Podcast appearances and mentions of christ after

Formula of Concord - Article VII - The Person of Christ--------------------------------After the death of Martin Luther in 1546, controversies arose in the Lutheran Church that began to question, compromise and erode the foundation upon which he stood  and built his church.     Written in 1577, Lutheran leaders faced those controversies head on by continuing to stand on the Word of God and continuing to put their faith in the clear message of Scripture.  They produced a document, divided into twelve articles that we know today as the Formula of Concord.Follow along with us as we read through and discuss each article of the Formula and make applications to the lives of 21st Century Christians.   You can read along with the Formula or just join in on the discussion.The best way to find the Formula of Concord is in the Book of Concord.   Would you like to own your own copy?  It's an inexpensive way to have the Formula and other beautiful confessional Lutheran writings at your fingertips and use them educationally and devotionally.  Below are links to two different versions that we are recommending.     Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions - A Reader's Edition of the Book of ConcordBook of Concord : Kolb Wengert EditionThere's a free edition of the Book of Concord online at: www.bookofconcord.org We hope that you can join us for the fun and that you can grow along with us.  If you have any questions about this series or our Most Certainly True Podcast, please reach out to Pastor Hackmann at bhackmann@gracedowntown.org.  If you'd like to learn more about Grace Lutheran Church, check out our website www.gracedowntown.org.  Make sure to find the other titles in this series or check out a different series or one of our sermons from Grace on our Most Certainly True Podcast channel.  We'd love to have you grow even more with us.  Thanks for listening!

Quiet Time Coaching Episode 459 | New Thing Series — Part 14 | “Elisha's Experience” | Malcolm Cox Introduction A new thing! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to your daily devotional podcast anchored in Isaiah 43:19: 'See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.' We are currently looking at God doing a new thing in the lives of Elijah and Elisha. Today we explore Elisha's experience.  “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.” 2 Kings 2:11-15 Why did God take Elijah up into heaven in a whirlwind? Why did He honour this great prophet in such a way as to escape death? Why did He not let Elijah go through the normal, common, natural passage of death? Elijah is a model of faithfulness to the end - To be sure, he had his ups and downs. He struggled with fear, anxiety, and perhaps depression. - But, he was a very human model of zeal, humility and openness to God's will for his life. Elijah is a model of the reward that awaits the faithful - This demonstration of the liminal proximity of the earthly and heavenly remind us that our eternal reward is not distant, but close. - “It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:12-13 NIV11) Elijah is a type of the Christ - “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”” (Acts 1:9-11 NIV11) - Jesus move from the earthly to the heavenly without any break in his relationship with God. We will experience something similar.  For Reflection Sometimes Christians can be too humble to rejoice in their reward. Perhaps it feels too mercenary to contemplate the benefits that come to us in the next life. However, this would be a mistake. Instead, why not take some time today to thank God in advance for your eternal reward. Take some time to imagine what it would be like. It is very real, very certain, and waiting for you. Conclusion I hope you find your heart, your life, your congregation and your world inspired by God doing a new thing. Until tomorrow, take care, and God bless.  Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org. Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. "Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Quiet Time Coaching Episode 459 | New Thing Series — Part 14 | “Elisha's Experience” | Malcolm Cox   Introduction A new thing! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to your daily devotional podcast anchored in Isaiah 43:19: 'See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.'   We are currently looking at God doing a new thing in the lives of Elijah and Elisha. Today we explore Elisha's experience.   “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.” 2 Kings 2:11-15   Why did God take Elijah up into heaven in a whirlwind? Why did He honour this great prophet in such a way as to escape death? Why did He not let Elijah go through the normal, common, natural passage of death?   Elijah is a model of faithfulness to the end To be sure, he had his ups and downs. He struggled with fear, anxiety, and perhaps depression. But, he was a very human model of zeal, humility and openness to God's will for his life.   Elijah is a model of the reward that awaits the faithful This demonstration of the liminal proximity of the earthly and heavenly remind us that our eternal reward is not distant, but close. “It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:12-13 NIV11)   Elijah is a type of the Christ “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”” (Acts 1:9-11 NIV11) Jesus move from the earthly to the heavenly without any break in his relationship with God. We will experience something similar.   For Reflection Sometimes Christians can be too humble to rejoice in their reward. Perhaps it feels too mercenary to contemplate the benefits that come to us in the next life. However, this would be a mistake. Instead, why not take some time today to thank God in advance for your eternal reward. Take some time to imagine what it would be like. It is very real, very certain, and waiting for you.   Conclusion I hope you find your heart, your life, your congregation and your world inspired by God doing a new thing. Until tomorrow, take care, and God bless.   Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.   Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.   If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.   Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.   "Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Quiet Time Coaching Episode 459 | New Thing Series — Part 14 | “Elisha's Experience” | Malcolm Cox   Introduction A new thing! I'm Malcolm Cox. Welcome to your daily devotional podcast anchored in Isaiah 43:19: 'See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.'   We are currently looking at God doing a new thing in the lives of Elijah and Elisha. Today we explore Elisha's experience.   “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.” 2 Kings 2:11-15   Why did God take Elijah up into heaven in a whirlwind? Why did He honour this great prophet in such a way as to escape death? Why did He not let Elijah go through the normal, common, natural passage of death?   Elijah is a model of faithfulness to the end To be sure, he had his ups and downs. He struggled with fear, anxiety, and perhaps depression. But, he was a very human model of zeal, humility and openness to God's will for his life.   Elijah is a model of the reward that awaits the faithful This demonstration of the liminal proximity of the earthly and heavenly remind us that our eternal reward is not distant, but close. “It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:12-13 NIV11)   Elijah is a type of the Christ “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”” (Acts 1:9-11 NIV11) Jesus move from the earthly to the heavenly without any break in his relationship with God. We will experience something similar.   For Reflection Sometimes Christians can be too humble to rejoice in their reward. Perhaps it feels too mercenary to contemplate the benefits that come to us in the next life. However, this would be a mistake. Instead, why not take some time today to thank God in advance for your eternal reward. Take some time to imagine what it would be like. It is very real, very certain, and waiting for you.   Conclusion I hope you find your heart, your life, your congregation and your world inspired by God doing a new thing. Until tomorrow, take care, and God bless.   Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.   Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.   If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.   Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.   "Carpe Diem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What does it mean to follow Christ? After spending the last month studying the teachings of Christ to the Nephites, in this episode we reflect on what Jesus hopes we'll actually do with his teachings once we choose to believe. 3rd Nephi 26-274th Nephi

