Podcasts about Tertullian

If you enjoy this episode, we're sure you will enjoy more content like this on The Occult Rejects.  In fact, we have curated playlists on occult topics like grimoires, esoteric concepts and phenomena, occult history, analyzing true crime and cults with an occult lens, Para politics, and occultism in music. Whether you enjoy consuming your content visually or via audio, we've got you covered - and it will always be provided free of charge.  So, if you enjoy what we do and want to support our work of providing accessible, free content on various platforms, please consider making a donation to the links provided below.  Thank you and enjoy the episode!Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Cash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsPart 2 — Core Citations / BibliographySecondary Works and Reference SourcesEncyclopaedia Britannica. “Perpetua.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Polycarp.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Relations between Christianity and the Roman Government and the Hellenistic Culture.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Decius.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Diocletian.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Catechesis: Instructing Candidates for Baptism.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Kerygma and Catechesis.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Exorcism.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Eucharist.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Early Christian Art.”Smarthistory. “Catacomb of Priscilla, Rome.”Vatican Museums. “Jonah Sarcophagus.”Yale News. “House Call: A New Study Rethinks Early Christian Landmark.”Yale News. “Yale Art Gallery Painting Might Be Oldest Known Image of the Virgin Mary.”Yale University Art Gallery. Materials on Dura-Europos and the Christian Building/Baptistery.Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Chi-Rho.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Paschal Controversies.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Melito of Sardis.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christology: Early History.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Docetism.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Adoptionism.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Cerinthus.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Theodotus the Tanner.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “St. Ignatius of Antioch.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Apologist.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Saint Justin Martyr.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “First Apology.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Dialogue with Trypho.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Celsus.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Apologetics: Defending the Faith.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Tertullian.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Athenagoras.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “First Letter of Clement.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “St. Cyprian.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Novatian.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Saint Irenaeus.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Aversion of Heresy: The Establishment of Orthodoxy.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “The Process of Canonization.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Late 2nd-Century Canons.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Muratorian Fragment.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Biblical Canon.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Codex.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Authority and Dissent.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: Relations between Christianity and Judaism.”Joshua Ezra Burns. “The Parting of the Ways in Contemporary Perspective.” In The Christian Schism in Jewish History and Jewish Memory. Cambridge University Press.Adam H. Becker and Annette Yoshiko Reed, eds. The Ways That Never Parted: Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Fortress Press.Judith Lieu. Neither Jew nor Greek? Constructing Early Christianity. T&T Clark.Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Constantine I.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Arianism.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “First Council of Nicaea.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Saint Athanasius.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Festal Letters.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “First Council of Constantinople.”Primary Texts UsedThe Martyrdom of Polycarp. Used for the early literary shaping of martyrdom, witness, bishop-martyr memory, and the theological interpretation of death.The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity. Used for imprisonment, trial, visions, martyrdom, and the rare preserved voice of a female Christian martyr.Apostolic Tradition, traditionally associated with Hippolytus. Used for baptismal preparation, catechumenal scrutiny, exorcism, fasting, vigil, renunciation, oil, and immersion.1 John 4. Used for the anti-docetic pressure around confessing Jesus Christ as having “come in the flesh.”Ignatius of Antioch. Letter to the Smyrnaeans. Used for Christ's real flesh, real suffering, Eucharistic theology, and bishop-centered unity.Ignatius of Antioch. Letter to the Philadelphians and related letters. Useful backup for episcopal unity, Eucharistic order, and anti-schismatic arguments.Melito of Sardis. On Pascha. Used for Paschal theology, Christ as Pascha, typology, and Christian interpretation of Passover.Justin Martyr. First Apology. Used for apologetics, public defense, accusations against Christians, Eucharistic misunderstanding, and Christian worship.Justin Martyr. Dialogue with Trypho. Used for Christian-Jewish polemic, scriptural inheritance, fulfillment arguments, and the hardening separation between Christianity and Judaism.Athenagoras. A Plea for the Christians / Embassy for the Christians. Used as a major example of second-century apologetics addressed to imperial authority.Athenagoras. On the Resurrection of the Dead. Used as a philosophical Christian defense of resurrection.Tertullian. Apology. Used for Latin apologetics, Christian defense against Roman accusation, and the combative posture toward pagan criticism.Tertullian. Prescription Against Heretics. Useful backup for rule of faith, public apostolic teaching, and anti-heretical boundary-making.Origen. Against Celsus. Used for Celsus' pagan critique and Origen's major intellectual defense of Christianity.Celsus. The True Word / True Doctrine. Survives mainly through Origen's quotations and refutations; used for educated pagan criticism of Christianity.First Letter of Clement. Used for early ministry order, Roman intervention in Corinth, appointed bishops and deacons, and the emerging logic of succession.Cyprian of Carthage. On the Unity of the Catholic Church. Used for episcopal unity, schism, discipline, and the theological seriousness of the bishop's office.Novatian. De Trinitate. Used as a witness to mid-third-century theological conflict and Roman Latin theology.Irenaeus. Against Heresies. Used for anti-gnostic consolidation, rule of truth, fourfold Gospel authority, apostolic succession, and public apostolic memory.Eusebius. Ecclesiastical History. Used for the Paschal controversy, Polycarp and Anicetus, Victor and Polycrates, Irenaeus' intervention, early church memory, and the broader historical framing.The Didachē. Used as part of the wider early Christian literary world that remained influential outside the final New Testament canon.Letter of Barnabas. Used for anti-Jewish polemic, allegorical reading of Hebrew Scripture, and Christian claims over Israel's inheritance.The Shepherd of Hermas. Used as an example of a beloved early Christian text that was widely read but later excluded from the New Testament canon.Apocalypse of Peter. Used as part of the wider early Christian apocalyptic library that circulated before the canon fully closed.Muratorian Fragment. Used for the late-second-century Roman list of recognized Christian writings and the emerging shape of the New Testament.Cyril of Jerusalem. Mystagogical Catecheses. Used for post-baptismal instruction and the interpretation of initiation after the rite had been received.Ambrose of Milan. On the Mysteries and On the Sacraments. Used for mystagogical teaching, baptismal interpretation, anointing, and sacramental instruction.The Nicene Creed / First Council of Nicaea, 325. Used for creed formation, anti-Arian settlement attempts, and the conciliar compression of Christological conflict.Athanasius. Festal Letter 39. Used for the earliest surviving list matching the 27-book New Testament canon recognized in the mainstream tradition.Constantinopolitan Creed / First Council of Constantinople, 381. Used for the later stabilization and expansion of Nicene theological identity.Also want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. A

Photo credit: Jerry Wierwille. In this second episode you’ll hear the second half of the debate: rebuttals, open discussion time, audience questions and answers, and closing statements. Subjects discussed include: traditional, Chalcedonian views about Christ’s two natures and whether these imply one too many persons the worship of Jesus which claims are essential to the gospel whether an immortal being can die the meaning of theos (god or God) as applied to Jesus in a few New Testament passages whether it is coherent to suppose anyone is both human and divine John 8:58 Jesus’s faith in God whether a Protestant should trust the “ecumenical” councils practical and spiritual consequences of viewing Jesus as God’s human Messiah vs. as a Godman Some of the arguments for Jesus’s full deity deployed by Dr. Bird here are addressed in my UCA Conference presentation in Sydney, about a week after this Melbourne debate. And many of the topics are also covered in my newly released book Monotheism, Heresy, and the Bible (UK)–such as the meanings of theos in the New Testament (ch. 1). Links for this episode: Tuggy, Monotheism, Heresy, and the Bible Dr. Michael Bird's YouTube channel Dr. Bird's blog, Substack Exposing The Council of Nicaea with Dr. Dale Tuggy (UCA UK Conference 2025) Dale Tuggy – What John 1 Meant (UCA Conference 2021) Dale Tuggy and James White debate: “Is Jesus YHWH?” Dale Tuggy vs James White | John 1 Is Not Trinitarian podcast 291 – From one God to two gods to three “Gods” – John 1 and early Christian theologies Bock and Loke on Jesus's “blasphemy” in Mark 14 – Part 2 a reading of Philippians 2:5-11 podcast 227 – Who Should Christians Worship? A letter from the Lord Jesus: About God and Me (Revised) https://youtu.be/l_ZeKzAvaYg?si=4DXENxVYIQIqTkZp Hurtado on the early worship of Jesus Larry Hurtado on early Christians' worship of Jesus podcast 333 – The Arguments of “God's Death” Kermit Zarley on “My Lord and my God.” Tuggy, “Craig’s Contradictory Christ,” TheoLogica, 2023 podcast 343 – Craig's Contradictory Christ – Part 1 podcast 344 – Craig's Contradictory Christ – Part 2 Jesus's argument in John 10 podcast 143 – Dr. Timothy Pawl's In Defense of Conciliar Christology – Part 1 podcast 144 – Dr. Timothy Pawl's In Defense of Conciliar Christology – Part 2 podcast 63 – Thomas Belsham and other scholars on John 8:58 podcast 235 – The Case Against Preexistence Romans 9:5 @ biblicalunitarian.com podcast 146 – Jesus as an Exemplar of Faith in the New Testament Will Barlow – The “Throne Room Problem” – Responding to Trinitarian Claims about John 12:41 Scott Williams, “Discovery of the Sixth Ecumenical Council's Trinitarian Theology: Historical, Ecclesial, and Theological Implications” podcast 334 – “Who do you say I am?” podcast 11 – Tertullian the unitarian Thomas Gaston – Dynamic Monarchianism: The Earliest Christology (book) This week’s thinking music is “Ship of Theseus (Instrumental)” by Lemon Knife.

If you enjoy this episode, we're sure you will enjoy more content like this on The Occult Rejects.  In fact, we have curated playlists on occult topics like grimoires, esoteric concepts and phenomena, occult history, analyzing true crime and cults with an occult lens, Para politics, and occultism in music. Whether you enjoy consuming your content visually or via audio, we've got you covered - and it will always be provided free of charge.  So, if you enjoy what we do and want to support our work of providing accessible, free content on various platforms, please consider making a donation to the links provided below.  Thank you and enjoy the episode!Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Cash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsPart 1 — BibliographySecondary worksEncyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: The Gentile Mission and St. Paul.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Saint James, the Lord's brother.”Joel Marcus, “Jewish Christianity,” in The Cambridge History of Christianity, ed. Margaret M. Mitchell and Frances M. Young (Cambridge University Press).Carson Bay, “The First Christians of Antioch,” in Antioch on the Orontes, ed. Andrea U. De Giorgi (Cambridge University Press).Clayton N. Jefford, “Didache,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower (Cambridge University Press).David J. Downs, “Church, Church Ministry, and Church Order,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower (Cambridge University Press).Janelle Peters, “1 and 2 Clement,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower (Cambridge University Press).Jonathon Lookadoo, “The Letters of Ignatius,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower (Cambridge University Press).Dan Batovici, “The Shepherd of Hermas as Early Christian Apocalypse,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower (Cambridge University Press).Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Ebionites.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Nazarene.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Marcion of Pontus.”Harry Y. Gamble, “Marcion and the ‘canon',” in The Cambridge History of Christianity, ed. Margaret M. Mitchell and Frances M. Young (Cambridge University Press).Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Valentinus.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Valentinian.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Gospel of Philip.”Bible Odyssey, “Gnosticism and the Nag Hammadi Library Explained.”Bart D. Ehrman, “The Discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Library,” in Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code (Oxford University Press).Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Montanism.”Bible Odyssey, “James.”Bible Odyssey, “James and Paul.”Bible Odyssey, “Priscilla and Aquila.”Bible Odyssey, “Lydia.”Bible Odyssey, “Women's Work in the Greco-Roman World.”Primary texts usedActs 15.Galatians 2:11–14.Romans 16:1–7.1 Corinthians 1:22–24.Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 20.9.1 (20.200).Didache.1 Clement.The Letters of Ignatius.The Shepherd of Hermas.Irenaeus, Against Heresies.Tertullian, Against Marcion.The Gospel of Truth.The Gospel of Philip.Also want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. A

