Podcasts about Alexandrian

Adam's riding solo on this one, and he's pulling a bundle of helpful tricks and tips out of his Storyteller's saddlebag—especially for folks just starting out running Mage games. If you're a veteran, you might hear some familiar ground, but if you're new to the Storyteller's seat, this one's a gold mine.Show Notes

Send us a textSeries: Mystical TheologyEpisode 39: Alexandria and Antioch: Christological Tendencies, Intro Pt 3, Dr. C. VeniaminIn Episode 39 of our Mystical Theology, the tendencies to be found in Alexandrian and Antiochian Christology are discussed as a prelude to our overview of the Christology of Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444). See also the themes in the Timestamps below.Q&As available in The Professor's BlogRecommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022); The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation: "Theosis" in Scripture and Tradition (2016); The Transfiguration of Christ in Greek Patristic Literature (2022); and Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, Empirical Dogmatics of the Orthodox Catholic Church: According to the Spoken Teaching of Father John Romanides, Vol. 1 (2012), Vol. 2 (repr. ed. 2020).Further bibliography may be found in our "Scholar's Corner" webpage.Join the Mount Thabor Academy Podcasts and help us to bring podcasts on Orthodox theology and the spiritual life to the wider community. Support the showDr. Christopher Veniamin Join The Mount Thabor Academyhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2232462/support THE MOUNT THABOR ACADEMY (YouTube) THE MOUNT THABOR ACADEMY (Patreon) Print Books by MOUNT THABOR PUBLISHING eBooks Amazon Google Apple KoboB&NFurther Info & Bibliography The Professor's BlogFurther bibliography may be found in our Scholar's CornerContact us: info@mountthabor.com...

A @Christadelphians Video: A @Christadelphians Video: Description: Five short talks introduce the reader to the careful translation of the Bible into English from manuscripts in the original languages. Modern and earlier English Bible versions are briefly reviewed in terms of their availability in printed and electronic formats. The reader is reminded that the Bible message is more important than the means of its production. SummaryThis presentation provides an overview of the history of the Bible, focusing on the Revised Version and its successors up to the present day, including various modern media formats.Highlights

I'm visited by Andie Margolskee, the author of the first crowdfunded adventure for Draw Steel: The Great Thaw of Gryzmithrak Spire. We talk about the adventure, sure, but with Andie having designed adventures for multiple systems, we end up talking a bunch about what different systems are good at.LinksWebsite that links to Andie's previous projectsThe Great Thaw of Gryzmithrak Spire CrowdfundrExoecology for Monster Hunters KickstarterTwo favorite Alexandrian blog articles:Node-Based Scenario Design – Part 1: The Plotted ApproachThree Clue RuleChapters00:00 Intro00:45 Interview59:33 OutroSupport the show MCDM Discord MCDM Subreddit Draw Steel Subreddit Matt's YouTube Channel MCDM's YouTube Channel GoblinPoints.com Leave a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or send me an email at tips@goblinpoints.com.Theme music by Patrick Haesler.Art by Chris Malbon.

Alternate Episode Title: Rika Explains it All We have left the realm of the gods and return to the realm of man, and we brought a really cute god with us! The club gets to know Hanyuu, and Hanyuu learns that Rika has forgotten all the stuff she needed to remember. Guess it's time to speedrun everyone's character development in this final world so that we can turn the tables on Takano Miyo... but first, we need to find out what her deal is, anyway.

David Betz, Professor of War in the Modern World at King's College London and author of The Guarded Age: Fortification in the Twenty-First Century, joins the show to discuss how fortification is alive, well, and everywhere.  ▪️ Times      •      01:22 Introduction     •      01:53 A default condition     •     13:20 Why is that there?      •      22:13 Alexandrian foundations      •      28:50 Security and mobility         •      39:53 The pendulum swings     •      48:54 Intrigue   Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Title: The Fruit of the Second Missionary Journey Text: Acts 18:18-28 FCF: We often struggle recognizing God's providential hand in ministry. Prop: Because God supports and perpetuates the work of the ministry, we must trust and obey the Lord. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 18. In a moment we'll begin reading starting in verse 18 in the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in the version you prefer. We left Paul in Corinth, having been delivered from the persecution of the Jews. This fulfilled the Lord Jesus' promise to Paul that he would be protected in the city of Corinth. But now, as we close out chapter 18, we also close out with it the Second Missionary Journey of Paul. As he heads back to Antioch of Syria we might be tempted to think that the ministry of the gospel will pause while he is away. But instead, Luke will show us how the Lord continues to support and perpetuate the work of the ministry to the uttermost parts of the earth. Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the Word of God. Invocation: Omnipresent Creator, You are every where and You are every when. There is no where we can go to escape Your presence. And You have promised to be with Your church until the end of the age. Such a promise doubly reassures us that You are watching over us and caring for us, Your flock. Lord we know that You have kept us here to be salt and light to the world. To proclaim to them the glorious first coming of Your Son and announce to them His impending return in glory. Such a calling is too great for us. Though we all be rallied to its cause, we would expire before it would be complete. Your promise to be with us, to sustain us, to keep us, and to call more into service is our hope and our confidence to trust You and to obey You still. Teach and reassure us of these things in Your word today, we pray in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: Let's get right to the text this morning as we close out the second Missionary Journey of Paul. I.) God is faithful to guide and keep His people in His service, so we must trust and obey the Lord. (18-23) a. [Slide 2] 18 - And Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brothers and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchreae (Sen-Kree- UH) he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. i. Here we see the beginning of the end of Paul's second missionary journey. ii. First, he spends many more days in the city of Corinth, preaching the gospel and discipling new converts. iii. No doubt he is appointing Elders over the church in Corinth – perhaps this is the reason Luke mentioned Titius Justus and Crispus, being the first Elders of the church there? iv. But having discipled them for many days and having appointed Elders there, it is time for Paul to go back to Antioch of Syria. v. Why? 1. Paul is a missionary. It is his responsibility to report back to his sending church to inform them on what has happened so that they may continue to pray and rejoice over God's gospel going forward. 2. Paul is also, probably, due for a rest. He has been on the go probably for around 2 years. It is time for him to return and recuperate. 3. He is also probably out of money again. And rather than continue to rely on unpromised provision, it is time to return and recharge his resources. vi. So, Paul sets out for Syria. Antioch of Syria to be precise. To sail across the Mediterranean Sea directly to Israel would not have been an option. vii. Luke records some of the connections Paul has to make to get back. In this process he also expands upon the development of ministry partners Paul has made and what their role will be while Paul is away. viii. Cenchreae (Sen – kree – uh) is a port city just east of Corinth. ix. Luke tells us that Paul stops here and while at this port city, he has his hair cut. He does this because he was keeping a vow. x. We have two questions concerning this and the second question depends on the answer to the first. What is the vow and what is the significance of Luke telling us about it? 1. What is this vow? a. Many suggest that this is a Nazarite vow which Paul takes in order to set himself apart unto the Lord. i. If it is, then this must be the end of the vow for shaving the head would have occurred once the vow was fulfilled. ii. However, if this is the Nazarite vow, there is much in Numbers 6 that Paul is playing relatively fast and loose with. The consecrated hair needed to be burned on the fire. He needed to come to the temple and offer an additional sacrifice. iii. Paul is a good distance away from Jerusalem at this time. iv. According to Josephus, as a concession to the Diaspora Jews, he would technically have 30 days to make the sacrifice after the Nazarite vow was completed and this would explain Paul's haste in getting back to Israel, and his going to Jerusalem. b. Others have suggested that this was a Greek vow for sailors. But the only examples of this are of sailors shaving their head after having passed through a dangerous journey. Certainly Paul has passed through some danger – but he has not yet sailed for home making this unlikley. c. Others have suggested that this is a private vow of thanksgiving for the Lord delivering him unharmed through his stay in Corinth. i. Paul would have made such a vow after the Lord appeared to him. ii. Again, shaving his head would signify the end of the vow and not the beginning. iii. But if this is the case, we might have expected Luke to make this more obvious by stating the reason for Paul to have taken the vow. d. When we assess all these options, it seems best to see this as the Nazarite vow. Therefore, the completion of his missionary journey coinciding with the fulfillment of the vow. Perhaps Paul made such a vow in Corinth, perhaps he made it in Troas before setting out for Macedonia, perhaps he made it before he even left Antioch of Syria although growing his hair out for 2 years does stretch our imagination a tad. e. In any case, Paul consecrated or set himself apart unto the Lord for a specific purpose, which he now considered completed. He needed now to return to Jerusalem to make the appropriate sacrifice. 2. What is the significance of Luke telling us this? a. Is this communicating something about Paul? About God? About the mission? b. There are several thoughts i. It could be that this signifies the official end of the missionary journey. ii. It could be that Luke is telling us this to show how Paul needed to be set apart for his missionary service. iii. It could be Luke portraying Paul as still retaining his Jewish roots and not abandoning the law. iv. It could simply be Luke's way of explaining why Paul goes to Jerusalem before he goes back to Antioch of Syria. 1. We'll talk about this in more detail when we get to verse 22, but if Paul's only destination is Antioch of Syria, the port he sails into is pretty far away from that city. 2. By expressing in verse 18 that Paul's destination was Syria, Luke may anticipate the question for why Paul sailed into Caesarea and traveled in the opposite direction of Syria before heading there. c. As ho hum and seemingly insignificant as it is, it seems like Luke's point in this verse is to account for the travels of various missionaries in this region. And part of that itinerary is explaining why Paul would shoot for Syria and miss on purpose. b. [Slide 3] 19 - And they arrived at Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. i. Priscilla and Aquila join Paul as he sails to Ephesus. When he arrives, he intends to leave them there to begin the work of the church and prepare the city for his next missionary journey. ii. Paul has had good success focusing in on one major city as he spent the majority of the mission in the city of Corinth. So, in planning the next trip, Paul intends to do the same in the major city of Ephesus. iii. Priscilla and Aquila are tasked with preparing the city for this mission. iv. Before he has to shove off again, he enters the synagogue and begins to reason with the Jews concerning Jesus as their Messiah. v. In this process, we do not see the Jews adequately understanding what he is teaching just yet… vi. How can I be sure that is true? vii. Because… c. [Slide 4] 20 - When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, i. They wanted him to stay. ii. In the very next chapter, we will see the Jews in Ephesus follow the pattern of Jewish resistance to the gospel that we have grown so accustomed to. iii. But for now, it seems that time being short, the Jews are not understanding fully what Paul is saying. iv. But Paul doesn't refuse outright… d. [Slide 5] 21 - but taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus. i. Paul has wanted to go to Ephesus since the start of the 2nd Missionary Journey. ii. For several reasons, he is not able to devote the time at this point. iii. But he does leave it up to God. iv. If the Lord wills, he will return again someday. e. [Slide 6] 22 - And when he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch. i. Since Jerusalem was a city on a hill, and since it is a church that would need no real city designation since it was the ground zero for the church, it seems almost assured that Paul goes up to Jerusalem first. ii. He fulfills the sacrifices necessary for his vow and after that greets and fellowships with the Jerusalem church. iii. Finally, Paul goes on to Antioch. iv. But even that wasn't the final destination that Luke wishes to report for Paul. f. [Slide 7] 23 - And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. i. After spending some time in Antioch – how much – we don't know. ii. But enough time to rest, recuperate and gather more resources, this is likely. iii. He then retraces his steps through Galatia and Phrygia to strengthen those churches established on the first missionary journey. iv. Luke actually records for us the beginning of the third missionary journey of Paul before he leaves the subject to follow Priscilla and Aquila's work in Ephesus. g. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Luke quickly draws to a close the 2nd Missionary Journey of Paul. In its conclusion he reveals God's faithfulness to guide and uphold Paul through various trials and difficulties and delivering him safely back to his sending church while reaffirming and upholding his Jewish heritage by fellowshipping with his co-laborers in Jerusalem and fulfilling his Nazarite vow to the Lord according to the law. The faithfulness of God results in the enduring trust and obedience of Paul. As such our lesson is that the Lord's faithfulness to keep His promises toward us and to work all things according to our good motivates us to endure to the end of what He has called us to do and to trust Him. Transition: [Slide 9(blank)] But what about while Paul is away? How will the ministry fare while he rests and recuperates? Will it all fall apart? Or will the Lord make sure it is sustained? II.) God is faithful to raise up new laborers in His service, so we must trust and obey the Lord. (24-28) a. [Slide 10] 24 - Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, arrived at Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. i. Luke introduces us to yet another major player in the ongoing drama of the kingdom of Christ expanding throughout the world. ii. Apollos, a VERY Greek name, with a Jewish heritage being from Alexandria which would have been a city known for learning and culture… arrives in Ephesus. iii. Unfortunately, the vast majority of what we know about this man is found right here in these verses at the tail end of chapter 18. iv. And also unfortunately for us, the status of the man Apollos, at least initially, is somewhat of an enigma to us. v. The question on many scholars' minds is whether or not Apollos was a Christian when he arrives at Ephesus. vi. I am going to virtually ignore this question this morning for two very big reasons. 1. There is not enough evidence to conclude one way or another whether Apollos was saved or not when he comes to Ephesus. 2. Secondly, and most importantly, it does not contribute to the greater point of the chapter, so spending a lot of time discussing it is at best a distraction. vii. If you want to talk about it more – come on Thursday Nights to our bible study and prayer group. We can really hash it out then. viii. For now, let's just focus on what Luke tells us and not stray from that. ix. So what does Luke say about this man? x. Luke records that he is eloquent in speech and mighty in the scriptures. xi. Apollos was a man who knew the Word of God and knew it well enough to speak it clearly and capture the attention of his audience. xii. No doubt he had memorized large portions of the Torah and could sing to you the psalms and recite the words of the prophets. xiii. So why is he in Ephesus? xiv. Great question… let's keep reading. b. [Slide 11] 25 - This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; i. What are we to make of this? ii. First, we understand from this that Apollos is in Ephesus as an evangelist or missionary. He is here to preach a message to the Jews. iii. What is that message? iv. Apollos had been instructed in the way of the Lord. What does that mean? 1. Older commentators point out and it probably true, that Apollos was Catechized from a young age concerning the things of Christ. 2. The beginning of Jesus' ministry was 20 years earlier than the events Luke records for us here. 3. It is likely that Apollos' parents or at least his father had come to Jerusalem during a feast celebration and encountered John the Baptist. 4. Returning home, he began teaching his children the scriptures especially the scriptures concerning the Lord Jesus as the Messiah in order to prepare them for the coming Kingdom. v. Luke tells us that Apollos was fervent in spirit. 1. Though many commentators wish this “spirit” to refer to the Holy Spirit, I remain skeptical of this conclusion. The overwhelming majority of English translations do not conclude that it is the Third Person of the Godhead supplying his zeal or passion. 2. Rather most translations assume this is speaking more about the man himself and his passion to preach the message he had believed. 3. He spoke not only eloquently… but passionately. 4. An engaging preacher that also knew His subject matter well. vi. He was teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus. 1. More than likely this means that Apollos had and astute understanding of the Old Testament, he knew the teachings concerning the Messiah, he recognized the identity of Jesus as that Messiah, and even preached the need for the Jews to repent because the Kingdom of heaven was at hand. 2. But this does not mean that he was teaching everything about Christ there was to teach. 3. Indeed, the next statement further explains what Apollos was probably teaching about Christ… vii. He had been acquainted only with the baptism of John. 1. “The baptism of John” is a euphemism to refer to the entire teaching corpus of John the Baptist. 2. John the Baptist's mission was to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah and along with Him the Kingdom of God, even revealing that Jesus was the Messiah when He came to be baptized of John. 3. So what would Apollos' message have looked like? What was he preaching exactly? 4. It is somewhat speculation, but here is what I think… 5. Apollos was so close to understanding the fullness of the gospel message but did not have access to the teaching of Christ through the faithful transmission of His apostles. 6. It would be like reading the bible, including the gospels up to the point that Jesus is baptized and that's all you have. 7. So, what was Apollos missing? a. Probably he did not have any understanding of the global nature of the work of the Messiah. That it was not to the Jews only but to the uttermost part of the world. b. Secondly, he probably did not recognize the spiritual emphasis of Jesus' first coming and as he preached the kingdom he no doubt expected, as John the Baptist did later, that Jesus would be an earthly King over Israel. c. Thirdly, probably he did not understand that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, which is made possible because of His death and resurrection. d. It seems hardly possible that he could have been ignorant of the death and resurrection of Jesus. e. But he probably did not recognize its significance for the spiritual freedom of His people. f. If this is so, perhaps he concluded that Jesus would return in a short time to set up His earthly Kingdom and his job was to continue John's work to prepare people for that. g. In other words, I think the spiritual significance of Jesus' coming had been lost to Apollos. h. He is still telling people to prepare for the Kingdom… when the Kingdom was already here, and Christ had begun gathering citizens from the uttermost parts of the earth by grace through faith in Christ. viii. In short, Apollos is passionately preaching an incomplete gospel message. ix. So, Apollos comes to Ephesus as an evangelist to preach the message of repentance and preparation for the earthly kingdom of God. c. [Slide 12] 26 - and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. i. Again, the providence of God is on full display. ii. Why did Priscilla and Aquila come with Paul to Ephesus? Why did Paul leave them there? iii. They hear this man who is mighty in the scriptures teaching fervently a gospel that is… almost the gospel. iv. What do they do with such a man? v. Seeing his zeal and passion, they do not correct his doctrine publicly, but privately they instruct him more accurately in the way of God. vi. Their instruction is so broad “the way of God” that we must conclude that Apollos had some foundational truths missing from his preaching. This is some of the reason I have concluded what I have about Apollos' message. vii. Notice that both Priscilla and Aquila correct him. 1. Some take issue with Priscilla being a part of this, but in reality, there are two very important details to note here. a. First, this is private exhortation. All Christians are called to privately evangelize, teach, exhort and instruct others. Regardless of gender. Priscilla is not crossing any lines here, especially since her husband is with her. b. Some commentators assume that Priscilla is the primary teacher because her name is mentioned first. i. However, as we discussed earlier at a bible study and prayer group, there are other explanations for why she might be listed first, 1. Including the possibility that she was of a higher social status than Aquila, 2. And/or because she was much more well-known to Theophilus than her husband for whatever reason. ii. In any case, the governmental order within the church is not compromised here by Priscilla being a part of this correction. viii. So, they pull him aside and fill in the pieces he was missing. ix. The implication here is that he received this more accurate understanding of the gospel with joy and full submission. x. Does this mean he gets saved here? Was he already saved? If he gets saved doesn't that mean he should be baptized? xi. It is very difficult to determine any of this. What we do know is that Apollos is a believer with many gifts. xii. So, what is next for such a mighty preacher as Apollos? d. [Slide 13] 27 - And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, 28 - for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. i. Again, we are not given any time values here. Was this immediately after this event in Ephesus that he desired to go to Achaia or is this some time later? It is difficult to know for certain. ii. More than likely there was some time between his correction and him wishing to go, but because he was who he was the other believers in the church in Ephesus did not have any issue sponsoring him to go to Achaia and preach the gospel. iii. They even wrote to the church in Corinth to receive him there. iv. Luke tells us that he refutes the Jews in public demonstrating from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. v. So, it seems that Apollos is not only an evangelist but an apologist as well. vi. And this is a little freebie. Given all that has been said of Apollos here, and having read through the book of Hebrews several times – I am fairly convinced that Apollos is the unattributed author of the book. I am like 70% sure.

