shadmans Musings  

We start our study of chapter 2, verse 6 and 7 with something from Norman Geisler, These two verses conclude the argument begun in 1:15. Paul’s point may be summarized thus: Divine exaltation belongs to Christ (1:15–20); in Him are found (a) reconciliation to God (1:21–23), (b) the revelation of the mystery of Christ (1:24–27), (c) believers’ perfection (1:28–29), and (d) education (wisdom) (2:1–5). Therefore believers should continue to live in Him (vv. 6–7). [1] Giesler points out that for believers we are to find everything in Christ. We are to be reconciled in Christ, all of our understanding about who God is can be found in Christ, that believers are made perfect and complete in Christ, and finally that our knowledge is found in Christ. And since we have all of these things because of our faith and trust in Christ, walk, live, and abide in Him, As Max Anders puts it, Believers can avoid the deception of verse 8 not by just maintaining a solid front but by moving forward with stead...

It’s been a while since I last published a blog, but in my previous one, I got a little excited and skipped over Athanasius and jumped right into Chrysostom, a church father I really like. So, I’m taking a step back in time so I can fill in a gap in the middle of the 4th century, right where Athanasius fits. For those of you that may not know a lot about church history, it is more likely that you may have heard of this specific church father, as he is famously known for, Athanasius Contra Mundum , or in English, ‘Athanasius Against the World.’ Almost single handedly, he made a courageous stand against the Arians, that included opposing bishops, popes and emperors, all of whom denied the deity of Christ, calling Jesus a created being. His position may have prevailed, but he paid a heavy price, at least as we would count it here on earth. The early church was forced to deal with a number of doctrinal issues in its first 300 years, mainly because of Gnosticism which spawned all sorts of d...

After letting the Colossians know in verses 1 through 3 about his love for them, and his heart-felt desire to see them come to a full and complete understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul then encourages them to never allow anyone to deceive them about what they have in Christ. He reminds them that he is always with them in spirit, and he is always concerned for their well being, their maturity in Christ. This is an encouragement that we all should have with each other as we pray for each other and encourage each other in our daily lives. All that happens to us in our lives is meant to mature us in Christ. So, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we should always have the heart of Paul, as we see here in Colossians, and look for opportunities to encourage and strengthen each other. The Methods of the False Teachers I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your g...

The previous Sola Scriptura blog was on a couple of church fathers whom I do not like because of the destructive allegorical biblical interpretation methodology they introduced into the church, but as we begin part 23, we come to one of the most beloved and arguably the greatest preacher of the early Greek church fathers, John Chrysostom. As you will remember from my previous blogs, I have been building a firewall between the Apostles and the later church fathers to show that the current Catholic concept of ‘tradition’ simply did not exist in the early church. In my last blog, that firewall was extended into the early 4th century, as I continued to strengthen it against any mention of a modern day concept of ‘tradition.’ And remember, the tradition I’m talking about is the unwritten body of oral teachings that comprise ‘sacred tradition’ and that were supposedly handed down by the Apostles to the modern day Catholic Church, and that are co-equal in authority with Scripture. Thus far, ...