In Luke 18:18-29 (and the parallel account in Mark 10:17-31), we read the narrative of the rich young ruler coming to Jesus and asking, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus responds by saying "Why do you call me good? No one is good -- except God alone." Jesus continues, "You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, … [Read more...]
Our God, Jesus Christ: The witness of the early church fathers
Contributed by Dan Barkman Much has been written showing that Jesus understood Himself to be a divine person and that the authors of the New Testament held that same conviction. But is it possible that we have misunderstood what the apostles actually believed about Jesus? Could it be that the modern church is confused as to what it was that the apostles actually taught? To … [Read more...]
Did Jesus Claim to be Divine? (Answering Skepticism)
When Christians hear objections with regard to who Jesus claimed to be, they (without fail) whip out CS Lewis' famous trilemma of "Liar, Lunatic, or Lord". Based on Jesus' claims of being the "I AM" of the Old Testament and the "Son of Man" who was the divine figure referenced throughout Jewish apocryphal literature, in addition to the fact that Jesus accepted worship and … [Read more...]
The Origin Of Hypostatic Union in Early Church History
God-inspired Scriptures (i.e., John 1:1,14; John 20:28, Philippians 2:6-7, Hebrew 1:3; 2:17; 4:15 et cetera) explicitly portrays Christ Jesus as being perfect in his Divinity and perfect in his Humanity (see Christ: Perfect Divine, Perfect Human). How Christ’s natures should be correctly understood saw numerous disputes. Looking at the origin of hypostatic union in the early … [Read more...]
Christ: Perfect Divine, Perfect Human
In Tertullian's (c. 160 – c. 225 AD) De carne Christi, we read “Was not God really crucified? And, been really crucified, did He not really die? And, having indeed really died, did He not really rise again?” How is this possible? We seldom ponder in depth the splendid and scandalous oxymoron of a born, died and risen God when we proclaim that Jesus died for us. Early Christians … [Read more...]
Christ in the Story of Ruth
In previous blog posts, I have drawn attention to various Old Testament foreshadows and prototypes of Christ. In this article, I want to draw attention to yet another old testament parallel to Christ. This one occurs in the book of Ruth. The story of Ruth begins with a man by the name of Elimelek, along with his wife Naomi and two sons Mahlon and Kilion, going to live in the … [Read more...]
Did Jesus Claim to be Divine? (Answering Pluralism)
Religious Pluralism is a post-modern way of thinking that rejects the idea that any one religion is true, rather, all religions are equally true and equally valid ways to God. While pluralistic efforts at trying to support equality, tolerance, and dialogue may be noteworthy in some instances, there are serious philosophical, historical, and logical flaws in this type of … [Read more...]
A Look at Jewish Messianism: A Crucified Messiah:What An Embarrassment!
The Jewish Messiah When it comes to talking to Jewish people about the possibility of Jesus being the Messiah, there is a wide range of thought. For some Jewish people a personal messiah is irrelevant. For others, it is said that in every generation there is a potential messiah or a time when there will be a Messianic Age. For the disciple of Jesus, His death is a “ransom” … [Read more...]
The Earliest Record of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus- A Look at 1 Corinthians 15:3-7
As historians evaluate the sources available for the resurrection of Jesus, a critical question is the dating of the sources. In relation to early testimony, historian David Hacket Fisher says, “An historian must not merely provide good relevant evidence but the best relevant evidence. And the best relevant evidence, all things being equal, is evidence which is most nearly … [Read more...]
Who is the Angel of the Lord?
Throughout the Old Testament, we routinely encounter the mysterious character who goes by the title "The angel of the Lord." By looking at the numerous appearances of this individual, we can piece together clues as to His identity. The first time the angel of the Lord is introduced, he makes an appearance to Hagar, the servant of Abraham's wife Sarai. In Genesis 16:7-13, we … [Read more...]