La technique de l'ananas,

“When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed. After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli.”Acts.28.11-13

“When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed. After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli.”Acts.28.9–13

Podcast Dobrych Rzutów, na którym długo i dogłębnie omawiamy różne tematy związane z gramy fabularnymi. Teoria RPG, dyskusje, debaty, warsztaty, praktyczne problemy, luźne rozmowy, wywiady!

Menas was an Athenian, a courtier of the Emperor Maximinus, and a secret Christian. Once there was an outbreak of civil unrest in Alexandria, brought about by various political factions, and by the increasing success of Christian missionaries in turning the Alexandrian people from the idols. The Emperor sent Menas to reconcile the parties and settle the dispute. On his arrival, Menas quickly resolved the political troubles and restored peace to the city; but instead of putting down Christianity as the Emperor had desired, he did everything in his power to protect the Christians and encourage the spread of the Gospel. When word of this came to the Emperor, he sent another trusted courtier, Hermogenes, to re-establish Imperial authority and to execute Menas if he would not renounce Christ. Hermogenes followed these orders scrupulously: he subjected the godly Menas to various horrid tortures in the public arena. But Menas was miraculously preserved through them all, and when he finally appeared in the arena, flanked by two shining Angels, Hermogenes repented and confessed Christ. He in turn became such a fervent advocate for the Gospel that he was soon made a Bishop (!). Finally the Emperor decided that the only solution was to come to Alexandria himself. There he had both Menas and Hermogenes cruelly tortured to death in secret, lest they perform any public miracles; but when the Emperor presented himself before the people at the arena the following day, the two Saints, miraculously preserved, appeared there also, causing the people to cry out "Christ is the only true God!" At the sight, Menas' scribe Eugraphus declared himself a Christian, leaped into the arena and publicly demanded the honor of dying with them. All three were beheaded. Their precious relics were later taken to Constantinople, where they worked many miracles.

After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island – it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they travelled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him. Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: ‘My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.' They replied, ‘We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.' They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. (Acts 28.11-24, NIV.)

Send us a textIs hell an eternal reality or a misunderstood doctrine? Join us as we confront the growing belief among Christians that undermines the traditional view of eternal punishment. Delving into the Apostle Paul's admonitions, we spotlight the dangers of altering core Christian teachings and challenge interpretations that offer false comfort. Through a rigorous examination of salvation, we emphasize the urgency of faith in Christ as the only path to salvation and the eternal consequences that await those who reject Him.Throughout the episode, we dissect the doctrine of universal salvation, tracing its roots back to the Alexandrian school of theology, and expose the theological pitfalls of modern interpretations that dilute Christ's sacrifice. We assure you there are no shortcuts or alternative paths to salvation after death, as we reaffirm the significance of Christ's atoning work on the cross. Together, we'll explore the nature of Christ's sacrifice and the implications of substituting traditional beliefs with contemporary ideas that equate hell to a purgatorial state.Finally, we address the everlasting consequences tied to the denial of Christ's salvation, urging a return to foundational theological truths. Through scriptural exploration, we aim to inspire a renewed urgency to share the gospel, confronting the pervasive notion that all paths lead to salvation. This episode stands as a clarion call to recognize the gravity of hell and the necessity of turning to Christ now, lest we face the serious repercussions of ignoring these eternal truths.Support the show

On today's episode, we journey back to the fourth century BC on the shores of an Indian river, where an army that had set out from Macedon, more than 3000 miles away had a choice: cross and battle a new Empire and a new army, or turn back home. The ramifications of that decision would be massive. It is history that deserves to be remembered.

Clearchus of Soli was an ancient philosopher who lived in the 4th century BCE and was primarily known for his contributions to ethics and moral philosophy. Clearchus was a student of Aristotle who is often associated with his Peripatetic school. He wrote extensively on Eastern Cultures and is thought to have traveled eastward-bound, to the Bactrian city of Ai-Khanoum (Alexandria on the Oxus?) in modern Afghanistan, in order to help Hellenize the city in a post-Alexandrian era. Join me as I welcome Professor Gertjan Verhasselt to discuss this fascinating and relatively unknown Cypriot philosopher, Clearchus of Soli!

Nebuchadnezzar's empire was as secure and far-reaching as any great world power in the ancient world, but in himself, the king was not at rest. Night after night, disconcerting dreams swirled round his head, robbing him of peace and well-being. Dreams not only reflect the preoccupations of our hearts, but sometimes contain within them significant prophetic pointers. By revelation, the Lord showed Daniel that Nebuchadnezzar had dreamt of an enormously large and imposing statue – which said a lot about what the king thought of himself and his works! All his energies had gone into building an empire that honoured his own name, and he was dazed and dazzled by his golden splendour. The Lord was less impressed, however, and drew Daniel's attention to the image's fallible feet of clay. Empires may dominate the world stage for a season, but flawed foundations make it impossible for them to endure forever, be they Babylonian, Alexandrian, Roman, Napoleonic, British, Third Reich or Soviet. Drawing on Daniel's experiences in Babylon, and on his understanding of the way the Lord worked, in this presentation, Elizabeth and I ask the Lord to help us respond strategically to the challenges His people must deal with when living under ungodly regimes and empires: a very pressing question for millions of believers around the world today. Enjoy the lovely worship we have inlaid into our prayers toward the end too!

On June 17th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. the Hermetic Hour will present a lecture on the 1770 Crata Repoa system of magical initiation. I will briefly describe this 18th century German (and later French) recreation of an ancient Alexandrian mystery tradition on a Masonic initiatory model. The Crata Repoa was a structural outline for a magical order that precedes both the O.T.O. and the Golden Dawn's Cypher Manuscript by 100 years. We will discuss the original authors, what they were trying to accomplish, and the considerable influence their creation had on subsequent magical traditions. I will recount how I literally stumbled into a French version of the system in 1963, and adapted it to the fledgling O.T.A. in 1969 --- Carrying the story on into the 70s, 80s and 90s as we found out more about the system and expanded our program along the lines laid out in Crata Repoa. Tune in and we'll explore this baroque version of the secrets of the ancients.

Acts 27 (NASB) 1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they proceeded to deliver Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in an Adramyttian ship, which was about to sail to the regions along the coast of Asia, we put out to sea accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care. 4 From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were contrary. 5 When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 7 When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone; 8 and with difficulty sailing past it we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. 9 When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the fast was already over, Paul began to admonish them, 10 and said to them, "Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives." 11 But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. 12 Because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. 13 When a moderate south wind came up, supposing that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing along Crete, close inshore. 14 But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind, called Euraquilo; 15 and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along. 16 Running under the shelter of a small island called Clauda, we were scarcely able to get the ship's boat under control. 17 After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along. 18 The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo; 19 and on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned. 21 When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, "Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, 24 saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.' 25 Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 26 "But we must run aground on a certain island." 27 But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to surmise that they were approaching some land. 28 They took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and a little farther on they took another sounding and found it to be fifteen fathoms. 29 Fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and wished for daybreak. 30 But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ...

