#Early Church Theology

[rosario-aurelius]

Love Under Will: An Introduction to Thelema and Its Antecedents

When Aleister Crowley coined the term “the aim of religion, the method of science,” he was advancing the tradition of humanism for the reunion of science and religion into what Eliphas Levi called the catholic or universal religion of humanity. The aim of scientific illuminism is the advancement of uniting these seeming opposites into a fabric whose unit, based on scientific analysis and…

[la-galaxie-langblr]

today on random languages my brain is going 👀 at is biblical hebrew and biblical greek

[owenbroadcast]

today is trinity sunday.  the athanasian creed, which ive seen dated from the 6th to 9th centuries, is one of the most standard formal descriptions of the trinity.  if youd like to read it for the first time, refresh yourself, or just think about it, i illustrated it here.

[theridgebeyond]

[seekingtheosis]

Understanding Formal Creed Statements: Its Need in Early Christianity

Explore the need for formal creed statements in early Christianity, addressing false teachings like Gnosticism, Docetism, and Arianism to preserve the true faith of the Church.

In the name of God the Father, Christ Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit, One True God. Amen. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus In the previous blog, where we introduced the topic of the Statement of Faith, we learned how the early Christian statement of faith, encapsulated in the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, played a pivotal role in defining and uniting Christian belief across…

[raspberryzingaaa]

Thinking about going to World Most Boring Bible Study Ever. Idk yall. Idk. Idek.

[troybeecham]

Today the Church remembers the Annunciation of the Incarnation of the Son of God to a young Israelite girl named Maryam (Mary) by the angel Gabriel.

Blessed day on which we remember the astonishing faith of this young girl who said "yes" to bearing the Son of God, becoming pregnant before being wed to her betrothed, when "yes" might have led to her being rejected by her family, shunned by her people, or even being stoned to death. Thank you, blessed one. Because of your faith in the love of God our Savior was born and the universe has been transformed.

Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

[kurgarru]

Ok this is going to be the most annoying lengthy comment of all time but I simply must, I’m sorry.

One interesting aspect of this discussion is the implication that fandom’s perspective this represents the shock of the new. However, there are extensive Christian traditions on the particular intimate relationships between Jesus Christ and Judas Iscarriot, Jesus Christ and Peter, and most of all, Jesus Christ and John the Apostle.

In the case of Judas, so much has been speculated and written about the kiss he gives Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane that a “Judas kiss” is its common own phrase, an idiomatic reference to a betrayal under the guise of affection. The event has a commemorative day in both the Western and Eastern Rite liturgical calendars (Spy Wednesday, aka Great and Holy Wednesday). While the Greek word used in the Synoptic gospels (specifically Matthew and Mark) to describe the kiss, καταφιλέω, kataphileó, can be contrasted with a different word, φιλεῖν, philein (typically, horny kidding), and is commonly used for a greeting, that’s not the only way it’s ever been perceived. Thank you to the Wikipedia editor who pointed and sourced that Lutheran theologian Johann Bengel claims that Judas *repeatedly kisses* Jesus, and that it is not just a singular kiss: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/bengel/matthew/26.htm

The additional reference to the use of the same word, καταφιλέω, kataphileó, to describe Alexander the Great kissing the Persian eunuch Bagaos in greeting - something the troops, with whom Bagaos was very popular, apparently demanded - might raise the odd eyebrow, and doesn’t entirely banish the ghost of the erotic from it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_of_Judas

The nature of the falling-out (friends to enemies to ???) between Judas and Jesus has been written on so much that I wouldn’t know where to begin or end. Flavius Josephus claimed Judas was a founder of the Zealots, a new divergent Jewish philosophy, but Josephus had also fully jumped ship to the Roman cause after his surrender and enslavement, and sought to blame the Roman War of 66–73 CE predominantly on the Zealots: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jewish_War

‘Iscarriot’ was not a surname (surnames as now used in the global north were not used by Jews in this era), but likely a reference to the Latin ‘sicarii’, a wielder of a dagger, and/or the Sicarii sub-group of the Zealots, who were well-known as political assassins. Speculation on the falling-out as being primarily political (Judas fed up that Jesus wasn’t acting against Roman rule enough) has been a long tradition, dating largely from Josephus, but it’s not the only one. Suffice it to say, Jesus/Judas and Judas/Jesus have long been implicitly and even explicitly speculated on.

