As I have been reading through Chrysostom’s Homilies on Ephesians, I stumbled upon three very interesting quotations from his first sermon. Sola Fide? That you may not then, when you hear that He has chosen us, imagine that faith alone is sufficient, he proceeds to add life and conduct. To this end, says he, has He chosen us, and on this condition, that we should … Continue reading Three Interesting Quotations from Chrysostom
Contrary to the claims of many like Brian Zahnd that Substitionary Atonement (AKA Penal Substitution) is absent from the church fathers, the great Athanasius (298-373) shows very early evidence of Substitutionary Atonement (SA) in his great work “On the Incarnation.” I will provide a small sample of some of his quotations affirming his understanding of the doctrine (all citations come from my Kindle version, the … Continue reading Athanasius and Substitutionary Atonement
Leighton Flowers is dogmatic that his soteriological approach (which he refers to as “Provisionism”) cannot be rightly identified with the ancient heresy known as semi-Pelagianism (from here on out I will refer to it as one word, Semipelagianism). Nonetheless, it is common for those of us who disagree with Dr. Flowers to level that accusation against him. Thus, I will briefly explain why, in my … Continue reading Are “Provisionists” Semi-Pelagians?
John Chrysostom (347-407) is widely considered to be one of the greatest preachers of the Christian church. His homilies that have been passed down to us are a rich treasure. Although his tongue was sharper than his mind, his theological insights no doubt carry much weight. His opening homily on the book of Matthew is particularly interesting. He begins the sermon series on Matthew with … Continue reading Chrysostom on the Written Word
Better yet, coax the wild beasts, so that they may become my tomb and leave nothing of my body behind, lest I become a burden to anyone one I have fallen asleep. Then I will truly be a disciple of Christ, when the world will no longer see my body. (Ignatius to the Romans, 4:2) Ignatius wrote a series of “goodbye letters” to many churches … Continue reading Ignatius on Venerating the Saints
Cyril of Jerusalem is one of the Christian church’s very early Fathers, and he seems to be one of the strongest testimonies we have to historically lineage of the Protestant understanding of Sola Scriptura. Cyril delivered a number of “Catechetical Lectures.” In his day, catechism was long series of educational training one would go through before being baptized into the Christian faith. In short, these … Continue reading Cyril of Jerusalem Affirmed Sola Scriptura
Resisting the Winds 