A quick life and channel update covering work, adoption, board games, and getting my book Atonement and Union with Christ ready to publish.I'll also share what's coming next on the channel as we begin exploring the Rule of Faith and how the early Church understood Scripture, apostolic Tradition, and the Church.You can now pre-order the Kindle version of my book, but physical copies will be available on Amazon Tuesday, September 1st!Here's the link: https://a.co/d/08Y4RH70

Did Christ establish a visible Church? If so, who was entrusted with its leadership, and how was that authority exercised in the earliest centuries of Christianity?

In this episode, we examine the biblical and historical evidence for the visible Church and ecclesiastical authority. Beginning with the Old Testament foundations of covenant leadership, we then explore Christ's promises to build His Church, the authority entrusted to the apostles, the appointment of bishops, presbyters, and deacons, and the pattern of church governance found throughout the New Testament.

We also examine the testimony of the pre-Nicene Church, including Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeus of Lyons, Cyprian of Carthage, and other early Christian writers. Together, these sources help answer three foundational questions: Was the Church visible? Who was authorized to govern it? And how was that government understood by the earliest generations of Christians?

Rather than defending a later denominational system, this episode seeks to understand what Scripture and the earliest historical evidence reveal about the structure, authority, and unity of Christ's Church.

Did the earliest Christians believe the Church should be led by bishops, presbyters, and deacons, or was the threefold ministry a later development?In this episode, we examine the historical and biblical evidence surrounding church leadership in the first three centuries of Christianity. Drawing from the writings of Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Cyprian of Carthage, and other pre-Nicene sources, we explore how the earliest Christians understood the offices of bishop, presbyter, and deacon.We also examine key New Testament passages, including Acts 6, Acts 14, Acts 20, Philippians 1, 1 Timothy, and Titus, to investigate whether the foundations of the threefold ministry can be found within the apostolic age itself.Was episcopal leadership a later innovation, or did the early Church view it as part of the apostolic order it had inherited?Join us as we explore the evidence and ask what the earliest generations of Christians actually believed about church government, apostolic authority, and the structure of Christian ministry.

Did the earliest Christians believe in apostolic succession, or was it a later development introduced centuries after the apostles? In this episode, we examine the historical and biblical evidence surrounding one of the most debated topics in church history.

Beginning with the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament, we explore the testimony of Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Hegesippus, Irenaeus of Lyons, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian of Carthage, and other pre-Nicene sources. We investigate whether these writers viewed apostolic succession as a later innovation or as part of the Church's inherited apostolic structure.

We also examine key biblical passages often cited in discussions of apostolic succession, including the appointment of Joshua, the replacement of Judas, the commissioning of the apostles, the laying on of hands, and Paul's instructions to Timothy and Titus.

The goal is not to defend a particular denomination but to answer a historical question: What did the earliest Christians actually believe about apostolic continuity, church authority, and the preservation of apostolic teaching?

Blog Article

How should we evaluate what the earliest Christians actually believed?

In this opening episode, we set out the historical method that will guide this entire series. Instead of assuming that any single Church Father represents the whole Church, we ask how historians can responsibly identify beliefs that were widely held across the pre-Nicene Christian world (before AD 325).

We look at the kinds of evidence that matter most when studying early Christianity: proximity to the apostolic era, geographical spread across major Christian centers, consistency across generations, claims of apostolic origin, and the careful use of both agreement and silence in the historical record.

This episode is not an argument for specific doctrines, but a framework for how the evidence will be evaluated moving forward. The goal is to clarify the method before turning to individual beliefs in later episodes.

Understanding that method is essential for any serious study of the early Church, especially when different Christian traditions appeal to the same historical sources while reaching different conclusions.

Many people believe that Christ was forsaken by the Father on the cross. Today we take a quick look at Scripture to see if this is true.

This episode of Grafted Theology tackles Romans 9, one of the most disputed chapters in the Bible, often used to support the Calvinistic views of unconditional election and predestination. I walk through a faithful, non-Calvinist reading, arguing that the chapter is about God’s covenant faithfulness, not a deterministic framework for individual salvation. Discover how Paul defines true Israel by faith in Christ, not ethnic lineage, and why righteousness is attained by faith, not works of the law.Article version of this episode: https://grafted-theology.blogspot.com/2025/07/romans-9-in-context.htmlWho Did God Foreknow in Romans 8:28–30: https://youtu.be/SIfOMkqerAwPharaoh’s hard heart: https://youtu.be/C6b-dqx2-A8

What does “foreknew” mean in Romans 8:29? Does this passage teach unconditional election, or is Paul describing something else?In this episode, we examine Romans 8:28–30 in context and argue that Paul is not explaining how individuals are chosen for salvation, but what God has planned for those who love Him. Instead of a deterministic reading, we explore how “foreknew” connects to the faithful remnant and God’s covenant people in Romans 8–11.

You’ll see why:

- “Foreknew” does not mean “predetermined”

- The focus is on the destiny of believers, not their selection

- God’s purpose is to conform His people to Christ

Blog Article: https://grafted-theology.blogspot.com/2025/07/who-did-god-foreknow-non-calvinist-look.html

In this episode, I explain why I believe the Reformed doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA) creates significant tension with the Trinity and historic Christology.

Atonement and Union with Christ Article

PSA's Tension with the Trinity and Christology Article

This is part 5, the final episode in this multi part series where we look at a recent article I released titled “Atonement and Union with Christ”. In this particular episode I cover sections: "Additional Objections" and "Final Summary." This is an audio version of my article so if you would like to give it a read the link is below.

Atonement Article: https://grafted-theology.blogspot.com/2026/01/atonement-and-union-with-christ.html