (The movies also eat this one up romanticizing, glorify and macho-fy this phenomenon.)

What denomination or general belief is the root of this phenomenon and is it like that in other countries?


texts:
John 1:1 says:

  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  -KJV

The Greek says:

  Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος

How do Unitarians (those that deny a preexisting Messiah) interpret this verse? If there is more than one, please provide an overview of the various interpretations.


texts: What is the Biblical basis for God's divine decree in Scripture (Calvinism)?

texts: I have listened to Calvinists state that all that happens in time is a result of God's divine decree. Where in Scripture do we find evidence for the existence of such a decree, or where in Scripture can the existence of such a decree be inferred?


texts: Do Catholics consider saying "Jeez(e)!" to be a violation of the Second Commandment?

texts:
Is saying "Jeez(e)!" (also: Geez(e), Jese, Jez, and with lower-case initial) using God's name in vain?

According to the OED, the U.S. slang interjections Jeez(e and gee (from which comes gee whiz(z, a corruption geewhillikins, itself a corruption of "Jerusalem!") are corruptions of "Jesus!"


texts: What happens if a host is dropped during communion? (Catholic)

texts:
At around 1:15:05 of the movie Therese (based on the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, late XIX century), we can see the host being dropped and then put in a piece of cloth and taken away. This seems consistent with the (modern) guidelines given in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM):

  If a host or any particle should fall, it is to be picked up reverently.

What is unclear however is what is done to the host. This contrasts with the case of the wine, where the instruction is clear. These words immediately follow those above:

  If any of the Precious Blood is spilled, the area where the spill occurred should be washed with water, and this water should then be poured into the sacrarium in the sacristy.

The GIRM does not seem to provide any direct guidance regarding the fallen host. Is it purified somewhere and eaten?


texts: What did Christians write about Muhammad during his life?

texts: Are there any records written by Christians about Muhammad that were written during his life? If so, what did they say about him? I would be very surprised if the Church of ~600-630 AD didn't have something to say about a man claiming to be the prophet of God.


texts: How do proponents of Original Sin support a strictly literal interpretation of Genesis

texts:
Many modern theologians who adhere to the doctrine of original sin are often proponents of the claim that Genesis is to be interpreted strictly literally (most strictly as a 7 day creation of a young earth) and never allegorically.

Original sin is the concept that mankind shares in the original sins of Adam recorded in Genesis 3. It seems then that "Adam" meaning man is supposed to be an allegory for all humankind and insofar as Adam represents all of humanity, humanity is tempted and succumbs to temptation in our own ways and in our own modern contexts and seeks to shift blame to others and hide from God thereby sinning.

Merriam-Webster's Diction defines allegory as

  The expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence
  a symbolic representation

One needn't necessarily assume the character as fictional however in order to apply and many explanations of original sin do in fact apply the text in this way (in a many very similar to double-fulfillment using something like a PaRDeS hermeneutic framework)

Under a a strictly literal interpretation however, we lose this allegorical application of Genesis. The fall is something that happened to Adam. And something that Adam did. It is not something that I as an individual did and it would thus seem that I am being held responsible for and facing the consequences for the mistakes of my ancestor, which seems unfair.

So, according to those who believe in such a strict literal interpretation in what way does mankind share in Adam's original sin and/or how do they define their interpretations as non-allegorical (also)?


texts: Absolution without confession is valid or not?

texts:
Being a Syrian Orthodox, I have a doubt...
Will my sind be forgiven if I get HUSOYO/(absolution prayer only with no confession) instead of confession of sins?
I usually confess once in a month but the weeks in between, if I get HUSOYO will it forgive my sins?