In this episode of 'Creation's Paths,' Charlie, a non-binary sci-fi fantasy writer, and their husband Brian explore the esoteric aspects of early Christianity and Christopaganism. They delve into the complex historical context of the first to third centuries, discussing the influence of hekhalot and merkava mysticism on early Christian thought. The episode covers the forgotten origins of Christianity, the role of mysticism in early Jewish and Christian traditions. Key topics include the chaos of the first century, the diverse Jewish sects at the time, and the mystic traditions like the vision of Ezekiel and the book of Enoch. The episode also touches on the influence of the apostle Paul and the early Christian schisms between Gnostics and proto-Orthodox beliefs. Join the discussion to gain a deeper understanding of the hidden historical and mystical roots of Christianity.Support us on: https://ko-fi.com/cedorsettBecome a patron of the arts patreon.com/cedorsettFor Educational Resource: Wisdoms Cry https://wisdomscry.comFor all of the things we are doing at The Seraphic Grove go to Creation's Paths https://www.creationspaths.com/BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.comThreads https://www.threads.net/@creationspathsInstagram https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/Transcript:Charlie- New: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to this episode of creation's paths. Today, we're going to talk about something a little bit more esoteric something a little bit deeper. We're going to look at the question who shall ascend and who has descended and why this is important for us to understand the history origins and potential future of Christianity and Christopaganism. Intro . Hello everyone. My name is Charlie. I am a non-binary scifi fantasy writer, and I am joined today by my wonderful husband, Brian. Brian - New: Hello. Charlie- New: Today we're going to be talking about something a little bit. Like I said in the intro esoteric. I don't want anybody to get worried. I am not expecting people to be a master of hekhalot [00:01:00] mysticism or merkava mysticism, or to even know what either of those two words I just said, meant. It's important though that we understand this because. The origins of Christianity have been. . Swept under the rug. So obscured. By an Imperial tradition that came along later. We have forgotten where it actually came from. And the arguments that were actually happening. In the first century. Well, I guess the first five centuries, but really for our sake here, we're talking about the first one to three centuries. Of the church. This colors, everything. It goes to the question of who is Jesus. It goes to the question of what is the kingdom. It goes into the question of. What. Is the work of somebody on the way. It also will probably help you understand. who the apostle Paul is and why Paul converted to Christianity. Without ever having met Jesus. [00:02:00] Because we. Like to play. Dumb about the first century. I don't mean that to be insulting. I mean, that, to be. Self-preserving. First century. Of the common era. Was chaotic in ways that it is really hard to get your mind around. Rome was doing all of the many things that Rome was doing. Which goes everywhere from the good, the bad to the extremely ugly and grotesque. When we go into the Lavant, when we go into the land of Judea and Galilee, one, most people don't even realize those are two separate countries for. Lack of a better term terms. The Galilee and Judea had different rulers and different leadership. They were both under Rome. That's why in the crucifixion narratives, punches, pilot, who was in charge of Judea. sends. Jesus too. Herod. Because Herod was the king over the Galilee. Okay. It's all getting over [00:03:00] complex. And that's why we don't think about it. We don't want to think about it. We like to think Jesus was the only miracle working. prophet in the first century. He was not, I'm not going to go down the long list of them. But there was a long list of them. He was not even the only person. Who claimed or was believed to be the Jewish Messiah in the first century, he was not, there were several of them. In fact, the Talmud goes through and says a lot about a lot of these people. First century. Was a complex time of upheaval and change. Because the Roman empire. Was just coming into being, we like to think of the Roman empire as something that is ancient and to us. Yes. At the time. The Roman Republic had just fallen. See Julius Caesar had been killed, not that long ago in our narrative and Augustus. Was the first real Roman emperor. So when you open the gospels and you see this. The time of Caesar [00:04:00] Augustus. This is a time of great turmoil, the Republic, the democratic Republic for whatever the word democratic. Fits into the way the Romans did things . The democratic Republic had fallen and was being replaced by this new Imperial state. That would go on for. A long time. At least a thousand years to the follow-up of. Byzantium. In Constantinople. It went on for quite some time. But everything's been reordered. And so there is a lot of chaos. Not only is there a lot of chaos, but because. Judea had not been conquered for that long. There's a lot going on with, in. The meilu of first century Judaism. I'm not going to go into all of the different aspects of it, but you can see this preserved in the gospels themselves, where Jesus is talking about four distinct se Of Jews that were alive at the time. You have the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes. Which there's a lot of [00:05:00] contention over. Exactly. Who he's referring to as describes that could actually refer to several groups or several groups that are being lumped together into one category and the priests. And we know who the priests are. He's talking about four groups just in the gospels, at minimum. And that's not all of them. There were a lot more, in fact, amongst his. Disciples. We have. One who is referred to as a zealot. Now, this was a completely different sect of Judaism that existed in the first century. That was neither a He has scriber priest. So now we're up to five, just within the confines of the new Testament. Just what's in the gospels. So needless to say, this is a very complex time. Out of this new nascent religion gets started. Which initially called itself the way and that we now know as crazy as Christianity. But what were they doing? What was going on here? I and a lot of other folk. [00:06:00] Tend to believe that Jesus and the apostles. We're. Participating in what was known as either. hekhalot mysticism. Or merkava mysticism. Now these two words are virtually interchangeable. They're not interchangeable, but there's a lot of overlap. And confusion where many texts. Have both in them. So let's go to English for a second. hekhalot means palaces. Merkava means charity. Starting at about the third century, fifth to third century before the common era. A fascination was born in to the idea of how we're profits profits. The last prophet that we have recorded. In scriptures, Malakai and Malakai. That's fifth century. Before the common era. And then the profits are gone. They're just gone. Despite what many of us might be thinking. well, God just got quiet. the old Testament talks about schools of profits. They taught each other. They [00:07:00] learned things. Well, if there's a school, then it's something you can learn. So the idea is these lessons got lost and people started looking for them. Mystics started happening. Various people started trying to, connect to God in various ways. And an obsession grew. Around the vision of Ezekiel. Where he sees. So much. He sees the four living creatures. He sees the ophanim that are often referred to as biblically, accurate angels, even though. There's a good argument that they're not even angels. Brian - New: Deep topic. Yeah. Charlie- New: I get really upset when I see biblically accurate angels and they show a picture of a ophanim. Because the ophanim. There. The wheels. And I often sit mispronounced that word and I apologize. It's ophanim wheels. I often. Get my consonant mixed up in there. So. I apologize if I say it wrong. The wheels. Are not necessarily angels they're spirits, [00:08:00] but it's all fun. What people started wondering. Is whether or not you could decode. All aspects of this. And find a way to reconnect to God. And get that wisdom back that prophecy back that connection to the divine back. This is the start of Merkava mysticism. The difference between Merkava mysticism and hekhalot mysticism. Again, this is a gross oversimplification. Is in Merkava they focused on the divine chariot. That is mentioned in this vision. In hekhalot hekhalot means the palaces. Saint Teresa of Avila is interior castle. You're going through the various rooms of the palaces of heaven. Rather than. The various rooms that are within the chair. Gross simplification. There you go. Now most people who are familiar with this at all. Are familiar with it in the book of Enoch. Enoch is a work of hekhalot literature, especially 30. 30. Enoch is. [00:09:00] Straight up Merkava mysticism. Writ large. But most of that Enochian tradition of the first several centuries. So first, second and 30 Enoch high to fit within here. You see echoes of it in here. The whole point of this is the descenders. They often referred to themselves as descending, rather than ascending. One of these days, we'll probably do a deeper dive into this. If you want more, Justin sledge over at esoterica. Has a wonderful episode called the, , esoteric origin of Christianity. Where he goes into a lot of this. He's also got quite a few deep dives into the topic. I'm trying to be as simple as I can. And I'm already halfway through the podcast and I'm still doing introductions. Brian - New: Yeah. It's a big topic. People will spend entire lifetimes studying it. Trying to do the cliff notes version would probably take a year of study. The cliff note of the cliff notes is like maybe a couple hours long. Several of Justins episodes are several hours. Dives into it just to get the cliff notes of the cliff notes. . Charlie- New: Suffice it to [00:10:00] say. The mysticism that arose. Had a couple key aspects to it. You're rising up through the heavens. There are angels all over the place. And there are passwords. That you have to give. Various things that you have to be able to say and answer. To get past each guardian at each stage to, to ascend. What's really remarkable and of note here. Is how much this looks like early Christianity. And how much early Christianity. Is struggling in this milieu. The apostle Paul. Very clearly. Uses a lot of phrases that are terms from. mysticism in his theology. He very clearly was a practitioner. In fact, when he tells his story about. Rising up into the third heaven where he sees Jesus. Now, this is a big thing here. The third heaven. Is one of the. Depending on which system you employ. Middle to high tier [00:11:00] heavens. The number of heavens varies in the system of practice, but. The third heaven in most of these. Is the paradise. This is the garden of Eden. This is where you're first starting to see the perfection of all things. So he's called up into the third heaven. He sees Jesus. And he uses a lot of merkava language here. Now why am I. Struggling on this. Because this is core to everything within Christianity. And I think where people get lost. Because we've lost this connection to our Jewish roots. They were forcibly cut off and the third. To fifth century. So we don't have this context anymore. So much of Christian theology. Is rooted. In this idea of a scent in decent. We have just talked about. The transfiguration. Where the apostles ascend the mountain. And see Jesus. At the top of the mountain. Talking to Moses and Elijah. This is very much in line with the [00:12:00] spirituality of the first several centuries that Judaism. And how it's being wrestled with in early Christianity. We're about to talk about the assumption of Mary. Where Mary is going to be taken. Into heaven. This is a very old idea, by the way, don't let anybody trick you on this. Yes. It was only made dogma like official dogma of the Catholic church in the 17 hundreds, I believe 18th century. But the earliest recorded story of this comes from the third century. ,this is an idea that goes. Way back. In Christianity. Just because that's, when it was recorded, does not mean that was the first time it was discussed. It's just the oldest documentation. We have of this ideas from the third. Century. But ascend. Decent. Who will ascend, who will decent. This language keeps showing up. It's my contention. That Jesus. This is going to be a very controversial statement. It's hard to say it out loud. Jesus says to Merkava mysticism. What the Baal Shem Tov. [00:13:00] Was to Qabalah. he was popularizing it and opening it up. Now, if you don't know who the Baal Shem Tov is, he is the founder of the Hasidic movement. He brought the ideas of Kabbalah. To the people. So that everyone could practice. And made it a very visceral personal experience. You didn't have to go away. You didn't have to seclude yourself and go into all of the study. You still can. But certain aspects of it are now public they're suddenly for all of us to. Engage them. My contention is, this is what Jesus is doing. This is why he preached the gospel of the kingdom. This is how you access the heavens. It's very simple. It's not this long. Drawn out process that takes years to master. You can just do it. He's teaching a very. Personal. Accessible form of this mysticism. This is why. One of the earliest schisms we see in the church. It's between the Gnostics. [00:14:00] And the prodo Orthodox. Because the Gnostics. Are. Through a very Alexandrian lens. And that's Alexandra is in, uh, Alexandria, Egypt. Are taking in ideas from hermeticism. From previously existing sources, like the, book of Jeu. Which. Predates Christianity. And at least some of its ideas. Is trained to take this idea of the ascent into the heavens. And is laying it out in a Greek way. In fact, we see this later in the new Testament with. Stop worrying about all your endless genealogies and mythologies. We like to think that's about. Gnosticism. We don't see anything that we would call Gnostic that early. We do see this merkava mysticism, which had these endless cycles of emanations from God, from. Paths and steps that you have to take to go. Up into the divine. We see this being addressed, even in the gospels. So earlier today I was talking to Brian [00:15:00] and we were talking about this passage. In John three. Now John three is very important because this is where John is laying out the gospel. Jesus is sitting and talking to Nicodemus. Macadamias. They're having their long thing. This is where the passage from this, you probably know because you've heard it so much. The John three 16. For God. So loved the world that he gave. His only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Yeah, John three, this is also the passage where he says that people must be born again. That's where that language comes from, because this is the mission statement of John's gospel. He's laying out in this discourse between these Jesus and one. Potential disciple. Who's. Thinking about joining hu, very importantly, as a member of the Sanhedrin. So a very prominent Jewish leader. That's important for what we're about to talk about. And Jesus says something. Very specific here that to me, It's very much addressing this idea of merkava mysticism. Brian - New: If I told you earthly things [00:16:00] and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended. Into heaven. But he who descended out of heaven, the son of man who is in heaven. Charlie- New: Why would Jesus say that if you don't know. The. Environment in which Jesus is teaching here. This is a very weird statement to just be in the middle of this passage. He's already told us some crazy things. Like you have to be born again. You have to be born of water and fire. This is some very heavenly things, but now all of a sudden. No one has ascended into heaven. Except for he who is descended. Now, first of all, I think when we're studying the gospel of John. This is where we're looking at the teachings of the body of Christ. Not necessarily the historical Christ. John is the last of the gospels to be written of the canonical gospels to be written. And was written in about. 90 CE. It's written after the fall of the [00:17:00] temple. Much of the gospel of John. Is this early Christian movement. Wrestling with its Jewish counterparts. In fact, some of the most anti-Semitic things. The, with the exception of the most antisemitic thing, which is in the gospel of Luke. We can talk about that. If you want, we can do an episode of antisemitism in the gospels because there's a lot of it. But a lot of the antisemitic ideas. Come in here. Some of them are straight up. anti-Semitic such as you or the children of the devil. No. And we need to be able to weed those ideas out. But this is also going directly at the Jewish community. The most popular form of mysticism at the time is this merkava mysticism where you are trying to ascend. Now, this shows that whoever wrote this passage was not familiar. They called themselves descenders. They descended into the chariot. It did not ascend. Yeah. And ascend up into the chariot. again, this shows this misunderstanding. Of what's being talked about here. But this is directly going after [00:18:00] that. No one has ascended. But the one who is decent. This is what Jesus is trying to in this story, trying to change. And I think Rehmann connects back to what we see. Jesus in the other gospels talking about. That we can have access to the divine. Without all of these passwords. And deep esoteric practices. And when I say deep esoteric practices, we're talking about sitting in a room and chanting for hours. If not days. In hopes of maybe possibly having a vision. Jesus is like, nah. You can just do it. It's fine. You don't have to go through all that. You don't have to do all the fasting. You don't have to do all, all that. But why this focus on no one has ascended. Who did not descend. The gospel of John is very clear that Jesus is the divine wisdom. Jesus is the logos that phylo of Alexandria. Well, there's that city again? Talked about. This. Living embodiment of Torah. That existed before the universe was made. Was there [00:19:00] with God when the universe was made. And. Helped in the creation of the universe. By the way, all things you can find in follow a valid Exandria completely without any Christian context whatsoever. You also find it in several of the Aramaic targets that existed at the time. The person of Jesus in the gospels. And the character of what he's trying to do. It's to open up. Heaven. Heaven. It's something that the Imperial. Church. Wants to control for itself. And before there was an Imperial church. There were those Grifters who just wanted to sell you a ticket to heaven. Without actually having one. Those Grifters have always been here. There have been those that are just like, no, you haven't experienced God because you haven't done all the right things yet. You're not holy, like the most holy. The gospel. The actual good news. The Jesus taught. Was, you don't need any of that other stuff. You can just talk to your father. And heaven. We [00:20:00] either also get into the debate over whether. Abba means father, but. That's a debate for another time. Abbott could also mean source. It doesn't necessarily have a gender patriarchal meaning, but man. Aramaic. Cause if I'm. But who shall ascend? No one has ascended except for the one was decent. This is the gospel of John. Trying to proclaim. Itself as unique in this tradition. Ignore all those other things. The gospel of John is very big on trying to combat this prodo Gnosticism that's going around, which is this. Christianization of the merkava mysticism that was going around. With some of the. Aspects of the Greco-Roman magical system that was around at the time and kind of the. Hermetic system that was around at the time. It's important for us. I know that seems very disjointed, but again, we're trying to make these like 30 minute episodes. And I'm trying to. Give a very big. Idea in a very short period of time. This is what's going on here. And it's important [00:21:00] because when we talk about the assumption of the blessed mother, And to have him or the Ascension of Jesus, this is all connected here in this gospel. With. The image of baptism. See Jesus descended from heaven. You can too. It's called baptism. You're baptized by water. And then you're baptized by the holy spirit, which is baptism with fire. Now you have descended in You to This is the core idea. That we see throughout the gospels in, throughout the book of acts, you've been baptized owner. Look, you're having visions left, right. And center. Are there angels everywhere? Now I would tell you. That once you accept the idea that there are angels everywhere and you start. Allowing yourself to perceive them. You'll start noticing that there's always been angel cyber. But sometimes you need somebody to give you that permission. That's really what the good news is in this. Context, Brian - New: especially permission. Becomes important [00:22:00] when. You're sitting in a culture. In a society. That has already spent a lot of time going. You can't. You don't have permission. Unless you have paid access to this group or that group. Bought your permission. And so there's. It creates a psychological block. In one's own head. They've been conditioned. To refuse themselves. Permission. This really does liberate that. Charlie- New: River in Judean. Religion at this point in time. Only one person could even enter the presence of God. That's the high priest. And , he. Only did that. Once a year. And had a rope tied around his waist in case. Being in that presence made him doc. All of the home shrines. Had been removed. All of the other temples have been there used to be a lot of temples. This is actually what happens when you're reading just I and all those others. They're going around destroying all of the other temples of God. Used to [00:23:00] be a lot of temples. Yeah. There's only one. It's that unification that's happening at the end of the Davidic dynasties. Well, this works when everybody lives. In a very smaller. Region. But. Judaism at this point had spread. And people were looking for other ways. You can't go from Alexandria, Egypt, easily. You can't go. We know that there were Jewish trade settlements in golf, for example, which that's all the way over in modern day, France. Traveling from France all the way back to Jerusalem is just not something you can do. So . This new synagogue. It's not a temple. It's let's get together and talk. It's literally what synagogue means. The place where you get together and talk. Required a new form of mysticism, a new form of relating to the divine. And. Rabbinic Judaism hadn't come about yet. It's just starting to form. During this time period. Hello, who founded the Pharisees, who would then go on to found rabbinic Judaism? His. Student [00:24:00] chameleon. It's the one who teaches Paul. Paul was a student of chameleon. Who was a student of Hillel. Everything is up in the air right now. Most of the paradigms we know now did not exist that. So who shall ascend? if we were to go to the Psalm. And some 24. Verses three through four. The Psalmist in a very different context. But one that was often used. In this, these mystical traditions. Asks and answers this question. Brian - New: Who may ascend to his shims hill. Who may stand in his holy place. He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood. And has not sworn. Deceitfully. Charlie- New: Jesus would say anyone who does it in my name. This is a lot of what we're going to be talking about in general. If you want to do some deep, deep, deep, deep, deep dives. I highly recommend you go over to YouTube and check out Justin's wonderful channel. Esoterica where he will go into the [00:25:00] documents and into the history of this. We're not going to be doing that kind of deep dive. We're just going to be looking at it on how it. Connects to. This Christian Christianity. And what I lovingly referred to as crystal paganism. Trying to connect back to our roots. Brian - New: We could also say here that if there is enough demand for it to become a class in of itself, , It would be a good place to put it in the comments or send a message or something. Let us know. So that we can. We know the first several classes that we want to do. But this would definitely be better. handled as a deep dive as an actual class. Yeah. structured. Thing. Charlie- New: So I hope this gave you a basic understanding, cause I'm going to use some of these terms. Some of these ideas a lot as we're talking. And I felt like, especially since we're approaching the assumption. I may touch on some of these ideas and I felt like we needed to just give a brief. Introduction. Brian - New: Do you have articles on https://wisdomscry.com? But [00:26:00] not all that. Just a few. Okay. I wasn't sure how much it was more coming. I know there's a lot in the unpublished part. That's being written up still. Yeah. And I wasn't sure how much has published. And , when people listen to this, there may be more published articles on https://wisdomscry.com. With regarding that. . Charlie- New: There will be more coming. It's just translating things out of what I like to call Charlie readable text. Into human readable text. Brian - New: Oh yeah. Charlie- New: That takes some time because all of these notes that are going up on there were originally my notes. So they had to be intelligible to me. And I'm trying to edit them so that they're intelligible to people who are not meeting. Oh, Brian - New: So, yeah. Basically with all esoteric study in particular and even religious study, part of it is learning a common language. And if somebody is coming at it, From outside that language. Certain words that are used where people think it means something. Might not know or have that [00:27:00] context to know that, oh, no, it actually is this much longer. It unfolds into a much greater thing. Charlie- New: Hopefully this lady done the basic foundation. Because I will be referring back to this episode. It's one of the reasons why I wanted to make it. And so when I start talking about these things, I can say, go see our previous episode, who shall ascend. Oh, You could have a be basic understanding. But yeah, if you want us to talk about this in deeper, Detail. Do let me know. You can get in touch with me. I am creations paths and. On threads, Christians pass.com on. Blue sky. You can go over to our https://www.creationspaths.com/ and put something in the chat over there. Or comment on this episode, wherever you happen to be. And hopefully we will be able to see that's easier for us to see on Spotify, YouTube and. Sub stack. Yeah. I hope you've enjoyed this. If you can help us by sharing this with anybody that you think might be interested in it, that. [00:28:00] It's great help. You can also go over. Too. https://www.creationspaths.com/ and. Join us. Over there. You'll get access to everything that we're doing. And if you have the pennies to sign up for a. Paid membership. You will eventually get the classes and things that we're doing over there before they go out to the general public. And yeah. I think that's just about it. Until next time. With light ever bringing you blessings and hope. Amen. Brian - New: Amen. Get full access to Creation's Paths at www.creationspaths.com/subscribe

fWotD Episode 2645: Homeric Hymns Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Thursday, 1 August 2024 is Homeric Hymns.The Homeric Hymns (Ancient Greek: Ὁμηρικοὶ ὕμνοι, romanized: Homērikoì húmnoi) are a collection of thirty-three ancient Greek hymns and one epigram. The hymns praise deities of the Greek pantheon and retell mythological stories, often involving a deity's birth, their acceptance among the gods on Mount Olympus, or the establishment of their cult. In antiquity, the hymns were generally, though not universally, attributed to the poet Homer: modern scholarship has established that most date to the seventh and sixth centuries BCE, though some are more recent and the latest, the Hymn to Ares, may have been composed as late as the fifth century CE.The Homeric Hymns share compositional similarities with the Iliad and the Odyssey, also traditionally attributed to Homer. They share the same artificial literary dialect of Greek, are composed in dactylic hexameter, and make use of short, repeated phrases known as formulae. It is unclear how far writing, as opposed to oral composition, was involved in their creation. They may initially have served as preludes to the recitation of longer poems, and have been performed, at least originally, by singers accompanying themselves on a lyre or other stringed instrument. Performances of the hymns may have taken place at sympotic banquets, religious festivals and royal courts.There are references to the Homeric Hymns in Greek poetry from around 600 BCE; they appear to have been used as educational texts by the early fifth century BCE, and to have been collected into a single corpus after the third century CE. Their influence on Greek literature and art was relatively small until the third century BCE, when they were used extensively by Alexandrian poets including Callimachus, Theocritus and Apollonius of Rhodes. They were also an influence on Roman poets, such as Lucretius, Catullus, Virgil, Horace and Ovid. In late antiquity (c. 200 – c. 600 CE), they influenced both pagan and Christian literature, and their collection as a corpus probably dates to this period. They were comparatively neglected during the succeeding Byzantine period (that is, until 1453), but continued to be copied in manuscripts of Homeric poetry; all the surviving manuscripts of the hymns date to the fifteenth century. They were also read and emulated widely in fifteenth-century Italy, and indirectly influenced Sandro Botticelli's painting The Birth of Venus.The Homeric Hymns were first published in print by Demetrios Chalkokondyles in 1488–1489. George Chapman made the first English translation of them in 1624. Part of their text was incorporated, via a 1710 translation by William Congreve, into George Frideric Handel's 1744 musical drama Semele. The rediscovery of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter in 1777 led to a resurgence of European interest in the hymns. In the arts, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe used the Hymn to Demeter as an inspiration for his 1778 melodrama Proserpina. Their textual criticism progressed considerably over the nineteenth century, particularly in German scholarship, though the text continued to present substantial difficulties into the twentieth. The Homeric Hymns were also influential on the English Romantic poets of the early nineteenth century, particularly Leigh Hunt, Thomas Love Peacock and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Later poets to adapt the hymns included Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and Constantine P. Cavafy. Their influence has also been traced in the works of James Joyce, the films of Alfred Hitchcock, and the novel Coraline by Neil Gaiman.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:47 UTC on Thursday, 1 August 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Homeric Hymns on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Arthur.

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 1257, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Silent Letter Words 1: If you're "in the red", you're in this, not where you want to be financially. debt. 2: It's just a pterm for a ptremendous pterosaur. pterodactyl. 3: Lambeth or Staten Island, for example. a borough. 4: Ships usually "drop" this when they want to stay in place. an anchor. 5: Beating "Shoplifters" and "Cold War", "Roma" won the 2018 award in this Oscar category. Foreign Film. Round 2. Category: Bright LightS. With Light in quotation marks 1: An Alexandrian might know the word minaret comes from an Arabic word meaning this structure. Lighthouse. 2: It burned up the Billboard charts as the Doors' first Top 40 hit. "Light My Fire". 3: The technical term for this phenomenon is the Aurora Borealis. Northern Lights. 4: It's another name for Hanukkah. Festival/Feast of Lights. 5: It's approximately 300,000 kilometers per second. Speed of light. Round 3. Category: Cosmetic Procedure 1: This euphemism for a lift inspired the name of a TV series on which plastic surgery fan Joan Rivers played herself. Nip/Tuck. 2: What, no Rogaine? Cleopatra made a concoction of honey, burnt mice and bear grease as a cure for this. baldness. 3: At Shizuka NY Day Spa, nightingdale droppings go into a trendy facial named for these lovely Japanese entertainers. geishas. 4: We don't mean to be "arch", but Damone Roberts is the king of these facial features, which he's famous for shaping. eyebrows. 5: USA Today once dubbed it the "little neurotoxin that could"; if its name makes you frown, we bet you don't use it. botox. Round 4. Category: Wil(L), Willem Or William 1: Playing Alex Trebek hosting "Celebrity Jeopardy!", he noted, "Mr. Reynolds has apparently changed his name to Turd Ferguson". Will Ferrell. 2: After landing in a cloaked Klingon ship in Golden Gate Park in "Star Trek IV", this actor says, "Everybody remember where we parked". William Shatner. 3: In 2018 Willem Dafoe was all wet as Vulko, the trident-wielding trainer of this title superhero. Aquaman. 4: In 2020 Wil Lutz scored the first points in an NFL regular season game in this city for the visiting Saints against the Raiders. Las Vegas. 5: We got a kick out of watching William Zabka return to the dojo in the role of Johnny Lawrence on this Netflix show. Cobra Kai. Round 5. Category: O And Os. With O" And "Os in quotes 1: Synonym for antonym. Opposite. 2: Dog school. obedience. 3: This Egyptian god's many burial places were considered sacred ground. Osiris. 4: In 451 these Teutonic tribesmen joined with Attila in his expedition against Gaul. Ostrogoths. 5: The two Greek letters that fit this category. Omega and Omicron. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!Special thanks to https://blog.feedspot.com/trivia_podcasts/ AI Voices used