What happens when a faithful church—commended by Jesus Himself—becomes the birthplace of one of the most controversial movements in early Christianity? In this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, we journey to ancient Philadelphia in Asia Minor, a “gateway city” shaped by competing religious forces and cultural pressures. With limited archaeological data but rich literary and numismatic clues, we uncover how a steadfast community navigated syncretism, only to later give rise to Montanism—a movement that both recovered important biblical emphases and introduced dangerous distortions. This is more than history; it's a cautionary tale about leadership, authority, and the enduring tension between faithfulness and innovation in the mission of God. Keywords: Archaeology, Missiology, Philadelphia (Asia Minor), Seven Churches of Revelation, Book of Revelation, Early Church History, Montanism, New Prophecy Movement, Syncretism, Numismatic Evidence, Religious Pluralism, Dionysus Worship, Artemis Cult, Jewish Diaspora, Apocalyptic Expectation, New Jerusalem, Church Leadership, Heresy, Prophetic Authority, Moral Rigor, Missional Strategy, Gateway City Key Takeaways 1. Faithful beginnings don't guarantee faithful trajectoriesThe church in Philadelphia receives only commendation from Jesus (Revelation 3), yet later developments in the region reveal theological drift and distortion. 2. Archaeology's silence still speaksEven with minimal excavation, literary and numismatic evidence provides a vivid picture of Philadelphia as a deeply religious, pluralistic environment shaped by multiple cults and practices. 3. Context shapes theology—for better or worseThe surrounding worship of Dionysus, Artemis, and other deities created a cultural environment where ecstatic practices and syncretism could easily infiltrate emerging Christian expressions. 4. Syncretism is not just a pagan problemBoth Jewish and Christian communities in Asia Minor show signs of accommodation to surrounding religious practices, echoing concerns seen in texts like 1 Corinthians. 5. Montanism: reform and distortion intertwinedMontanism recovered valuable elements—moral seriousness, the role of the Spirit, and broad participation in ministry—yet distorted authority by elevating new prophecy above prior revelation. 6. “Jesus and…” is the fault line of heresyThe movement illustrates a recurring theological danger: adding new authority or revelation alongside Jesus undermines the foundation of the faith. 7. Leadership formation is mission-criticalMontanus serves as a cautionary example of elevating immature or newly converted leaders, reinforcing New Testament warnings about leadership qualification. 8. Geography shapes eschatologyMontanus's claim that the New Jerusalem would appear in his region shows how local context can shape—and distort—apocalyptic expectations. 9. Movements spread beyond their originsMontanism's influence reached far beyond Phrygia, impacting figures like Tertullian and spreading across the Roman Empire for centuries. 10. The past speaks to present mission practiceThis episode underscores a central Ephesiological insight: understanding the historical movement of God helps the church navigate contemporary challenges with greater discernment. Connect With Us Follow Ephesiology: Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Follow Andrew Johnson @thediscfan.bsky.social If this episode encouraged you, please leave a review and share it with others exploring missional living in post-Christian contexts. Thanks for doing theology in community with us today! If you have a question or topic that you'd like to hear addressed on the Ephesiology Podcast, just send it to Andrew at thediscfan@gmail.com. Donate Find the podcast on your favorite podcast app Just search for “Ephesiology” Our Podcasters Michael CooperProfessor | Missiologist | AuthorMichael is the missiologist in residence with East West where he focuses on equipping and empowering church leaders in evangelism, discipleship, leadership, and catalyzing church planting movements in the most difficult to reach places on the planet. He is the author of Ephesiology: The Study of the Ephesian Movement as well as many other books and academic articles. He has lectured at universities around the world and serves as affiliate faculty at Kairos University where he facilitates the degree programs in partnership with Ephesiology Master Classes.Andrew JohnsonMinistry Lead, West Village ChurchAndrew is a proud husband, father and pastor who desires all to know the one true King. He is honored to serve at West Village Church in Victoria, BC. Previously, he's ministered in Houston, Chicago, Indy, Flagstaff and Tempe in a variety of church contexts. Andrew has a BA in Christian Ministry from Trinity International University and an MA from Phoenix Seminary. He is currently a Doctor of Ministry student at Kairos University and is the co-host of the Ephesiology Podcast. When not at work, he's an avid disc golfing, vinyl playing, Spider-Man following/collecting fellow. Go Pacers. Do you enjoy the Ephesiology Podcast? If the Stones Could Speak How Archaeology Reveals the Church's Mission with Dr. Michael T. Cooper Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026Time: 16:00 PDT | 19:00 EDT | Next Day 04:30 IST | 07:00 PHT | 09:00 AEST What if the stones could speak? Join us for an evening that explores how archaeology brings the mission of the early church into focus. Through artifacts, inscriptions, and ancient cities, discover how the name of Jesus was spread in a world of competing gods and empires and what that means for the church's mission today. A live Zoom seminar with Dr. Cooper followed by Q&A Register on Zoom Pick up Dr. Cooper’s latest book Religions, politics, and education shaped the cultural world of Asia Minor where a new faith emerged that would change history. Gods, Emperors, Philosophers, and a New Movement uncovers how the earliest Christians navigated—and often disrupted and adapted—the dominant forces of their age. Drawing on decades of research, fieldwork, and teaching, Michael T. Cooper takes readers beneath the surface of Ephesos, Smyrna, Pergamon, and other cities to reveal how temples, inscriptions, and civic spaces illuminate the missionary impulse of the first Christians. Far from being silent, the archaeological record testifies to their resilience, creativity, and bold proclamation of the gospel in a world saturated with competing loyalties. This is more than history. By examining how the early church encountered powerful religious traditions, political ideologies, and systems of education, today's missionaries and church leaders gain fresh vision for gospel engagement in their own pluralistic and contested contexts. The dynamics that shaped mission in the first centuries—identity, power, worldview, and cultural disruption—remain central to how the good news advances today. This book is an invitation to rediscover the mission of God in the archaeological record and to discern its enduring relevance for faithful witness in the twenty-first century. Buy on Amazon Partner with the Pod The Ephesiology Podcast comes to you from a desire to engage in community conversations about the intersection of theology and culture. We do not believe such dialogue should come with a cost so the podcast will always be free. However, if you've benefited from the Ephesiology Podcast, would you consider a nominal $5 per month donation? All proceeds from the podcast go toward helping bring needed theological education to the majority world through our Ephesiology Master Class initiative to end a theological famine. We'd be honored to partner with you to continue providing solid biblical, theological, and missiological content for listeners around the world. Donate Empowering Future Church Leaders Imagine a world where passionate, equipped Christian leaders spread God's Word in areas with the greatest need—leaders grounded in both deep theology and practical ministry skills, trained to make a lasting impact in their communities. Through your support, this vision can become a reality for students from countries like Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Nepal, and India who are eager to teach and multiply disciple-makers in their own regions. Learn More Ephesiology: A Study of the Ephesian Movement If you want to understand principles for the growth of Christianity in the first century, the place to begin is the city of Ephesus. In this winsome study, Ephesiology offers readers a comprehensive view of the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in the most significant city of the New Testament, and compels us to ask the question: how can we effectively connect Christ to our culture? “Masterfully handling the book of Ephesians and using its content as a definitive guide, Michael Cooper lays a theologically strong foundation that is both corrective and directive to disciple making movements. The principles he gleans from the book of Ephesians and related texts, help to ensure the on-going multiplication and maturation of a movement. Because these are supra-cultural principles, they are applicable anywhere in the world.” Marvin J. Newell, Staff Missiologist, Missio Nexus, Author of Crossing Cultures in Scripture Buy This Now! Educating to Shift the Tracks of History To shift the tracks of history requires leaders who are equipped to critically assess and engage the contours of contemporary culture. As a new initiative in collaboration with the Movement Leaders Collective, Kairos University, and Ephesiology, we deliver just-in-time theological education focused on issues important to you, mxAcademy is designed as the theological and missiological foundation to unlock your potential as a movement leader and catalytic thinker. mxAcademy is a dynamic and innovative educational experience rooted in mDNA.We dream of a church fully equipped, fully mature, fully mobilized, and fully alive. A church that lives and breathes the Good News of Jesus! Learn More Join a Community Conversation at Ephesiology Master Classes Areopagus Symposium Taking its inspiration from the historical and philosophical legacy of Athens, Greece, the Areopagus Symposium focuses on intellectual and philosophical topics related to Christology, missiology, and ecclesiology. We invite scholars, theologians, and practitioners from diverse backgrounds to engage in a profound exploration of the theological landscape at the intersection of these vital disciplines. Sign up for an Ephesiology Master Classes account and gain free access to the Areopagus Symposium. Check it out! The Ephesiology Podcast and Ephesiology Master Classes are ministries of TELOS.GO, a registered 501c3 non-profit agency committed to imaginatively missional ways of engageing culture, church planting, and theological education. Your donation to the podcast is tax deductible.

Who was Tertullian—and why does he still matter to Christians today?In this episode of Apostolic Life in the 21st Century, Dr. David K. Bernard explores the life, writings, and lasting influence of one of the most significant figures in early church history. Frequently cited in discussions about the development of the doctrine of the Trinity, Tertullian's ideas continue to shape theological conversations centuries later.Dr. Bernard examines who Tertullian was and the role he played in shaping early Christian thought. He also addresses how certain theological terms and concepts emerged during this period, and why understanding that development is essential for interpreting Scripture accurately today.Listeners will gain insight into: • Tertullian's background and influence in the early church • Why his writings are central to discussions about the Trinity • How his legacy impacts modern Christian belief and practiceIf you're interested in church history, theology, or the foundations of Christian doctrine, this episode offers clear, thoughtful, and biblically grounded insight.Apostolic Life in the 21st Century is a podcast dedicated to answering important questions about the Bible, Christian living, and current issues facing the church today.Visit PentecostalPublishing.com to shop Dr. Bernard's full catalog of published works. Enter promo code DKB10 at checkout to save 10 percent on your order.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.

Welcome to Day 2841 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – The Marcionism Heresy: When Jesus was Separated from Yahweh. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2841 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2841 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website   theologyinfive.com.   Today's lesson is titled:  The Marcionism Heresy: When Jesus was Separated from Yahweh. In the second century, one of the earliest and most dangerous heresies in Church history took root. It was not a denial of Jesus's divinity, nor was it a misunderstanding of the resurrection. It was something far more subtle and insidious. Marcionism was an attempt to rewrite the very character of God by separating Jesus from the Old Testament and cutting Christianity off from its roots in Israel. This false teaching did not come from paganism. It came from within the Church, and it forced early believers to clarify what they believed about Scripture, salvation, and the God they worshiped. The first segment is: Marcion's Vision of Two Gods. Marcion of Sinope arrived in Rome around 140 AD. He was wealthy, persuasive, and deeply disturbed by what he saw as contradictions between the God of the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus. In his view, the God of the Hebrew Scriptures was harsh, legalistic, and obsessed with justice and wrath. By contrast, Jesus preached love, forgiveness, and grace. Marcion could not reconcile these two visions. His solution was to claim that the God of the Old Testament was a different being entirely from the Father of Jesus Christ. In Marcion's theology, the Old Testament God was a lesser deity, a creator god who imprisoned people under law and punishment. Jesus, sent by a higher god of pure love, came to rescue humanity from this legalistic tyrant. As a result, Marcion rejected the entire Old Testament and attempted to create a new Christian canon. He kept only an edited version of the Gospel of Luke and ten of Paul's letters, removing any reference to the Hebrew Scriptures or to Jesus fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. This was not just a matter of preference. It was a full rejection of the Jewish roots of the Christian faith, and with it, a rejection of the unity of God's revelation. It fractured the biblical story into competing narratives and turned Jesus into a stranger to Israel rather than her promised Messiah. The Second Segment is: The Church Responds The early Church recognized that Marcionism was not a minor mistake but a full-blown heresy. Church Fathers like Tertullian, Irenaeus, and Justin Martyr wrote extensive refutations. They understood that Marcion's teachings struck at the very heart of Christianity. If Jesus was not the fulfillment of Yahweh's promises to Israel, then the gospel had no foundation. Tertullian famously responded in his work Against Marcion, arguing that the God of Jesus and the God of the Old Testament are one and the same. Jesus did not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them. The gospel is not a rejection of Israel's Scriptures but their climax. The justice and mercy of God are not at odds. They are united perfectly in Christ, whose mission is unintelligible apart from the covenant story that began in Genesis. The Church's rejection of Marcionism also had another important consequence. It pushed early Christian leaders to define more clearly which writings were authoritative. Marcion had tried to create his own canon, so the Church responded by affirming the full body of Scripture, both Old and New Testaments. The process of canonization did not begin with Constantine or centuries of debate. It was driven, in part, by the need to defend the faith from distortions like Marcionism and protect the integrity of the gospel message. The third segment is: Jesus Is Not a New God. At the core of Marcion's error was a failure to understand who Jesus is. Jesus is not a new god with a different character than Yahweh. He is Yahweh in the flesh. Every act of grace and healing in the gospels reflects the same God who rescued Israel from Egypt, gave the Law at Sinai, and promised restoration through the prophets. Jesus did not come to save us from the Old Testament God. He came as the embodiment of that God's covenant love. When Jesus calmed the sea, He acted like the storm-tamer of Psalm 107. When He fed the multitudes, He echoed the provision of manna in the wilderness. When He declared the year of the Lord's favor, He was announcing the arrival of Jubilee, rooted in Leviticus. The New Testament makes sense only when read as the fulfillment of the Old. This does not mean that the Father and the Son are the same person. Christianity affirms the Trinity, meaning there is one God who exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When we say that Jesus is Yahweh, we are affirming that He shares in the same divine identity and essence, not that He replaces or is identical to the Father. The New Testament presents Jesus as distinct from the Father while also fully and truly God, working in perfect unity with Him. Paul, whom Marcion admired, did not reject the Old Testament. He quoted it constantly. He called the Law holy, righteous, and good. He described the Scriptures as pointing to Christ. When he wrote that all Scripture is God-breathed, he was speaking about what we call the Old Testament. Paul's gospel was not detached from the Hebrew Bible. It was built on it, saturated with its symbols, promises, and patterns. The Fourth Segment is: The Old Heresy in New Clothes. Although Marcion was eventually excommunicated and his teachings denounced, his ideas never fully disappeared. They have resurfaced in every generation under new names and new justifications. Whenever a preacher says that the Old Testament no longer matters, Marcionism is speaking again. When someone claims the God of the Old Testament was cruel but Jesus is kind, that is the same heresy in softer tones. When Christians speak as if Israel was completely replaced by the Church and God's promises to the Jewish people are obsolete, they echo Marcion's contempt for the Scriptures Jesus Himself read, taught, and fulfilled. Some modern pastors have openly stated that Christians need to “unhitch” their faith from the Old Testament. They may mean well, often trying to make the faith more accessible, but the result is a gospel with no roots, a Jesus with no backstory, and a Christianity that forgets who Yahweh is. It is not a small shift in emphasis. It is a return to a condemned error. The Fifth segment is: The Danger of Disconnection. What made Marcionism so dangerous was that it offered a version of Christianity that seemed easier to accept. No wrath. No judgment. But in severing Jesus from Yahweh, Marcion also severed Jesus from His mission, His identity, and His authority. A Jesus who is not Yahweh cannot save. A gospel without the Law and the Prophets is no gospel at all. The biblical story begins in Genesis, not Matthew. The covenant made with Abraham is the foundation of the promise fulfilled in Christ. The God who speaks from the burning bush is the same One who says, “Before Abraham was, I am.” To follow Jesus is to follow the God of Israel. To know Christ is to know Yahweh. We must never pit one part of the Bible against another. The story is one. The Author is one. And He does not change. In Conclusion. Marcionism was not just a theological mistake. It was a direct challenge to the identity of God, the authority of Scripture, and the unity of the gospel. By trying to divide Jesus from Yahweh, it created a false Christ and a false message of salvation. The early Church rightly recognized it as heresy, and its legacy serves as a warning for every generation. The temptation to simplify Christianity by cutting ties with the Old Testament still exists today. But a faith without roots will wither. The God of Israel is the God revealed in Jesus Christ. The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings all point to Him. Rejecting them means rejecting the very story that gives the gospel its meaning. If we want to proclaim the true Jesus, we must know the God who spoke at Sinai, who walked with Abraham, who judged Pharaoh, who promised a new covenant, and who came in the flesh to fulfill every word He had spoken. The Church cannot afford to forget that Jesus is Yahweh. Marcionism was wrong then, and its modern echoes are just as dangerous...

