This article will explore three views of the nature of man and their relationship to God held by the early Christian church and how those views developed into what we accept today in the modern church. The three views are: Augustinian – man is spiritually dead; Pelagianism – man is spiritually well at birth and chooses his own destiny; and semi-Pelagianism – man is spiritually sick and only needs the help of a higher power to assist him in his … Continue reading →
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. [2 Corinthians 11:3-4] Hundreds of millions live … Continue reading →
Amillennialism owes its major impetus to the well-known Catholic theologian Augustine. He decided that the kingdom could not be literal, holding that there will be no physical, earthly millennial kingdom over which Christ will rule. To Augustine, it must be a spiritual kingdom. The kingdom of God, he declared, was “in the hearts” of faithful men, not in an actual literal kingdom on the earth over which Christ would one day rule. At first, he was convinced that the thousand-year … Continue reading →
Officially, Roman Catholics worship only God – the Father, the incarnate Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Church, however, encourages veneration of the saints, with the virgin Mary foremost among them. Mary has received incredibly high-sounding titles, such as Mediatrix of all Grace (because Jesus came into the world through her), Co-Redeemer, Advocate and Dispenser of God’s Grace, and “Queen of Heaven,” despite the fact that the prophet Jeremiah strongly condemned the Jews of his day for worshiping a personality … Continue reading →
On March 29, 1994, leading evangelicals and Catholics signed a joint declaration, “Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the 3rd. Millennium.” Contained within the document, which attempts to bring ecumenical unity, are some seriously compromising agreements regarding proselytizing and doctrinal distinctions. The 25-page document, originated by Chuck Colson and Catholic social critic Richard John Neuhaus, was signed by 40 noted evangelical and Catholic leaders including Pat Robertson, heads of the Home Mission Board and Christian Life Commission of … Continue reading →