The developments in theoretical mathematics were also translated into practical (and sometimes impractical) applications during the Hellenistic period. New weapons of war like torsion catapults and enormous ships found their way on the battlefield, and this love for all things big extended to Rhodian architects who constructed their famous Colossus. Under the Alexandrian inventors Ctesibius and Hero, the rise of pneumatics saw the the creation of the earliest known robots (automatons) and the predecessor of the steam engine that continues to amaze viewers down to the present day. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/07/01/098-hellenistic-science-mechanics-engineering-and-technology/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/098-hellenistic-science-mechanics-engineering-and-technology-transcript.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Composed within the first Christian century by a Roman named Hermas, the Shepherd remains a mysterious and underestimated book to scholars and laypeople alike.  In The Shepherd of Hermas As Scriptura Non Grata: From Popularity in Early Christianity to Exclusion from the New Testament Canon (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023), Robert D. Heaton argues that early Christians mainly received the Shepherd positively and accepted it unproblematically alongside texts that would ultimately be canonized, requiring decisive actions to exclude it from the late-emerging collection of texts now known as the New Testament. Freshly evaluating the evidence for its popularity in patristic treatises, manuscript recoveries, and Christian material culture, Heaton propounds an interpretation of the Shepherd of Hermas as a book meant to guide his readers toward salvation. Ultimately, Heaton depicts the loss of the Shepherd from the closed catalogue of Christian scriptures as a deliberate constrictive move by the fourth-century Alexandrian bishop Athanasius, who found it useless for his political, theological, and ecclesiological objectives and instead characterized it as a book favored by his heretical enemies. While the book's detractors succeeded in derailing its diffusion for centuries, the survival of the Shepherd today attests that many dissented from the church's final judgment about Hermas's text, which portends a version of early Christianity that was definitively overridden by devotion to Christ himself, rather than principally to his virtues. Robert D. Heaton teaches New Testament, Christian Origins, and Early Christianity at Anderson University in Indiana. He also hosts podcasts for New Books in Religion. His research focuses on the New Testament canon and other early Christian literature, especially subcanonical books like The Shepherd of Hermas and the Apostolic Fathers. For more about Rob and his work, please see his website. Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Composed within the first Christian century by a Roman named Hermas, the Shepherd remains a mysterious and underestimated book to scholars and laypeople alike.  In The Shepherd of Hermas As Scriptura Non Grata: From Popularity in Early Christianity to Exclusion from the New Testament Canon (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023), Robert D. Heaton argues that early Christians mainly received the Shepherd positively and accepted it unproblematically alongside texts that would ultimately be canonized, requiring decisive actions to exclude it from the late-emerging collection of texts now known as the New Testament. Freshly evaluating the evidence for its popularity in patristic treatises, manuscript recoveries, and Christian material culture, Heaton propounds an interpretation of the Shepherd of Hermas as a book meant to guide his readers toward salvation. Ultimately, Heaton depicts the loss of the Shepherd from the closed catalogue of Christian scriptures as a deliberate constrictive move by the fourth-century Alexandrian bishop Athanasius, who found it useless for his political, theological, and ecclesiological objectives and instead characterized it as a book favored by his heretical enemies. While the book's detractors succeeded in derailing its diffusion for centuries, the survival of the Shepherd today attests that many dissented from the church's final judgment about Hermas's text, which portends a version of early Christianity that was definitively overridden by devotion to Christ himself, rather than principally to his virtues. Robert D. Heaton teaches New Testament, Christian Origins, and Early Christianity at Anderson University in Indiana. He also hosts podcasts for New Books in Religion. His research focuses on the New Testament canon and other early Christian literature, especially subcanonical books like The Shepherd of Hermas and the Apostolic Fathers. For more about Rob and his work, please see his website. Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Composed within the first Christian century by a Roman named Hermas, the Shepherd remains a mysterious and underestimated book to scholars and laypeople alike.  In The Shepherd of Hermas As Scriptura Non Grata: From Popularity in Early Christianity to Exclusion from the New Testament Canon (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023), Robert D. Heaton argues that early Christians mainly received the Shepherd positively and accepted it unproblematically alongside texts that would ultimately be canonized, requiring decisive actions to exclude it from the late-emerging collection of texts now known as the New Testament. Freshly evaluating the evidence for its popularity in patristic treatises, manuscript recoveries, and Christian material culture, Heaton propounds an interpretation of the Shepherd of Hermas as a book meant to guide his readers toward salvation. Ultimately, Heaton depicts the loss of the Shepherd from the closed catalogue of Christian scriptures as a deliberate constrictive move by the fourth-century Alexandrian bishop Athanasius, who found it useless for his political, theological, and ecclesiological objectives and instead characterized it as a book favored by his heretical enemies. While the book's detractors succeeded in derailing its diffusion for centuries, the survival of the Shepherd today attests that many dissented from the church's final judgment about Hermas's text, which portends a version of early Christianity that was definitively overridden by devotion to Christ himself, rather than principally to his virtues. Robert D. Heaton teaches New Testament, Christian Origins, and Early Christianity at Anderson University in Indiana. He also hosts podcasts for New Books in Religion. His research focuses on the New Testament canon and other early Christian literature, especially subcanonical books like The Shepherd of Hermas and the Apostolic Fathers. For more about Rob and his work, please see his website. Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Composed within the first Christian century by a Roman named Hermas, the Shepherd remains a mysterious and underestimated book to scholars and laypeople alike.  In The Shepherd of Hermas As Scriptura Non Grata: From Popularity in Early Christianity to Exclusion from the New Testament Canon (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023), Robert D. Heaton argues that early Christians mainly received the Shepherd positively and accepted it unproblematically alongside texts that would ultimately be canonized, requiring decisive actions to exclude it from the late-emerging collection of texts now known as the New Testament. Freshly evaluating the evidence for its popularity in patristic treatises, manuscript recoveries, and Christian material culture, Heaton propounds an interpretation of the Shepherd of Hermas as a book meant to guide his readers toward salvation. Ultimately, Heaton depicts the loss of the Shepherd from the closed catalogue of Christian scriptures as a deliberate constrictive move by the fourth-century Alexandrian bishop Athanasius, who found it useless for his political, theological, and ecclesiological objectives and instead characterized it as a book favored by his heretical enemies. While the book's detractors succeeded in derailing its diffusion for centuries, the survival of the Shepherd today attests that many dissented from the church's final judgment about Hermas's text, which portends a version of early Christianity that was definitively overridden by devotion to Christ himself, rather than principally to his virtues. Robert D. Heaton teaches New Testament, Christian Origins, and Early Christianity at Anderson University in Indiana. He also hosts podcasts for New Books in Religion. His research focuses on the New Testament canon and other early Christian literature, especially subcanonical books like The Shepherd of Hermas and the Apostolic Fathers. For more about Rob and his work, please see his website. Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biblical-studies

Thursday, 13 June 2024   From there we circled round and reached Rhegium. And after one day the south wind blew; and the next day we came to Puteoli, Acts 28:13   A more literal translation is, “From where, having gone around, we arrived at Rhegium. And after one day, having come upon an Auster, the second day we came to Puteoli” (CG).   Luke just noted that they had landed at Syracuse and stayed three days. Now, the journey to Rome continues with, “From where, having gone around.”   The words “from where” refer to Syracuse which is on the southeast corner of Sicily. Leaving that port, they had to make a bit of a sweeping motion. Of the words, “having gone around,” the KJV says, “And from thence we fetched a compass.” The Berean Study Bible says, “From there we weighed anchor.”   It is generally accepted that the Greek term is speaking of making a circuitous route around Sicily. As Syracuse is on the southeast corner of the island, and they need to head northward to the Italian peninsula, they set sail and worked off the coast of Sicily to reach their destination.   It was probably a west or a northwest wind at this time and this caused them to head out to sea in order to catch the winds while traveling north. Thus, one gets the idea of circling around, or going around, instead of traveling straight to their destination. From there, it next says, “we arrived at Rhegium.”   Rhegium, now known as Reggio, is on the southwest extremity of the toe of Italy. According to Wikipedia, Reggio “commonly and officially referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria as well as the seat of the Regional Council of Calabria. It has an estimated population between 150,000 and 200,000 and is the twenty-first most populous city in Italy, after Modena and other Italian cities, and the 100th most populated city in Europe. Reggio Calabria is located near the center of the Mediterranean and is known for its climate, ethnic and cultural diversity. It is the third economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. About 560,000 people live in the metropolitan area, recognised in 2015 by Italy as a metropolitan city.”   The city is right at the southern opening of the Straits of Messina. These straits pass between Sicily and Italy. They connect the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north with the Ionian Sea to the south. At its narrowest point, it measures 1.9 miles in width. However, near the town of Messina the width is some 3.2 miles. It has a maximum depth of 830 feet.   Certainly because of the narrowness of the straits and the contrary wind, they stopped at Rhegium. However, Luke next records, “And after one day, having come upon an Auster.”   The words “having come upon” are from a word found only here in Scripture, epiginomai. It is derived from two words signifying “upon” and “to come about.” The word translated as Auster is the same word as in Acts 27:13, notos. It signifies the South and thus a south wind. A single English word which corresponds to this is Auster, a south wind. Once this favorable wind came upon them, it next says, “the second day we came to Puteoli.”   Here is another word unique to Scripture, deuteraios. It is derived from deuteros, second, and signifies the second day. With the favorable wind that came from the south, it allowed them to pass through the straits. Once through the straits, they were able to sail all the way to Puteoli.   This is the modern city known as Pozzuoli. It is located very near Naples and was once a port city. Today, however, it is too shallow for large ships to arrive at. Its name means “The wells.” Being known for its warm baths, it is supposed that is how it got its name. Some relevant information from the era that these men arrived there is found in Wikipedia –   “Puteoli became the great emporium for the Alexandrian grain ships and other ships from all over the Roman world. It also was the main hub for goods exported from Campania, including blown glass, mosaics, wrought iron, and marble. Lucilius wrote in about 125 BC that it was second only to Delos in importance, then the greatest harbour of the ancient world. Many inscriptions show that a polyglot population established companies (stationes) for trade and transport and formed professional guilds for arts, crafts and religious associations for foreign cults; they included Greeks from the islands and the coast of Asia, Jews and later Christians. Under the Roman Empire, it was the greatest emporium of foreign trade in all of Italy. Trade with Tyre was so important that the Tyrians established a factory there in 174.”   Life application: In one verse, travel has gone from Syracuse to Rhegium to Puteoli. The population of these three cities totals about four hundred thousand people. Think of how many of them may have never heard of Jesus. Now imagine that you encounter people just like them throughout the week or even every day. They may never have heard of Jesus. Who is going to tell them? If not you, then who?   If you are saved, hooray for Jesus in your life. But be sure to now tell others about what He has done for you, and indeed for all the people of the world. Without hearing about Him, people cannot be saved. Hopefully, you will be affected enough about their plight to at least try to share what you know.   Lord God, help us to be responsible in sharing our faith in Jesus. We have family, friends, and acquaintances that need to hear the good news. We go to restaurants and are served by people that may have never been told the simple message of Your goodness to us in sending Jesus. Help us, O God, to faithfully proclaim what we know. Amen.  

In this video we explore the life, death and legacy of the 5th century Alexandrian philosopher Hypatia, the very dramatic events that led to her brutal murder and what this can tell us (or not) about the transition from antiquity to the middle ages.Check out my linktree for socials, music & more: https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/letstalkreligion Sources/Recomended Reading:Athanassiadi, Polymnia (ed.) (1999). "Damascius: The Philosophical History: text with translation and notes". Apamea Cultural Association.Gerson, Loyd P (2008). "Cambridge Companion to Plotinus". Cambridge University Press.Gregory, John (ed.) (1998). "The Neoplatonists: a reader". Routledge.Shaw, Gregory (2014). "Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus". Angelico Press/Sophia Perennis.Wallis, R.T. (1998). "Neoplatonism". Second Edition. Bristol Classical Paperbacks. Hackett Publishing Company.Watts, Edward J. (2018). "Hypatia: The Life and Legend of an Ancient Philosopher". Academic.Socrates Scholasticus: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/26017.htm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saint Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles, a Galilean; the Gospel accounts say little more about him. It is said that, after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, he traveled in the service of the Gospel to Arabia and Persia, and brought to India a translation of the Gospel according to Matthew. Eusebius writes that one hundred years later Pantaenus, an illustrious Alexandrian scholar, found this gospel when he traveled in India. By most accounts Bartholomew ended his life in Armenia, where he met his martyrdom by crucifixion. According to many, he and Nathaniel are the same person: the Gospel accounts that speak of Bartholomew do not mention Nathaniel; and St John's Gospel,which mentions Nathanael as one of the Twelve, does not mention Bartholomew. But according to the Greek Synaxarion, Bartholomew and Simon the Zealot are one and the same.   Saint Barnabas was one of the Seventy, from Cyprus, a Levite and at one time a fellow-student with St Paul under Gamaliel. After Christ's Ascension, he led the Seventy until the Apostle Paul's conversion. He is mentioned often in the Acts of the Apostles, which describes some of his travels as a companion of St Paul. By all accounts, he was the first to preach the Gospel of Christ in Rome and in Milan. His wonder-working relics were discovered on the island of Cyprus in the time of the Emperor Zeno; on this basis the Church of Cyprus was established as an independent Church, since it had an apostolic foundation.

Saint Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles, a Galilean; the Gospel accounts say little more about him. It is said that, after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, he traveled in the service of the Gospel to Arabia and Persia, and brought to India a translation of the Gospel according to Matthew. Eusebius writes that one hundred years later Pantaenus, an illustrious Alexandrian scholar, found this gospel when he traveled in India. By most accounts Bartholomew ended his life in Armenia, where he met his martyrdom by crucifixion. According to many, he and Nathaniel are the same person: the Gospel accounts that speak of Bartholomew do not mention Nathaniel; and St John's Gospel,which mentions Nathanael as one of the Twelve, does not mention Bartholomew. But according to the Greek Synaxarion, Bartholomew and Simon the Zealot are one and the same.   Saint Barnabas was one of the Seventy, from Cyprus, a Levite and at one time a fellow-student with St Paul under Gamaliel. After Christ's Ascension, he led the Seventy until the Apostle Paul's conversion. He is mentioned often in the Acts of the Apostles, which describes some of his travels as a companion of St Paul. By all accounts, he was the first to preach the Gospel of Christ in Rome and in Milan. His wonder-working relics were discovered on the island of Cyprus in the time of the Emperor Zeno; on this basis the Church of Cyprus was established as an independent Church, since it had an apostolic foundation.

Tuesday, 11 June 2024   After three months we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the Twin Brothers, which had wintered at the island. Acts 28:11   The words are more literally translated, “And after three months, we went up in a ship having been wintered in the Island, Alexandrian, figure-headed Dioscuri” (CG).   In the previous verse, Luke noted that the islanders honored Paul and him in many ways, noting that when they departed, they were provided things that were necessary. Now, Luke speaks of the actual departure, saying, “And after three months.”   This means that it was likely about early to mid-February. Some speculate it was as early as the month of January, others date it as late as March. The point is that they continued through the dangerous winter months while sailing was too hazardous.   The ship remained over the winter on the island until the time when it was safe to once again engage in commerce on the high seas. With the winter ending, the sailing would again be favorable. Therefore, Luke next notes, “we went up in a ship having been wintered in the Island.”   Being a perfect participle, it means that the ship was wintered there, and it continued to winter there until the time that it could again go up to the high seas. This ship was heading in the right direction for the continued travel to Rome, and so it was employed for the next leg of the journey. Of this ship, Luke notes it was “Alexandrian, figure-headed Dioscuri.”   These words continue to show that Melita is, in fact, Malta. Malta would fall on the course from Alexandria to Italy, and so the identification of the ship as Alexandrian gives a good indication of the fact that the island was most likely Malta.   The word translated as figure-headed is parasémos. It comes from para, beside or by the side of, and séma, a sign or mark. Thus, a most literal translation would be “side-marked.” However, the intent is that of a figurehead.   Some ancient ships were side-marked with paintings, such as large eyes or other symbols like fighter jets display today. Others had carved images on them. Being the Dioscuri, it would seem likely these were carvings which then may have been highlighted with paint.   The word used to describe them is Dioskouroi, a word found only here in Scripture. It is derived from Dios which refers to Zeus and the plural of kouros, boy. Thus, it means the two sons of Zeus and Leda, Castor and Pollux. They were the patrons of sailors.   Due to the nature of the word, the translation can be literal, Dioscuri, or any suitable translation that conveys the message, such as “twin gods,” “twin brothers,” “Castor and Pollux,” “the Castors,” “the sign of the Twins,” “the Heavenly Twins,” etc.   Each gives an acceptable description intended to convey what Luke meant with the single word Dioskouroi. Of these guardian deities of sailors, Ellicott notes –   “In Greek mythology, Zeus had rewarded their brotherly devotion by placing them among the stars as the Gemini, which were connected with the month of May in the signs of the Zodiac, and Poseidon (= Neptune) had given them power over the winds and waves that they might assist the shipwrecked. So in the Helena of Euripides they appear, in 1550–60, as promising a fair wind and a safe voyage. The figure-heads of the Greek and Roman ships were commonly placed both at the prow and the stern.”   What is unusual is that Luke has never noted the figurehead on any ship that they had sailed on in his previous accounts. And the number of ships would not have been small. For example, he notes that sometimes they changed ships while in a harbor, taking another to get to their intended destinationy. This would have been quite common, changing ships from one harbor to the next.   Despite this, the account now – when leaving Malta – is the only time a figurehead is described. Of this, Benson says, “And yet, in a ship having such an idolatrous image, Paul did not refuse to sail, considering it as being only the name of the ship.”   Paul was a prisoner being conducted to Rome, he had no choice in what ship he traveled, and it is certain that the majority, if not all, of the ships they had traveled on had figureheads. Therefore, it is irrelevant that it was an idolatrous image.   What seems likely is that Luke included this to show a contrast to what had occurred upon their arrival. As that ship certainly had a figurehead, and maybe even the same one as the ship they were now departing on (being the patron of sailors), such figureheads were irrelevant in providing protection to a ship.   The Lord had been with Paul. He had assured the safety of every person on the ship, He had followed through with that, and He had demonstrated His hand upon Paul when the viper bit him and He continued to be with Paul as he laid hands upon the sick and healed them. And more, this journey to Rome is the fulfillment of the words of the Lord that Paul would bear witness at Rome (Acts 23:11).   Luke has, therefore, set a contrast to the effective workings of the Lord and the ineffective protection of false idols made by man's hands.   Life application: Despite Benson's comments not fitting the narrative, his words are correct that the images on the ship were idolatrous. People were putting their trust in something that is a part of creation rather than in the Creator.   The Bible mentions several constellations, acknowledging that they are as real as the planets. If God uses the constellations to tell a story, that is not the same thing as God allowing those things to be objects of worship or luck.   In Judges 9, Jotham uses the trees as an allegory. The Lord does this elsewhere as well. However, this doesn't mean that the trees have any power in and of themselves. They are simply used to convey a story or prophecy. We must be careful to distinguish between such things.   Also, it would be ludicrous to refuse to travel on a ship or airplane that has figureheads on it. Paul addresses such notions when dealing with foods sacrificed to idols in 1 Corinthians. Those things are nothing. As long as we remember that and have our hearts and minds directed to the Lord, we don't need to worry about what the world is doing.   Our hope is not in a carving, a painting, or a constellation. Rather, our hope is in the One who created all things and who has revealed Himself in Scripture and in the Person of Jesus Christ our Lord.   Heavenly Father, we know that an idol is nothing at all. It cannot help and it cannot harm. When our eyes look to the stars and constellations, we see Your hand of creation, not deities that can help us with our problems or direct our futures. May we always remember these things and focus our hearts and attention on You alone. Amen.  