In this Thursday reflection on 1 John 2:7–17, John's "old-but-new" commandment turns out to be exactly what we talked about yesterday: love. And love, John argues, is the most reliable marker of whether we're actually walking in the light — because you can't claim to be in the light while hating your brother or sister. Actions don't save us, but they do reveal us, the way fruit reveals what kind of tree you're dealing with. Drawing on Matthew 25, Tertullian, and the witness of the early church, the reflection makes the case that love for one another — across doctrinal lines, across differences, within the whole household of faith — is the thing that should make the watching world stop and take notice. Then John flips the contrast: don't love the things of the world — wealth, status, the approval of others, the endless desire for more — because all of it is passing away. What's eternal is love: love of Jesus, love of neighbor, love that is God's own perfect love shed in our hearts. That's the mark. That's what lasts.Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%202%3A%207-17&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

[Slide 1] John Tillotson [Slide 2] Born 1630 to a Puritan Clothier Graduated Cambridge in 1650 and was made a fellow of his college in 1651. He identified himself with the Presbyterians until the Act of Uniformity in 1662. He devoted himself to the study of the patristic writers, especially Basil and John Chrysostom. His preaching tended to be far more practical rather than theological as a result of his studies. He earned his doctorate in Divinity in 1666. In 1672 he became the dean of Canterbury. Through various connections with Lady Russell and Princess Anne, he was made clerk of the closet to the king in 1689, showing the level of confidence both William and Mary had in him. Soon after this he was elected as the Archbishop of Canterbury, but accepted the position with extreme reluctance and actually deferred his appointment to the position, at his request, until 1691 where it became official. Shortly before his death he published four lectures on the Socinian controversy to make it clear that he had no sympathy for the Socinian heresy. Ultimately it was his attempt to reform several abuses in the Church of England that led to a political movement known as the Jacobites pursuing him with insults and reproach until he died in November of 1694. [Slide 3] We are not sure when this sermon was preached in his career, but it has often been preached on Easter Sundays throughout the last 300 years or so. You will notice his style as he attempts to show how reason is not an enemy to the Christian doctrines of the Resurrection. I chose this sermon because it touches both the thinkers and philosophers among us and also has quite a practical punch at the very end. Truly something for everyone. As much as possible I left the language and spelling the way it was in the original. I have only made small modifications for clarity. [Slide 4 (blank)] So let me pray, and when I say amen every word that follows will be Doctor John Tilloston's from his sermon entitled The Reasonableness of a Resurrection. [Slide 5] Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead?—Acts 26:8. The resurrection of the dead is one of the great articles of the Christian faith; and yet so it hath happened that this great article of our religion hath been made one of the chief objections against it. There is nothing that Christianity hath been more upbraided for withal, both by the heathens of old and by the infidels of later times, than the impossibility of this article; so that it is a matter of great consideration and consequence to vindicate our religion in this particular. But if the thing be evidently impossible, then it is highly unreasonable to propose it to the belief of mankind. I know that some, more devout than wise, and who, it is to be hoped, mean better than they understand, make nothing of impossibilities in matters of faith, and would fain persuade us that the more impossible anything is, for that very reason it is the fitter to be believed; and that it is an argument of a poor and low faith to believe only things that are possible; but a generous and heroical faith will swallow contradictions with as much ease as reason assents to the plainest and most evident propositions. Tertullian, in the heat of his zeal and eloquence, upon this point of the death and resurrection of Christ, lets fall a very odd passage, and which must have many grains of allowance to make it tolerable: He said “it is therefore very credible, because it is foolish, and certain, because it is impossible. And it is necessary the Christian faith should be thus disgraced by the belief of impossibilities and contradictions.” I suppose he means that this article of the resurrection was not in itself the less credible because the heathen philosophers [objected] at it as a thing impossible and [contradictory], and endeavored to disgrace the Christian religion upon that account. For if he meant otherwise, that the thing was therefore credible because it was really and in itself foolish and impossible; this had been to recommend the Christian religion from the absurdity of the things to be believed; which would be a strange recommendation of any religion to the sober and reasonable part of mankind. I know not what some men may find in themselves; but I must freely acknowledge that I could never yet attain to that bold and hardy degree of faith as to believe anything for this reason, because it was impossible: for this would be to believe a thing to be, because I am sure it can not be. So that I am very far from being of his mind, that wanted not only more difficulties, but even impossibilities in the Christian religion, to exercise his faith upon. Leaving to the Church of Rome that foolhardiness of faith, to believe things to be true which at the same time their reason plainly tells them are impossible, I shall at this time endeavor to assert and vindicate this article of the resurrection from the pretended impossibility of it. And I hope, by God's assistance, to make the possibility of the thing so plain as to leave no considerable scruple about it in any free and unprejudiced mind. And this I shall do from these words of St. Paul, which are part of the defense which he made for himself before Festus and Agrippa. the substance whereof is this, that he had lived a blameless and inoffensive life among the Jews, in whose religion he had been bred up; that he was of the strictest sect of that religion, a Pharisee, which, in opposition to the Sadducees, maintained the resurrection of the dead and a future state of rewards and punishments in another life; and that for the hope of this he was called in question, and accused by the Jews. “And now I stand here, and am judged, for the hope of the promise made unto the fathers; unto which promise our twelve scribes, instantly serving God, day and night, hope to come; for which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.” That is, he was accused for preaching that Jesus was risen from the dead, which is a particular instance of the general doctrine of the resurrection which was entertained by the greatest part of the Jews, and which to the natural reason of mankind ([even though] the heathen … were prejudiced against it), hath nothing in it that is incredible. And for this he appeals to his judges, Festus and Agrippa: “why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead?” Which words being a question without an answer, imply in them these two propositions: [Slide 6] First, That it was thought by some a thing incredible that the dead should be raised. This is supposed in the question, as the foundation of it: for he who asks why a thing is so, supposeth it to be so. Secondly, That this apprehension, that it is a thing incredible that God should raise the dead, is very unreasonable. For the question being left unanswered, implies its own answer, and is to be resolved into this affirmative, that there is no reason why they or any man else should think it a thing incredible that God should raise the dead. I shall speak to these two propositions as briefly as I can; and then show what influence this doctrine of the resurrection ought to have upon our lives. First, that it was thought by some a thing incredible that God should raise the dead. This St. Paul has reason to suppose, having from his own experience found men so averse from the entertaining of this doctrine. When he preached to the philosophers at Athens, and declared to them the resurrection of one Jesus from the dead, they were amazed at this new doctrine, and knew not what he meant by it. They said, “he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods, because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.” He had discoursed to them of the resurrection of one Jesus from the dead; but this business of the resurrection of one Jesus from the dead was a thing so remote from their apprehensions that they had no manner of conception of it; but understood him quite in another sense, as if he had declared to them two new deities, Jesus and Anastasis; as if he had brought a new god and a new goddess among them, Jesus and the Resurrection. And when he discoursed to them again more fully of this matter, it is said that, “when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, they mocked.” And at the twenty-fourth verse of this twenty-sixth chapter, when he spake of the resurrection, Festus told him he would hear him no further, and that he looked upon him as a man beside himself, whom much learning had made mad. Festus looked upon this business of the resurrection as the wild speculation of a crazy head. And indeed the heathens generally, even those who believed the immortality of the soul, and another state after this life, looked upon the resurrection of the body as a thing impossible. Pliny, I remember, reckons it among those things which are impossible, and which God himself can not do; and in the primitive times the heathen philosophers very much derided the Christians, upon account of this strange doctrine of the resurrection, looking always upon this article of their faith as a ridiculous and impossible assertion. So easy it is for prejudice to blind the minds of men, and to represent everything to them which hath a great appearance of difficulty in it as impossible. But I shall endeavor to show that if the matter be thoroughly examined, there is no ground for any such apprehension. I proceed therefore to the second proposition, namely, that this apprehension, that it is an incredible thing that God should raise the dead, is very unreasonable: “why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?” That is, there is no sufficient reason why any man should look upon the resurrection of the dead as a thing impossible to the power of God; the only reason why they thought it incredible being because they judged it impossible; so that nothing can be vainer than for men to pretend to believe the resurrection; and yet at the same time to grant it to be a thing in reason impossible, because no man can believe that which he thinks to be incredible; and the impossibility of a thing is the best reason any man can have to think a thing incredible. So that the meaning of St. Paul's question is, “why should it be thought a thing impossible that God should raise the dead?” To come then to the business: I shall endeavor to show that there is no sufficient reason why men should look upon the resurrection of the dead as a thing impossible to God. “Why should it be thought a thing incredible (that is, impossible) with you, that God should raise the dead?” which question implies in it these three things: [Slide 7] 1. That it is above the power of nature to raise the dead. 2. But it is not above the power of God to raise the dead. 3. That God should be able to do this is by no means incredible to natural reason. First. This question implies that it is above the power of nature to raise the dead; and therefore the apostle puts the question very cautiously, “why should it be thought incredible that God should raise the dead?” by which he seems to grant that it is impossible to any natural power to raise the dead; which is granted on all hands. Secondly. But this question does plainly imply that it is not above the power of God to do this. Tho the raising of the dead to life be a thing above the power of nature, yet why should it be thought incredible that God, who is the author of nature, should be able to do this? and indeed the apostle's putting the question in this manner takes away the main ground of the objection against the resurrection from the impossibility of the thing. For the main reason why it was looked upon as impossible was, because it was contrary to the course of nature that there should be any return from a perfect privation to a habit, and that a body perfectly dead should be restored to life again: but for all this no man that believes in a God who made the world, and this natural frame of things, but must think it very reasonable to believe that He can do things far above the power of anything that He hath made. Thirdly. This question implies that it is not a thing incredible to natural reason that God should be able to raise the dead. I do not say that by natural light we can discover that God will raise the dead; for that, depending merely upon the will of God, can no otherwise be certainly known than by divine revelation: but that God can do this is not at all incredible to natural reason. And this is sufficiently implied in the question which St. Paul asks, in which he appeals to Festus and Agrippa, neither of them Christians, “why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead?” And why should he appeal to them concerning the credibility of this matter if it be a thing incredible to natural reason? That it is not, I shall first endeavor to prove, and then to answer the chief objections against the possibility of it. And I prove it thus: it is not incredible to natural reason that God made the world, and all the creatures in it; that mankind is His offspring; and that He gives us life and breath, and all things. This was acknowledged and firmly believed by many of the heathens. And indeed, whoever believes that the being of God may be known by natural light, must grant that it may be known by the natural light of reason that God made the world; because one of the chief arguments of the being of God is taken from those visible effects of wisdom, and power, and goodness, which we see in the frame of the world. Now He that can do the greater can undoubtedly do the less; He that made all things of nothing, can much more raise a body out of dust; He who at first gave life to so many inanimate beings, can easily restore that which is dead to life again. It is an excellent saying of one of the Jewish rabbis: He who made that which was not, to be, can certainly make that which was once, to be again. This hath the force of a demonstration; for no man that believes that God hath done the one, can make any doubt but that He can, if He please, do the other. This seems to be so very clear, that they must be strong objections indeed, that can render it incredible. [Slide 8] There are but two that I know of, that are of any consideration, and I shall not be afraid to represent them to you with their utmost advantage; and they are these: First, against the resurrection in general: it is pretended impossible, after the bodies of men are resolved into dust, to re-collect all the dispersed parts and bring them together, to be united into one body. The second is leveled against a resurrection in some particular instances, and pretends it to be impossible in some cases only like when that which was the matter of one man's body does afterward become the matter of another man's body; in which case, say they, it is impossible that both these should, at the resurrection, each have his own body. The difficulty of both these objections is perfectly avoided by those who hold that it is not necessary that our bodies at the resurrection should consist of the very same parts of matter that they did before. There being no such great difference between one parcel of dust and another; neither in respect of the power of God, which can easily command this parcel of dust as that to become a living body, and being united to a living soul to rise up and walk; so that the miracle of the resurrection will be all one in the main, whether our bodies be made of the very same matter they were before, or not; nor will there be any difference as to us; for whatever matter our bodies be made of, when they are once reunited to our souls, they will be then as much our own as if they had been made of the very same matter of which they consisted before. Besides that, the change which the resurrection will make in our bodies will be so great that we could not know them to be the same, tho they were so. Now upon this supposition, which seems philosophical enough, the force of both these objections is wholly declined. But there is no need to fly to this refuge; and therefore I will take this article of the resurrection in the strictest sense for the raising of a body to life, consisting of the same individual matter that it did before; and in this sense, I think, it has generally been received by Christians, not without ground, from Scripture. I will only mention one text, which seems very strongly to imply it: “and the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and the grave delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to his works.” Now why should the sea and the grave be said to deliver up their dead, if there were not a resurrection of the same body; for any dust formed into a living body and united to the soul, would serve the turn? We will therefore take it for granted that the very same body will be raised, and I doubt not, even in this sense, to vindicate the possibility of the resurrection from both these objections. First, against the resurrection in general of the same body; it is pretended impossible, after the bodies of men are moldered into dust, and by infinite accidents have been scattered up and down the world, and have undergone a thousand changes, to re-collect and rally together the very same parts of which they consisted before. This the heathens used to object to the primitive Christians; for which reason they also used to burn the bodies of the martyrs, and to scatter their ashes in the air, to be blown about by the wind, in derision of their hopes of a resurrection. I know not how strong malice might make this objection to appear; but surely in reason it is very weak; for it wholly depends upon a gross mistake of the nature of God and his providence, as if it did not extend to the smallest things; as if God did not know all things that He hath made, and had them not always in His view, and perfectly under His command; and as if it were a trouble and burden to infinite knowledge and power to understand and order the least things; whereas infinite knowledge and power can know and manage all things with as much ease as we can understand and order any one thing; so that this objection is grounded upon a low and false apprehension of the Divine nature, and is only fit for Epicurus and his herd, who fancied to themselves a sort of slothful and unthinking deities, whose happiness consisted in their laziness, and a privilege to do nothing. [Slide 9] I proceed therefore to the second objection, which is more close and pressing; and this is leveled against the resurrection in some particular instances. I will mention but two, by which all the rest may be measured and answered. One is, of those who are drowned in the sea, and their bodies eaten up by fishes, and turned into their nourishment: and those fishes perhaps eaten afterward by men, and converted into the substance of their bodies. The other is of the cannibals; some of whom, as credible relations tell us, have lived wholly or chiefly on the flesh of men; and consequently the whole, or the greater part of the substance of their bodies is made of the bodies of other men. In these and the like cases, wherein one man's body is supposed to be turned into the substance of another man's body, how should both these at the resurrection each recover his own body? So that this objection is like that of the Sadducees to our Savior, concerning a woman that had seven husbands: they ask, “whose wife of the seven shall she be at the resurrection?” So here, when several have had the same body, whose shall it be at the resurrection? and how shall they be supplied that have it not? This is the objection; and in order to the answering of it, I shall premise these two things: [Slide 10] 1. That the body of man is not a constant and permanent thing, always continuing in the same state, and consisting of the same matter; but a successive thing, which is continually spending and continually renewing itself, every day losing something of the matter which it had before, and gaining new; so that most men have new bodies oftener than they have new clothes; only with this difference, that we change our clothes commonly at once, but our bodies by degrees. And this is undeniably certain from experience. For so much as our bodies grow, so much new matter is added to them, over and beside the repairing of what is continually spent; and after a man come to his full growth, so much of his food as every day turns into nourishment, so much of his yesterday's body is usually wasted, and carried off by insensible perspiration... It is true indeed the more solid parts of the body, as the bones, do not change so often as the fluid and fleshy; but that they also do change is certain, because they grow, and whatever grows is nourished and spends, because otherwise it would not need to be repaired. 2. The body which a man hath at any time of his life is as much his own body as that which he hath at his death; so that if the very matter of his body which a man had at any time of his life be raised, it is as much his own and the same body as that which he had at his death, and commonly much more perfect; because they who die of lingering sickness or old age are usually mere skeletons when they die; so that there is no reason to suppose that the very matter of which our bodies consists at the time of our death shall be that which shall be raised, that being commonly the worst and most imperfect body of all the rest. These two things being premised, the answer to this objection can not be difficult. For as to the more solid and firm parts of the body, as the skull and bones, it is not, I think, pretended that the cannibals eat them; and if they did, so much of the matter even of these solid parts wastes away in a few years, as being collected together would supply them many times over. And as for the fleshy and fluid parts, these are so very often changed and renewed that we can allow the cannibals to eat them all up, and to turn them all into nourishment, and yet no man need contend for want of a body of his own at the resurrection for he has any of those bodies which he had ten or twenty years before; which are every whit as good and as much his own as that which was eaten. [Slide 11] Having thus shown that the resurrection is not a thing incredible to natural reason, I should now proceed to show the certainty of it from divine revelation. For as reason tells us it is not impossible, so the word of God hath assured us that it is certain. The texts of Scripture are so many and clear to this purpose, and so well known to all Christians, that I will produce none. I shall only tell you that as it is expressly revealed in the gospel, so our blest Savior, for the confirmation of our faith and the comfort and encouragement of our hope, hath given us the experiment of it in his own resurrection, which is “the earnest and first-fruits of ours.” So St. Paul tells us that “Christ is risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.” And that Christ did really rise from the dead, we have as good evidence as for any ancient matter of fact which we do most firmly believe; and more and greater evidence than this the thing is not capable of; and because it is not, no reasonable man ought to require it. Now what remains but to conclude this discourse with those practical inferences which our apostle makes from this doctrine of the resurrection; and I shall mention these two: [Slide 12] The first for our support and comfort under the infirmities and miseries of this mortal life. The second for the encouragement of obedience and a good life. 1. For our comfort and support under the infirmities and miseries of this mortal state. The consideration of the glorious change of our bodies at the resurrection of the just can not but be a great comfort to us, under all bodily pain and sufferings. One of the greatest burdens of human nature is the frailty and infirmity of our bodies, the necessities they are frequently prest withal, the manifold diseases they are liable to, and the dangers and terrors of death, to which they are continually subject and enslaved. But the time is coming, if we be careful to prepare ourselves for it, when we shall be clothed with other kinds of bodies, free from all the miseries and inconveniences which flesh and blood is subject to. For “these vile bodies shall be changed, and fashioned like to the glorious body of the Son of God.” When our bodies shall be raised to a new life, they shall become incorruptible; “for this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality; and then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.” When this last enemy is conquered, there shall be no “fleshly lusts” nor brutish passions “to fight against the soul; no law in our members to war against the laws of our minds”: no disease to torment us; no danger of death to amaze and terrify us. Then all the passions and appetites of our outward man shall be subject to the reason of our minds, and our bodies shall partake of the immortality of our souls. It is but a very little while that our spirits shall be crusht and clogged with these heavy and sluggish bodies; at the resurrection they shall be refined from all dregs of corruption, and become spiritual, and incorruptible, and glorious, and every way suited to the activity and perfection of a glorified soul and the “spirits of just men made perfect.” 2. For the encouragement of obedience and a good life. Let the belief of this great article of our faith have the same influence upon us which St. Paul tells it had upon him. “I have hope toward God that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust; and herein do I exercise myself always to have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward man.” The firm belief of a resurrection to another life should make every one of us very careful how we demean ourselves in this life, and afraid to do anything or to neglect anything that may defeat our hopes of a blest immortality, and expose us to the extreme and endless misery of body and soul in another life. Particularly, it should be an argument to us, “to glorify God in our bodies and in our spirits”; and to use the members of the one and the faculties of the other as “instruments of righteousness unto holiness.” We should reverence ourselves, and take heed not only how we defile our souls by sinful passions, but how we dishonor our bodies by sensual and brutish lusts; since God hath designed so great an honor and happiness for both at the resurrection. So often as we think of a blest resurrection to eternal life, and the happy consequences of it, the thought of so glorious a reward should make us diligent and unwearied in the service of so good a Master and so great a Prince, who can and will prefer us to infinitely greater honors than any that are to be had in this world. This inference the apostle makes from the doctrine of the resurrection. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Nay, we may begin this blest state while we are upon earth, by “setting our hearts and affections upon the things that are above, and having our conversation in heaven, from whence also we look for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile bodies, that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.” [Slide 13 (end)] “Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us always that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”[1] [1] John Tillotson, “The Reasonableness of a Resurrection,” in The World's Great Sermons: Hooker to South, ed. Grenville Kleiser, vol. 2 (New York; London: Funk & Wagnalls, 1908), 135–154.

