Dumb Idols - Spiritual Thoughts of Daniel J. Clausen

     Some modern Christians do not realize that the Scriptures of the New Testament authors were not generally the Hebrew writings of the Old Testament but instead the Greek translation of those texts called the Septuagint (LXX), which were translated beginning in the 3rd century BC (Jobes & Silva, 2000).      This is demonstrated by the fact that up to 90% of the New Testament quotations of the Old Testament are from the LXX (Harris, Archer, & Waltke, 1980). This is significant for several reasons. Since the authors of the New Testament were also writing in Greek, it allowed for an "apples to apples" rendering of various words and concepts from the Old Testament into the New Testament (Comfort, 2008). The most significant example of this is in the word "Kyrios." Most often translated as "LORD," it was used by the Jewish translators of the Hebrew into Greek as the word for the personal covenant name of God, YHWH, the tetragrammaton. In this context...

     The Christ of Docetism From the earliest decades of Christianity, the Church as consistently espoused both the divinity and humanity of Christ in full measure. The New Testament openly and consistently asserts that Jesus is God in the flesh. (John 1:1, John 1:14, John 10:30, John 20:28, Phil. 2:6-11, Col. 1:15-20, Heb. 1:3, Titus 2:13, 1 John 5:20, Rev. 1:8, etc)     Christianity's assertion of Jesus' full divinity and full humanity was established early on, rooted in the teachings of Jesus himself and the apostolic witness. Despite this foundational belief, the early church faced doctrinal challenges that sought to redefine or undermine these core tenets. Many of the earliest heresies were Christological, stemming from the overemphasis of either the divine or human dimension of Jesus.     However, when and how these heresies arose can a offer significant glimpse into how Christ was initially unde...

"But there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets, and makes known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days." -  Daniel 2:28     There may be a temptation to despair by some when noticing the incessant campaign to corrupt truth and sound doctrine, hearing the voices and influences of demonic spirits that surround on every side. Do not fear, friend, for the God of heaven shall not be thwarted; His designs are uninfluenced, and none can stay His hand.     Nebuchadnezzar was a pagan.  Consider: it is not only devils that seek to influence our traditions and guide the vision of mankind. There is evidence of another strain of prophecy given, even within the heart of classical paganism itself, as a marker and a testimony of God's great love and concern for all mankind. The Holy Spirit, in times past, has even usurped the voice of Oracles and false prophets, to bring truth where there was none, and light where there was only darkness.  ...

[Note: This post is in no way meant to be anti-marriage, but pro-celibacy. Neither is addressing this topic a reflection or thought of regret upon my own blessed marriage.] This issue may seem trivial to many, but I am committed to following the doctrine of the Lord - the whole counsel of it. Many are undisturbed by the differences of the apostolic church and our present day manifestation. Addressing this issue is simply to show another area where we err to our own detriment. Virginity in the modern secular world has become a badge of shame. One is made to feel unwanted, undesirable, and unattractive, or else called a "prude" or "stuck up". In the modern Christian world, virginity is merely the purgatorial state that one must endure before finding the "one" in marriage. God forbid, if they make it to 30 unmarried, there must be something wrong with them. Most Christian young people believe they are just waiting until the person God has for them shows ...

Saint Paulinas of Nola (354 – 431) was a distinguished lawyer who held several public offices in the Roman Empire. After the death of their son, Paulinas and his wife Therasia gave away all of their property and riches and dedicated their lives to the poor. Paulinus was chosen bishop of Nola by popular demand. Among his close friends was St Augustine of Hippo. Paulinus’ writings include a letter to Crispinianus, a soldier in the Roman military. Paulinus exhorts Crispianus, a Christian, to leave the military and devote his life to God. His letter is below. Letter 25, to Crispinianus 1. Though I am unknown to you personally, I already know you in spirit. Victor, my dearest son in the Lord, ensured that I knew you, though distance separates us, by telling me of your scrupulous life. So I have begun to love you as a future comrade in Christ, for Victor recounted to me how he was an associate and attendant of your mess in that worldly military service in which you are still occ...

Non-Violence in the Early Church For those who are unconvinced by the consistent, recurrent testimony of Scripture, and the plain example and practice of Christ and the Apostles on the subject of Christian Non-Violence, I present the exhaustive list of quotations from the early Church in the first 400 years. Featuring quotes from hearers of the Apostle John and hearers of theirs. Justin Martyr (100-165) “ We who formerly used to murder one another do not only now refrain from making war upon our enemies, but also, that we may not lie nor deceive our examiners, willingly die confessing Christ. We who were filled with war, and mutual slaughter, and every wickedness, have each through the whole earth changed our warlike weapons,— our swords into plowshares, and our spears into implements of tillage, — and we cultivate piety, righteousness, philanthropy, faith, and hope, which we have from the Father Himself through Him who was crucified.” "We do not wage war agai...