Why will people not come to Jesus as the Christ- After all did Jesus not do many wonderful things- Things no man can do-

“A bad day fishing is better then a good day at work”. How about this one when somebody starts complaining about not catching anything someone else might say “that’s why they call it fishing and not catching”. Even to a non-fisherman there is something about these statements that rings true, that just make sense. That actually makes you want to give fishing a try or keep fishing even if nothing is biting.And you know what else happens, if you fish long enough you will eventually catch something. After all “You can’t catch a fish if your hook isn’t in the water”We are all fishing for something. There something that you have learned, something you have studied, something you have practiced, something you enjoy something that you eagerly and actively share this with others. There is something that has you hooked, something in your life that has captured your affections and requires your attention. In our Gospel lesson this morning Jesus tells these men who are professional fishermen that if they will come and follow him, he will help them to catch something that is far more glorious, something that is much greater then fish. Jesus tells these men, if they will come and follow him, if they will become his disciples and he will teach them how and they will soon become fishers of men. They will be people who help others to come to know and grow in the power and love of God. Are you a disciple? Or maybe I should ask are you a disciple of Christ? After all, we are all fishing for something. We are all living for and sharing the message of our lives with others. We are all a disciple of something.Maybe you can ask the people you work with, or the people you hang out with or maybe even your spouse or how about your children what do they see that you are living for? What is the message of your life? Disciples of Jesus fish for people. Disciples of Jesus share with others the life giving power of Jesus and teach others how to live the lessons about life that Jesus taught.One of the biggest reasons people don’t share their faith is that they don’t feel confident in what their faith is about.It might be that you need to first learn from Christ. When was the last time you found yourself sitting at Jesus’ feet as you read the Bible or studied his teachings? God has given us this incredible treasure of His word that teaches us, that builds us up, that reveals who he is that we would be confident in Him. God meets us in our private times of prayer, God inhabits the prayers and praises of his people in our corporate worship, God uses our relationships with one another to strengthen us and hold us accountable to our faith. These are the ways that you and I grow and become confident in our faith, become his disciples, and fish for people. What are the areas of your life that you are confident in? I would bet that most people around you would identify a significant part of your message of life with these areas of confidence. When you become confident in who Jesus is and who you are in Him, when you realize the significance, the power, the healing, the freedom, the joy of what he has given to you and what Jesus has taught you, you will begin to share it with others. Your faith will become the message of your life because you have grown confident that the hope you have does not disappoint. (Romans 5:1-5)Support the show (http://www.easytithe.com/stbdeland)

