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Theology

In Blog, Heresies, Theology on
April 3, 2022

Test the Spirits

Everyone is trying to sell us something, whether it be on YouTube ads, interstate billboards, or commercials during the nightly news. Forbes reported in 2017 that the average American is exposed to four thousand to ten thousand ads every single day.[1] Everybody wants to convince us that their product or message will make our lives easier, better, or more enjoyable.

And this isn’t limited to secular media outlets. Even our pastors and churches feed us different messages every week. Many of these messages are rooted in the Word of God and are edifying and uplifting. However, there are also messages being delivered by “pastors” every week that are not rooted in Scripture, that are not truly edifying, and that actually lead people away from the truth of the gospel. Because of this, we must be like the Bereans, examining the Bible to see if what we are hearing lines up with God’s Word (Acts 17:11), and test the spirits (1 John 4:1).

To help you test the messages you’re hearing and discern whether what you’re being taught is biblical truth, I’ve compiled a brief list of nine heresies that originated in the early church and are still popular today and how the Bible disproves them.

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In Blog, Jesus, Theology on
March 7, 2022

Jesus the Christ

Contrary to many people’s belief, “Christ” is not the last name of Jesus. “Christ” is actually more of a title, and it’s the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word “Messiah.” The fact that Jesus is labeled as “the Christ” is significant because it points to Him being the Messiah, the Savior that Israel had longed for and waited for, generation after generation, ever since the Fall of man.

But this title is much more significant than one might initially realize. It also tells us about the work Jesus did during His earthly ministry and the work He continues to do today. The words “Christ” or “Messiah” translate to mean “the Anointed One.” In Israel, there were three offices of authority that were anointed with oil, and Jesus holds all three of them: prophet, priest, and king.

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In Blog, Salvation, Theology on
February 7, 2022

Real Repentance

“Say you’re sorry!”

We’ve all seen it. A child hits a classmate, says something mean to a friend, or steals a toy from a sibling, and the offended child runs to tell an adult. Then, the parent or teacher goes over to the offending child with, “Say you’re sorry!”

But how many children who mutter a begrudging “I’m sorry” are actually sorry? How many of these children will turn around and do the exact same thing again? These children may say that they’re “sorry,” but they’re often just sorry that they got caught, not that they did a bad thing. Because they are not truly sorry, they will go right back to hitting classmates, saying mean things, and stealing toys.

Adults do this, too. We confess to God and say we’re sorry for doing things like gossiping about a co-worker, putting ourselves first, and being envious of what others have. But then we turn around and do these exact same things the very next day. Why do we do this? Why do we continue to commit the same sins we just apologized for? Because we have not really repented.

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In Bible, Blog, Theology on
January 10, 2022

A Brief Guide to Bible Translations

Did you know that there are about 900 English translations of the Bible? Granted, some of these translations are simply revisions of older ones and some translations are only one book or a group of books.[1] But that’s still a lot of translations of God’s Word! When we see all of these different translations that exist, we may begin to wonder why there are so many versions of the Scriptures and whether or not all of these versions can even be trusted.

To help answer these and other frequently asked questions, I have written this brief guide to Bible translations so that you will be equipped to not only understand but also to appreciate the number of English translations we have today.

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
December 13, 2021

Avengers Disassemble

I am a huge fan of Marvel movies. Ever since the debut of the first Iron Man film in 2008, I’ve been hooked on the lives and stories of the characters within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I am such a big fan that two years ago during my month-long Christmas break from school I watched all twenty-three movies in the Infinity Saga in the order that they premiered (if you want proof, check out my Marvel Marathon story highlight on Instagram). This year, I’ve watched every new MCU movie in theaters the weekend it released, I’ve seen every episode of the MCU shows on Disney+ (twice!), and I have plans to see the new Spider-Man: No Way Home movie this Saturday.

Marvel fans, myself included, love these movies because the characters are so relatable, and they face challenges that are similar to the ones we struggle with. They inspire us to face our problems head-on and avenge the wrongdoings that occur in our lives. For those with a strong sense of justice, seeking vengeance against evildoers feels good and right, and surely it must be good and right when it is portrayed so positively in superhero movies. However, the Bible tells a different story.

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