“Doing theology” often implies that we understand God better than the apostles or their disciples, and Jesus would really have benefited from a background in textual criticism. But has everything orthodox already been taught? Read the rest of this entry »
“Here I forsake wife and children, house and home, body and life, for the faith and the divine truth.”
– George Raeck, Martyrs Mirror, p. 646
It was long enough, world, that I floated about in you, oh treacherous sea. You deceived me long enough. You detained me. While I was a slave to sin, and wronged God, you loved and honoured me. But now you hate me.
— Christoph Bauman, Switzerland, Ausbund 76
Many modern “New Testament” churches claim that “they only go by the Word of God,” that their authority is the New Testament. Except, for the actual New Testament church, their authority was Jesus. The New Testament hadn’t been written yet. Read the rest of this entry »
Not meaning to offend anybody, but I’m not looking forward to the return of required prayer in school. For many young people, who don’t know God and don’t want to, being forced to pray to God is like being forced to kiss a maiden aunt. Like kissing, prayer is more satisfying when done willingly.
I acknowledge that a return to common moral values is necessary if America is to survive. But Read the rest of this entry »
“This is the strait gate, press through it; through this pressed the men of God, for he that fights steadfastly unto the end will be saved; of this I have no doubt.”
– Heyndrick Eemkens, Martyrs Mirror, p. 660-661
“That is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which amounts to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sins departs. ”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
When I say something, my goal should be to communicate. I should try to understand how my message will be received by the person I’m communicating with. The fact that they may not understand it should affect how I communicate my message. The fact that they do not receive it might affect how I communicate my message. But the fact that they may not like it should not affect my message itself. Read the rest of this entry »