In this episode we will continue to discuss some specifics regarding the doctrine of Justification by diving into the topic of Imputation and Impartation. First, we will be diving into some scholastic theology. What is the difference between the Formal Cause and Meritorious Cause when it comes to Justification? What did Wesley affirm regarding this question? What about the Active and Passive righteousness of Christ? After discussing this we will move on and discuss why Wesley was so specific about his teaching on Justification. We will then talk about how Wesley was doing what he was doing to defend the doctrine of Justification from distortions. Often Wesley is portrayed (wrongly) as being an attacker of the Doctrine of Justification. When in reality he was defending the Doctrine of Justification from distortion. Look below for the resources we used.  Links: Wesley on Imputation by Woodrow W. Whidden  Imputed and Imparted Righteousness (2) by Dr. Vic Reasoner 

I know you’ve heard me mention this before, but I just need to reiterate just how good The Bible Project videos (and podcast) are. For this Sunday’s teaching, I really would encourage you to watch the whole series on spiritual beings – but especially the one concerning the Satan and demons. It will serve as a perfect primer for our text.We’re going to be reading about evil spiritual forces at work in an individual’s life in our text this week, Mark 5:1-20.There is a lot of stuff in this text that the author assumes our familiarity with. I personally have a lot of questions that Scripture doesn’t give sufficient explanation for. The exchange between Jesus is very curious.However, while details are ambiguous, the primary thrust of this event reveals Jesus’ authority over all spiritual forces, including ones that oppose him. Does there appear to be a struggle in this from Jesus’ perspective? What can we learn about the power of evil touching us when we are in Christ?After the man was delivered, Jesus gave him a mission. What does that indicate about our own lives after Jesus has saved us? What sort of theological training do you suppose this man had? What message did Jesus send him out with? How can we apply his commission to our own lives?Hope to see you Sunday!

Why don’t most churches celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ? After all, it is part of the church calendar and the traditional Christmas story. It’s true. For reals.

In II Corintians 11:2-3 Paul tells us "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ" (NIV). So, how do we know if we have been led astray from our pure and sincere devotion to Christ? After studying James 1:27 "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (DBY) for more than 25 years I am more than convinced that this single passage is the key for being able to accurately determine the condition of the church at any time and place in history. And the key to unlocking this passage lies in our understanding of worship. The second par of this two part series begins with the second part of the first line of this passage, "to visit orphans and widows in their affliction," and concludes with "to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

In II Corintians 11:2-3 Paul tells us "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ" (NIV). So, how do we know if we have been led astray from our pure and sincere devotion to Christ? After studying James 1:27 "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (DBY) for more than 25 years I am more than convinced that this single passage is the key for being able to accurately determine the condition of the church at any time and place in history. And the key to unlocking this passage lies in our understanding of worship. This two part series begins with the first part of the first line of this passage, "pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this:"

Why should those who follow Christ join a local church as members participating joyfully in the mission of Christ? After all, you won’t find a membership process or list in the New Testament! Yet, the fact is, you cannot understand the New Testament’s description of, or exhortations to, the local church without recognizing they absolutely knew who was ‘with them’ and who wasn’t. Here at Grace Baptist Church we believe being a partner, and joining the membership of our church is a great privilege, bringing both wonderful ministry opportunities, and the personal satisfaction of obeying the call of Christ.

What does it mean to be subject to the government? What did Paul have in mind by that? And how does it fit with being submitted to Christ? After a long break, David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw finally get together for another episode of Theology on Mission. They tackle the issue of how the church relates to government and what Romans 13 has to say about it. Quote of the episode: "I need music. Music is the, the uh, juice, of the nectar of life." ~ Fitch

