history
Historical analysis of religious developments, events, and theological movements relevant to apologetics.
Patriarch Timothy I on Muhammad Paid Members Public
The following excerpt is taken from The apology of Timothy the Patriarch before the Caliph Mahdi, translated by Alphonse Mingana, published by Manchester University Press, England, 1928, pp. 196-198. Timothy I (AD 780-823) was the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East who made an apology for the Christian
St. Jerome on Illustrious Men Paid Members Public
I quote a part of St. Jerome’s De Viris Illustribus (Illustrious Men), in which he writes in respect to some of the most influential Christians that ever lived, starting with specific Apostles of our Lord. The details he gives about their lives, works and even deaths are truly remarkable
Who Killed Goliath? Paid Members Public
The following is taken from the late Dr. Gleason L. Archer’s Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, published by Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI 1982, pp. 177-178. Who killed Goliath–David or Elhanan? 1 Samuel 17:50 states that David cut off Goliath’s head with the giant’s own
The Reformation and Purgatory Paid Members Public
Quotations provided by William Albrecht. All emphasis is mine. DESIDERIUS ERASMUS It’s not surprising that Erasmus affirmed Purgatory since he was Catholic after all: “Even three hundred years after the birth of Christ, it was permitted to debate whether there was any fire in purgatory; some interpreted fire to
Muhammad Gets Mounted by Men! Paid Members Public
According to a sahih (sound, authentic) narration, a group of tall, scrawny men mounted and rode Muhammad all night long, which caused him tremendous pain and exhaustion: إن عبدالله قال إستبعثني رسول الله ﷺ قال فانطلقنا حتى أتيت مكان كذا وكذا فخطَّ لي خطة فقال لي كن بين ظهرَي
Mark 16, Bruce Metzger & Misinformation Paid Members Public
The following is taken from James E. Snapp Jr.’s post: Mark 16, Bruce Metzger, and Misinformation. Tuesday, June 19, 2012 Very many commentators, when considering Mark 16:9-20, have not investigated the subject directly. Instead, they have relied upon the late Dr. Bruce Metzger’s handbooks A Textual Commentary
Eusebius, Jesus’ Prophecies, Josephus & the Canon Paid Members Public
In this post I will be taking excerpts from Eusebius’ Church History, Book III. In these extracts Eusebius mentions the ministry of the Apostles, their dispersion throughout the world, and some of the books attributed to them and others which were disputed by the early Church, such as 2 Peter.
The Relatives of the Lord Paid Members Public
In this post I will be citing extracts from Eusebius’ monumental work , written in the first quarter of the fourth century AD. I will be focusing primarily on what he says in respect to the relatives of our Lord, where the historian relies heavily on the five-volume work of a