Apostle's Mailbox

We're back in John after an extended break, and once again we'll discover some truth from the Bible alongside some church history and official doctrine. AND, since disagreement with official "orthodox" doctrine makes one technically a "heretic," you might just discover today that you're a heretic. I certainly am on those terms, and you'll see how in today's episode.

Thankfully, it's not common for people to get burned at the stake for heresy in our current era, so I'm not going in to hiding. In fact, I hope that by charitably discussing the matter of disagreement, we can learn to be a bit more patient and gracious to other Christians who don't share every last one of our own personal convictions.

For futher information on the Catholic teachings regarding Mary's perpetual virginity, see: https://www.catholic.com/tract/mary-ever-virgin

If you are interested in reading more of the development of the Christian Church by examining early documents, Henry Bettenson's "Documents of the Christian Church" is a fairly good place to start--he includes selections of letters, statements, and the like, all translated into English.

Everyone loves a good conspiracy story, maybe because it's fascinating to think there could be hidden truth out there just waiting to be discovered. Sometimes the greatest truths are not the ones eternally unseen, but the ones long-forgotten. Like the name of God.

In Episode 22, we'll cover two quite masterful spiritual deceptions found in the pages of Scripture: the original cause of our alienation from God, and a later abandonment of what intimacy God had re-established. Are we primed to repeat this follow? (Hint: are you prone to speak of Jesus almost entirely as "the Lord"?)

Join us in Genesis 3, 2 Corinthians 5, and in the nearly 6,000 other places in your English Bible where this grand distraction is on display.

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Which of your theological convictions are you ABSOLUTELY certain of? Chances are good that someone else in this world is as ABSOLUTELY certain that you're wrong (and that their opposing view is right). This is not to say that there is no truth, or that we can't know truth, but rather that what is absolutely certain is that there are many people in the world who absolutely, staunchly, (often militantly) believe something that is false. How would you know if the person who is wrong is YOU? A good start would be to listen to what your opponents have to say. Hard to do? Sometimes. Unpopular? Certainly. Will there be people you love who will freak out and warn you to run away from the "heretics" who dare to disagree? Maybe. The good news is, if those heretics are absolutely as crazy as you always thought, then having carefully considered their stance you will rest more comfortably with your own (and you might even make a interesting new friend, and help them change their mind!) On the other hand, if it turns out you were the one who is wrong, you won't have to stay there any longer. Win/Win.

"Everybody" knows that there isn't a pantheon of gods gallivanting around the universe, right? Such an idea is in contrast with the major monotheistic religions of the world (and most importantly, Christianity). But when the Jews said "hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one," (Deut. 6:4) did they mean there was only one spiritual being of power in the world?

Perhaps we're not sure what to do with the fact that Ephesians 6 tells us our struggle is against powers and principalities in the heavenly realm. In today's episode, we look even further back into the Old Testament and consider what Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 82 have to teach us about those divine beings in the unseen realm.

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Most Christians know that Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding. You might have heard people discussing whether this passage is proof that it's OK for Christians to drink alcohol, or arguing that the "wine" of those days wasn't really intoxicating. Nevertheless, drunkenness is not the point here.

John tells us that this was a "sign," which would indicate that this event revealed a deeper meaning about Jesus. Today we discuss some of the cultural background of this passage, and speculate about a few possible meanings behind the miracle. You might be familiar with some of these ideas, but I doubt you've heard them all! By the time you've heard today's episode, hopefully you'll join Jesus' disciples in "believing" in him a little more!

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You should not do everything written in your Bible.

Some things in the Bible are described as happening, not as an example to follow, but either as a simple description of fact or even as a warning of what NOT to do.

You should not assume everything you are led to infer from your Bible reading is accurate. In fact, the Bible tells us of at least one specific circumstance in which people "read between the lines" of what he was saying and drew a very wrong conclusion.

Today we look at Acts 2 and John 21 as examples that caution us to proceed with caution when trying to interpret or apply the Biblical text.

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Now that Jesus has been baptized, God has confirmed him as the Messiah, and John the Baptist has started telling people that he's the "Lamb of God," it's about time Jesus called some disciples! As Jesus rounds up the first of the crew, we find these brand new followers full of an incredible array of titles for Jesus. (Jesus hands out some nicknames and character descriptions as well!)

The real theme of today's passage though is "seeing." Jesus is a person to be seen and experienced, not a theory to be learned. Since we've already heard about the "Lamb of God" last week, today we will skip right ahead to these titles:

Messiah/Christ

Prophet foretold by Moses

Son of God

King of Israel

Son of Man

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It's easy to pay lip service to the importance and power of prayer. When we get down to brass tacks, however, does our fervency and frequency in prayer reveal a heart that expects much from prayer, or little? Or, perhaps our prayerlessness is more related to an unawareness of need?

We might not always understand how prayer works, but the Bible is perfectly clear that to neglect prayer is to guarantee inferior outcomes in life. Join us in looking at Ephesians 6 for a quick reminder that prayer is not an option for Christians, but a vital necessity.

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Should we be familiar with the Testament of Levi? Why wasn't Jesus called "the Bull of God who takes away the sins of the world"? How does Jesus fulfill the prophesies of Isaiah 42? How important is the Holy Spirit to the work of Jesus Christ? Today, we discover what John the Baptist had to say in his testimony about Jesus, and answer those questions and more along the way.

We cover John 1:29-34, the Testament of Levi 18:2-14, and more as we more fully study the gospel of John.

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Spiritual disciplines Americans usually enjoy: worship, rest, prayer, celebration, fellowship.

Spiritual disciplines Americans sometimes enjoy: study, generosity, service, disciple-making.

Spiritual disciplines Americans dislike: fasting, chastity, confession.

Today we tackle fasting. It's a real pity such a practice isn't more common among us!

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