This episode of CS is provocatively titled “The Lapsed Dance.”In the 4th episode titled “Martyrs”, we examined the persecution Christians faced at the hands of the Roman authorities. We noted that persecution, while at times fierce, wasn't one, long campaign of terror that lasted for a couple centuries. It tended to be spasmodic & regional, based on the whim of the current emperor, enforced in spotty fashion by governors who either agreed or disagreed with the official policy from far-away Rome. There were a couple seasons of Empire-wide persecution in the 3rd C that proved to be the most intense.Following Trajan's more even-handed attempt to deal with the problem of the Christians in the early 2nd C, 2 Emperors followed a more rigorous campaign of persecution & pressed its application to the borders of the Empire. In the mid to late 3rd C, Decius & Diocletian considered Christianity a dangerous threat. Their reasons for opposing the Faith were several but looming large was the concern Christianity would weaken the Army, desperately needed to protect the borders being harassed by barbarians. Also, die-hard pagans claimed the old gods who'd overseen Rome's rise to greatness were angry so many of their worshippers had turned to the new Faith. They warned disaster loomed; the only way to stay it was to appease the wrath of the gods by slaking it with Christian blood.To this end, some Emperors renewed an old practice: Emperor worship. While the details of this practice varied from time to time & place to place, the basic routine went like this . . .Once every so many years, the residents of a city had to appear in the public square, where they ascended a raised platform, picked up a pinch of incense, dropped it on some hot coals and announced, “Caesar is Lord.” The exact words of the oath varied depending on who was sitting on the throne. But the point was to honor the reigning Roman Emperor as a deity, minor as that deity might be in the pagan pantheon. While pagans who already recognized a plethora of gods had no problem adding one more to the list, Christians owned a fierce repulsion to confessing anyone other than Jesus Christ as Lord. They simply couldn't do it. As the pagan left the dais after going through this little rite, he was handed a libelli – a certificate proving his loyalty. He kept that certificate as proof of loyalty, producing it whenever an authority asked him to show his compliance with Rome's decree. In this manner, the Christians were marked out; they had no libelli.Now, as can be imagined, this challenge led to some memorable martyrdoms, especially in North Africa where Christianity flourished. It also led to one of the biggest controversies the Church had yet faced.Some Christians, under the threat of death, capitulated to the pressure, burned the incense & spoke fealty to Caesar. They took the libelli and went about their business. Once the Emperor Decius was gone and persecution eased, these capitulators repented their weakness and applied for readmission to the Church. The challenge for church leaders was = What was to be done with these “lapsed” members, as they were called?Some advocated their re-admission to the felloowship pending a review of their specific case by the local elders. Others, led by a church leader named Novatian, argued vehemently for their exclusion. For Novatian and his supporters, there was no room for any kind of negotiation. The lapsed were to be barred from fellowship. The controversy between the Novatianists and the majority of churches which by that time had made the church at Rome their unofficial headquarters became so great, it seemed there was only one way to solve it. The Novatianists were declared heretical by the majority and put outside the Communion of Saints.The Novatianist controversy flared up again following the last great persecution under the Emperor Diocletian. This time it went by the name of Donatism.During the Diocletian persecution, in order to avoid becoming martyrs, some Church leaders had not only submitted to Caesar worship, they'd surrendered sacred texts to imperial authorities, and, shamefully ratted out other believers. Such lapsed leaders were called “traditores” meaning, those who surrender. One of these traditores was Caecilian, also known as Cyprian. Cyprian hadn't capitulated and worshipped Caesar, but he did go into hiding when the edict reached Carthage where he was bishop. His critics said he was no better than those who lapsed by this desertion of his post. When the persecution lifted, he wanted to returned to his position. The Church at Carthage was the lead church of all North Africa, a region with a large population of Christians. The Novatianist-leanings of the previous generation were most strong there and were renewed at this time, sparked by the re-installation of Cyprian. Those who refused to accept him, selected their own leader in an elder named Majorinus, whom they made a rival bishop to Cyprian. Majorinus died shortly after being consecrated. He was replaced by Donatus Magnus who advocated the same path of rejecting traditores from church leadership.The Donatist Controversy is important because what was at stake was the Christian concept of forgiveness and reconciliation. Was the act of saying “Caesar is Lord” while burning incense to an image of the Emperor an act of idolatry that marked one as apostate? And was such a coerced act something from which there was no repentance?Some said the betrayal by lapsed believers was a renouncing of Christ that condemned them to hell. Others said while some believers became martyrs and their faith was exemplary, those who gave in to the threat of death could not be held responsible and could be re-admitted to the fold, if they showed proper repentance. But such returned believers could not serve in any capacity of leadership in the church. Some held a view of reconciliation so far-reaching, they said even pastors who lapsed could be restored to their positions.What emerged during this debate was the importance of baptism.In the Books of Acts, baptism appears to have been used by the Apostles as the means by which believers identified their faith in Christ and their participation in the Community of Faith. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter called for new converts to be baptized immediately. Philip led the Ethiopian eunuch in immediate baptism.  