In this episode Richard debuts a "Fun with Numbers" segment with a rapid-fire March Madness breakdown (12-seeds win 35.6% of first-round matchups and hit in 85% of all tournaments, and that 11-seeds have won 51.8% of their games against 6-seeds since 2011) We read a heartfelt PDPB mailbag question from a couple writing in from the delivery room about LDS doctrine on IVF and embryos, with Gerrit walking through the Church handbook's guidance, the history of when Latter-day Saints have believed the spirit enters the body (including Brigham Young's view), and why the Church simply hasn't revealed a definitive answer.  They also respond to two Oklahoma missionaries serving in Salt Lake City West who push back on the classic anti-Mormon line "if you knew what I knew, you wouldn't believe", a claim Gerrit dismantles by pointing out that the people who know the most about Joseph Smith academically are overwhelmingly believers.  The episode wraps with the long-awaited return to the Book of Enoch series, as Gerrit walks through how Tertullian, Athanasius, and Augustine each wrestled with the "sons of God and daughters of men" passage in Genesis and teases that next episode will connect Joseph Smith's revelations on Enoch in the Pearl of Great Price back to everything they've been building toward, while Richard promises to have his malaria-in-Alexandria research narrowed down from somewhere between 1937 and 3200 BC. Please join us in our Standard of Truth Dead and in Hell March Madness Bracket Buster Challenge: Password: rice https://fantasy.espn.com/tc/sharer?challengeId=277&from=espn&context=GROUP_INVITE&edition=espn-en&groupId=1d5c280f-2dc4-4104-8176-cc1fa81237f6&joinKey=3767b450-8248-37f2-b8f2-84f7a5625440 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

March 15, 2026 - Sunday PM Sermon   In this episode, we trace the long cultural fascination with demon possession—from The Exorcist and modern Hollywood hits to early Christian testimony—and then dive into a clear, biblical crash course on demons: their reality, origins, operations, limitations, and ultimate defeat. The host examines historical perspectives (Justin Martyr, Tertullian), explores scriptural references across Deuteronomy, the Psalms, the Gospels, Acts, Paul's epistles, and Revelation, and contrasts popular sensationalism with sober biblical teaching. Topics covered include the reality of demons and how the Bible presents them, competing theories about their origin (including discussions of Genesis 6 and the Nephilim), the ways demons operate—through deception, possession/oppression, and idolatry—and Jesus's distinctive authority over them during his earthly ministry. The episode reviews New Testament examples of demonic encounters, the apostles' ministry of deliverance, and how demonic activity differs today (more mental and doctrinal influence than physical possession). It also outlines the limitations of demonic power, practical spiritual defenses (the armor of God, prayer, faith), and the Christian assurance of final victory over darkness. The episode features scriptural analysis (Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Peter, 1 Timothy, James, Revelation) and pastoral application: how Christians should avoid extremes of skepticism or sensationalism, recognize false teachings and occult practices as demonic influence, and rely on Christ's supremacy and the Holy Spirit's power. Listeners can expect a balanced, Bible-centered perspective aimed at informing faith, strengthening spiritual discernment, and offering hope in Christ's ultimate triumph over evil.   Handout: What the Bible Teaches About Demons— Hiram Kemp    1. The _________________ of _________________ (Mark 5:9)    2. The _________________ of _________________ (Jude 6)    3. The _________________ of ________________ (1 Timothy 4:1)    4. ________________ during the ________________ of Jesus (Mark 1:27)    5. The _______________ of _________________ (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9)    6. The ________________ of __________________ today (Ephesians 6:11-13)    7. The _________________ defeat of ________________ (1 John 3:8)   Duration 34:01

Psalm 89Psalm 90Reading 1: Exodus 34Reading 2: From the treatise On Prayer by Tertullian, priestSt. Helena Ministries is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit. Your donations may be tax-deductibleSupport us at: sthelenaministries.com/supportPresentation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1975, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. The texts of Biblical readings are reproduced from the New American Bible © 1975

23 And he said to them: Doubtless you will say to me this similitude: Physician, heal thyself: as great things as we have heard done in Capharnaum, do also here in thy own country.Et ait illis : Utique dicetis mihi hanc similitudinem : Medice cura teipsum : quanta audivimus facta in Capharnaum, fac et hic in patria tua. 24 And he said: Amen I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country.Ait autem : Amen dico vobis, quia nemo propheta acceptus est in patria sua. 25 In truth I say to you, there were many widows in the days of Elias in Israel, when heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there was a great famine throughout all the earth.In veritate dico vobis, multae viduae erant in diebus Eliae in Israel, quando clausum est caelum annis tribus et mensibus sex, cum facta esset fames magna in omni terra : 26 And to none of them was Elias sent, but to Sarepta of Sidon, to a widow woman.et ad nullam illarum missus est Elias, nisi in Sarepta Sidoniae, ad mulierem viduam. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet: and none of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian.Et multi leprosi erant in Israel sub Elisaeo propheta : et nemo eorum mundatus est nisi Naaman Syrus. 28 And all they in the synagogue, hearing these things, were filled with anger.Et repleti sunt omnes in synagoga ira, haec audientes. 29 And they rose up and thrust him out of the city; and they brought him to the brow of the hill, whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.Et surrexerunt, et ejecerunt illum extra civitatem : et duxerunt illum usque ad supercilium montis, super quem civitas illorum erat aedificata, ut praecipitarent eum. 30 But he passing through the midst of them, went his way.Ipse autem transiens per medium illorum, ibat.The Gospel speaks to us of Naaman, the valiant general of the King of Syria's army. He was cured by bathing in the Jordan, although he did not belong to the race of Israel. Later on Jesus was to plunge himself into the same river and to communicate a sanctifying virtue to its waters. Naaman, therefore, is a figure of the heathen whom the Church by baptism cures of the leprosy of sin. Peter, says Tertullian, has baptised in the Tiber, and those that he has cleansed from leprosy of sin, have abandoned the waters of Damascus, by which is mean their sensual life. Let us renew ourselves in the spirit of baptism by purifying our hearts in the salutary bath of penitence. This will cure them of the leprosy of the soul called sin.

Fr Joseph Hamilton finishes his examination of Tertullian's letter to the imprisoned Christians, encouraging and comforting them, as they await their martyrdom.Fr Joseph Hamilton is the Rector of the Domus Australia in Rome, and a priest of the Archdiocese of Sydney Australia. Prior to his appointment at Domus, he served as private secretary to George Cardinal Pell, until the Cardinal's untimely death. Fr Joseph completed his doctoral studies in Patristics at Christ Church, University of Oxford, and his license at the Patristic Institute “Augustinianum” in Rome. Prior to entering seminary he worked as an investment banker. Having left the economy of Mammon for that of Salvation, he studied at the Pontifical North American College. A native of Ireland, he is a keen but mediocre (his words) surfer, and enjoys reading and cooking.CREDO (currently hosting Patristic Pillars) is a programme that nourishes listeners in their Catholic faith. It airs live on Radio Maria every weekday at 4pm and is rebroadcast at 4am the following morning.If you enjoyed this programme, please consider supporting us with a one-off or monthly donation. It is only through the generosity of our listeners that we are able to be a Christian voice by your side. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.radiomariaengland.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this special live studio recording of the Standard of Truth Podcast, Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat and Dr. Richard LeDuc are joined by an in-person audience for a lively mailbag episode. The hosts tackle a question submitted mid-labor, fielding a request for obscure Angel Moroni stories guaranteed to keep the asker out of church leadership.  Gerrit shares an account from Edward Stevenson describing a roadside encounter with Moroni during the translation period, as well as a powerful testimony from Wilford Woodruff about three angelic messengers dressed in temple clothing who rescued him and George A. Smith from evil spirits in London. The episode also dives into the speculative attempts to pin down the exact date of the First Vision, complete with an impromptu weather analysis presentation from Richard.  The hosts then answer a question about Hyrum Smith's prophetic role, reading from his 1842 sermon definitively interpreting the Word of Wisdom's "hot drinks" as tea and coffee, paired with a complementary Brigham Young sermon warning that dismissing prophetic counsel leads gradually to apostasy.  The episode closes as Gerrit shares the story of Emmeline Anderson, an unsung hero of early church history whose faith remained unshaken even after losing her husband and teenage son in the 1846 Battle of Nauvoo. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Fr Joseph Hamilton takes us through the first half of Tertullian's letter to the imprisoned Christians, encouraging and comforting them, as they await their martyrdom.Fr Joseph Hamilton is the Rector of the Domus Australia in Rome, and a priest of the Archdiocese of Sydney Australia. Prior to his appointment at Domus, he served as private secretary to George Cardinal Pell, until the Cardinal's untimely death. Fr Joseph completed his doctoral studies in Patristics at Christ Church, University of Oxford, and his license at the Patristic Institute “Augustinianum” in Rome. Prior to entering seminary he worked as an investment banker. Having left the economy of Mammon for that of Salvation, he studied at the Pontifical North American College. A native of Ireland, he is a keen but mediocre (his words) surfer, and enjoys reading and cooking.CREDO (currently hosting Patristic Pillars) is a programme that nourishes listeners in their Catholic faith. It airs live on Radio Maria every weekday at 4pm and is rebroadcast at 4am the following morning.If you enjoyed this programme, please consider supporting us with a one-off or monthly donation. It is only through the generosity of our listeners that we are able to be a Christian voice by your side. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.radiomariaengland.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

