church
Analyses of ecclesiology, church authority, mission, and the biblical foundation of the Christian community.
Does the Apostles' ability to forgive sins imply their deity, too? Paid Members Public
A Series of Answers to Common Questions Sam Shamoun Question: According to Jesus, no one knows the day or hour of his coming in judgment except the Father (cf. Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32). No one obviously includes the Holy Spirit. Yet, if the Holy Spirit doesn’t know
Did God want Christ's followers to be called Christians? Paid Members Public
A Series of Answers to Common Questions Sam Shamoun Question: The terms Islam and Muslims are found all throughout the Quran (cf. 2:130-133; 3:19-20, 67, 84-85; 5:3; 22:78), indicating that these are revealed names from God unlike the terms Christianity and Christian(s). These words are
Does the Apostles' ability to forgive sin imply their deity, too? Paid Members Public
A Series of Answers to Common Questions Sam Shamoun Question: An argument that Christians often use to demonstrate that Jesus is God according to the Bible is that he had the authority to forgive sins. However, according to the Gospel of John (cf. John 20:23) the disciples also had
Origen's Christology: A Response to the Cults Paid Members Public
Sam Shamoun It is common for heretics and apostates like Jehovah's Witnesses and Muslims to misquote the early Church Fathers and to read their own post-biblical and heretical views back into the Patristic writings. One such Father that is often misquoted is Origen. Heretics and apostates often misquote
The Apostles of Christ: Messengers of God or Mere Disciples? Paid Members Public
Sam Shamoun According to certain Muslim expositors, there is a story in the Quran that affirms that Jesus' disciples functioned as God's messengers. Here is the story in question, which will be followed with comments from some of Islam's best-known commentators and historians: Set forth