Early Church

Early Christians were called "heretics" and "atheists" when they denied the gods of Rome, in particular the divinity of the emperor and the statism he embodied in his personality cult. These Christians knew that Jesus Christ, not the state, was their Lord and that this faith required a different kind of relationship to the state than the state demanded. Because Jesus Christ was their acknowledged sovereign, they consciously denied such esteem to all other claimants. Today, the church must take a similar stand before the modern state.

This particular volume (Volume One) begins with the period in the early 1600s when two very different English societies were established in the New World, one in Virginia and one in New England. The Virginia society simply re-created the rigidly class-based feudal society of the times. The New England society was a most unusual democracy of social equals, covenanted to live under God's—not man's—personal rule. These two American social types would find themselves in rather constant struggle....

Roots Matter A Baptist’s Interpretation of Church history Learn: The consequences of right and wrong thinking concerning church history What we believe about the beginning and development of church history dramatically influences how we behave as Christians. It also impacts the testimony we have to the world around us. The worldwide influence of the Apostles With the supernatural enabling of the Lord these twelve turned more than the Middle East upside down for Christ. It is very possible that, by the end of the first century, much of the known world at the time, including Africa, India, ...

In vivid detail, author Jay Lampart lays out several reasons why the Internet pornography crisis Christian males are facing today is so unique and dire. He then presents five very simple but highly effective weapons that are available to us as Christians to combat it.

Dear Children, I am going to talk to you about Jesus Christ, and your souls. I want to make you happy. But I know that people are never really happy unless their souls are happy; and I am sure that people’s souls cannot be happy, unless they love Jesus Christ. And that is the reason why I am going to preach to you now: I want to tell you something about Jesus Christ and your souls. Dear children, I hope you will all attend, while I talk to you. I pray that the Spirit of God may come into your hearts, and make you able to do so. Try to listen to me. Try to understand what I say. Try to ...

Who would have thought that from its humble beginnings as a small group of followers of a Jewish man called Jesus that Christianity would become, less than 2,000 years later, the most widespread religion on Earth? Christianity’s birth and development is a vast, complex story filled with setbacks and contradictions but also with triumphs.

Jesus quoted Hosea in saying, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." The prophet Samuel similarly told King Saul, "To obey is better than sacrifice. In fact, an attentive read through the Old Testament will show that there are a lot of things better than sacrifice. What was the role of Old Testament sacrifices? How does that affect our understanding of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross? Pavao forces us to look at verses we gloss over because they contradict our understanding of the purpose of the Jewish sacrificial system. Have you ever considered that God once said: I didn’t speak to your ...

Caught in a deadly trap In AD 79 the emperor Vespasian was dying and some prophetess was announcing the end of the world. Meanwhile Desiderata had to deal with a fresh criminal plot from her old enemy Numa. You’d think that things couldn’t get any worse, but that was counting without Mount Vesuvius literally blowing its top above Pompeii. What on earth were our blind ‘seeker of justice’, her deaf husband Simplex, and uncle Balbus doing there that summer, a true case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? It’s a complicated story, but as it happened, they had not one, but ...

The book PAUL AND LUKE ON TRIAL deals with their reputations, the authenticity, and the trustworthiness of their New Testament books (Acts and Galatians), which Bible critics have sought to undermine for centuries. Sadly, this attack also comes from “the new generation of evangelical scholars [who are] far more comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty than previous generations.” (Wallace forward, Page xii) Herein the Bible critics and modern evangelical scholars are the prosecutors in this trial, and Andrews is serving as the Christian apologist in defense of the Apostle Paul and the ...

Mary Lee Meares, co-founder and elder, provides a fascinating look at the early years of a ministry that started in a tent and grew to become one of the largest congregations in the Washington Metropolitan region. The church was called the National Evangelistic Center and Evangel Temple before being named Evangel Cathedral (now pastored by her son, Bishop Don Meares). Co-founder Bishop John L. Meares was a patriarch of the faith whose zeal for spiritual unity was an instrumental part of racial reconciliation in the Body of Christ, bringing blacks and whites together during a time of ...

When all the Christians were thrown to the lions Daisy Hayes was a sculptress, and blind since birth. In 1964 a French priest came to visit her at the collective studio in north London where she worked. He was fascinated by the impaired artist and told her, “There’s this program at the Vatican Museums, where people like you get an opportunity to study archaeological artifacts by touch. Are you interested?” — “Of course, mon Père!” In AD 64 a blind masseuse working at the baths in Rome overheard some important men preparing to set fire to the city and seize power. When they ...

Step into the spiritual wisdom of the beloved Apostle, St. John. John. This New Testament Patristic Commentary Series volume delves into the timeless truths of love, truth, and vigilance against deceit, offering a pathway to deepen their relationship with Christ and His Church. In this commentary, the gentle yet powerful voice of St. John the Beloved resonates, calling us to abide in love that springs from the truth—Christ Himself. This epistle, uniquely addressed to a “chosen lady and her children,” reminds us of the unity and equality we share in Christ, who unites us beyond ...

Many people today live in a polarized societies, struggling to find common ground in a time of deep division. But there is good news—the first Christians faced this challenge too. Christians & the Roman Army tells the forgotten story of the early church’s relationship with the army of imperial Rome. Over six well-researched and thoughtprovoking chapters, Garnett explores the ways that some early Christians embraced the army and the reasons that other Christians did not want to welcome soldiers into the church. Andrew Garnett offers lessons for our outreach to military servicemembers ...

In the first quarter of the twentieth century, many women - single and married - experienced the Pentecostal revival and entered Pentecostal missions in every corner of the world. Generally discouraged from preaching and leading congregations in the USA, these disempowered women considered their Holy Spirit baptism all the permission and empowerment they needed to go abroad to share the gospel. However, Pentecostal missionaries in the Assemblies of God, the largest American Pentecostal organization, soon became part of an emerging system of AG policy and emerging regulations. Why and how ...

Christianity wasn't born in a bubble. In the intellectually vibrant world of the Roman Empire, a new faith collided with centuries of Greek philosophical thought. This clash sparked a revolution in thinking about God, the soul, and the meaning of life. The Birth of Christian Philosophical Thought delves into the fascinating world of the Church Fathers, the pioneering thinkers who bridged the gap between Christian faith and classical philosophy. From fiery apologists defending Christianity in a pagan world to brilliant system-builders like Augustine of Hippo, this book takes you on an ...

In this third book of the apologetic discipline series, we will examine the early advancements of apologetics. A brief overview and analysis will be given of the councils and emerging doctrines contrary to Christian orthodoxy. It is our prayer that this information will strengthen the modern apologist.