Dr. Daniel B Wallace joins the Bible and Theology Matters podcast to discuss the subject of textual criticism. What is textual criticism? What is a variant? How many New Testament manuscripts do we have? How many textual variants are there? Can we get back to the original text? Is the New Testament Scripture reliable? Dr. Wallace will answer these questions and many more!

Saturday, 1 June 2024   Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. Acts 28:1   A literal rendering of the Greek would be, “And, having been saved, then they knew that the island is called Malta.” (CG).   The last verse of the previous chapter noted that all had come to shore safely. With that, Chapter 28 begins with, “And, having been saved.”   The same word that was used to end Chapter 27 is again used here, diasózó. In that verse, it was an aorist verb, now it is an aorist participle –   And thus it was all were saved upon the land. And, having been saved...   The task is complete, all having been brought safely and securely to the shores of the island. With that now complete, it next says, “then they knew that the island is called Malta.”   The Alexandrian text (NIV e.g.) says “we” rather than “they.” At the end of the previous chapter, the NIV says “everyone” instead of “they.” As Luke was present and he obviously survived, one would think that he would include himself in this and say “we.” However, he may be making himself an outside evaluator of the events at this time. Or he may still be referring to Julius and the other soldiers who were in charge of ensuring that all came to the island safely.   Either way, and regardless of this, all made it ashore and came safely to what they found out was the island of Malta. Although it is evident this is the true spot of landing, there is one other claim to the location of the wreck. In order to give all of the details, the lengthy commentary of Charles Ellicott is provided -   “There is no ground for questioning the current belief that this was the modern Malta, It was the only island known as Melita by the Greeks and Romans. The gale, which had been blowing for fourteen days since the ship left Crete, would drive her in that direction. The local features of St. Paul's Bay agree closely, as has been seen, with the narrative in the Acts. There has from a very early date been a local tradition in favour of the belief. The Bay bears St. Paul's name. A cave is pointed out as having given him shelter. There has, however, been a rival claimant. In the Gulf of Venice, off the coast of Illyria, there is a small island, Meleta (now Meleda), which has been identified by some writers with the scene of St. Paul's shipwreck. The view is first mentioned by Constantino Porphyrogenitus, a Greek writer of the tenth century, and was revived in the last century by Padre Georgi, an ecclesiastic of the island. There is, however, not a shadow of evidence in its favour, beyond the similarity (riot identity) of name, and the mention of Adria in Acts 27:27. It has been shown, however, that that term was used with far too wide a range to be decisive on such a question; and against the view there are the facts (1) that it would almost have required a miracle to get the ship, with a north-east gale blowing strongly, up to the Illyrian coast of the Gulf of Venice; (2) that a ship would not naturally have wintered on that coast on its way from Alexandria to Puteoli (Acts 28:11); (3) that there has been no local tradition in its favour, as at Malta. The island of Malta was originally a Phoenician colony. It came under the power of Carthage in B.C. 402, and was ceded to Rome in B.C. 242. Its temple, dedicated to Juno, was rich enough to be an object of plunder to Verres, the Prætor of Sicily (Cic. In Verr. vv. 46).”   Life application: People naturally want things to apply to themselves if they are notable in some manner. It is certain that Malta is where the ship ran aground and there are few who would question this. And yet, there is a challenge to this because someone wanted to appear to have discovered something others didn't know, or maybe because there was pride in those in a different location that they were the focus of the biblical narrative.   This happens all the time. People in various cultures claim that they are the true Israelites who were exiled from the land. This is claimed by Mormons. It is claimed by British Israelism. It is claimed by various sects of the Church of God. And so forth. None of these are even close to reality, and yet the claims are made.   Also, it is often argued, even vehemently, that the New Testament was originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic despite there being no sound reason to claim this. And more, internal clues abound that it is not so.   These and ten thousand other such claims are made because people want to identify with one thing or another that they want to be true. This is unsound. It causes real problems with doctrine, and it causes divisions that should not exist.   We should be willing to objectively evaluate such things and come to reasonable conclusions concerning them. If we do, for sure our doctrine will be more properly aligned with God's intent, and we will not grow into the cult-like mentality that so easily permeates our minds, our lives, and even controls our destinies.   Be wise and discerning and check out the things you hear, lest you get caught up into the strange doctrines that are warned against in the word (see Hebrews 13:9).   Heavenly Father, may we not be led astray by odd, goofy, and irregular teachings that have no bearing on reality. Rather, may we be guided by Your Spirit and willing also to check all things and test them for accuracy. May it be so to Your glory! Amen.

Listen in as we chat with Metro engineer, SB member, and double Alexandrian, Abdel Elnoubi and (from afar) his—are you ready?—BUNNY! The important thing for you to know about this episode is that Diane may have some feelings about Abdel's choice of pizza joint—WHO CAN KNOW?! Shirley Temples are coming back! Sometimes with *ginger ale*! Catch up on House of Cards Lost Dog Pizza Small little white bunny called Fuzzy Butterfly mural—shout out to EBP! We forgot to ask this WMATA engineer if time travel is possible Get this man to karaoke! Abdel admires Bernie Sanders ACPS's MLK Arts Display! More 100-year storms now! ECCAP Figure: Figure 25, heat disparities, along with figures 24 and 26, which show climate inequities! Overcrowding in our schools, esp on West End What keeps up at night: Dying too soon: New report reveals deep and persistent health disparities in Northern Virginia Info on that biiiiiig budget increase School Board sent to Council Rashmi QUIT engineering to enter what we're sure is a more lucrative profession, art.

Creation Corner: Hungry for more worldbuilding ideas? Joining us today is Josh Pinkerton, sometime guest DM and player on the Tales from the Glass-Guarded World podcast. In today's episode we talk about managing the precarious balance of creating new story in an existing world. Josh has done this with great skill in his appearances, and we talk about the how of it all. During this episode: Josh mentions a website that has inspired his past work: The Alexandrian, a site dedicated to retooling existing adventures to make them run more smoothly. Both Josh and Rhett appear in a current release on the Tales from the Glass-Guarded World feed, in which we playtest a rules revision of the Star Frontiers system published by TSR in the 80s. Check it out for some sci fi hijinks! To listen to Josh's notable guest DM appearance, you'll want to follow his Paxton and the Rug Buds series, which begins here. As a warning, you'll probably want to listen to the previous story in order, since these episodes build upon established events. It's well worth the listen! If you're interested in continuing the conversation, you can send your thoughts our way on Twitter, Instagram, or through our Discord server. Finally, we invite you to join our family friendly Discord server! Please check us out at https://discord.com/invite/sUUJp78r3E. ----- We didn't use any Creative Commons sound effects this time, but we still like to give credit to freesound.org, a fantastic resource for completely free sound effects. We also did not use some any Battlebards sound effects, but check them out at battlebards.com. If you sign up for a Prime account, be sure to use our special code, stack, and you'll get a 20% discount on your subscription. And now, on with the show-- we're excited to tell a story with you.

Monday, 29 April 2024   And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there. Acts 27:12   A more literal translation is, “And the harbor, being unsuitable to a wintering, the majority set counsel to go up thence also, if how they might be able, having arrived to Phoenix to winter – a harbor of Crete looking against southwest and against northwest” (CG).   In the previous verse, Paul's words concerning the state of the ship and the people on it were overridden by the pilot and the shipmaster. The centurion agreed with them instead. Therefore, a verse filled with rare words begins with, “And the harbor, being unsuitable.”   Luke uses an adjective found only here in the New Testament, aneuthetos. It is the negative of euthetos, or suitable. Thus, it signifies to be unsuitable. The harbor was not a proper place “to a wintering.”   It is a new noun found only here, paracheimasia. It indicates the state of spending the winter. The harbor in which they currently were positioned would face the coming winds of the wintertime and make it a less suitable place to be than an area sheltered from those same winds. As such, it next says, “the majority set counsel to go up thence also.”   Because of the less-than-ideal location, it appears that a majority vote was taken which decided that they would leave this harbor and continue to some other location more suitable for the winter months.   There are decisions that might properly be considered through a popular vote and there are those which should not be. In this case, what was popular was not what was right. A cold and bumpy time in a port is far better than a ship at the bottom of the sea. However, the majority made their voice known and that was “if how they might be able, having arrived to Phoenix.”   The fact that this terminology is used shows the impending doom from Luke's hand. A risk is being taken and Luke is giving advance notice that it will not prove to be a great choice to make.   The place where they hope to reach would be Phoinix, or Phoenix, a location found only here in Scripture. Though a bit long, Ellicott gives a great description for us to consider –   “Phenice . . . which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.—The precise meaning of the phrase is that the harbour looked, as we say, down these winds, in the direction to which they blew—i.e., that it faced the north-east and south-east, the words used being the names, not of points of the compass, but of the winds which blew from them. The harbour so described has been identified with the modern Lutro, on the east of the promontory of Kavo Muros, which looks eastward, and so corresponds to the interpretation just given of the words that describe it. The harbour is named by Ptolemy (iii. 17) as Phoenikous, and a city named Phoenix lay a few miles inland. It is still used as a harbour by Greek pirates, and was marked as such in the French admiralty charts of 1738; but, owing to the silting up of the sand, has become unsuitable for larger vessels. An inscription of the time of Nerva, of the nature of a votive tablet to Jupiter and Serapis, found near the spot, records the fact that it was erected by Epictetus, the tabularius, or agent, of the fleet to which the ship belonged, with the assistance of Dionysius of Alexandria, the pilot (the same word as that which St. Luke uses) of a ship which had as its sign (the same word as in Acts 28:4) the Isopharia. It is a natural inference from this that the Alexandrian ship (we note the Egyptian element in the dedication to Serapis, and possibly in the connection of the sign with the Pharos, or lighthouse of Alexandria) had anchored, and possibly wintered, at Phœnice, and that the tablet was a thank-offering for its preservation.”   The name Phoenix probably got its name from the palm tree, phoinix, which is indigenous to Crete. Of this location, those on the ship hoped to sail in order “to winter.”   It is another new word, paracheimazó. It is the verb form of the noun just used to describe “a wintering.” It will be seen three more times in Scripture. This location was more suitable because it was “a harbor of Crete looking against southwest and against northwest.”   This is the third and last use of the word, limén, a harbor or haven. Also, two more words found only here in Scripture are to be noted. The first is lips, signifying the southwest. It is an interesting word, coming from leibó, to pour. The reason for this name is that it is from this direction that the rains come. Therefore, it is as if the rains pour from there.   The other new word is chóros, the northwest. It is of Latin origin and signifies the area from which the winds blow.  A harbor facing these directions would be more suitable for wintering than where they currently were, even if it was dangerous to leave where they were in order to get there.   Life application: Majority votes often fail to be the best choice. Uninformed people with a strong voice can override those who are knowledgeable because the knowledgeable are often more contemplative and less vocal about matters. They are also, more often than not, in the minority. Those who don't think things through logically are aplenty in the world.   In governments that are based on the majority vote, people will often vote for things that are wholly unreasonable. This is true with committees and the like as well. Although majority votes may seem fair, it is usually best to steer away from them and allow those who are in charge to make the ultimate decisions for a matter.   These leaders may ask for a majority consideration, but then evaluate what was presented and amend or override what the majority wants. The world is not fair, but to leave decisions in the hands of the masses is not the best way of handling things. This will become evident to those on the ship in the verses ahead.   Lord God, it is so wonderful to know that You alone are in charge of the process of the redemption of man. If it were up to us, even in the least part, things would not go well. How evident this is when pastors, churches, and denominations cannot even agree on what the word “grace” means. Help us to be obedient followers of Your word in all ways and at all times, yielding ourselves to what You have decided upon for us. Amen.

Thursday, 25 April 2024   Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. Acts 27:8   More exactingly, it reads, “And laboriously lying beside it, we came to a certain place being called Fair Havens, which was near Lasaea City” (CG).   Luke just detailed the slow and difficult sailing they had encountered on the Alexandrian ship since leaving Myra. He continues that now with the words, “And laboriously lying beside it.”   This is referring to sailing under the shelter of Crete off the shores of Salmone. The word translated as laboriously was just used in the previous verse. Luke repeats it here, providing extra emphasis concerning the immensely trying voyage they were on.   He also uses another new word seen only here and then again in verse 13 for “lying beside it,” paralegomai. It is another nautical term, coming from para, beside, and legó, a word that originally meant “lay down to sleep.” Later, it was used in the sense of “laying an argument to rest.” It is as if the ship were lying beside the coast, struggling to move on as the contrary winds and waves fought against them.   After this laborious time of trial, Luke says, “we came to a certain place being called Fair Havens, which was near Lasaea City.”   It was with great difficulty that they were able to pass the promontory. Eventually they made it and came to Fair Havens. This is found on the southeast part of Crete. It was a place where the ship could be harbored temporarily.   The word translated as “havens” is the plural of the Greek word limén. It is found only here and twice in verse 12. It signifies a harbor, port, or haven.   Barnes notes, “It is called by Stephen, the geographer, ‘the fair shore.' It still retains the name which it formerly had. It is called in ancient Dutch and French Sailing Directions ‘the beautiful bay.'”   The city of Lasaea appears to be otherwise unknown by this spelling, but Luke records it as a place that was well-known at his time.   Life application: Luke's detailed record of the sailing continues to allow the modern reader to follow along with a map and see exactly where the voyage went from and to. One can almost imagine the laborious efforts of fighting wind and water as the sailors worked to get the ship forward.   An interesting part of what Luke has written is noting the city of Lasaea. As stated, Luke's spelling of it seems to be otherwise unknown, however, Wikipedia notes –   “Lasaea or Lasaia (Ancient Greek: Λασαία) was a city on the south coast of ancient Crete, near the roadstead of the ‘Fair Havens' where apostle Paul landed. This place is not mentioned by any other writer, under this name but is probably the same as the Lisia of the Peutinger Table, 16 M.P. to the east of Gortyna. Some manuscripts have Lasea; others, Alassa. The Vulgate reads Thalassa, which Theodore Beza contended was the true name. According to the Stadiasmus Maris Magni, which calls the place Halas (Άλας), it had a harbour and was located 50 stadia from Leben and 80 stadia from Matala.”   A Hellenistic gravestone was found at this location which is pictured in the Wikipedia article. For much of history, since Luke penned his words, even until more recent times, the city was more or less unknown to scholars. And yet, Luke's record of it meant that it was there. By people getting out a spade and setting out in the area to search for it, evidence of it has been obtained.   If you are ever questioning the accuracy of what the Bible says because someone argues against it, be sure to do your own research. Don't just take people's arguments at face value. It is certain that there is a world full of people who are intent on destroying your faith.   Luke was a careful chronicler of the places and events he encountered. So, give him a nod of trust as you continue your search for validation of something he has stated. Eventually, it will present itself. Someday, we will be able to thank him personally for his detailed writings that helped us know the story of how the church and the message of Jesus Christ spread out from the land of Israel to the inhabited world.   Lord God, what a treat it is to read Your word and to consider the people and places that we read about. The word comes alive as we think about their struggles, their trials, their victories, and the hope that they possessed because of Your promise to the people of the world. What a wonderful record of Your guiding hand upon the process of redemption of mankind! Thank You for Your precious word. Amen.

Wednesday, 24 April 2024   When we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone. Acts 27:7   The Greek more literally reads, “And in many days, having sailed slowly and laboriously, having come against Cnidus, the wind not permitting us, we sailed under Crete against Salmone” (CG).   The previous verse noted that the centurion had found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy. Therefore, Paul and the others were put on that ship. It now says, “And in many days.” What defines “many days” is left unstated. However, it gives the sense that either things are going well, or things are going poorly. It isn't until the arrival of the next words, “having sailed slowly and laboriously,” that the intent is drawn out.   The ship had left Myra on the way to Italy, but things began to devolve once at sea. The word translated as “slowly” is found only here in the Bible, braduploeó. It is a verb derived from bradus, meaning slow or slow of understanding and pleó, to sail. The other word, molis, is an adverb that HELPS Word Studies says gives the sense of “what barely happens.” It comes from mogis, or “laborious toil.” Thus, it is something that comes laboriously.   The intent here is to show how cumbersome the journey was at this point. The western winds continued to be too strong to work against and it was with real difficulty that Luke next says, “having come against Cnidus.”   This is a city which stood on a promontory bearing the same name located in Asia Minor. It is a little bit northwest of the island of Rhodes. Once they were off the shores of this place, Luke says, “the wind not permitting us, we sailed under Crete against Salmone.”   Because of the contrary winds that would not allow them to continue on as planned, they had to sail under Crete, just as they did with Cyprus. This would help break up the heavy winds and allow them to proceed, even if slowly and cumbersomely. It was in this leeward spot that they traveled close to Salmone which is “the name of a promontory which formed the eastern extremity of the island of Crete” (Barnes).   Life application: A journey that should have taken a short time has suddenly become one that has taken an extended period as well as one that has come with a great amount of effort on the part of those in charge of the ship. In today's lingo, we might say they were out there spinning their wheels.   How often this happens to us as well! Everyone understands the metaphor because it is something we all experience. We are all gassed up, the tires are new, there is nothing wrong with the transmission, and yet, when we step on the gas, there is no traction. What was supposed to be a simple day with various achievements suddenly becomes a day where there is more to do at the end of it than there was at the beginning.   And more, the things we planned on doing have all failed to come about. This is frustrating and it can cause us to want to just climb into bed and forget the day. It is at times like this that we should step back and consider things from a greater perspective.   It says in Galatians 4 –   “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4, 5   God has a plan laid out. Certain things have transpired at key moments just as He has determined. And more things will come about at the exact moment He has already decided. For those in the church, there is the hope of the rapture –   “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52   This event is more fully described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4. This is one of the “times and seasons” referred to by Jesus in Acts 1:7 and then by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:1. In other words, God has a plan that is set out, it will come about at the exact moment He has already pre-determined. As such, our own days of seeming waste and wheel spinning are all factored into what He has already decided.   Therefore, let us not get overly frustrated. Instead, we can say, “Lord, today was a day of futility to me, but it was a day that has met Your expectations for Your plan nonetheless.”   When we have this perspective, we can then let go of the frustrations and accept that we are exactly where the Lord wants us and we have done exactly what He knew we would do in order to continue the stream of human existence as it is prepared for His next big event in the unfolding redemptive scenario. Yes. God has a plan and the things we do are a part of it. Rest in that at the end of a seemingly difficult day.   Lord God, thank You that what we do is a part of Your great unfolding plan for the ages. Nothing is overlooked, nothing is unimportant, and all is coming about as it should. We can rest in that, knowing that You have it all under control. Amen.  