A deacon by the name of Stephen has been accused of blasphemy and now stands before the court of the Sanhedrin. False witnesses claimed that he had spoken against the law of God. Today, Stephen turns the tables on his accusers and puts them on trial for refusing to acknowledge Christ. Reciting a brief overview of Israel's history, he plainly shows them that it is Israel who is guilty of rebelling against God and resisting the Holy Spirit. In a rage, they rush to kill him, and Stephen becomes the first known Christian martyr, and as Tertullian later said, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.” :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Cities are known for their slogans. New York is called The City That Never Sleeps. Paris is The City of Light. Philadelphia is The City of Brotherly Love. Chicago is The Windy City. Every city has a name it embracessomething that captures its identity and the image it wants the world to believe about it. But in Revelation 2, Jesus gives Pergamum a name no city would ever choose for itself. He calls it where Satans throne is (Rev. 2:13). Imagine that as your citys reputation. Not The Pride of Asia. Not The Seat of Learning. Not The Crown of Culture. But The Place Where Satan Dwells. Pergamum was the capital of Roman Asia, a center of political authority, pagan worship, and emperor devotion. Towering above the city stood a massive altar to Zeus, a visible reminder of pagan power. The Roman governor there possessed the ius gladiithe right of the sword authority to execute. Power, religion, and politics converged in Pergamum in a way that made allegiance to Jesus costly. So when Christ introduces Himself as the One who has the sharp two-edged sword, He makes a bold claim: ultimate authority does not belong to Rome. The sword does not finally rest in Caesars hand. It rests in His. Pergamum teaches us that the churchs greatest danger is not merely persecution from outside, but compromise from withinand that even where Satans throne seems near, Christ still reigns. Dangers from the Outside (v. 13) The Christians in Pergamum faced very real dangers. To the church in Smyrna, severe persecution was coming; to the church in Pergamum, it had already arrived in the martyrdom of Antipas. Unlike many cities in the empire, Pergamum offered few places to hide from Rome, as it was the headquarters of Roman government in Asia. Michael Wilcock observed, If Ephesus was the New York of Asia, Pergamum was its Washington, for there the Roman imperial power had its seat of government. Devotion to emperor worship was not optional civic ritual it was public loyalty to Rome and for Christians, refusal came at a cost. But Pergamums pressure did not come from Rome alone. The city was saturated with devotion to Zeus, Athena, Dionysos, and Asklepios all of whom had prominent temples. The massive altar to Zeus, hailed as the god of gods, rose like a throne above the acropolis, proclaiming that ultimate power and salvation belonged to him. Asklepios, the famed healing god, was symbolized by a serpent-entwined staff still used in medical imagery today; his worshipers sought restoration and life from him. Athena embodied wisdom and civic strength, reinforcing Pergamums intellectual pride. Dionysos promised joy through wine, feasting, and sensual excess, blurring the line between celebration and corruption. And over all of it stood the emperor, honored as lord and savior, demanding allegiance that directly rivaled the confession that Jesus alone is Lord. Robert Mounce, in his commentary on Revelation, wrote: ...as the traveler approached Pergamum by the ancient road from the south, the actual shape of the city hill would appear as a giant throne towering above the plain. This is probably why Jesus refers to the city as the place, where Satans throne is. But against Pergamums skyline of rival saviors stands the living Christ. Zeus claimed ultimate power, but Jesus is the One to whom all authority in heaven and on earth belongs. Asklepios promised healing through a serpents symbol, but Jesus crushed the serpents head and, as the risen Lord, conquered death, giving eternal life to all who believe. Athena embodied worldly wisdom and pride, but Christ is the wisdom of God made flesh, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Dionysos offered joy through indulgence, but Jesus gives the true bread from heaven that satisfies forever. Caesar demanded worship as lord and savior, but only Jesus shed His blood to redeem sinners and now reigns as the King of kings. Pergamum was filled with promises of power, healing, wisdom, pleasure, and security but only the gospel delivers what these gods could only counterfeit. Jesus commends these believers despite the immense pressure around them: Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith They lived in a city crowded with rival saviors, yet they clung to Christ. Though we are not told the exact circumstances of Antipas death, it is not hard to imagine how it unfolded. He likely died by the blade of a Roman sword for refusing to bend his knee to the gods of Rome or to confess Caesar as lord. He would bow to only one name the name above every name Jesus Christ. And it is this man, Antipas executed by Rome, forgotten by the empire whom Jesus calls my faithful witness. We know from Roman records that this was the very test Christians faced. About twenty years after Revelation was written, the governor Pliny the Younger explained that accused Christians could avoid execution by invoking the Roman gods, offering incense to Caesar, and cursing the name of Christ. Those who refused were executed. He even admitted that genuine Christians could not be compelled to curse Christ. When Jesus praises these Christians Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith His words are not cheap; they are costly. To hold fast His name meant refusing to renounce it when your life was on the line. Rome took Antipas life, but Jesus rendered the greater verdict the very title He bears Himself: my faithful witness (see Rev. 1:5). The kind of faithfulness Antipas demonstrated in the face of death is the same faithfulness we are all called to whether suffering comes in the form of persecution or in circumstances beyond our control, such as illness, discouragement, or a life that did not unfold as we had hoped. Faithfulness is not measured by the kind of suffering we face, but by the Christ to whom we cling. And we cling to Him by looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2). Dangers from the Inside (vv. 14-15) While the dangers from the outside were real, the greater threat was emerging from within. The Christians in Pergamum had stood firm against persecution, but they were less vigilant in confronting compromise within the church. Some adhered to the teaching of Balaam, and others to the teachings of the Nicolaitans. Though these errors shared similarities, they must be considered individually. To grasp the true danger here, we need to recall Balaams actions. In Numbers 2225, Balak, king of Moab, enlisted Balaam to curse Israel, but God turned every attempted curse into a blessing. When outright opposition failed, Balaam changed tactics. As Numbers 31:16 reveals, he counseled Moab to entice the Israelites drawing them into idolatry and sexual immorality through seductive feasts and relationships with pagan women. What Balaam could not accomplish through direct attack, he achieved through compromise. Israel was not destroyed by an enemy from without but by corruption from within. Here is what Balaam was guilty of: He lingered where God had already told him not to go. He pursued recognition and reward at the expense of Gods honor and the holiness of His people. He walked as close to temptation as he could without openly defying God. 4. His obedience was reluctant because his heart was drawn to what God forbade. Balaams problem was not ignorance but desire. He lingered where God had already told him not to go. He pursued recognition and reward at the expense of Gods glory and the holiness of His people. He walked as close to temptation as he could without openly defying God. And though he spoke Gods words, his obedience was reluctant because his heart was drawn to what God had forbidden. This is why Jesus references Balaam. The problem in Pergamum wasnt an outright rejection of Christ but a willingness to tolerate compromise. Some believed they could remain committed to Jesus while engaging in behaviors God had already forbidden. Compromise rarely starts with denialit begins when we linger where God has said no, chase comfort or recognition over holiness, and edge as close as possible to temptation without openly defying Him. We shouldnt think were exempt; this same risk exists in every congregationeven Meadowbrooke. Whenever we treat Gods commands as optional or hover near what He prohibits, were at risk of the compromise Jesus warns us against. The second thing Jesus has against the church in Pergamum is that some adhered to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. As we learned from the letter to the church in Ephesus, Jesus says He hated their works (2:6). What about their teaching provoked such strong language? They promoted a compromise similar to Balaams the idea that one could claim to belong to Gods people while participating in the very sins God had clearly forbidden. The Nicolaitans appear to have encouraged Christians to join in idolatrous feasts and sexual immorality, likely arguing that Gods grace covered such behavior. In their view, holiness became flexible and obedience negotiable. Listen, the spirit of the Nicolaitans is alive wherever Christians rationalize that blending in with culture poses no danger, that hidden sin is under control, or that Gods grace permits what He has clearly condemned. If we downplay sin, treat Gods commands as negotiable, or blur the boundaries between wholehearted faithfulness and self-indulgence, we risk falling into the same compromise Jesus warns against. Why does Jesus name both Balaam and the Nicolaitans in His rebuke? Because Balaam enticed Gods people into sin, and the Nicolaitans justified their continued presence in it. Those who held to these teachings were not outside the church but within it, and the ideas they embraced posed an immediate and dangerous threat to its spiritual health. The Danger of a Greater Sword (vv. 12, 16-17) Jesus takes the purity of His Bride seriously. The dangers from the outside were real, but all Rome was able to do with its sword was to kill and no more. The dangers within were more significant because they threatened the witness, testimony, and mission of the church. Listen, with the martyrdom of Antipas, his witness and testimony continued. His willingness to die for his faith and to stand in the security of Christ, even in the face of death, continued to speak even beyond Antipas death. What the early Christian apologist Tertullian wrote in 197 AD is true: The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Persecution may wound the body, but it often strengthens the church. Compromise, however, weakens and destroys the church from within. If Satan can infiltrate the church through subtle, subversive teaching persuading believers to tolerate what God forbids and to justify what Christ condemns then the churchs witness is not martyred; it is muted. Its testimony is not silenced by force; it is weakened by concession. What Rome could not accomplish with a sword from without, false teaching seeks to achieve from within. Jesus is madly in love with His Bride and will protect Her when She is threatened. He is also a jealous Groom and will not tolerate any force or teaching that seeks to win Her affections. This is why Jesus hates the works of the Nicolaitans (2:5)! The Nicolaitans offered a perverted version of the Grace that Jesus secured at the cross, teaching that the freedom they had in Christ freed them from obedience to Jesus regarding personal holiness and sexual sin. Jesus calls the Christians in this church to repent by both calling out the false teaching and standing against it. Jesus warns this church that if they do not repent, He will come to war against them with the sword of His mouth. That is sobering language, but it is not unloving. It is not loving to overlook sin in your own life, nor is it loving to tolerate sin in the life of Christs church. This is why the Bible states in James 5:1920, My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Indifference to sin is not grace it is neglect. A Savior who refuses to confront what destroys His Bride would not be loving. The sword of Christ is not the weapon of a tyrant but the discipline of a faithful Bridegroom committed to the purity of His people. Take a close look at Jesus words in verse 16: Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. That is not a casual warning; it is a decisive command. If they refused to turn from their sin and false teaching, it would not merely expose weakness it would reveal they never truly belonged to Him or experienced the saving grace that brings new life. Saving grace does not leave a person at peace with sin; it creates an urgency to cling to Christ. Where Christ truly reigns, repentance follows. Now notice verse 17. The sword is not the only thing Jesus offers. He promises that the one who has truly received Him as Savior evidenced by firmly holding fast to His name will be sustained and kept by Him. The true Christian is promised three things: hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name. The manna is for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt. 5:6). In a city filled with public feasts honoring false gods, Jesus promises hidden nourishment provision the world cannot see and idols cannot give. The white stone likely referred in the Roman world to a token of admission, acquittal, or honor. But the stone Jesus gives is not temporary; it signifies divine acceptance and permanent residence in His kingdom, where there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). And on that stone is a new name a name given by Christ Himself belonging to the one who receives it. That new name speaks to your identity in Christ, an identity no sword, no demon, not even Satan himself can take from you. On that stone is the evidence of your redemption. Its meaning echoes the words of our Redeemer: You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you (Hos. 3:3). Persecution may wound the church, but compromise will hollow it out. Romes sword can threaten the body, but Christs Word searches the heart. So hold fast to His name. Repent without delay. Refuse to justify what He condemns and to flirt with what He died to free you from. Live as those who belong to Him alone nourished by hidden manna, accepted by His verdict, and secure in the name He has written over your life.

In this episode, we explore the life of Tertullian, a brilliant lawyer from ancient Carthage who became a fierce defender of Christianity. We learn how his intense faith and advocacy were shaped by the martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity, leading him to coin foundational theological terms while also showcasing his uncompromising and controversial nature.Chapters00:00 Carthage and Tertullian's Early Life01:18 From Pagan to Christian Apologist03:42 The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity08:20 The Blood of Martyrs and Theological Innovations11:32 Tertullian's Fierce Defenses and Controversies15:07 Strictness and Lasting Legacy

Send a textWhat if the hardest words are the ones that set you free? We trace a through-line from Joseph's mercy to Jesus' shocking claims in John 6 and into Isaiah 10's fierce vision of a God who wields history without excusing human evil. Along the way, we face two truths that Scripture refuses to separate: God is sovereign and people are responsible. Joseph provides for his brothers while naming their sin and God's purpose. Jesus refuses crowd-pleasing shortcuts, calls himself the bread from heaven, and watches many walk away. Isaiah portrays Assyria as a rod in God's hand, judged afterward for its proud and violent motives.We talk about why “church growth by shrinkage” can be grace, how pruning exposes genuine faith, and why real revival often starts with humility rather than hype. Tertullian's line about martyr blood as seed isn't a slogan; it's the sobering report of courage under providence. We share how trust in God's rule shapes bold evangelism, lowers fear, and gives ballast in suffering. You'll hear why omniscience terrifies the unrepentant yet comforts the reconciled, and how Romans 1 explains God's justice in giving people over to desires they already cherish. The cross stands at the center: lawless hands did real evil, and God fulfilled a definite plan for the world's redemption.If you've wrestled with questions about evil, responsibility, and whether God truly holds your days, this conversation offers clarity without shortcuts. Expect a bracing honesty that ends boasting, lifts courage, and invites you to rest in a Father who wastes no pain. Listen, share with a friend who's wrestling, and if it helped you think or hope more clearly, subscribe and leave a review so others can find it too.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

“Free will” is not a phrase found in the Bible. The concept seems to have been brought into Christian theology by the church father Tertullian (160–240), who likely borrowed it from Stoic philosophy. Augustine (354–430) wrote a treatise called "On Free Choice of the Will" early in his career but altered some of his views later, which led to much debate and confusion on the issue throughout the Middle Ages. The Roman Catholic Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536) wrote a treatise on free will against Martin Luther, to which Luther replied with his "Bondage of the Will" in 1525. The second article of the Formula of Concord upholds Luther's biblical teachings on free will but also clarifies misunderstandings about Luther's teachings that had persisted in the decades after 1525. The central question of this article is: After the fall, what are unregenerate human beings able to do, from their own will and intellect, toward their conversion and regeneration? (See FC SD II 2.) The answer logically follows from the preceding article on original sin, which exposes us as guilty, condemned sinners under God's wrath. Until the Holy Spirit converts us to Christ, we are powerless to enter a saving relationship with God or even prepare ourselves to receive God's grace. This teaching also safeguards the truth of the Gospel: God does everything necessary to save us and we, by faith, receive His salvation totally as a gift. Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the February 2026 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Article II: Free Will” on Article II in the Formula of Concord. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Following the Formula” and will walk through the Formula of Concord in the Augsburg Confession. Follow along every month! Before starting this study, it may be helpful to read FC Ep II on Free Will (p. 477–479 in Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, CPH 2005). Or follow along with the full Formula of Concord monthly reading plan at witness.lcms.org/reading-plan. Listen to the Coffee Hour episode with Rev. Brady Finnern on Article II at kfuo.org/2025/02/03/coffee-hour-020425-free-will-in-the-formula-of-concord, and find correlating Concord Matters episodes at kfuo.org/formulaofconcord. Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

