Closing the Canon
Athanasius (296-373 AD) had a remarkable but tumultuous life. His physical appearance was apparently quite striking: he was very short with a dark complexion and black hair. His opponents dubbed…
From Persecution to Empire
The third century was a tumultuous time for the Roman Empire. 30 emperors reigned during this century, but few died peacefully. Most were victims of bloody coups which triggered further…
New Wine & New Wineskins
The 27 books which were eventually included in the New Testament were all produced by the end of the 1st century. The gospel of Mark (which drew heavily upon the…
The Things Fulfilled Among Us
"Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the…
Is Your Bible the Right Size?
Over the last 500 years, Protestants and Catholics have disagreed over the content of the scriptures. The Catholic Bible contains 7 additional Old Testament books: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon,…
Reformation and the Apocrypha
Western Christendom was torn asunder by an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther. On October 31, 1517, Luther posted 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. Composed…
Things That Are Hidden
Most Christians own at least one Bible - hopefully one which is frequently read and well- worn. But many would be surprised to learn that the Bible they possess is…
Translation of the Seventy
The last few weeks we've been tracing the formation of the Old Testament. Let's summarize what we've learned so far. The key criterion for inclusion in the sacred writings was…
The Hebrew Canon
Here are the closing words of the Torah: "Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous…
The Bible Examined
The Bible has had a profound effect upon Western Civilization in general & the United States in particular. Depending on which survey you look at, the typical American household owns…