Tuesday, 23 April 2024   There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, and he put us on board. Acts 27:6   More precisely, it reads, “And there, the centurion having found a ship of Alexandria sailing to Italy, he placed us in it” (CG).   Having arrived in Myra of Lycia in the previous verse, it now says, “And there, the centurion.”   Luke had previously given the name of the centurion, Julius. However, he now reverts to using his official rank rather than his name. His identification was established, but it is appropriate to the narrative that Luke refers to him according to his capacity and rank as a soldier. Of him, Luke next says, “having found a ship of Alexandria.”   An Alexandrian ship most probably means a large container ship which was used to transport wheat from Alexandria to Rome, which was a regular occurrence during this period. As it is out of a direct route for this, the thought is that it was caught up in the same contrary winds that necessitated the ship Paul and Luke were on to also travel under the lee of Cyprus.   However, Ellicott notes “A local inscription describes Myra as a ‘horrea,' or store-house of corn (Lewin's St. Paul, ii. p. 187), and the Alexandrian ship may therefore have gone thither to discharge part of its cargo.” Either way, the ship was heading in the direction they were going, which was that it was “sailing to Italy.”   As has been previously noted, traveling at the time was not unlike taking a bus or plane now. Although we normally have tickets to our final destination, that is not always the case, especially if we are on a walkabout on the way to our final destination.   The final destination for the centurion and those he was conducting was Italy. Whatever ship would get them closer with each stop is the one they would take. In this case, the Alexandrian ship was going all the way there to drop off the remaining portion of its cargo. This would avoid changing ships again. Therefore, “he placed us in it.”   Here is another word found only once in the New Testament, embibazó. It is also found in the Greek Translation of Proverbs 4:11. It is a nautical term used concerning embarking men on board a ship, but it is also a medical term used to indicate “placing patients in a bath” (Pulpit). Again, we see Luke's mastery of words and the connection between his medical experience and his knowledge of nautical terms as well.   Life application: As noted, the word embibazó is also found in Proverbs 4:11. There it says –   “I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.”   In Proverbs 4, Solomon is writing as a father to his children, giving them words of instruction. The Lord included these words in Scripture, indicating that the wisdom to be drawn from them is universal in its application. Every person in every culture and time will benefit from the words found there.   Today, the progressive mindset is to reject things written by various people groups, such as anything from a white person, saying is biased and finds its roots entrenched in racism. This is taught in schools, government, and business alike.   Even though the Bible was received by people in the Middle East, because of its heavy influence upon the white people of the world, and because they have used it to evangelize people groups around the world, progressives treat the Bible as a book derived from a concept of white supremacy.   But this is nonsense, and deep down they know it is. The Bible clearly claims in Acts 17 that all people are derived from one man. Skin color is something that changes throughout regions of the world. It even changes in some people as their skin goes from black to white because of vitiligo.   Although rare, a couple with a certain skin color may have a child with a completely different skin color. These things don't determine what a person is thinking or where he or she stands on a particular issue.   When it comes to the Bible, it is ultimately derived from God. Therefore, it is a book that exists as a manual for all people in order to conduct their lives in a manner that is right and pleasing to God. It is not a Jewish book, even if it was mostly Hebrew in its being transmitted and maintained.   It is not a Greek book, even if its concluding books were written in the Greek language. It is not a Western book, even if it was first accepted and most widely studied and passed on by Western societies after it was finally completed.   These ideas are incorrect. The Bible is a divinely inspired and God-centered book. It is that which brings about restoration between God and man. It is for this reason, not some other distractionary concept, that the progressives of the world hate it. They hate God, despising His moral character and being, and therefore, they hate the book that He has given to man.   Be aware of this when dealing with people who attack the Bible or the Christian portion of society. You need to address their disconnect between God and them first. Only after this is realized, will you have a chance to then correct them concerning their understanding of the importance of Scripture.   Lord God, the world is so at enmity with those who love You and who uphold Your word as the message from You. Help us to correct their thinking about You. Help us to be wise in how we approach others as they challenge You, Your word, and those who love You. May we be able to open eyes that are dulled over concerning their need to see clearly. Amen.

Parts 1 & 2 of this mini-series dealt with how the Alexandrian bibles attack the character and deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. This message looks at the building blocks and cement mortar that these same bibles contain to resurrect the Tower of Babel. We look at how Satan is working to unite Easter mystical religions and the occult with western Catholic/Protestantism for his one-world government & religious system.

Monday, 15 April 2024   When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them; Acts 26:30   More literally, “And he, having said these, the king arose, and the governor, and Bernice, and those sitting with them” (CG).   In the previous verse, Paul had just concluded his words to those gathered in the court. With his words complete, it next says, “And he, having said these.”   These words are not in the Alexandrian text and are thus excluded from modern translations that use that source. Instead, it simply goes to the matter of the rising of the officials. Luke records that, saying, “the king arose, and the governor, and Bernice, and those sitting with them.”   The order of rank is the order in which they rose. First the king, then the governor, then Bernice, wife of the king. After that, all those other less distinguished fellows sitting with them. At the standing of the king, the trial was ended.   As for the final words of Paul from the previous verse, the word desmos, chains, will be used in an ironic manner in just a few more moments.   Life application: There is usually a set order in how such gatherings are conducted. It is not uncommon for someone to come before the arrival of the highest officials and tell others when they should stand, when they should sit, and so forth. This is to maintain a set dignity and to pay honor and respect to whoever is considered the greatest within the gathering.   In Luke 9, Jesus said –   “Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. 47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.” Luke 9:46-48   The world runs by its own standards, and these vary within societies. But it is often the case that Jesus is not on the minds of the leaders. The life of Jesus is one that was of submission. He submitted Himself to the will of His Father. He submitted Himself to a physical human form. He submitted Himself as a baby under the care of fallible parents. He submitted Himself under the authority of the Law of Moses.   He also submitted Himself to the Jewish authorities and even the Roman authorities. This went to such an extreme that He allowed Himself to be beaten, rejected, and crucified. To this day, He implicitly submits Himself to each person who hears the gospel, giving them the opportunity to accept or reject His grace.   He doesn't force His goodness and His offering of eternal life on anyone. Paul acknowledged this by telling his hearers in this court that he “was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19). In other words, Paul could have retaken the reins of his life, rejecting Jesus.   Jesus, by giving every person the chance to accept or reject Him, has put Himself in the position of least of all. And yet, He is the Creator and Redeemer of humanity. Someday, every person who has made their decision will be judged according to the decision he has made. Paul notes this in Philippians 2 –   “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11   The God we serve graciously gives us the choice to live out our lives as we wish. When He sends judgment, it is often to correct us and turn us back to Him. At times, judgment is made final for those who have gone so far that there is no longer a remedy for them. This is true, for example, of the flood of Noah or Sodom and Gomorrah. But even that judgment is a self-inflicted wound.   Consider these things. Consider the goodness of God in Christ. He was willing to suffer for us so that we could be spared what we actually deserve. The great and exalted Lord of lords has done it all. Call out to Him for salvation, and in your salvation be continuously renewed in His goodness. Hooray for Jesus!   Lord God, how difficult it is to admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior. And how incredible is the way in which we are saved. The cross is the ultimate expression of Your goodness to the people of the world. May we cling to the cross all our days as we await the return of our glorious Lord – Jesus. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  

Most know Acts 8:37 as a key example of corruption in modern Bibles, but that's only scratching the surface. The identity of Jesus Christ has been completely stripped and tainted in the Alexandrian texts since the time of Origen. This first part of the lesson will serve to pull back the curtain of just how far the deception goes.