“Free will” is not a phrase found in the Bible. The concept seems to have been brought into Christian theology by the church father Tertullian (160–240), who likely borrowed it from Stoic philosophy. Augustine (354–430) wrote a treatise called "On Free Choice of the Will" early in his career but altered some of his views later, which led to much debate and confusion on the issue throughout the Middle Ages. The Roman Catholic Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536) wrote a treatise on free will against Martin Luther, to which Luther replied with his "Bondage of the Will" in 1525. The second article of the Formula of Concord upholds Luther's biblical teachings on free will but also clarifies misunderstandings about Luther's teachings that had persisted in the decades after 1525. The central question of this article is: After the fall, what are unregenerate human beings able to do, from their own will and intellect, toward their conversion and regeneration? (See FC SD II 2.) The answer logically follows from the preceding article on original sin, which exposes us as guilty, condemned sinners under God's wrath. Until the Holy Spirit converts us to Christ, we are powerless to enter a saving relationship with God or even prepare ourselves to receive God's grace. This teaching also safeguards the truth of the Gospel: God does everything necessary to save us and we, by faith, receive His salvation totally as a gift. Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the February 2026 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Article II: Free Will” on Article II in the Formula of Concord. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Following the Formula” and will walk through the Formula of Concord in the Augsburg Confession. Follow along every month! Before starting this study, it may be helpful to read FC Ep II on Free Will (p. 477–479 in Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, CPH 2005). Or follow along with the full Formula of Concord monthly reading plan at witness.lcms.org/reading-plan. Listen to the Coffee Hour episode with Rev. Brady Finnern on Article II at kfuo.org/2025/02/03/coffee-hour-020425-free-will-in-the-formula-of-concord, and find correlating Concord Matters episodes at kfuo.org/formulaofconcord. Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

In this episode we explore The Theophanic Replacement Protocol, a forensic model explaining the formation of normative Christian orthodoxy through a coordinated, multi-phase program of theological, literary, and physical overwriting. Central to this model is the spiritual identity theft of God Our Father. The persona of “Yahweh” - characterized by violence, tribalism, and conditional law - was systematically grafted onto the biography of the true God of grace revealed by Jesus. Our roundtable discusses five evidentiary strata: 1) The traditio-historical datum of the 29 AD Eclipse-Seismic Theophany; 2) The textual witness of the primitive Evangelion and Apostolikon; 3) A characterological antithesis proving Yahweh's incompatibility with the Father; 4) The material evidence of the Diocletian Persecution's targeted destruction; and 5) The archival dependency of later orthodoxy on Marcionite sources. We also discuss how the Protocol culminated in a Damnatio Memoriae against the primary stratum, erasing its physical texts and memory, allowing a synthetic, Yahwistic Christianity to emerge as the sole historical narrative.Notes:Journal of Pre-Nicene Christian Studieshttps://journal.pre-nicene.org/TheophanicReplacementProtocol.htmlISSN: 3068-8469 December, 2025DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17964659ReferencesBarnes, T. D. (1981). Constantine and Eusebius. Harvard University Press.BeDuhn, J. D. (2013). The First New Testament: Marcion's Scriptural Canon. PolebridgePress.Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. (12th cent.). Codex Vaticanus Arch. B. S. Pietro A 3 (Vat.lat. 214664). Digital Vatican Library. https://digi.vatlib.it/mss/detail/214664The Canons of the Council of Nicaea (325 CE). In Schaff, P., & Wace, H. (Eds.), *Nicene andPost-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 14.*Lactantius. (c. 313-315 CE). On the Deaths of the Persecutors (De MortibusPersecutorum).The Very First Bible. https://theveryfirstbible.orgLe Bas, P., & Waddington, W. H. (1870). Inscriptions grecques et latines recueillies enGrèce et en Asie Mineure (Vol. 3, Inscription 2558).Roth, D. T. (2015). The Text of Marcion's Gospel. Brill.Tertullian. (c. 207-212 CE). Against Marcion (Adversus Marcionem).Marcionite Church. https://marcionitechurch.orgPrimary Source Tradition:Marcionite Church (2020). The Very First Bible: The Evangelion and Apostolikon (ISBN 978-0578641591).

The Lord's Prayer is a centerpiece of the Christian tradition. Most Christians have memorized it and many pray it daily. But the very familiarity of the Lord's Prayer can mask its depth. In this video, I'm going to take you through the Lord's Prayer line-by-line, looking at what St. Augustine, St. Cyprian, Tertullian, and Origen have to say about this prayer which they believed contained the entire gospel. Book mentioned: https://amzn.to/3LjsK7NAugustine's Sermon: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/160307.htmBible/Church Fathers Resource: https://churchwritings.comSupport the Channel:Give monthly: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity    Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicityBook a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austinRead my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.comChurch History in a Year Reading Guide: https://shop.gospelsimplicity.com/products/church-history-in-a-year-a-reading-guide-through-2-000-yearsSupport the show

A @Christadelphians Video: Inspiring, thought-provoking and insightful, join us as we examine one of the most pivotal events in Christian history. This outstanding expositional presentation by John Thorpe analyses the Council of Nicaea, separating widespread myths from historical reality. We trace the profound philosophical shifts that began steering the early church away from its apostolic foundations.**Chapters:**00:00 - Introduction: A Council That Changed Christianity00:45 - The Five Common Myths About Nicaea02:52 - Historical Backdrop: From Apostles to Greek Philosophy05:09 - The Logos Theory and Early Philosophical Influences06:50 - Tertullian, Sabellius and Origen: Forging New Doctrines09:01 - The Great Debate: Alexander vs. Arius11:19 - Constantine's Intervention and the Council's Calling13:07 - The Creed of Nicaea: Analysing the Text and Anathemas16:23 - The Aftermath: Athanasius and Continuing Conflict21:08 - 350 Years of Dispute: The Long Path to the Trinity27:02 - Debunking the Myths: The Verdict on Nicaea30:12 - Conclusion: The Real Legacy of the Council**Bible Verse Category:**

Today's episode gives a conceptual dealing with the type of persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire at its height. Additionally, the responses of the church to preserve its faith by rightly expressing their beliefs, practices, and dispelling of myths give us a direct window into the early church in the wake of the Apostles' deaths. Title: Persecutions and Defenses of the 2nd Century Date: 100s AD Place: Roman Empire Key Figures and Events: Trajan, Pliny, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Marcus Aurelius Contact: churchhistoryandtheology@proton.me License: Church History and Theology is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For full license details, please visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Under this license, you are free to download, copy, share, remix, and translate episodes. You must credit Church History and Theology, link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. These materials may not be used for commercial purposes.

What if real strength isn't found in winning arguments—but in knowing when to lay down your rights?In this New Year's Eve episode of Two Pastors and a Mic, Cory and Channock close out 2025 by unpacking one of Jesus' most misunderstood teachings: meekness. Drawing from Cory's final eBook, How to Sheath Your Sword in a Violent Loving Culture, they explore why meekness is not weakness, but strength under control—and why it may be the posture Christians need most in a polarized world.You'll hear:⚔️ Why “Blessed are the meek” was a radical, counter-cultural statement

At Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC, our senior pastor Rev. Craig Bailey continued his mini Advent sermon series titled Love Made Manifest.

At Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC, our senior pastor Rev. Craig Bailey continued his mini Advent sermon series titled Love Made Manifest.

2025晨鐘課－每天，都是新的起點 以歷史智慧滋養生活，點亮2025每一天！ 借鑑過去，活在當下，展望未來！ 粵語廣播網站 (時兆出版社授權錄製) https://soundcloud.com/mediahk Podcast@靈修廣播站 12月22日 現代殉道者 「你們要記念我從前對你們所說的話：『僕人不能大於主人。』他們若逼迫了我，也要逼迫你們。」 約翰福音 15：20 許多受公眾歡迎的佈道家表示，接受基督的人就能免受生活中一切問題的困擾，但這顯然並非事實。有些基督徒蒙上帝呼召，卻是以經歷迫害和死亡來為主作見證。德派瓦（DePaiva）一家就是現代的殉道者。這家人來自巴西，他們在安得烈大學深造數年後，於2002年8月前往密克羅尼西亞的帛琉群島宣教。魯瑪律．德派瓦（Ruimar DePaiva）在科羅爾復臨教會牧會，他的妻子瑪格麗特（Margareth）也在當地教會學校任教。 一家人的生活平靜安穩，直到2003年12月22日清晨，一個陌生人闖入他們家中。他將魯瑪律、瑪格麗特和他們的兒子拉里松（Larisson）殘忍殺害，隨後又襲擊了他們年僅十歲的女兒梅麗莎（Melissa）。兇手以為她死了，便趁著天剛破曉，把她扔在一條人跡罕至的路上。好在一對路過的夫婦發現了這個可憐的孩子，及時將她送到醫院。在特別為他們舉行的追悼會上，魯瑪律的母親露絲．德派瓦（Ruth DePaiva）公開表示原諒了兇手。她的寬恕震驚了島上的居民。 但為什麼上帝要允許這樣的悲劇發生呢？幾年後，梅麗莎說：「回首往事，我可以看到我父母和哥哥的死所帶來的美善，比他們在生前取得的成就還偉大，從這悲慘的結局中，許多祝福噴湧而出。我已經學會作一個更堅強的人，我與主的關係也無比穩固。如果這些事沒有發生，那麼許多機會也永遠不會出現……在離開帛琉之前，我告訴那裡的人，有一天我會回來，還作宣教士。」 使徒約翰在福音書中寫道，彼得的殉道是為了「榮耀上帝」（約21：19）。教父特土良（Tertullian）在其著作《護教辭》中聲稱：「我們屢次被你們砍倒，但我們的人數更增加；基督徒的血是種子。」實際上，上帝的兒女有的受呼召在健康時為祂作見證，有的則在病痛中，有的卻是透過自己的死亡。我們要相信，祂知道什麼對我們最好，也知道什麼於祂的事工有益。

2025晨鐘課－每天，都是新的起點 以歷史智慧滋養生活，點亮2025每一天！ 借鑑過去，活在當下，展望未來！ 粵語廣播網站 (時兆出版社授權錄製) https://soundcloud.com/mediahk Podcast@靈修廣播站 12月22日 現代殉道者 「你們要記念我從前對你們所說的話：『僕人不能大於主人。』他們若逼迫了我，也要逼迫你們。」 約翰福音 15：20 許多受公眾歡迎的佈道家表示，接受基督的人就能免受生活中一切問題的困擾，但這顯然並非事實。有些基督徒蒙上帝呼召，卻是以經歷迫害和死亡來為主作見證。德派瓦（DePaiva）一家就是現代的殉道者。這家人來自巴西，他們在安得烈大學深造數年後，於2002年8月前往密克羅尼西亞的帛琉群島宣教。魯瑪律．德派瓦（Ruimar DePaiva）在科羅爾復臨教會牧會，他的妻子瑪格麗特（Margareth）也在當地教會學校任教。 一家人的生活平靜安穩，直到2003年12月22日清晨，一個陌生人闖入他們家中。他將魯瑪律、瑪格麗特和他們的兒子拉里松（Larisson）殘忍殺害，隨後又襲擊了他們年僅十歲的女兒梅麗莎（Melissa）。兇手以為她死了，便趁著天剛破曉，把她扔在一條人跡罕至的路上。好在一對路過的夫婦發現了這個可憐的孩子，及時將她送到醫院。在特別為他們舉行的追悼會上，魯瑪律的母親露絲．德派瓦（Ruth DePaiva）公開表示原諒了兇手。她的寬恕震驚了島上的居民。 但為什麼上帝要允許這樣的悲劇發生呢？幾年後，梅麗莎說：「回首往事，我可以看到我父母和哥哥的死所帶來的美善，比他們在生前取得的成就還偉大，從這悲慘的結局中，許多祝福噴湧而出。我已經學會作一個更堅強的人，我與主的關係也無比穩固。如果這些事沒有發生，那麼許多機會也永遠不會出現……在離開帛琉之前，我告訴那裡的人，有一天我會回來，還作宣教士。」 使徒約翰在福音書中寫道，彼得的殉道是為了「榮耀上帝」（約21：19）。教父特土良（Tertullian）在其著作《護教辭》中聲稱：「我們屢次被你們砍倒，但我們的人數更增加；基督徒的血是種子。」實際上，上帝的兒女有的受呼召在健康時為祂作見證，有的則在病痛中，有的卻是透過自己的死亡。我們要相信，祂知道什麼對我們最好，也知道什麼於祂的事工有益。

American Christians can worship in relative freedom and we tend to view this as a sign of God's blessing. But the early church father, Tertullian, wrote, "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church." Dr. Barnhouse shares how the world was turned upside down in the first centuries of church history because believers were wiling to suffer and die for the sake of Christ. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/791/29?v=20251111

This episode of the Tikvah Podcast might be the first dedicated entirely to Christian theology. Why would a Jewish podcast devote so much attention to a theological debate that took place among Christians in the 2nd century? First, because it contributed to the canonization of Christian scripture and defined forever the Christian attitude toward the Hebrew Bible. But more importantly, because we are witnessing today the reemergence of some of the very ideas that the Church fathers of that time declared heretical. The figure at the center of this conversation is a Christian thinker name Marcion, who lived from 85 to 160 CE. He taught that there were not one but two gods: the creator God of the Hebrew Bible—a violent, vengeful, tribal demiurge—and the true God that is revealed to humankind by Jesus. To Marcion, the Christian God alone is a God of love and mercy. Therefore, he concluded, Christianity should detach itself entirely from the Hebrew Bible. Most people have heard some version of the idea that the Hebrew God is vindictive, unforgiving, and particularistic, and that the Christian God teaches grace and mercy. But the notion that they're radically distinct has now returned. The prominent Internet talk-show host Tucker Carlson has spoken on numerous occasions about disconnecting the Hebrew Bible from the New Testament. On the August 25, 2025 episode of his show, he explained that he had just read what Christians called the Old Testament and "was pretty shocked by—as I think many people who read it are—by the violence in it, and shocked by the revenge in it, the genocide in it." Then, in conversation with Megyn Kelly on November 6, he said that "Western civilization is derived from the New Testament. It is based on Christian ethics. And the core difference between the West and the rest of the world—not just Israel but every other country—is that we don't believe in collective punishment because we don't believe in blood guilt." It's important to draw a distinction between Marcionism and the doctrine of supersessionism, historically accepted by some Christian theologians. Supersessionism claims that God's covenant with Israel has been replaced, or superseded, by the universal redemption brought about by Jesus. Marcion, by contrast, says something else: that the God who established a covenant with the children of Israel is not the same as the Christian God at all, but a lesser, wicked deity. The idea that the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament are motivated by different ethics and aim at different moral teachings is not especially controversial. After all, that is a conventional Jewish understanding of the New Testament. But the early church fathers decisively rejected Marcion's ideas: both his dualism and his attempt to remove the story of Israel from the Christian Bible. One, Tertullian, wrote five books refuting him. Another foundational Christian thinker, Irenaeus, declared Marcion a heretic. By rejecting his teachings, Christianity made a defining choice to accept that the God of creation and the God of Christian redemption are, for Christians, one and the same. And because one of the most popular anti-Jewish voices is sounding some of those very notes right now, a deeper, Christian context seems necessary to help Jews understand the nature of the new assault against them. To this end, the Christian philosopher R.J. Snell joins Mosaic's editor Jonathan Silver to explain that context. Snell is the director of academic programs at Princeton University's Witherspoon Institute and the editor in chief of its publication, Public Discourse. He delves into what Marcion believed, why the church rejected him, and what was at stake in that rejection—then and now.

