Tag: Early Church

  • The Roman Catholic Church in Analysis

    Background Since its beginning, with the Edict of Thessalonica in 380 AD, making Trinitarian Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic church has, over the centuries, accumulated a vast corpus of doctrine/dogma. These beliefs which have accreted are simply the traditions of man and most have absolutely no basis in Scriptura.…

  • The Reformers Didn’t Go Far Enough

    The magisterial Reformers of the Protestant Reformation, men like Calvin, Luther, and Knox, were used mightily by God to restore the preeminence of Scripture and to declare every precept and doctrine taken directly from the Word of God which itself stands as the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith, morality, and praxis.…

  • Sola Scriptura: Defined and Defended – A Study in Authority Structures

    Background Sola Scriptura, Latin for Scripture Alone, is part of the 5 Solas of the Protestant Reformation. They are a cornerstone of Reformed theology. Sola Scriptura simply means that Scripture is our highest authority in matters of faith and morals. As this statement implies, there are other lesser authorities, but they are always subordinate to…

  • Covenant Theology vs Dispensationalism: Towards a Definition of Reformed Essentials

    Introduction Covenant Theology (CT) and dispensationalism (D) are both frameworks created by man to understand and make sense of Scripture (both the Old Testament and New Testament). They are meta-systems of analysis and synthesis. Think of them as interpretive grids. Theological propositions or rather truths are distilled into a framework that aids in understanding the…

  • The Chosen: A Reformed Defense of the Show

    The very popular TV series, The Chosen, tells the story of Jesus over the course of 7 seasons (currently on season 3). It has sharply divided Christians as to whether it is proper or not. Some point to the fact that the production company, Angel Studios, was founded in part by 2 Mormons as enough…

  • Protoevangelium of James

    This work is spurious, it is a total forgery, and was not written by the Apostle James. It dates to at the earliest the mid-2nd century, that is 150 years after the last Apostle John died! It is a pseudepigraphical work that purports to give information on Jesus’ early life and Mary His mother’s life…

  • The Baptism Debate

    Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, other Reformed, and some Anglican all believe in either infant baptism or both infant baptism and baptismal regeneration. I submit, respectfully, that these believers are all wrong in their understanding of baptism. In this post, I will discuss the fundamental differences between the credobaptist and paedobaptism positions, and I’ll…

  • The Christian fish symbol

    The fish was used in the Early Church to identify oneself as a Christian. Until the late 4th century Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire and punishable by death. So Christians had to be cautious and take protective measures to avoid detection by the authorities. The acrostic ICHTHUS (ΙΧΘϒΣ) identifies Jesus Christ as God’s…

  • Christmas Under Attack!

    It’s Christmas Eve night, a holy night as we sit under eager expectation to celebrate our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s birth. You’d think this special time of the year is for joyous celebration and quality time spent with friends and family observing holiday traditions, going to church, eating a delicious fine meal, and exchanging…

  • The Reformed Church in America: Dating and Dysfunction

    It’s not easy being a 47-year-old (never married) single Reformed man, who is disabled and suffering from severe mental illnesses, in America and looking for a godly wife. I’m in a Reformed singles group on Facebook and after several years of careful observation, I must sadly recognize that the vast majority of the Reformed women…