Every philosophical and religious tradition has a view on the requirements of membership – what it takes to belong to the community of “salvation.” In early Judaism, for example, membership within “true Israel” belonged to those who were at least: descended from Abraham, circumcised (men), obedient to the food laws and observant of the Sabbath. For...
Tag: church history podcast
Understanding the Bible 40: The Early Church’s Struggle for Unity
What happens when you take people from different geographical regions, religious traditions, languages and cultures and tell them they are now “one in Christ” – the family of faith…? As anyone who has ever sat in a church committee meeting will tell you, the answer is: arguments! Since there has been church, there has been...
Understanding the Bible 37: On Spiritual Gifts and the Demystifying Thereof…
What does the mean by spiritual gifts? Are we to believe that Jesus bestows super powers upon his followers – healing people by laying on hands, speaking in tongues, foretelling the future…??? Are spiritual gifts signs of true faith (those who really believe can be distinguished from those who do not by their display of gifts)? Are they...