This is my relatively short talk given during the 2025 Plato's Academy multidisciplinary conference: The Philosophy and Psychology of Anger, during which I discuss some of the useful insights and practices early Christian thinkers (2nd-5th Century CE) can provide us. These don't require one to be committed to Christianity and can be applied by a wide range of people. I begin with a passage from Pierre Hadot's book Philosophy As A Way Of Life: "[Christians] believed they recognized spiritual exercises, which they had learned through philosophy, in specific scriptural passages . . . The reason why Christian authors paid attention to these particular biblical passages, was that they were already familiar, from other sources, with the spiritual exercises of prosokhē, meditation on death, and examination of the conscience.” What Hadot calls “spiritual exercises” gets called by a variety of other terms by other thinkers. Foucault's "technologies of the self", Nussbaum's "therapeutic arguments", as well as the more general "philosophical practices" many of us reference in our work and study. What we can say about these early Christian thinkers is that many had a philosophical education, had opportunities to engage with pagan philosophical schools, some of which had pretty strong religious stances, with precursor and contemporary Jewish thought, and with a variety of other disciplines like rhetoric, medicine, literature, political theory, law, history, music, etc. There was already a strong interest in issues about anger already raised and debated in ancient philosophy including: vicious anger, can anger have useful role, dangers of indulging or excusing anger, anger and courage or justice, types or levels of anger, divine anger. Early Christian thinkers rely upon or incorporating broadly Platonic psychology, and ethical conceptions drawn from Platonist, Stoic, and Aristotelian schools, but within a framework Christianity provides. The thinkers I reference and discuss in this presentation include: 2nd-4th Century CE: Clement of Alexandria 150 – c. 215 AD, Tertullian 155 – c. 220, Origen 185 – c. 253, Lactantius 250 – c. 325 4th 5th century CE: Basil of Caesarea 330 – 379, Gregory of Nyssa 335, Evagrius Ponticus 345–399 AD, John Chrysostom 347-407, Ambrose 339-397, Jerome 342–347-420, Prudentius 348-413?, John Cassian 360 – 435, Augustine of Hippo 354-430 Some of the key scriptural passages they tend to engage most heavily with include: A number of discussions of anger in Pre-Christian Jewish scriptures, particularly in the Psalms, Proverbs, and Sirach The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Paul's Letter To Ephesians, and the Letter of James There is a stress on identifying and dealing with vices that involve anger, but also on developing virtues of Patience, Humility, Mercy, and Forgiveness. They also adopt, develop, and discuss a number of useful practices for lessening, understanding, or dealing with anger.

Bible version: NRSVUE (New Revised Standard Version Updated) The common view is that God is three persons in one being or substance. Each of the persons is fully God, but the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. Problem 1: Believing that God is three persons contradicts scriptures that speak of God as a singular individual—as a one, not a plurality (Deut. 4:35, 39; 6:4-9; Isa. 43:10-11; 44:6; 45:5-6; 1 Kgs. 8:60; Mal. 2:10; Mark 12:28-34; John 17:3; Rom 3:30; Eph 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:5; Jas. 2:19). Just imagine how well-known scriptures would change if God were three persons (John 3:16; Jer. 29:11). Problem 2: If God were three persons we find serious logical difficulties. Questions multiply. Why doesn't the Bible say God is three persons or explain the idea? Why wasn't it included in the preaching in the book of Acts? How is belief in three persons not tritheism? If the spirit is a person, what's his name? Why doesn't anyone pray to the spirit? Why doesn't the spirit receive worship or give greetings? Problem 3: The tri-personal idea slowly evolved over time. Tertullian first used the word trinitas, but didn't recognize the Father, Son, and Spirit as coequal. Origen of Alexandria developed the concept of eternal generation, but he too believed the Father was greater than the Son. It's not until Gregory of Nazianzus in the mid to late fourth century that we get a clear statement of God as three persons in one being (Fifth Theological Oration 31). Solution: The Bible teaches that the Father is the only true God (John 17:3), Jesus is his Son, the Messiah, and the spirit is their presence in the world.The post Who Told You That? God Is Three Persons first appeared on Living Hope.

I had the privilege of interviewing Randal Rauser on his book, "Jesus Loves Canaanites." 00:00 - My introduction06:15 - Randal Rauser's introduction12:20 - Epistemology and intuition18:45 - Selective invocation of intuition 26:15 - Is the inerrantist position subjective?34:00 - Historical confidence in the text39:15 - Reframing "errors"49:20 - Obscuring atrocities54:45 - Real world ramifications51:15 - Association with genocide adherents?A huge thanks to Seth White for the awesome music!Thanks to Palmtoptiger17 for the beautiful logo: https://www.instagram.com/palmtoptiger17/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thewayfourth/?modal=admin_todo_tourYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTd3KlRte86eG9U40ncZ4XA?view_as=subscriberInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theway4th/ Kingdom Outpost: https://kingdomoutpost.org/My Reading List Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21940220.J_G_ElliotPurity of Heart is to Will One Thing: https://www.religion-online.org/book/purity-of-heart-is-to-will-one-thing/Jesus Loves Canaanites: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57775991-jesus-loves-canaanites?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_14Abraham's Silence: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55782927-abraham-s-silence-the-binding-of-isaac-the-suffering-of-job-and-how-to?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=m85oPXHDad&rank=1Bauckham on Revelation: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/271806.The_Theology_of_the_Book_of_Revelation?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=h4FoopjtEl&rank=2Laying Down the Sword: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11254204-laying-down-the-sword?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=kYGPEpFHC0&rank=1Epistle to Diognetus: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm Tertullian's "On Patience": https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0325.htm The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26266696-the-patient-ferment-of-the-early-church?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=AJrAs82IA7&rank=1 Was the Destruction of the Canaanites Just?: https://clayjones.net/2015/03/canaanites/Is God a Moral Monster: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9612357-is-god-a-moral-monster-making-sense-of-the-old-testament-god?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_11 Thanks to our monthly supporters J Phillip Mast Laverne Miller Jesse Killion ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this video, Christian Barrett explores the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament — The Shepherd of Hermas, The Apostles' Creed, and The Didache. Each of these ancient texts reveals what the early church believed about repentance, baptism, discipleship, and the nature of faith. Learn how early Christians practiced believer's baptism, confessed their faith through creeds, and sought holiness in a pagan world. Perfect for anyone studying early church history, patristics, Christian doctrine, or Protestant theology. Lastly, Christian highlights why Protestants should rediscover the wisdom and devotion of the early churchDiscussion Questions:1. How could the early church's writings help believers remain unified as the gospel spread across the Roman Empire?2. Tertullian said that the “Rule of Faith” came directly from the Apostles. What does this say about the continuity of the Christian faith?3. What stood out to you about the early Christian practices of baptism, fasting, or communion?4. What does the “Two Ways” (the way of life and the way of death) teach us about discipleship today?5. What do these three writings together teach us about what the early church valued most? Recommended Reading:The Shepherd of Hermas — a powerful call to repentance and purity within the churchThe Apostles' Creed — a later summary of what the earliest Christians believedThe Didache — a first-century manual for discipleship, baptism, fasting, and the Lord's Supper.00:05 – Why Early Christians Started Writing: The Birth of Church Tradition03:38 – The Shepherd of Hermas: The Most Influential Book You've Never Read06:19 – Explaining the Shepherd of Hermas: Visions, Commands, and Parables08:01 – Early Christian Teaching on Repentance and Forgiveness11:59 – The Apostles' Creed: What the First Christians Believed13:15 – The Rule of Faith: How the Church Protected Truth After the Apostles13:30 – Tertullian and the Rule of Faith: Defending the Core of Christianity18:58 – The Didache Explained: The First Christian Discipleship Manual24:00 – Believer's Baptism in the Early Church: What the Didache Reveals29:00 – Why Protestants Should Study the Early Church and Her WritingsSupport Emet Ministries, so we can continue to provide content and resources to help disciples become disciplers: https://veritas-ministry-415223.churchcenter.com/givingFor more resources, visit emetministry.org#churchhistory #EarlyChurch #Christianity #Theology #ChristianApologetics #Protestant #BibleHistory #TheDidache #ApostlesCreed #ShepherdOfHermas #AncientFaith #ChristianDoctrine

Finish Faithful - https://finishfaithful.org/ @finishfaithful7807  In this episode, my father, Jeff Tideman, and I discuss our spiritual journeys and the complex world of Christian eschatology. We explore Jeff's religious history, including his experience with The Way International, the early church's premillennial beliefs, and the fascinating history of how the doctrine of the "rapture" developed later in the 19th century. The conversation ultimately centers on the nature of the Kingdom of God—whether it is a purely spiritual reality "within you" or a future, literal, geopolitical restoration of Israel and the earth, and why understanding this is crucial for believers today.We mention The Way International, Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille, John Nelson Darby, Dr. E. W. Bullinger, Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyon, Papias of Hierapolis, Hippolytus of Rome, Tertullian, Origen of Alexandria, Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius of Caesarea, Athanasius of Alexandria, Julian the Apostate, Chuck Lamatina, Sir Anthony Buzzard, Sean Finnegan. @restitutio8765  , Dr. Beau Branson, Will Barlow. @compasschurchlou  , Antichrist, Eschatology, Kingdom of God, Dispensationalism, Covenant Theology, Premillennialism, Amillennialism, Preterism, Chiliasm, Supersessionism, The Rapture, Pre-Tribulation Rapture, Pre-Wrath Rapture, Zionism and more.

This two-part video series provides a deep historical analysis of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD), tracing its ingredients from 19th-century New England intellectual and social revolutions to its status as America's de facto civic religion. We argue that MTD collapsed when the sexual and moral revolutions forced a devastating fracture between its Christian heritage and its core principles of self-actualization and benevolence, leading to the polarized political landscape of today.Moralist Therapeutic Deism Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eHYMzanOvs&t=4679s @triggerpod   @InterestingTimesNYT   @JonathanPageau   @PaulVanderKlay 00:00:00 - Introduction and Recap00:10:07 - MTD, Chicago, and Obama00:13:00 - Cornell as Microcosm00:25:15 - Tim Keller on programatic secularism00:35:55 - Mainline Christianity00:37:45 - Wokeness and MTD00:47:05 - MTD and Partisanship00:49:20 - Arena vs Agent00:51:00 - Donald Trump 00:56:15 - Nationalism vs Globalism01:03:40 - Who killed MTD?01:05:55 - Competing Arenas01:08:25 - The future of Christian NationalismIn this video I mention:Aaron Renn, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Baker, Alfred, Allen C. Guelzo, Amos, Andrew Jackson Davis, Ann Lee, Anagarika Dharmapala, Arthur Conan Doyle, Athanasius, Barack Obama, Benjamin Franklin, Billy Graham, Black Lives Matter, Bud, Buddha, Calvin, Cathleen Falsani, Catherine Fox, Charles B. Rosna, Charles Carroll Bonney, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Charlie Kirk, Christian Smith, Christopher Pearse Cranch, Clement of Alexandria, Conrad Grebel, Constantine, David Bentley Hart, Deepak Chopra, Donahoe, Donald Trump, Eddie Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Elijah Muhammad, Eliott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Elizabeth Keckley, Ellen Todd, Emilie Todd Helm, Emanuel Swedenborg, Epictetus, Erica Kirk, Ernst Troeltsch, Ezra Klein, Fanny Hayes Platt, Faustus Socinus, Finney, Fox Sisters, Franz Anton Mesmer, Fred Shuttlesworth, Frederick the Wise, Friedrich Nietzsche, Galen, George Barna, George Fox, George W. Bush, Gregory of Nyssa, Henry Clay, Henry David Thoreau, Henry James, H. P. Blavatsky, H. Richard Niebuhr, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harold Ockenga, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Helen Schucman, Hosea Ballou, J. Gresham Machen, Jacob Blake, James, James Comey, James Lindsay, James Russell Lowell, Jared Sparks, Jean H. Baker, Jenkin Lloyd Jones, Jesus Christ, Jim Lindsay, John, John Adams, John Bunyan, John D. Rockefeller, John Henry Barrows, John Locke, John Milton, John Murray, John Stott, Jonathan Edwards, Jordan Peterson, Joseph Priestly, Joseph Smith, Judith Skutch, Julius Dresser, Kant, Karl Menninger, Karlstadt, Kate Fox, Kenneth Minkema, Koot Hoomi, Kyle Rittenhouse, Lelio Socinus, Leonard Zusne, Lou Malnatis, Luke Thompson (  @WhiteStoneName  ), Lyman Beecher, Madame Blavatsky, Margaretta Fox, Marianne Williamson, Mark Parker (  @MarkDParker  ) , Mark Twain, Mary Baker Eddy, Mary Todd Lincoln, Matt Herman, Meister Eckhart, Melinda Lundquist Denton, Mesmer, Micah, Michael Bronky, Michael Servetus, Monophysite, Morya, Moses, Nancy Pelosi, Napoleon Bonaparte, Nettie Colburn Maynard, Newton, Niccolò Machiavelli, Nicholas of Cusa, Norman Vincent Peale, Oprah, Origen, Paul, Paul Tillich, Paul Vanderlay, Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, Plotinus, Proclus, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ramakrishna, Rick Warren, Robert Schuller, Robin D'Angelo, Rod Dreher, Ronald Reagan, Ross Douthat, Rowan Williams, Rudolf Steiner, Samuel Johnson, Septimus J. Hanna, Shailer Mathews, Shakers, Shadrach, Socrates, Soyen Shaku, Swami Vivekananda, Tad Lincoln, Tertullian, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Starr King, Tracy Herman, Virchand Gandhi, Victoria Woodhull, Warren Felt Evans, William Ellery Channing, William James, William Lloyd Garrison, William Newton Clarke, Willie Lincoln, Winthrop, Zwingli.

