According To Luke

“I also took from Tyconius — once a Donatist heretic — whatever passages agreed with sound sense. From what was worth keeping, I cut out the excess, hacked away what was out of place, smoothed over what was rough, and brought the whole thing under Catholic control. For I found a great deal in his work that was useless, inappropriate, and flatly contrary to true doctrine — so much so that he had deliberately seized on damaging passages, driven by the wickedness of his own hear

“Infants properly may lack faith of their own, and yet are baptized — this is rejected by those the Catholics brand as reprobate: Hincmanus of Laon, Berengarius, the Petrobrusians, the Henricians, the Pseudo-Apostolics, the Cathars, the Albigensians, Peter John, the Lollards, Vnicleus, Balthasar of Piedmont, Thomas Muntzer, Michael Servetus, and others. These groups stood in open defiance of the Apostolic Constitutions, which command: ‘Baptize your infant children, and raise

Source: Vat. Lat. MS. 4030, pp. XIIIv-XVIIv, Vatican Apostolic Library, Diocese of Pamiers, Inquisition of Jacques Fournier, Bishop of Pamiers, 1318–1325. A. D. 1319-1320 The following testimony is preserved in the Vatican Library and records the interrogations of Raymond de la Côte, a Waldensian deacon tried during the Inquisition of Bishop Jacques Fournier (later Pope Benedict XII). ——— I. Errors Against the Roman Church [The formal charge list extracted from Raymond’s inte

I. Cosmological Arguments (From Causation / Contingency / Motion) 1. The Aristotelian Argument from Motion: Syllogism 1. Whatever is moved is moved by another. 2. An infinite regress of movers is impossible. 3. Therefore, there must be a first unmoved mover. 4. This unmoved mover is God. Form • All moved things have a mover. • Regress of movers cannot be infinite. • Therefore, a first unmoved mover exists. 2. The Argument from Efficient Causation: 1. E

Luke 1:20-23 20 And, behold ( attention word; draws focus ), thou shalt be dumb ( mute ), and not able to speak ( emphasizes the judgment ), until the day that these things ( the promised events ) shall be performed ( fulfilled; come to pass ), because thou believest not ( unbelief is the reason for chastisement ) my words ( the angel’s message, which is God’s word ), which shall be fulfilled ( certainty despite doubt ) in their season ( at the appointed time ). 21 And the

The question is not morbid. It is theological. Every generation inherits questions it did not ask. This is one of them. As cremation has become statistically common—now chosen more often than burial in the United States—Christians find themselves making decisions about death with little theological guidance and considerable cultural pressure. Funeral homes offer packages. Families want simplicity. Costs are real. But beneath these practical considerations lies a deeper questi

In Galatians 3:24, Paul writes: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” This single verse contains a world of truth about the purpose of God’s law. Many today misunderstand the law as a set of arbitrary rules designed to restrict our freedom, but Paul presents it as a mirror, a loving guide, and a schoolmaster. Its ultimate purpose is to lead us to Christ, showing us that no one can earn righteousness on their own

Luke 1:18-19 18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby ( by what means; asking for a sign or proof ) shall I know this? ( demanding confirmation; contrasts with Mary’s more believing question in v. 34 ) for I am an old man ( past natural age for fatherhood ), and my wife well stricken in years ( a respectful way of saying she is aged and beyond childbearing — cf. Gen. 18:11 ). 19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel ( means “God is my strength”; same ange

“Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand.” (John 7:2) “Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.” (John 7:14) The Gospel according to John often records Jesus speaking at precise moments—moments loaded with meaning. Few scenes illustrate this better than Jesus’ words about water and light during the Feast of Tabernacles (also called the Feast of Booths). These statements are not random metaphors. They are deliberately spoken into the l

Luke 1:16-17 16 And many of the children ( descendants ) of Israel ( Jacob; cf. Genesis 32:28 ) shall he turn ( convert, bring back ) to the Lord their God ( true repentance and restoration to covenant faithfulness ). 17 And he shall go before him ( John as forerunner of the Christ; cf. Malachi 3:1 ) in the spirit and power of Elias ( Elijah’s prophetic spirit and boldness; cf. Malachi 4:5-6 and Matthew 17:12-13 ), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children ( see les

Discussions about Bible translation often focus on manuscripts, theology, or readability. Less frequently discussed—but increasingly relevant—is the issue of copyright. When one surveys the landscape of Greek New Testament texts and the English translations and versions derived from them, an interesting pattern emerges. This post is not an argument for one textual tradition over another, but an observation about ownership, access, and control. ⸻ Greek Minority Texts and Moder

Few questions in modern discussion are asked with more confidence—and less clarity—than this one: “Do you believe in evolution?” Stated plainly (and as charitably as possible), this is a very poor question. Not because people asking it are unintelligent, but because the word evolution is being used without definition. It compresses multiple, very different claims into a single term and then demands a yes-or-no answer. When we distinguish micro-evolution from macro-evolution,

Luke 1:14-15 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness ( personal and communal rejoicing ), and many shall rejoice ( not just private but public significance ) at his birth ( his coming would be a blessing to others ). 15 For he ( John the Baptist ) shall be great in the sight of the Lord ( see lesson #2 at the end of chapter 1 ), and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink ( John was to be holy. There is, however, no evidence that John was a Nazarite; cf. Numbers 6:1-21 ),

“Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.” — 1 Peter 2:17 That short command—love the brotherhood—is one of the simplest and yet frequently neglected exhortations in the New Testament. It assumes something that feels almost foreign in our time: that Christians are meant to recognize one another, draw near to one another, and rejoice in shared faith. An outsider could not be able to see a difference among the interactions between a believer/lost person

The Chain of Transmission: From Ribera to Modern Dispensationalism Link One: Ribera to Lacunza Critics have long claimed that Manuel Lacunza (a Chilean Jesuit who wrote La Venida del Mesías en Gloria y Majestad under the pseudonym Juan Josafat Ben-Ezra) never cited Ribera, suggesting independent development of futurist ideas. This assertion collapses under examination of the complete text of Lacunza’s work. While Edward Irving’s English translation (The Coming of the Mess

Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ, why don’t we just preach the truth? Why must we always teach against doctrines and sinful practices? This question, asked with increasing frequency in our therapeutic age, sounds humble. It sounds charitable. It sounds like wisdom. But is it truly biblical and loving? Let’s take a look at what the apostle Paul says against the Ebionites, how John combats Gnosticism, how our Lord rebuked the Pharisees. Christianity isn’t a religion w

Luke 1:10-13 10 And the whole multitude ( a large crowd of worshippers ) of the people ( Israelites gathered for public prayer ) were praying without ( outside the Holy Place; in the court ) at the time of incense ( incense offering was linked with prayer; cf. Psalm 141:2 ). 11 And there appeared ( became visible; sudden manifestation ) unto him ( Zacharias personally ) an angel of the Lord ( messenger sent from God; this is the first time Zacharias ever saw an angelic bein

“The Intercessor Who Does Not Fail” Scripture Reading: Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” ⸻ Opening Thought: Every true believer knows what it means to stumble, to fail, and to fall short. And with every failure comes that fearful question: “Have I fallen too far this time?” The answer is found in a single, glorious truth—Jesus Christ never stops interceding for

“How to Have Peace with God” Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ⸻ Opening Thought: Everyone desires peace. We want peace in our homes, in our hearts, with our families, and in the world. But the most important peace we could ever have is peace with God. There’s a difference between the peace of God and peace with God. • The peace of God is the calm He gives in our hearts when life feels tr