Arguably the far stronger tradition, however, is about Jesus and John the Apostle (as distinct from other Biblical Johns including John the Baptist). Frequently considered to be the subject of the line referring to the “disciple Jesus most loved”, in the Gospel of John, this intimacy was so well-established that by the time James II was getting criticism for his extremely queer relationship with George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, he famously defended their closeness as confirming to the highest ideals of friends: “as Christ had John, I have George”. More on James, George, and the criminalisation of sodomy here: https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/blogs/democratic-citizenship/mary-george-homosexual-relationships-in-the-time-of-king-james-i-were-forbidden-but-not-uncommon

Rictor Norton makes reference to it, particularly in ‘Mother Clap’s Molly House’, his well/known history of C18 homosexuality: http://rictornorton.co.uk/eighteen/mother.htm

Detailed interview with Norton here (note that he has a tendency to be rather antagonistic towards bisexuality): https://notchesblog.com/2022/05/07/an-interview-with-historian-rictor-norton/

A fascinating historical coincidence maybe, but an account of a C17 same-sex marriage ceremony took place at the church of San Giovanni a Porta Latina “Saint John Before the Latin Gate". This church was dedicated to John the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of John and frequently identified as…John the Apostle. More in this book: https://notchesblog.com/2017/01/19/same-sex-marriage-in-renaissance-rome/

The Jesus/John relationship (no dynamics implied) was so well-established within the culture of early modernity that this only strengthened that reading. John Boswell made reference to it in his final and seminal (though also criticised) book, ‘The Marriage of Likeness’ : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-Sex_Unions_in_Pre-Modern_Europe

More on his analysis here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/gay-marriages-centuries-old-1570056.html

To this very day, the queer possibility of John/Jesus remains of keen interest to LGBTQIA and progressive Christians, and pops up quite frequently: https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2012/apr/20/was-jesus-gay-probably

The TLDR of this interminable comment is probably: the established shipping wars of Christianity long predate us, so yeah why not make the boys of 1st century CE Judea kiss? That “Jesus FUCKS” tag isn’t blasphemy, it’s ~theology.

sometimes i’m like ‘fanfiction can’t shock me anymore i’m numb to it’ then i find this shit

[osmerharris]

The Significance of John's Gospel for Jewish Believers. An Overview.

Having heard the theological breakdowns of John’s gospel, I am acknowledging that these portrayals are most assuredly there. However, all those word pictures seem to do little for me as I am always taken back by the power and depth of this introduction “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Sadly, most of us do not grasp what is being said here; it is…

[remso]

The Significance of John's Gospel for Jewish Believers. An Overview.

Having heard the theological breakdowns of John’s gospel, I am acknowledging that these portrayals are most assuredly there. However, all those word pictures seem to do little for me as I am always taken back by the power and depth of this introduction “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Sadly, most of us do not grasp what is being said here; it is…

[mindfulldsliving]

Responding to Tom Knoff: Early Church Councils, Scripture, and Apostolic Authority Through a Latter-day Saint Lens

Tom Knoff’s article highlights a pressing issue: how the early Church councils inform our ability to face today’s theological challenges. Drawing from the councils at Nicaea and Constantinople, he argues that their reliance on scripture and precise doctrine was central to confronting heresies like Arianism. The Church has long faced challenges in clarifying and defending the person and nature of…

[compassionmattersmost]

When Christianity Became the Empire: A Reflection on Faith, Power, and Deception

Throughout history, the story of Christianity has been one of profound transformation. From its humble beginnings as a faith centered on the teachings of Jesus—a man who preached love, forgiveness, and non-violence—Christianity evolved into a powerful institution, closely tied to the machinery of empire. This evolution raises important questions about the nature of faith, power, and the dangers…

[thinkingonscripture]

The God-Man: Understanding the Deity and Humanity of Jesus

At a point in time, the eternal Son of God added humanity to Himself, simultaneously becoming God and man, Creator and creature, the unique theanthropic person (John 1:1, 14, 18; 8:58; 10:33; 20:28; Col 2:9; Heb 1:8). Jesus is the God-man and exists in hypostatic union, as a single Person with a divine and human nature (John 1:1, 14; 1 John 4:2-3), both natures being distinct and preserved, not…

[seekingtheosis]

Defending the Divinity of Christ: The Church's Battle Against Arianism - Part 4

Discover how the early Church defended the divinity of Christ against Arianism. Learn about Arian beliefs, the Nicene Creed, and key Church Fathers who safeguarded orthodox Christian doctrine.

In the name of God the Father, Christ Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit, One True God. Amen. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus In the previous blog, we delved into the early heretical movement of Gnosticism, a significant threat to early Christian doctrine. Gnosticism’s emphasis on secret knowledge, dualism, and a distinct interpretation of Christ’s nature prompted the Church to…

[bristolchurch]

Saturday Worship: A Sabbath Stuck in Time or a Day of Divine Delight?