  FULL TRANSCRIPT (with timecode) 00:00:17:29 - 00:00:19:10 Welcome to Grace. 00:00:19:12 - 00:00:25:15 Hope, love, the broadcast ministry of Calvary Chapel Birmingham and beautiful Alabama. 00:00:41:19 - 00:01:15:16 It's great to have you with us as together we explore the Bible, verse by verse and chapter by chapter. This broadcast is reaching across the world with the amazing, exciting and life changing Word of God. If you would like to partner with us to take the whole book to the whole world, please consider making a donation. To learn more about Calvary Chapel Birmingham and God's plan for your life, or how you can partner with this ministry, go to Calvary birmingham.com. Today God has an extra special message just for you. 00:01:15:18 - 00:01:18:10 So grab your Bible and let's dig in. 00:01:29:06 - 00:02:04:05 For the last several Sundays, we've been studying through what is commonly known as the Olivet Discourse, and it's called that, of course, because of the location from which the discourse was taught. And that is the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem and the temple of the time. So this is the same spot in which Jesus will come in the future to establish his his kingdom. A few chapters back in our study of Mark, Jesus entered Jerusalem with what seemed to be triumphant acclaim from all the crowds. But after disrupting the commercial activities in the temple, things took a turn. 00:02:04:11 - 00:02:35:04 The next morning, Jesus engaged with the religious leaders, and this was followed by Jesus giving public warning to the crowds and to his disciples about the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. And then he pronounced woes against the religious leaders. We don't have those in Mark, but we have had those in Matthew. Now his disciples began to see that things were getting dangerous because the religious leaders in Jerusalem, they recognized, are out to get Jesus and try to silence him. Much earlier in Jesus's ministry, they had determined to destroy him. 00:02:35:06 - 00:03:05:13 That is, the religious leaders had already determined to destroy him. Even as Jesus is giving this discourse then to his disciples, they are orchestrating their plans, and soon enough, Judas will betray Jesus. In the Garden of Gethsemane, located on this same Mount of Olives. And as for timeline, we where we are, it is two days before Passover, and so Jesus urgently turns his attention to his disciples. He prepares. 00:03:05:15 - 00:03:50:15 He's preparing his followers for the events that are to come. This is the fifth and final discourse from Jesus to his disciples. As we have seen, this discourse is prophecy, and it's to prepare his disciples for what they will experience as they do the work as apostles of preaching the gospel and building the church. And so that they understand the urgency of the message. Jesus describes the catastrophic events of judgment that will befall the nation, including the destruction of the temple and in the even more distant future, the end times and what the end times will mean for not only the world, but for Israel. 00:03:50:28 - 00:04:24:05 That is very important, really, for our understanding of this text. Jesus is speaking to his disciples about the end times and Israel and what it means for Israel. Um, all of what he has said in the discourse and in the parables and the illustrations that are centered around this discourse, has been very Israel centric. However, Gentile believers are not excluded. Certainly all believers need to understand this text. This text will be an important witness for those who enter the tribulation period. 00:04:24:07 - 00:05:00:03 But of course, also for believers today, these are events that will be experienced worldwide, like the Great Flood was a worldwide flood, and an understanding of this text enables us to better understand end times prophecy found in the Old Testament. Um, what is contained in the final book of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. But there is also. A great reminder. About and encouragement to faithfulness and warning about unfaithfulness. 00:05:00:06 - 00:05:30:29 Now, you may have heard other pastors teach this text differently. Um, there are a lot of different words you could key off key off of within this text. I mean, we have words like war, plague, earthquake, sorrow. Um, gospel is a good one, of course. Um. Abomination. Desecration. Tribulation. Saved. Elect this generation. Days of Noah is in Matthew, and we'll touch on that today as well. Um. Thief. Uh. Be ready. 00:05:31:01 - 00:06:03:09 Faithful. Wise. Um. We'll see as we, uh, study a little bit in Matthew as well. We'll see the use of the word oil. Um, bridegroom. Uh, talents. And, you know, I myself have heard many messages that. That read a couple of the scriptures from this, and then then kind of pick a word within those couple of verses and key off of it into something completely, um, off topic, uh, sorrow. 00:06:03:11 - 00:06:38:02 You know, sorrow. What are you what sorrow are you dealing with today? Um. Saved. How do you know that you're saved? Do you know that? You know that you know that you know. Oil. Have you experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit, my friend? Is your lamp filled with oil? And. Even to the absurd talents. Will you use your talents to serve pastor's vision for the church? All you have to do is actually read the text in context. 00:06:38:25 - 00:07:14:01 And you will find that that especially is absolutely absurd. Now, with the exception of that last. And I admit that was. That's low hanging fruit. Um, it's it's it's so out there. It's just low hanging fruit now. But, um, with the exception of that last absurd example, there is good reason to deal with many of those other things. But this text is not necessarily the place to deal with those things. Um, deal with those things when you get to the text that actually deals with them in the text does exist, that deals with all those things. 00:07:14:03 - 00:07:45:21 Otherwise you are not rightly dividing the word of truth. The great danger of keying off of one word in a verse or within a small segment of text is then the flesh can take that wherever it wants, almost always ending up with a very subtle message about either earning your salvation or doing the works to maintain your standing or your salvation, which is not only contrary to the good news of eternal salvation by grace through faith. 00:07:45:23 - 00:08:18:18 It is a trap that leads to a rejection of grace and a rebuke at the judgment seat of Christ. Now, we talked about taking a literal approach to Scripture last week as well. It does not mean that that we believe that the earth is flat, or that the moon makes its own light. Rather, a literal approach to the text means we maintain a high standard when it comes to interpreting Scripture. It means we do our best to consider the intent of the author, and not to go beyond that. 00:08:18:20 - 00:09:14:08 And that also means that we are willing to let the text speak rather than us speaking for the text. Now that out of the way, in the previous part of this discourse, after answering the disciples questions regarding the temple and its destruction, Jesus continues with prophecy of the end times and the tribulation and His second coming. Over the last few Sundays, we looked at the condition of the world and the condition of the world. When Jesus comes to take his church, ushering in then the seven years of tribulation, Jesus spoke about conditions Israel will endure during the tribulation, the rebuilt temple implying that the Law of Moses is back in observance, in effect, that Antichrist and the desecration of the Temple Israel fleeing to get away, Israel seeing Jesus's return, the great battle at the end, and Israel's salvation. 00:09:14:10 - 00:09:53:01 And then Jesus moved out of the discourse and into using parable and illustrating again. And with that, Jesus went from dealing with eschatological events to dealing with attitudes, drawing contrasts between those who are faithful, prepared, and watchful, and those who are not. Bart does not include all of these parables and illustrations, and we may. We made note of that last week, but because there has been such terrible teaching for many of these illustration parables, I'm going to take us out of Mark later on this morning and into Matthew so that we can cover that ground as well. 00:09:53:03 - 00:10:30:16 Now, a word of caution in studying these. We must be careful not to make assumptions that will lead us to wrong conclusions. In regards to these parables and these illustrations, it's important to note that the outcome is reward or retribution. Expecting or not expecting. Christ's return makes a large difference in the lives of those characters in the illustrations. We will understand through these paragraphs that unbelievers will suffer loss by not being prepared. 00:10:30:18 - 00:11:01:25 It is also the case that believers will suffer loss to not like unbelievers, but loss nonetheless. Loss of rewards. And so we find Jesus directing believers to watch and to be ready. And that's really that really is important for us to remember as we study through these things. The text may not be speaking of eternal life versus condemnation, even though the text may cause us to want to assume that we must not assume we must remain in context. 00:11:01:27 - 00:11:32:03 And so we find that the greater idea is faithfulness, being watchful so that one is found faithful and faithfulness is rewarded. And that implies that believers who are not watchful and thus not concerned about being faithful to Christ, uh, to Christ, suffer loss not of eternal life, but of rewards. So I think that pretty much well sets up our study as as Jesus continues to teach with the parable of the faithful and the wise slave. 00:11:32:20 - 00:12:09:16 Um, we'll get to that in a second. Here, I want us to pray, and then we'll dig in. Heavenly father, we thank you for this new morning. The breath you've placed in our lungs for the beating of our hearts. Lord, you are truly living God. Compassionate, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Lord, we pray for those who are sick. Lord, we pray for Chris that you would heal him from his sickness. Lord others who might be sick or dealing with different diseases and things. Lord, we ask that you would heal them. Those who are traveling like Larry and Krista, Lord, that you would keep them safe, protect them and bring them back to their family here. 00:12:09:25 - 00:12:40:04 Um, most of all, we ask that that your gospel would be received, uh, or preached to all this world, Lord, and that people would come to understand the truth of Jesus. Um, and as we embark on this study of your word, we ask that our own hearts would be opened to receive all that you have to say to us, Lord, we desire to be heroes and doers. We ask that you would lead us in all of your ways because your ways are good. We pray this in Jesus name. 00:12:40:06 - 00:12:40:23 Amen. 00:12:42:16 - 00:12:44:17 So starting with verse. 00:12:46:17 - 00:12:47:23 32. 00:12:52:23 - 00:13:35:13 We are at the very end of Mark chapter 13, starting with verse 32. But of that day and hour no one knows. Not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the father. Take heed, watch and pray for you. Do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch. Therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning, lest coming, suddenly he find you sleeping. 00:13:35:24 - 00:14:05:28 And what I say to you, I say to all watch. Now, as I mentioned last week, the parallel text of Matthew includes some things here that Mark does not. And I want us to read that text of Matthew. Now, the parallel section of Matthew to our text in Mark is found in chapter 24 of Matthew, in particular verses 36 through 44. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my father only. 00:14:06:00 - 00:14:40:01 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and the other left. 00:14:40:03 - 00:15:22:23 Watch therefore, for you do not know. Uh, for you do not know what hour your lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Now Mark's gospel doesn't avoid anything. It just gets straight to the point. As we we've observed before, Mark's gospel moves at a much quicker pace than do the other Synoptics, whereas Matthew moves slower, um, and includes much more detail. 00:15:22:25 - 00:16:03:21 The big picture here in Mark is found in Jesus's thesis verse of 32. Um, no one knows the day or the hour. And we should ask ourselves, what is it that no one knows about that day and hour? Well, context helps, and if we keep reading, verse 33 clarifies that you do not know when the time is. Jesus then expounds on to on on that to to make the big point, which is spiritual vigilance, not desperately holding on to salvation as if one day you're going to mess up so bad that the Lord thumps you out of his keeping hand. 00:16:03:27 - 00:16:46:08 But rather believers should not be asleep, as were Peter, James, and John later in the garden, but rather believers should be found faithfully in service to the Lord when he returns. All the servants will be blessed by the return of the Lord. Faithful servants will be rewarded. But we have a problem. Why is it that we have a pretty clear timeline of events given to us, not just in the Olivet Discourse, but in New Testament texts like revelation? If nobody knows the time of the return. 00:16:47:13 - 00:17:20:22 How can this possibly be? Since we have spelled out for us a seven year period of tribulation, at the end of which Jesus returns? Well, what it is, is. That Jesus is speaking of his return. For believers, that comes before the seven year period referred to as the rapture or the catching up of the church. Now, we'll get back to this in a minute, but for now, let's get more into the details of this section from Mark. 00:17:20:24 - 00:17:51:14 And Matthew will tie in to Luke as well a little bit, but we're going to use that more as a means of clarifying. Just just wait for it, I guess. So when when we read, uh, the text from Mark and then from Matthew, there was some things in Matthew that probably. Have struck out at us. Um, probably that bit about Noah, right? That's kind of a word that, you know, the days of Noah that kind of sticks out from that text. 00:17:52:00 - 00:18:28:00 Um, and of course, the days thereof, specifically that part, um, as the days of Noah were so also, will the coming of the Son of Man before is in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So also will the coming of the Son of Man be. We'll get to that. But first, did you notice a difference between verse 36 of Matthew and verse 32 of Mark? It's subtle. Verse 36 of Matthew says, but of that day and hour, and no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my father only. 00:18:29:08 - 00:19:05:18 In Mark. In verse 32 it says, but of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the father. So it's that phrase, nor the sun. It's in Mark, but not Matthew. And Luke doesn't have this verse at all. So hold on to your hats. We're going to get a little bit nerdy Bible nerdy here, just for a few minutes. Um, some important manuscripts, uh, such as the Alexandrian and the Western manuscripts have an additional phrase that's not included in Matthew, and that is that phrase. 00:19:05:20 - 00:19:39:18 It is, nor the sun. We find it as we just saw in Mark, not Matthew. Many scholars believe that phrase should be included here in the text of Matthew as well. And in fact, modern translations have decided to include this phrase, as it was likely in the original autographs of Matthew. The King James Version does not include it. But I believe it should, because not only do the Alexandrian and Western manuscripts have it, um, almost all. 00:19:40:09 - 00:19:48:12 Of the other witnesses, uh, have that phrase as well. But even if that phrase should be there. 00:19:50:06 - 00:20:26:21 The final part of verse 36 in Matthew. But my father only. Well, it implies the same thing. Only the lack of it in the King James Version and New King James Version just seems to to somewhat soften the prophetic impact of it. So just be aware of this. Even the son does not know. And it's interesting that this lines up with the way that weddings happen in ancient Israel. So the the pattern agrees with what Jesus says here after the betrothal, neither the groom nor the bride knew when the marriage celebration was going to occur. 00:20:26:23 - 00:20:47:09 Instead, the groom then went back home to prepare a place for his bride, and when the father decided it was time, he would send the groom with the wedding party to collect the bride. But the bigger idea here is not what the father knows, nor really of the timing. 00:20:49:03 - 00:21:02:23 Rather, the idea is. Encouragement toward an attitude of being watchful. And prepared. The time is unknowable. 00:21:04:18 - 00:21:10:28 Therefore be ready. If a plumber is scheduled to come to your home to fix your toilet. 00:21:12:16 - 00:21:16:06 And you don't know what exact time they're going to arrive. 00:21:17:22 - 00:21:37:05 What are you probably going to do? Well, you're probably going to pick up any dirty clothes from the floor of your bathroom. You're probably going to empty the bathroom trash can. You might even clean the area around the toilet and the toilet itself. So you don't look like the slob you really are. 00:21:39:26 - 00:22:15:24 So if in little things, we feel like we should be prepared. The imminent rapture of the church should inspire preparation of those who are of the church. No one knows the exact time when the Son of Man will return. His coming is going to be a surprise, so it makes sense to be prepared so that you are not ashamed. Now, who is this warning for? Well, Matthew gives us that information because there Jesus starts this illustration with a comparison. 00:22:16:06 - 00:22:50:13 As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. And note that just as the flood was worldwide, so also the end times judgments will be worldwide. So then we get the idea now that this word is not limited to Israel, but is for all the world. People need to hear the Word of God taught and preached and that includes the warnings. In the days of Noah, the world did not expect a flood that would cover all the earth, despite the fact that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. 00:22:50:15 - 00:23:14:19 I get that from Second Peter two verse five. Peter is called or Noah is called a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly. Similarly. In the future of in the future, the world will be pursuing normal, everyday, regular routine activities. 00:23:16:05 - 00:23:25:01 They will be going about life as usual. Suddenly. And without warning. Normal life. 00:23:25:21 - 00:23:28:02 Meals. Weddings. 00:23:29:19 - 00:24:04:12 Will be interrupted. And those who remain will find themselves searching for an explanation. Of what is going on. In Noah's day, he and seven others entered the ark and God. Shut that door. Now knowing his family were not Hebrews. They predated Abraham, who was the first Hebrew. And as the world was judged, Noah in the seven others were kept safe in the ark above the waters. 00:24:05:27 - 00:24:38:24 Jesus is Coming begins with the rapture of the church, which can occur at any time. Without sign. Except for the fact that the Bible actually tells us it's going to happen. And then following the rapture, those years of tribulation will come about a total of seven years of tribulation with the abomination of desolation that Daniel and Jesus spoke of in the middle of that time, after which Israel will be scattered once again. 00:24:38:26 - 00:24:54:26 Three and a half years after the abomination, the prophecy of Zechariah tells us that Jesus will set foot on the Mount of Olives and overthrow Israel's enemies. And as Zechariah states in verse nine, the Lord shall be king over all the earth. 00:24:56:27 - 00:25:28:12 Unbelievers will suddenly find themselves in judgment, just as unbelievers were in the days of Noah. As Noah and his family were yet kept safe out of the judgment. So then, those who we see taken away by the flood are unbelievers. Continuing in the text of Matthew, Jesus then added to the illustration by moving to a different illustration said, then two men will be in the field, one will be taken in the other left, two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken, the other left. 00:25:31:12 - 00:25:35:09 In regards to just what this illustrates, there are a couple of possibilities. 00:25:36:24 - 00:26:12:12 Then in verse 40 of Matthew, the text points back to when everyone was eating and drinking just before the tribulation. Now the word took in. Verse 39 is the Greek word eru, meaning carried away. As in carried away to their death by the flood waters. And then the word taken that Jesus uses in verses 40 and 41 is a different word. Uh, parallel bono meaning take two oneself or receive. 00:26:13:06 - 00:26:55:27 Now. One possibility is that this illustrates the rapture, with one being taken in the other left behind. And that sounds good. But the problem is that it doesn't track with the NOAA illustration in which the wicked were taken away while the believers were preserved. Rather, it seems to make better sense that this continues the previous illustration, where the world is in tribulation and the church has been removed already. So then in verses 4241, those taken away are the unbelievers, and the ones that are left are those of believing Israel and tribulation saints who are not taken to judgment but remain to enter the Millennial Kingdom. 00:26:56:08 - 00:27:38:16 So then, those who come on to, or who come to believe during the tribulation must be watchful and expectant of the Lord's coming. Others take the view that those who are carried away in verses in verse 39 are unbelievers, while those who are taken in verses 44 through 41 are believers taken up to Christ at the rapture of the church, as I said before. So then those who are left in verses 40 to 41 are the ones who are going to be going through the tribulation events. And if if this view is correct, then the judgment of the tribulation will come on the unbelieving world, like the flood, where they are not expecting it, and before that God will deliver his own from. 00:27:39:03 - 00:28:15:20 The world. In between these two. If neither is exactly wrong, the facts are that the church will be raptured before the judgment, and those who those who believe during the tribulation will also enter the kingdom. However, Jesus had a point greater than than those specifics. The greater idea here is just what we started with. Nobody knows the time. And Jesus is addressing his disciples. His disciples were believers apart from one who would betray the Lord to the chief priests and the Romans. 00:28:15:22 - 00:28:47:14 If if saved individuals this side of the tribulation need to worry about entering into the tribulation, then why be watchful in the first place? Well, the reason is that while Jesus and John three and later Paul and Romans eight said that he who believes in Jesus is not condemned, they are not exempt. They are not exempted from the judgment seat of Christ. Paul spoke of this judgment seat of Christ in Romans, in Second Corinthians. And the Apostle John also did this in his first epistle. 00:28:47:16 - 00:29:21:00 Paul says, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, good or bad. And he says, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each 1st May receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. So this is not a judgment to condemnation, but a judgment in which believers will receive or lose reward according to their faithfulness to Christ. 00:29:21:23 - 00:29:55:08 Everyone who is at this judgment is saved, but some will be saved with rewards and some will be saved with loss of rewards. So then believers need to watch a Greek word that means be on alert. In light of Christ, sudden, unexpected coming. And this same word for watch is repeated several times by Paul in his epistles and by the Lord not only in the Gospels, but also in revelation. So then look at verses 43 through 44. 00:29:57:00 - 00:30:35:29 Of Matthew 24. But know this, that if the master of the house had not, if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come. He would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour. You do not expect anyone who knows before it happens that a thief is going to be coming to his house. And when will certainly make sure to be awake and alert for that event so that he can protect his house and his possessions. 00:30:36:22 - 00:31:00:18 Jesus compares himself to a thief because he will come unexpectedly, and the homeowner or the master of the house is the believer. And if it's important for a homeowner to be so vigilant about things that are transient. Then how much more so is it for a believer to to be aware and vigilant over things that are of eternal value? 00:31:02:18 - 00:31:09:26 Believers who are watching for the rapture will be prepared at any time and not taken by surprise. 00:31:11:21 - 00:31:52:09 It will not experience loss of reward. Jesus promises that there is no condemnation for those who believe in him. So then the believer is absolutely secure and safe from condemnation and promised eternal life. And while most people are concerned with quality of life now, however. Eternal life dwarfs the little time that we have now. So quality of eternal life should be of immensely greater concern. Believers enter into eternal life no matter what God guarantees it, but works will be judged and some will enter with reward, others will enter having lost rewards. 00:31:52:11 - 00:31:56:14 And so, as believers, we should desire to be faithful and wise. 00:32:01:11 - 00:32:34:16 All right. So as I insinuated several times, Matthew includes more illustrations and parables than Mark does. That is illustrations and parables specifically associated with this discourse. And these have been taught so horribly so as to steal away the assurance of believers eternal salvation, that I. I feel the need that we as a body, go back and look at these things. Um, even though Mark does not necessarily include all of these in his text. 00:32:34:18 - 00:32:51:24 So I want you to right now in, um. Yeah, we got time. I want you right now to turn to Matthew chapter 24, if you haven't already. We've been in Matthew, so maybe you've already turned there, but, um, we'll be looking at verses 45 through 51. 00:32:54:01 - 00:32:55:20 I need to do that too. Let's see. 00:33:03:28 - 00:33:04:17 There we go. 00:33:09:21 - 00:33:52:06 Are. All right. And starting the verse 45, it reads this way. Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his master made ruler over his household to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if the evil servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. 00:33:52:13 - 00:34:23:24 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now this parable continues the theme of the preceding, and that overarching theme is preparedness. After describing what his Second Coming would be like. It makes sense that Jesus would speak of being watchful and prepared. Earlier in both Mark and Matthew, Jesus warned that his return would not be hidden or secret, but would be quick and visible to all. And in the parable of the fig tree. 00:34:23:28 - 00:35:00:18 From verses 28 through 31 of Mark, which I think we looked at last Sunday, Jesus says that the generation that is in the tribulation and sees the abomination of desolation and the cataclysmic events in the heavens, will see his return. But as it was in the days of Noah when only a handful believed God was going to was going to judge the world with this great flood, so also many will be taken by surprise then at his return. Now, it's important to note that the rapture of the church in the Second Coming of Christ are two different things, right? The rapture comes just before the seven year tribulation. 00:35:00:20 - 00:35:35:12 The Bible describes the rapture as Jesus coming in the clouds and calling up his believers to be with him. But in his Second coming, at the conclusion of the tribulation, he sets foot on the Mount of Olives, bringing bringing us with him to judge the world and usher in the Millennial Kingdom. So in his discourse, the rapture would have occurred probably just before verse nine. And from that point on, this discourse seems to be describing the tribulation period. The midpoint of the seven year tribulation is at verse 14 of Mark 13, with the abomination of desolation and Israel fleeing. 00:35:35:14 - 00:36:10:26 The Second coming of Christ then occurs in the discourse with verse 26 of Mark. So then we continue now with the parables and the illustrations, and that takes us to the parable that we just read of the with a faithful servant and a wise servant. Here in Matthew, the Greek word for servant here is doulos. Now doulos speaks of a slave. That is, someone subservient to someone else. And in the New Testament text, it usually speaks of someone who was in a financial situation that required them to sell themselves to someone else in order to survive. 00:36:11:09 - 00:36:46:10 That likely does not refer to someone who has been made a slave by force. Now, all this is this kind of archaic to us today. But someone in that time who was in that kind of life or death situation would have been thankful and demonstrated their thankfulness with faithful service. However. The flesh, nature being what it is. A slave, even though their slavery meant survival rather than starvation and suffering, might begin to resent their master. 00:36:47:06 - 00:37:12:10 Some slaves of the time were very low on the pole. Others were trusted as family members and even given great responsibility and trust in a household. Now slave here is used singularly in this entire parable. This seems surprising because if your Bible has section headings, it probably reads illustration of the two servants. 00:37:14:00 - 00:37:48:06 Well, this is problematic. As the text is speaking of two possible actions of one servant, and how the servants actions in each scenario may be rewarded. In other words, there is one slave in this parable who has been entrusted with great responsibilities and who also has a choice while his master is away. He can be faithful and wise, and the responsibilities given to him by his master, anticipating the joy of reward at his master's return. 00:37:48:08 - 00:38:20:01 Or he can be evil and do whatever his evil desires. Lead him to do things that are characteristic of idolaters, or pagans, or unbelievers, and those who have turned away. Uh, from uh uh, from the faith. Because the master will return suddenly. The master will discover what his entrusted servant has been doing. If he's been faithful. When his master returns, he will be rewarded and given greater position. 00:38:20:09 - 00:38:51:17 If the slave has been unfaithful, the text says he will be divided and be given a place with the hypocrites. Now notice that the master who left the slave and then returns remains the slave master, whether the slave is faithful or unfaithful. But what about verse 51? And this cutting into. Well, that verb, uh, deco tomato means to to cut an object into two parts. 00:38:51:19 - 00:39:25:29 And it is the same verb that's used in Hebrews 11, verse 37, speaking of God's prophets being sawn in two. It is also used in the Septuagint in Exodus in regards to the division of sacrifices. Extra biblical sources such as writings of Polybius and credulous Strabo. Many others demonstrate the use of this word in rhetoric as, uh, as hyperbole for creating a convincing argument. 00:39:26:04 - 00:39:56:28 And that's how it's used here. The dividing of the slave is not the division of the slave himself. It is hyperbole to illustrate being cut to the heart by the Lord's rebuke and suffering great loss. Remember, as Hebrews four says, the word of God is like a two edged sword that can cut deeply and is being appointed. A place with the hypocrites is simply showing that there are those who are found faithful, and there are others who are not. 00:39:57:20 - 00:40:28:22 Jesus denounced the leaders in Israel. He called them hypocrites. And when doing so he did not distinguish between believing and unbelieving leaders. And we know from the Bible that there were at least a few and probably. Many among the leaders who believed yet remained secretive in their belief. And we know that even faithful believers can be hypocrites. 00:40:29:18 - 00:40:58:04 Such as Peter and Barnabas in Galatians two, where Paul rebuked them because in Antioch they got up from their table with the Gentiles to sit with the Jews from Jerusalem when they arrived. We find a similar parable in Luke 12, where in verse 46, instead of hypocrite, we find the word unbelievers. However, the Greek word. Translated. Translated. Uh. Unbeliever. There. Also means the unfaithful. 00:41:00:07 - 00:41:04:22 Which I think is a more sound understanding. The fact. 00:41:07:00 - 00:41:40:29 In fact it is. That's actually how the ESV renders that word in Luke 1246. So the big idea here. Is that when believers are judged, the failure to have endured and faithful service will result in rebuke. The difference is that in one scenario, the wise servant watches for the return of his master, and because he is watchful and he is expectant. He is found serving faithfully. And the other scenario? He thinks his master will not return for a long time. 00:41:41:01 - 00:41:43:01 So he stopped serving his master well. 00:41:45:04 - 00:41:52:18 We often want to associate weeping and gnashing of teeth with the pronouncement of utter condemnation. 00:41:54:04 - 00:42:33:03 And we do find that phrase associated with unbelievers in hell. We also find it used of the tremendous grief. Of believers at the loss of rewards. But context determines how we should understand the text. And so the phrase here speaks of tremendous regret over a wasted opportunity to have received something very valuable. So then its use here in this text speaks of great sorrow experienced by unfaithful believers at the Lord's rebuke, at their loss of reward and loss of privileges. 00:42:34:00 - 00:42:43:20 And loss of joys associated with ruling with Christ in the kingdom. And yet God will wipe away every tear. 00:42:52:20 - 00:42:57:27 Israel was chosen by God in order to be a light to the other nations. 00:43:01:09 - 00:43:33:03 And to be the people through which the Messiah was to to come into the world. And over and over in the text of the Old Testament, we see Israel instead wanting to be just like the other nations and falling into idolatry. And each time we see God discipline them. And we see Israel missing out on God's blessing. Their rejection of Jesus has resulted in very difficult times over the centuries. 00:43:33:27 - 00:43:47:09 For Israel. But Israel is gathered back together. Being gathered back together became a nation again in 1948. They still are experiencing judgment for their unbelief. 00:43:49:07 - 00:44:21:04 But God is faithful always to his promises. In the tribulation, after the desecration of the temple, Israel will repent and will return back to God. 44 144,000 will actually be evangelizing the world. But that's just the number of a special group of believing Israel sealed to act as God's evangelists in all the world. There will be many more who will believe Jesus during the tribulation. And when Jesus returns, it will be good to be found faithful. 00:44:21:06 - 00:44:53:08 All believers will be rewarded or suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ. But it must be kept in mind that this is not a loss of salvation. As was the case back in the parable of the marriage feast from from chapter 22 of I think it was Matthew or I don't think that was. Yeah, that would have been Matthew we haven't reached. Never mind. Brain 22 of Matthew. The stakes were not eternal life. But quality of eternal life. 00:44:54:23 - 00:45:28:20 Rewards or loss of rewards. It is consistent. As a thread throughout all the Bible that salvation is by faith because of God's grace and not because of any works of our own. People believe those things of which evidence persuades them to be true. That is what belief is. It is a conviction based on available evidence that something is in fact true. Belief is not something that that we work up in ourselves by some strength of will. 00:45:31:02 - 00:45:37:05 I mean belief these days or faith gets gets taught so often as if it's like. 00:45:40:02 - 00:46:01:01 Like Luke Skywalker, you know, trying to trying to raise his his fighter out of the marsh. You know, trying to gather up the the ability to do it. It's this invisible force that we we pulled to ourselves. And we. We then send out to do the things of which we want to be done. 00:46:03:25 - 00:46:05:13 Well, a belief is belief. 00:46:08:09 - 00:46:10:11 We don't work it up within ourselves. 00:46:15:04 - 00:46:17:12 We simply believe something is true. 00:46:21:02 - 00:46:23:27 And I think we can all agree that. 00:46:25:23 - 00:46:31:21 When evidence that something is true persuades you, you are then found to be believing it. 00:46:33:11 - 00:46:39:27 And ultimately when the evidence is not sufficient. Then you don't believe it. 00:46:42:05 - 00:47:00:05 Now. When you believe something, you typically will perform actions that equate with that belief. But that's not always completely, completely the case. You will. Well, during the late 70s, early 80s, most kids knew gravity existed, yet you would still find them jumping off the roof with an umbrella. 00:47:02:13 - 00:47:03:05 Test it out. 00:47:04:21 - 00:47:08:24 Yep. Gravity's true. No umbrella doesn't help. 00:47:17:10 - 00:47:22:01 Not the best example. But. But the people who believe in gravity. 00:47:25:19 - 00:48:01:28 Most people believe in gravity, yet we'll find some way to try and subvert or delay the effects of gravity, right? People who live under, under local or federal laws will still break or subvert the laws in various and creative ways, and people who believe God will yet become more concerned with the things of the world than the things of God. The goodness of the good News is, as Jesus said in John five, most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 00:48:02:00 - 00:48:38:22 The believer will not come into judgment, but has eternal life. But there is a judgment of works that awaits all believers, where believers will be judged for the things done in the body, and that judgment is not under condemnation, but eternal reward or loss of reward. And the eternal destiny of unbelievers, of unbelievers is based on their unbelief and not their works. And the eternal destiny of believers is based on their belief and not their works. Our eternal rewards will be based on what we do in service for Christ in these fallen bodies, not with what we do. 00:48:38:24 - 00:49:10:15 What we'll do in the future in our glorified bodies. So yes, Jesus is still being Israel centric in these verses. He is speaking to his disciples about Israel in the end times. But rewards for faithfulness is also applicable to all believers, whether taken up in the rapture or those who come to faith during the tribulation. While Jesus is away, he expects his servants, that is, believers, to be faithful and wise until he returns. 00:49:11:27 - 00:49:43:21 Now there are more parables that we will need to deal with from Matthew, and we'll do that next Sunday as additional material for our study of the Olivet Discourse in Mark. The next two parables, the parable of the Ten Virgins and the parable of the talents, further illustrate the importance of wisdom and faithfulness in preparing for the coming reign of the King. But this morning we're going to end here. So stick around. We'll have our. And let's pray. Heavenly father, we thank you for this morning. 00:49:43:23 - 00:49:47:16 We thank you for your love and your grace and your mercy. We, um. 00:49:49:06 - 00:49:58:28 Pray that your name would be holy in our our hearts and that, uh, your name would be, uh, exemplified as is holy in our lives. Um. 00:50:01:06 - 00:50:02:17 That we would be. 00:50:04:14 - 00:50:11:00 A light to this world. To show them. Jesus. 00:50:13:28 - 00:50:14:25 Lord. Um. 00:50:16:16 - 00:50:27:21 This is a day and age where I think we all feel a special need, that we lift up and pray for the leaders of of the world. Um. 00:50:31:09 - 00:50:37:21 And Lord, we. We do pray that. Um, the leaders of this world would. Would rule righteously. 00:50:41:11 - 00:51:11:24 And those who refuse to. Rule in a righteous manner that they would be dethroned. They would be removed from office. And that someone who will serve well will be placed in those places. Um. Give us wisdom as we enter into, uh, the times of elections for this nation in particular. Um. 00:51:13:21 - 00:51:20:24 Lord, we lift up those around this world who are suffering so horribly due to wars. 00:51:24:00 - 00:51:26:27 Lord, help us to be slow to anger. 00:51:28:15 - 00:51:30:00 Help us to be compassionate. 00:51:34:09 - 00:51:51:21 Lord, we ask that you would establish us in all good things, and that you would guard our hearts, keep our hands from evil. Protect us from the deceptions of our great enemy, the devil and Lord is even as we endure the trials of each and every day. 00:51:52:22 - 00:51:53:07 Um. 00:51:53:11 - 00:51:56:05 We thank you that you grow us through them. 00:51:58:03 - 00:52:03:02 You lead us through them. We ask you to be glorified in our trials, Lord. 00:52:07:26 - 00:52:11:24 Father. We. Pray for the food that we're about to. 00:52:14:25 - 00:52:46:16 Share together. Lord, we thank you that you have provided this food and you have given us the, um. What's needed to to make the food and, uh, to cook it, and, um. To taste it and to enjoy it. And we thank you for the time of fellowship that we all have as well. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May he make his face in his light to shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance upon you and give you his peace, his shalom. In the name of Yeshua Messiah. 00:52:46:18 - 00:52:49:22 This Jesus is Messiah, our Lord and our Savior and everyone. 00:52:52:21 - 00:52:55:11 The object of faith is not the gospel. 00:52:55:13 - 00:52:55:28 My friend, the. 00:52:56:00 - 00:53:29:25 Object of faith is Jesus. Being at peace with God is not automatic because you by nature are separated from God. The Bible says for all of sin and fall short of the glory of God, you and I, we are both sinners. Every person is a sinner and sin. Our sin separates us from God. Sincerity, morality, good works, a religion. These are some of the ways that man has tried to close the gap between himself and God. 00:53:30:14 - 00:54:05:11 Only God's love can close that gap of separation between himself and you. He paid the penalty for the sins of the world. The Bible says He Himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness by his wounds you have been healed. But the good news is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as John the Baptist said, is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 00:54:06:10 - 00:54:38:13 John the Apostle reiterated this in first John two where we read this, and he himself is the propitiation for our sins. And not for hours only. But also for the whole world. Because of this, despite the fact that we are sinners, we are not blocked from God and from his kingdom because of our sin. He has removed the sin barrier so that now we are all savable. 00:54:39:04 - 00:54:44:22 All we need to do to have everlasting life with God. 00:54:46:21 - 00:54:51:00 Life that can never be lost is to believe in Jesus Christ. 00:54:52:16 - 00:55:28:23 As Jesus said in John 316, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus very plainly says, whoever believes in him will not perish, but has everlasting life. Because of the cross and the the resurrection of Jesus, all who simply believe in him have everlasting life and will one day be raised from the dead to live physically forever in perfect, glorified bodies. 00:55:30:00 - 00:55:57:15 I can be absolutely sure that I have everlasting life, because I know it has nothing to do with how good or bad I am, and everything to do with Jesus's faithfulness to his promise. You crossed that bridge into God's family. When you believe in Jesus Christ, and God invites you to believe and freely receive forgiveness of sins and. 00:55:57:17 - 00:56:00:09 Eternal life that can never be lost. 00:56:18:16 - 00:56:54:21 Thank you for listening. Remember to be a doer of the Bible and not just a hearer. That means demonstrating God's love to others as he has so abundantly poured out his love into your life. Most importantly, have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? It's the most important decision you could ever make. Choose your destiny. Don't let the world choose it for you. The Bible says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Go to Calvary birmingham.com and click on God to learn more about God's plan for your life. 00:56:54:26 - 00:57:08:07 If you prayed to receive Jesus through this program, please let us know. Go to Calvary birmingham.com and select contact. While you're there, please consider sowing into this ministry by selecting donate. 00:57:13:17 - 00:57:19:19 You have been listening to Grace Hope love with Pastor Sean Bumpers and Calvary Chapel Birmingham. 00:57:28:15 - 00:57:35:11 Thank you, my friend, for your fellowship, and may the Lord abundantly pour out his grace. And love into your life.

