General

Is Christmas A Pagan Holiday? Part 3, Christmas Trees

By Elysia McColley Read “Is Christmas A Pagan Holiday? Part 2” Santa Claus is not in the Bible, and neither is a holiday commemorating Jesus’ birth on December 25. But what about Christmas trees? Some people point to Jeremiah 10:1-4 to show that Christmas trees actually are in the Bible. The passage reads, Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. This is what the Lord says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified … Read More »

Is Christmas A Pagan Holiday? Part 2, The Feast Of Saturnalia

By Elysia McColley Read “Is Christmas A Pagan Holiday? Part 1” One piece of contention that many people have regarding the “Christian-ness” of Christmas is that it is celebrated on December 25, formerly a pagan feast day. Skeptics may try to assert that Christians merely wanted to co-opt another religion’s holiday and claim it for themselves. This belief is only partially true. Jesus was not born on December 25, and the day was associated with pagan traditions long before His birth. Before getting into a philosophical quagmire, let’s look at … Read More »

Is Christmas A Pagan Holiday? Part 1: Santa Claus

By Elysia McColley There is no question that the holiday we know as Christmas has quite a few pagan elements running through it. In fact, when we speak about the “Yuletide season,” we are referring directly to a pagan holiday – Yule – of the ancient Norse and Germanic peoples. Christmas trees have some, though not all, roots in pagan practices, and Santa Claus himself has many pagan elements, such as elves and magical flying reindeer. Some Christians ardently argue that Christians should not celebrate the holiday at all because … Read More »

Can Homosexuals be Saved?

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) The simple answer is: Of Course! The Gospel is for sinners (and also for the saved). I think it is an imbalanced perspective which takes a particular sin (Homosexuality) and elevates it beyond all other sins. While it is true that the Bible does teach that some sins are worse than others, the Bible also teaches in a general sense that the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). All sin deserves just punishment, and because “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23), all deserve just … Read More »

Do We Live In A Multiverse?

By L. Alfred James Last week we saw that there are aspects of our universe (and our planet) that are amazingly fine-tuned for life. For instance, the force of gravity is just right. It’s not too strong and not too weak. The same is true of the nuclear forces within atoms, the cosmological constant, the laws of thermodynamics, and a host of other things. All told, there are more than 200 things about our universe (and planet) that must be precisely fixed to be just right. The best explanation for … Read More »

What Is Christian Apologetics?

By Elysia McColley If you are reading this blog, you probably have some interest in Christian apologetics. But what is Christian apologetics in the first place? In its broadest sense, apologetics is the branch of theology that seeks to give a rational defense for the faith that we profess. Let’s take a look at what apologetics is, starting with some misconceptions about it. By the end of this article, you will hopefully have a better idea of what this dynamic branch of theology is about and why you should pursue … Read More »

New Testament Manuscripts: The More the Better!

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) The reliability of the New Testament is a central point of interest and importance in apologetics. If the New Testament is not a reliable historical source about the life and ministry of Jesus and the life and belief of the early church, then there is a clear problem and difficulty in defending the New Testament’s truth claims. When examining an ancient document to check for reliability of transmission and accuracy of copying, it is extremely helpful to have a lot of copies. The more … Read More »

Four Powerful Evidences Of Design

By L. Alfred James Did you know gravity is a mystery? Some would even call it a miracle. Scientists have realized that the force of gravity could have been stronger, or it could have been weaker. But bad things happen if you tweak it, even a little. If gravity had been just a tad bit stronger then the galaxies would never have formed after the big bang. Why? Because (immediately following the big bang) all of the matter of the universe would have just clumped back together. Strangely enough, if … Read More »

Why the Bible is Different From Other Holy Books

By Elysia McColley If you spend any time outside of Christian circles, you have probably heard claims that the Bible is one of many holy books and that it shows one of many paths to God. Unfortunately, these claims have made their way into Christian circles, as well, and even some pastors believe that the Bible is one holy book among many. They may believe that the Bible is on equal footing with texts like the Muslim Qur’an, the Hindu Vedas, or the Zoroastrian Gathas. Martin Luther, the founder of … Read More »

If I Am Eternally Secure, Can I Sin All I Want?

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) Of course not! While it is true that we are saved by faith and not by works (Romans 4:5), this does not mean that we can therefore go on living any way we wish. Believers relish in the great grace by which we were saved. God has lavished his love on us even while we were sinners, he sent Christ to die on our behalf (Romans 5:8). In light of this act of grace performed on our behalf, we are called to a higher … Read More »