Early Christian practise saw a dramatic change as it transitioned from Sabbath observance to Lord’s Day observance. This blog examines the historical and theological aspects of this change, offering light on the discussions and interpretations around it. Background information: The early Christian communities included both Jewish and Gentile believers, necessitating a close investigation of…

[troybeecham]

Today, the Church honors St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist.

Ora pro nobis.

Matthew the Apostle (also known as Levi) was, according to the Bible, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to Christian tradition, one of the four Gospel writers (Evangelists). Among the early followers and apostles of Jesus, Matthew is mentioned in Matthew 9:9 and Matthew 10:3 as a publican, or tax collector, who, while sitting at the "receipt of custom" in Capernaum, was called to follow Jesus. He is also listed among the twelve, but without identification of his background, in Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13. In passages parallel to Matthew 9:9, both Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27 describe Jesus' calling of the tax collector Levi, the son of Alphaeus, but Mark and Luke never explicitly equate this Levi with the Matthew named as one of the twelve.

We do not know much with certainty about Matthew himself beyond what is mentioned in the Scriptures. He was born some time in the 1st c. AD, probably in Galilee, and was the son of Alpheus. As a tax collector he would have had to have been literate in Hebrew Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. His fellow Jews would have despised him, and all tax collectors, for what was seen as collaborating with the Roman occupation force and being therefore a traitor.

According to the Gospel, Matthew was working at a collection booth in Capernaum when Christ came to him and asked, "Follow me." With this simple call, Matthew became a disciple of Christ. After his call, Matthew invited Jesus home for a feast. On seeing this, the Scribes and the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. This prompted Jesus to answer, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Mark 2:17, Luke 5:32)

The New Testament records that as a disciple, he followed Jesus, and was one of the witnesses of the Resurrection and the Ascension of Jesus. Afterwards, the disciples withdrew to an upper room (Acts 1:10–14) (traditionally the Cenacle) in Jerusalem to await the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, after which the disciples remained in and about Jerusalem and proclaimed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and performed many miracles. The Scriptures record that many came to the Faith, including a large number of priests.

In the Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 43a) "Mattai" (a nickname for Matthew in Hebrew Aramaic) is named as one of five disciples of "Jeshu". Later Church fathers such as Irenaeus (Against Heresies 3.1.1) and Clement of Alexandria claim that Matthew preached the Gospel to the Jewish community in Judea, before going to other countries. Ancient writers are not agreed as to what these other countries are. The Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church each hold the tradition that Matthew died as a martyr. The Babylonian Talmud appears to report his execution in Sanhedrin 43a.

According to Church tradition, while preaching in Ethiopia, Matthew converted, and then consecrated to God, Ephigenia of Ethiopia, the virgin daughter of the Aethiopian King Egippus. When King Hirtacus succeeded Egippus, he asked the apostle if he could persuade Ephigenia, his neice, to marry him. Matthew thus invited King Hirtacus to a worship service the following Sunday where he rebuked the king for lusting after the girl, as had consecrated herself to God and therefore was the bride of Christ. The enraged King ordered his bodyguard to kill Matthew who stood at the altar, making him a martyr.

Early Church tradition holds that the Gospel of Matthew was written by the apostle Matthew, sometime between AD 40-51. This tradition is first attested, among the extant writings of the first and second centuries, with the early Christian bishop Papias of Hierapolis (c. AD 60–163), who is cited by the Church historian Eusebius (AD 260–340), as follows:

"Matthew collected the sayings of or about Jesus in the Hebrew Aramaic language, and each one interpreted them as best he could." Likewise, early Christian theologian Origen (c. 184–c. 253) indicates that the first gospel was written by Matthew, and that his gospel was composed in Hebrew Aramaic near Jerusalem for Hebrew Christians, which he then translated it into Greek. The Hebrew Aramaic original was kept at the Library of Caesarea. Sometime in the late fourth or early fifth century, the Nazarene Community transcribed a copy for Jerome, which he used in his work. This Gospel was called the Gospel according to the Hebrews or sometimes the Gospel of the Apostles, and it was once believed that it was the original to the 'Greek Matthew' found in the Bible.

We thank you, heavenly Father, for the witness of your apostle and evangelist Matthew to the Gospel of your Son our Savior, Jesus; and we pray that, after his example, we may with ready wills and hearts obey the calling of our Lord to follow him; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.