Twenty years of chaos in the Ptolemaic kingdom come to an end during the reign of Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204-180). His marriage to the Seleucid princess Cleopatra I Syra confirmed the loss of Coele Syria to Antiochus III, yet she proved to be a good match and helped secure the future of the dynasty. Haronnophoris and the Great Revolt are finally put down in 186, but the Alexandrian government is forced to give concessions to the Egyptians, as the Ptolemies must now come to terms with their new status as a second-class power in the Mediterranean. We also delve into the history of the Rosetta Stone, the Hellenistic period's most famous document, and its role in the decipherment of Ancient Egyptian. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/03/10/095-ptolemaic-egypt-the-two-lands-restored/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/095-ptolemaic-egypt-the-two-lands-restored-transcript.pdf) Ptolemy V Family Tree: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/reign-of-ptolemy-v.pdf) Autocrat Podcast: Website (http://www.autocratpodcast.wordpress.com/) Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/30Muilr1O66yA4UDcj76SW?si=c6648d9db9b3446c) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Tonight, we continue our study of the History of the Bible by examining the Alexandrian texts, the basis of all the modern translations. So, grab your KING JAMES BIBLE, some coffee and join us for our Thursday Night Bible study. Support us: https://swordofthespiritpodcast.com/support  Pre-Order Anatomy of a Revolution, by Scipio Eruditus https://revolutionanatomy.crd.com  (00:46:34) Introduction to the history of the Bible (00:49:43) Corruptions of the word of God (00:54:05) The Alexandrian school and its influence (00:58:54) Constantine's embrace of Christianity for political reasons (01:00:00) Arianism and ecumenicalism (01:01:23) Jerome and the Latin Vulgate - Joe Russiello https://getalby.com/p/sotspodcast  https://www.swordofthespiritpodcast.com 

In this episode of The Design Systems Podcast, we're joined by guest Kevin Muldoon, Lead Design Technologist/Design Systems at Dow Jones, to discuss the concepts of alexandrian patterns and their application in design systems. We explore the idea of themes as reusable objects to solve specific design problems, discussing the challenges and potential solutions in creating composable and scalable design systems. The conversation dives deep into the evolution of design methodologies and the democratization of the creative process.View the transcript of this episode.Check out our upcoming events.GuestKevin Muldoon is a designer, programmer, writer and speaker on Design Systems and a Lead Design Technologist at Dow Jones. He created the Genome Color Tool palette generator and advocates the study of Game Design to create Design Systems at scale.HostChris Strahl is co-founder and CEO of Knapsack, host of @TheDSPod, DnD DM, and occasional river guide. You can find Chris on Twitter as @chrisstrahl and on LinkedIn.SponsorSponsored by Knapsack, the design system platform that brings teams together. Learn more at knapsack.cloud.

Rome was the promise for Paul's ministry, but wreckage was the process of getting there. Although any sort of collision in life is devastating at best and nothing we would ever desire for ourselves, for Paul it was the means for revealing God's miracle power and plan for His life and those around him. Whether it was the Alexandrian ship in Acts 27 or his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul lived his life wrecked. From raging seas to house arrest, Paul embraced the wreckage because he knew that it enabled him to leave a legacy worth following. With his last few years spent in Rome he did not waste his time focused on praying for his own needs and bondage, but rather remembered the Lord's people and their beautiful days ahead building Christ's Church. This Actstension is the beginning of the Dangerous Volumes but it is the end of journey of the Acts of the Apostles. Grab a pen just like Paul did and jot down everything that was “Written in Rome.” Watch all of the Keep Us Dangerous Volumes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiJ9XC6fOOmYsDPuj69uR4RTPpNZ6nSFr MORE ABOUT PAUL'S JOURNEY TO ROME In Danger: https://www.youtube.com/live/KBQeUM_s1NM?si=AHQlU7pM67rAYEqs Guards & Garter Snakes: https://www.youtube.com/live/UbUmp2IJYRM?si=06oUCJE2a_uKfvwi Penned in Prison: MORE ABOUT PAUL APPEALING TO CEASER Cornered in a Courtroom: https://www.youtube.com/live/gulH6BpFySg?si=KC1CONC8Ox9b5lNn The Message of Light: https://youtu.be/T9PFLSNgpDU?si=1GLf9yO6HUVL4uxO MORE ABOUT ARISTARCHUS The First Christian Breakup: https://youtu.be/EVQ_THd5JTk?si=OgLOoHRckOkz7M7Q Following Jes(Us): https://youtu.be/JkmTlj4dS20?si=0VabCmHbHZsAiNRN A Beautiful Beginning: https://youtu.be/rzimfnJouOQ?si=42V3IwkVM8YWd3td All Nighter: https://youtu.be/H-SWS9VsdM0?si=-zfSscLdQdKhjNqD A Kingdom of Tears: https://youtu.be/if2i_ERNRsQ?si=ifIXFsoUYEuKG1Qm The Gates Were Shut: https://www.youtube.com/live/gulH6BpFySg?si=KC1CONC8Ox9b5lNn ACTS OF THE ANGELS Supply & Demand: https://www.youtube.com/live/_C7joSDtoBk?si=u_WjpGi-9HMv6-LC Nothing's Gonna Stop Us: https://www.youtube.com/live/huUXKYozFhY?si=nTLPXI1KBImCKlCB Go To That Chariot: https://www.youtube.com/live/BDVc7EsBsYg?si=032s3VTpTNjkzQSm Ministry Never Sleeps: https://youtu.be/zt1UtWEBRrc?si=5n1Dv7oUMEpu6duB Gateway To God: https://www.youtube.com/live/8CXK-zWH7rM?si=jhB49Na0BH_oXM63 A Knock at the Door: https://www.youtube.com/live/0Fy2x9JrC_8?si=yL5D9Vrsy51KFxIP I've Got Worms: https://youtu.be/UsO3v1B06is?si=7z0HyPZppEZuMvcK ---------- Join the We Are One Fam: WEB: https://weareoneyouth.com FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/waoyouth​​ INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/waoyouth​​ TIKTOK: https://vm.tiktok.com/tGmCPB/ #weareoneyouth #Acts #theology

Series: Mystical Theology Episode 7: Clement of Alexandria, Part 2; Origen, Part 1Introducing the theology and spiritual life of the Orthodox Church, with particular reference to the Holy Bible and the witness of the Church Fathers, past and present.This Episode, "Clement of Alexandria, Part 2; Origen, Part 1, continues Clement of Alexandria, Part 1, by counterbalancing Clement's apophatic approach with his Christian biblical presuppositions; and then concludes with a note on the somewhat intellectualistic character of his theology. Origen, Part 1 begins with an introduction to this great Alexandrian's “Sitz im Leben”, and then presents Origen's ingenious doctrine of the spiritual senses.It is hoped that these presentations will help the enquirer discern the interwoven character of theology and Christian living, and to identify the ascetic and pastoral significance of the Orthodox ethos.  Q&As related to Episode 7 available in The Professor's Blog.Recommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022).ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I wish to express my indebtedness to the spoken and written traditions of Sts Silouan and Sophrony the Athonites, Fr. Zacharias Zacharou, Fr. Kyrill Akon, Fr. Raphael Noica, Fr. Symeon Brüschweiler; Fr. John Romanides, Fr. Pavlos Englezakis, Fr. Georges Florovsky, Prof. Constantine Scouteris, Prof. George Mantzarides, Prof. John Fountoulis, and particularly to Mtp Kallistos Ware and Prof. Panayiotes Chrestou: certain sentences and phrases utilized in these presentations are taken directly from my notes of some of their lectures. My presentations have been enriched by all of the above sources, owing to the adoption of certain structures, The Happy Writer with Marissa MeyerAuthors, from debuts to bestsellers, chat about books, writing, publishing, and joy. Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the Show.Dr. Christopher VeniaminSupport The Mount Thabor Academyhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2232462/support THE MOUNT THABOR ACADEMYPrint Books by MOUNT THABOR PUBLISHING The Professor's BlogeBooks Amazon Google Apple KoboB&NMembership OptionsJoin our Bookclub, Bible Study, John Damascene's Christology or Greek Philosophy here:Patreon for Membership TiersClick on the Join button below our YouTube videos, and become a Friend or Reader of The Mount Thabor Academy! Click here: YouTube Membership Level...

Menas was an Athenian, a courtier of the Emperor Maximinus, and a secret Christian. Once there was an outbreak of civil unrest in Alexandria, brought about by various political factions, and by the increasing success of Christian missionaries in turning the Alexandrian people from the idols. The Emperor sent Menas to reconcile the parties and settle the dispute. On his arrival, Menas quickly resolved the political troubles and restored peace to the city; but instead of putting down Christianity as the Emperor had desired, he did everything in his power to protect the Christians and encourage the spread of the Gospel. When word of this came to the Emperor, he sent another trusted courtier, Hermogenes, to re-establish Imperial authority and to execute Menas if he would not renounce Christ. Hermogenes followed these orders scrupulously: he subjected the godly Menas to various horrid tortures in the public arena. But Menas was miraculously preserved through them all, and when he finally appeared in the arena, flanked by two shining Angels, Hermogenes repented and confessed Christ. He in turn became such a fervent advocate for the Gospel that he was soon made a Bishop (!). Finally the Emperor decided that the only solution was to come to Alexandria himself. There he had both Menas and Hermogenes cruelly tortured to death in secret, lest they perform any public miracles; but when the Emperor presented himself before the people at the arena the following day, the two Saints, miraculously preserved, appeared there also, causing the people to cry out "Christ is the only true God!" At the sight, Menas' scribe Eugraphus declared himself a Christian, leaped into the arena and publicly demanded the honor of dying with them. All three were beheaded. Their precious relics were later taken to Constantinople, where they worked many miracles.