Recap and Intro In 311 AD, Emperor Galerius rescinded his persecution and allowed Christians to rebuild churches. His edict ended the effort to rid the Roman Empire of Christians. From the time of Irenaeus, around 200 AD, to 1000 AD, Christianity was primarily a religion in Asia and North Africa. Though in Italy, Gaul (France), […]
Reformation 3: Jeremiah 29:4-7, Romans 13:1-7, Matthew 22:15-22: The Two Kingdoms, Church and State
October 22, 2017 by
Human history is full of people not wanting to fund its government or services. Without both, a nation cannot endure. So, taxes are the costs a country incurs for its civilization. Still, most of us want the advantages of taxation but not the expenses. The first Israelite king recognized people’s distaste for taxes. A Philistine […]
The Parables of Jesus: Lesson 4: Loss and Restoration in Luke 15
October 22, 2017 by
The Setting for the Three Parables Read Luke 15:1-2 Eating with Sinners Part of Exodus 18:1 reads: “the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.” The Mekilta, Jewish scriptural interpretation, taught this for the verse: “Let no man associate with the wicked, not even to bring him close to the Law.” The Pharisees believed they […]
Church History, Lesson 14: The Rise of Monasticism
October 12, 2017 by
Recap and Intro When Valerian became Emperor in 257 AD, he began the first Empire-wide persecution of Christians. Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage, was sent into exile. The next year, Valerian ordered all Christian clergy to be killed. So, Cyprian was brought out of exile and beheaded in Carthage on the 14th of September. The […]
Reformation 2: 2 Kings 5:1-3, 9-14; Romans 6:1-4; John 3:1-6, 16: Baptism
October 8, 2017 by
A Syrian commander, a well-respected military leader, who won the respect of his King. Still, something can come along in your life and undo much of what you built up over the years. Such is Naaman. For a fearsome affliction—leprosy—now overshadows his imposing warfighting skills and combat prowess. To protect others from the infectious contagion, […]
The Parables of Jesus: Lesson 3
October 8, 2017 by
Recap and Intro Last week we went over The Parable of the Sower. Jesus explained the parable to His disciples: All the seed sown on three of the four soils eventually died. However, “what was sown on good soil refers to the one who hears the word, accepts it, and produces a crop” (Matthew 13:23). […]
Church History, Lesson 13: Christianity in North Africa, Part 3
October 8, 2017 by
Cyprian (200-258 AD) Intro Much had changed since Tertullian’s time. Being a Christian was still a crime, but by 240 AD, someone needed to talk to an older adult to hear stories of the martyrs. An unofficial peace had existed for 40 years between the Roman Empire and the Christians in North Africa. Raised as […]
Reformation 1: Isaiah 55:10-13, 1 Peter 1:22-25, John 1:1-5, 14: The Word
October 8, 2017 by
“Now, if I told you once, I told you a thousand times.” A dressing-down entwines itself in those words. Often, we scold children through this warning, with an explanation trailing behind. “Don’t play in the street.” “Do your homework before turning on the TV.” The overstatement of “1,000” clatters out the parent’s frustration. From afar, […]
The Parables of Jesus: Lesson 2
October 8, 2017 by
Recap and Intro A parable is a comparison, from the Greek “para,” meaning as “in parallel” and “balo,” meaning “to cast.” Through a parable, the speaker casts a net or line to reveal something hidden through what is known. Even so, Jesus told His disciples, “The secrets of the kingdom of heaven are given for […]
Church History, Lesson 12: Christianity in North Africa, Part 2
October 8, 2017 by
The Writing Down of What Was Handed Down Intro Tertullian (160-225 AD), the first Latin Church Father, provided us with much of our Church language and ways of thinking. He also helped set up an idea of perfectionism, sometimes treating forgiveness as a possible excuse to sin, foremost in matters of marriage and fornication. Today, […]