Was Noah's flood just a myth—or a historical reality written in Scripture, remembered by nations, and recorded in the rocks?In this episode of Faith of the Fathers, we explore the overwhelming evidence for a biblical, global flood:

Women make up half the population, but their rights have always been treated like a special request. In this episode we dive into the real history of women's rights in America: from forced sterilizations and credit card restrictions to the myth of the 19th Amendment being a universal win. We exposes how progress has always come with an asterisk and why women's rights are the ultimate test of any democracy.The Original Setup: Eve, the Apple, and the Birth of BlameVotes for Some: The Long Road to Women's SuffrageRights on Paper, Fights in Practice: A Tour Through Women's HistoryThe Mother of Gynecology - and the Daughters Who Paid the PriceSterilized and Silenced: When Reproductive Rights Were't Yours'Til Regret Do us Part: Marriage, Divorce and the Trap of ForeverMusic by Loghan LongoriaFollow us on instagram: Sergio Novoa My Limited View PodResources & ReferencesThe Bible & Eve• Augustine, On the Good of Marriage — Early church writings framing women as morally weaker.• Tertullian, On the Apparel of Women — One of the first texts blaming Eve for humanity's downfall.Women's Suffrage• National Archives: 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution• Library of Congress: Frederick Douglass's support at Seneca Falls, 1848.• Alexander Keyssar, The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States.Voting Rights & Racial Exclusion• U.S. Department of Justice: Voting Rights Act of 1965• Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 (National Archives).• Mae Ngai, Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America.Workplace & Economic Rights• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Equal Pay Act of 1963• U.S. Department of Labor: Civil Rights Act Title VII• U.S. Department of Education: Title IX Overview• Federal Reserve: History of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act• Congressional Research Service: Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988.Reproductive Rights• Supreme Court: Roe v. Wade (1973).• Congressional Record: The Hyde Amendment (1976).• Supreme Court: Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022).Medicine & Exploitation• Harriet A. Washington, Medical Apartheid.• Journal of Medical Ethics: Reproductive Surgery and the Enslaved Body: The Case of J. Marion Sims.Forced Sterilization• Supreme Court: Buck v. Bell (1927).• Paul Lombardo, Three Generations, No Imbeciles.• Dorothy Roberts, Killing the Black Body.• Alexandra Minna Stern, Eugenic Nation.• Madrigal v. Quilligan case (Los Angeles, 1978).• Jane Lawrence, “The Indian Health Service and the Sterilization of Native American Women,” American Indian Quarterly (2000).Marriage, Divorce & Domestic Rights• California Family Law Act of 1969 — first no-fault divorce law.• Andrew Cherlin, Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage.• U.S. Department of Justice: Violence Against Women Act of 1994.

Send us a textAre we watching God send revival to His people and our nation?  Do we, as Christians, believe that God is able to heal our land?  And are we, as Christians, willing to humble ourselves, and PRAY, and seek HIS face, and TURN from our wicked ways?2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the church." - Tertullian www.LeagueOfLogic.com

In this episode of Faith of the Fathers, we tackle one of the most debated topics in Christianity: the eternity and conscious torment of hell. Is hell truly eternal, or is it a temporary punishment? We dive into what Scripture really says, examining key Greek and Hebrew terms like αἰώνιος (eternal), κόλασις (punishment), and βασανισμός (torment).We also look to the early church fathers—Justin Martyr, Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, and Augustine—who consistently affirmed eternal punishment, and explore how their teaching contrasts with modern heresies like annihilationism and universalism.Along the way, we reflect on Jesus' parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31), showing the reality of conscious post-death torment.Whether you're a believer seeking clarity or simply curious about what the historic church has always taught, this episode will strengthen your understanding of God's justice, mercy, and the urgency of the gospel.Where Scripture matters, and history is the Lord's.

What hath Athens to do with Jerusalem, Corinth with Philadelphia, or Ephesus with Ft. Lauderdale? Perennial questions these, no doubt, and it doesn't take a Tertullian to ask or answer them. Charles Sumner, Nathaniel "Crimson Digit" Hawthorne, James Fenimore Cooper, or Charles Francis Adams will do. Join the guys this week for the penultimate look at Carl Richard's taut, thrilling, barn-burner, as we peel back the layers on the relationship between Christianity and Classical culture at the apogee of the latter's popularity in those British castoffs, the former colonies. Does pagan morality dovetail nicely with the Christian faith, or is it sharply at odds? What of the antithesis between Christ's "love your enemies and pray for those who hate you", and the Homeric honor code of strict vengeance? Is this conflict real or imagined? And, just how much nudity is acceptable in statuary and painting, whether a Venus di Urbino, or George Washington, who, says Hawthorne, had so much gravitas that he was born clothed? All this and more, plus the usual servings of bad puns (not all Dave's, as it turns out). Don't miss this!

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text MessageThe wisdom of Tertullian echoes through centuries: "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church." These words, penned around 200 AD, have found tragic relevance in our modern world where Christian persecution continues unabated.Startling statistics reveal a disturbing reality—over half of the estimated 70 million Christians martyred throughout history lost their lives in the 20th century alone. And the 21st century shows no signs of improvement. The Family Research Council documented 1,384 acts of hostility against churches in the United States since January 2018. Last year witnessed 383 churches suffering 415 attacks across 43 states, including vandalism, arson, gun violence, and bomb threats.Most heartbreaking is the recent tragedy at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, where a shooter killed two innocent children—Harper Moiskey, a joyful 10-year-old big sister, and Fletcher Merkel, an 8-year-old boy who loved sports—and injured 17 others. These young martyrs join countless others whose faith placed them in harm's way.As religious liberty transforms from a unifying American ideal into a polarizing debate topic, and as the unchurched population grows by 12% over two decades, we face a mounting cultural and spiritual crisis. The hostility aims to undercut America's biblical foundations, challenging the moral pillars upon which our country stands.This darkness calls for courage and faith—virtues essential not only for a flourishing life but for preserving the truth in troubled times. The moment for silence has passed. Our voices must rise in defense of family, faith, and freedom. We must pray for our society to regain respect for the sacred while standing firm in our convictions.Will you join us in speaking truth to darkness? In honoring the martyrs by living boldly? Subscribe to hear more reflections on navigating faith in challenging times, and share this message with those who need encouragement to stand strong.Key Points from the Episode:• 383 churches endured 415 attacks across 43 states last year alone• Attacks included 284 acts of vandalism, 55 incidents of arson, and 28 gun-related attacks• California led the nation with 40 attacks, followed by Pennsylvania, Florida, and New York• The tragic Minneapolis Catholic school shooting claimed the lives of two children: Harper (10) and Fletcher (8)• Religious liberty, once a unifying American ideal, has become the center of polemical debate• Cultural shifts show the unchurched population increasing by 12% over two decades• Our response must be courage to speak truth into darkness and stand firm in faithKeep praying and fighting the good fight. Our voices must rise today and at the ballot box in defense of family, faith, and freedom.Other resources: Want to leave a review? Click here, and if we earned a five-star review from you **high five and knuckle bumps**, we appreciate it greatly, thank you so much!

Adam from the "Adam's Fall" (  @Adams-Fall  ) channel joins me to discuss his personal journey out of atheism and back into his native LDS faith. He then provides a detailed and clarifying overview of LDS Christology, explaining its unique non-Trinitarian framework and its concept of a progressive, developmental divinity for both Christ and humanity.Adam's Channel "Adam's Fall" - https://www.youtube.com/@Adams-FallPastor Paul Vanderklay & The Little Corner (TLC) community, Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Murdoch (Adam's ancestor), Rupert Sheldrake, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Gavin Ortuand, Trent Horn, President Russell M. Nelson, Sydney Rigdon, Jacob Faturechi (  @faturechi  ), Moses, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Bruce R. McConkie, Joseph F. Smith, Orson Whitney, Orson Pratt, C.S. Lewis, Rod Dreher, Beau Branson, The "heliocentric" channel (  @HeliocentricOfficial  )

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (08/07/25), we pick up where we ended on our previous broadcast and present more of an episode of the Hank Unplugged podcast. Hank is talking with Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio, author of When the Church Was Young: Voices of the Early Fathers. Hank and Dr. D'Ambrosio discuss D'Ambrosio's presentation of the chaff mixed in with the wheat of Origen of Alexandria's genius in his book, Tertullian and the term Trinity, Cyprian of Carthage on the unity of the church and the concept of having God the Father along with the Church as the mother, the Edict of Milan, the Council of Nicea, why heresy arises when people become impatient with the paradoxical mysteries of the Christian faith, and one of the biggest problems facing the church today.

Have you ever left a church service feeling empty, like a spectator rather than a participant? Join Conrad from Conradrocks.net on "Coffee with Conrad" as we journey back in time to rediscover the vibrant, powerful early church. This episode promises to ignite your spiritual hunger and show you what it truly means to be the "ecclesia."Key Takeaways:The Disconnect: Understanding the "holy dissatisfaction" many feel with modern church experiences compared to the Book of Acts.Tertullian's Eyewitness Account: Learning about the early church through the eyes of a 2nd-century Christian lawyer, Tertullian, and what made their gatherings unique.Participatory Worship: How early church meetings were vibrant, participatory, and open to the Holy Spirit, as described in 1 Corinthians 14:26.Radical Charity: Discovering the merciful financial practices of the early church, where funds supported the vulnerable, embodying James 1:27.Evangelism Through Martyrdom: The powerful testimony of Christians willing to die for their faith, where "the blood of Christians is seed."Supernatural Power: The expectation and demonstration of divine intervention and spiritual authority in the early church, fulfilling 1 Corinthians 2:4-5.Four Practical Steps to Rediscover the Living Church:Pray with dangerous intent: Ask God to connect you with "living stones."Seek the doers of the word: Find those actively living out their faith in service.Find a mentor and be a mentor: Cultivate relational discipleship.Start small: Gather with like-minded believers in homes or coffee shops to live out biblical principles.Call to Action:If this episode stirred something in your heart, please share it on social media and help us get these rocks of revelation out!Subscribe to "Coffee with Conrad" for more insightful discussions on authentic faith.We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences! Visit our website to connect.Links:Radical Discipleship Podcast: https://youtu.be/Jhd8PNkHmho?si=q6ET7JEhK9rCbeN2**Connect With Me:**- Blog: conradrocks.net  https://www.conradrocks.net/- Social Media:  Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok  https://www.facebook.com/conrad.carriker  https://www.instagram.com/conradcarriker  https://twitter.com/MostRadicalMan  https://www.tiktok.com/@supernaturalchristianity**Free Resources:**- Try Audible Free Trial  https://amzn.to/2MT9aQW- Get Readwise Free Trial  https://readwise.io/i/conrad8- Get Remnote Free Trial  https://www.remnote.com/invite/sRJnqJujEgsGoLuc2  - Start Amazon Prime Free Trial  https://amzn.to/2Jtymte**My Work:**- Books: Open Your Eyes | Night Terror  https://amzn.to/3RJx7by  https://amzn.to/3XRFohl- Shop: Team Jesus T-Shirts  https://teespring.com/stores/team-jesus-4- Support: PayPal  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/ConradRocks- For Creators: Get $10 off StreamYard  https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5663052624035840

This is part 3 of a 9 part series. For the full series you can go here.Long ago it is written that God said, “Remember” - yet today mankind has forgotten. Through the many clever schemes of the devil in history, most of the world has been deceived into believing tradition over truth. And what's more, a time is soon coming when the choice will have to be made between obeying the word of God or obeying the word of the devil.TIMESTAMPS:* 00:00 - Polycrates* 06:45 - Theophilus of Antioch* 10:24 - Justin Martyr* 25:27 - Irinaeus * 39:03 - Tertullian * 1:09:49 - Clement of Alexandria* 1:44:22 - Origen* 1:54:53 - Hippolytus of Rome* 1:57:51 - Liber Pontificalis* 2:00:33 - Early Christianity in India* 2:21:23 - Victorinus This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danceoflife.com/subscribe

Opposition is an opportunity to clarify the message and strengthen the movement -- but it requires Spirit-filled boldness. Pastor Jeremy Treat continues our series through Acts with a sermon from Acts 4:1-22.

“Time memorialize place. Embodied memory in places generates a connection between the past, present, and future. Our activity with loved ones elevates sites to place of intergenerational love such that through them we experience these places as deposits of familial affection. A trace of love remains.”– Stephen Wolfe, *The Case for Christian Nationalism*, from the chapter “Loving Your Nation.”In recovering honor for our fathers and a sense of national identity, one of the most important things will be to forge a connection to our past. We often speak of this connection in terms of knowledge, values, and history. It is something objective and measurable. But what if we are bound together to our family, our home, and our country in even deeper ways?Traducianism is a historic Christian belief that has been a minority view throughout church history, although it was held by some notable church fathers like Tertullian and Reformers like Luther. Traducianism is the belief that the souls of children are inherited from their parents, like two candles coming together to light another candle. In this view, parents give not just their genetics to their children, but pass on a unique, personal spiritual component as well. In this way, memories, affections, vitality, and other spiritual qualities are passed down through the families and time, shaping each family and nation into a distinct ethnos with its own unique spiritual properties. Even myths and archetypes that we know so well in the West live on in our deepest memories, their details lost to time but their form continually re-presented in our stories, ideas, and even dreams.Traducianism is a compelling framework that offers a Biblical and enchanted view of the world where families, homes, and history are not merely material matter, but have a spiritual connection to everything that came before and are an essential part of our hope for the future.This episode is brought to you by our premier sponsors, Armored Republic and Reece Fund, as well as our Patreon members and donors. You can join our Patreon at patreon.com/rightresponseministries or you can donate at rightresponseministries.com/donate.Coming on now to discuss traducianism is Ben Garrett of Haunted Cosmos. Tune in now for a discussion you won't want to miss.MINISTRY SPONSORS: Reece Fund. Christian Capital. Boldly Deployed https://www.reecefund.com/ Private Family Banking How to Connect with Private Family Banking: FREE 20-MINUTE COURSE HERE: View Course Send an email inquiry to chuck@privatefamilybanking.com Receive a FREE e-book entitled "How to Build Multi-Generational Wealth Outside of Wall Street and Avoid the Coming Banking Meltdown" by going to protectyourmoneynow.net Set up a FREE Private Family Banking Discovery call: Schedule Call Multi-Generational Wealth Planning Guide Book for only $4.99: Seven Generations Legacy Squirrelly Joes Coffee – Caffeinating The Modern Reformation Get a free bag of coffee (just pay shipping): https://squirrellyjoes.com/rightresponse