Baptism at the moment of conversion seems to be the NT pattern & the practice of the Apostolic Church.But at some point, church leaders began delaying baptism, calling for converts to have a time of learning before being officially welcomed into the church. The reason for this delay is uncertain, but may have come as a result of seeing that some supposed converts didn't follow through on their commitment. They fell away after a short time. By delaying baptism and preceding it with a period of instruction, it gave the convert a time to prove the genuineness of their conversion.While conversion was a work of the Spirit in the human heart, baptism was seen as the way someone made a public profession of faith and ushered them into the Community of Christ. So baptism became a kind of definitive line in the sand. It was thought that if someone renounced Christ AFTER being baptized, they were an apostate to whom repentance was now impossible.And as might be suspected, different regions understood all this this differently. Some held that to go apostate meant that person had forfeited salvation and was destined for hell. Other's held that a seeming-apostate was able to repent & return to grace, but their renouncing of the Lord meant their being forever excluded from fellowship. So, they could be saved, but were barred from attending church & taking Communion.Another position said if someone did repent of what had earlier appeared to be a renouncing of Christ, it was evidence they hadn't really gone apostate because if they had they wouldn't repent. Therefore, repentance and the demonstration of a desire to return to God's grace were evidence of salvation and for that reason the repentant ought to be readmitted to fellowship.So à the timing of baptism became a major issue once persecution broke out in a threat of martyrdom.  Baptism was delayed even longer than it had been because of the line it was thought to have crossed.  If a Christian caved during persecution and took a libelli before they'd been baptized, returning to fellowship would be easier. But if he/she lapsed after baptism then returning was more difficult, especially among groups like the Novatians & Donatists.As we'll see later, this issue of the timing of baptism extended beyond the time of Imperial persecutions. When the Church began to invest certain sins with greater moral weight and consequence, many delayed baptism lest they commit a major sin after baptism and so incur  greater judgment.For now, let's return to the Donatist Controversy.  Donatus and his followers held the view that pastors and elders who'd lapsed during the Diocletian persecutions were forever barred from leading the Church. Maybe they could be restored to fellowship but being a leader in the Church was out of the question. The majority view was that lapsed leaders could indeed be restored. As you might imagine, the debate was fierce. Many towns were divided between Donatist and non-Donatist congregations. The Donatists were particularly strong in North Africa while the Church at Rome led the non-Donatists who prevailed in Europe.The Controversy raged for a hundred years & became one of the more contentious issues the Church had to deal with during the 3rd & 4th Cs.What made the Donatist Controversy such a particularly heated topic was the great admiration believers held for the martyrs who'd maintained their faith & confession of Christ even at the cost of their lives. The question was, how could they be held in such high regard when those who lapsed could be so easily restored to fellowship?  Were in fact the martyrs foolish to cast away their lives when a little negotiation & capitulation could have saved them?No, martyrdom was a baptism by blood considered the utmost glory a believer could attain to. A careful record of the martyrs was kept; the days of their martyrdom celebrated each year. And with each celebration, their stories grew. Their failings were edited out and their reputation embellished until they took on a decidedly “other-worldly” quality. The martyrs were quickly morphing into “saints” – Early Christian super-heroes.The idea began to develop in North Africa where there had been so many notable martyrdoms, that their exceptional courage achieved a kind of special grace from God that could be turned to other purposes; like, What? Well, how about we use it to forgive the sins of others?  Sins like those who'd lapsed. Yeah, that's it. The righteousness of the martyrs who'd died rather than recant was so great, it made a reserve of grace those who'd avoided martyrdom could draw from! How convenient.Some bishops thought this a grand idea. Others opposed it, but wanting to find some means by which the lapsed could be returned to fellowship, they devised various means and forms of penance, by which repentant lapsi could demonstrate the sincerity of their desire to return to the fold.Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage mentioned before, devised a system to allow the lapsed to be reconciled to the Church. He said that simple repentance was enough for those who'd sacrificed to the Emperor after severe torture. But those who'd caved at the mere suggestion of pain had to submit to a penance of punishments. His plan won widespread approval and the Church created a system of penance based on the severity of the guilt of the lapsed. Bishops met with repentant lapsi & prescribed their penance like spiritual doctors dispensing medicine. If and when the penitent successfully jumped thru the prescribed hoops, he/she was allowed to return to fellowship and most importantly, to partake of the Lord's Table.While this system of penance was proposed and installed in various places, other regions rejected it as contrary to the character of grace found in the NT. And while it went into general disuse when official persecution ended in the 4th C, the doctrinal foundation was laid for the later system of penance and the Treasury of Merit that would be practiced under the title of Indulgences.But all that is for a much later episode . . .Many thanks to those who've subscribed to CS and told others about the podcast.If you haven't done so yet, drop by the FB page and let us know where you live.  The CS family stretches literally around the  world.If you use iTunes as your podcast portal, please think about writing a review. That's THE most important way to get the word out about the podcast.While CS is free, we have had to include a donate feature as the costs of hosting the site have gone up.Lastly, I'm quite stoked to announce CS is now appearing in Spanish.You can fain all the information you want  to follow up on all this at the website – sanctorum.us.