Skip to main content

Featured Post

Beyond the Fire and Brimstone: 5 Impactful Truths About How We Read the Apocalypse

  Beyond the Fire and Brimstone: 5 Impactful Truths About How We Read the Apocalypse I. Introduction: The Enigma of the Unveiling For centuries, the human imagination has been held captive by the specter of the "end of the world." Within contemporary discourse—from Hollywood’s high-octane disaster tropes to the sensationalist headlines of "prophecy experts"—the Book of Revelation is frequently reduced to a gothic horror script or an impenetrable riddle. However, as a scholar of contemporary religion, one must recognize that the Apocalypse is less a cinematic nightmare and more a rigorous hermeneutical battleground . The term apocalypse is derived from the Greek apokalypsis , meaning "unveiling" or "clarity." It is not a synonym for doom; rather, it signifies a profound covenantal shift . It is the King’s battle plan—a war report that pulls back the curtain on the power dynamics of heaven and earth. How we interpret this unveiling does not merely...

Who was Paul the Apostle? Was he not a murderer before Jesus called and redeemed him?

 



Saul of Tarsus, later known as Paul the Apostle, was a significant figure in early Christianity. Born in Tarsus (modern-day Turkey) around the early 1st century, he was a Roman citizen and a devout Pharisee who strictly followed Jewish law. Before his conversion, Saul was a persecutor of Christians, believing that they were a threat to Jewish traditions.

His Conversion to Christianity

Saul's transformation happened on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19):

  • He was traveling to arrest Christians when he was blinded by a bright light.
  • He heard the voice of Jesus, saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
  • He was struck blind and led into Damascus, where he fasted for three days.
  • A disciple named Ananias was sent by God to heal him. When Ananias laid hands on him, Saul regained his sight and was baptized.

Becoming Paul the Apostle

After his conversion:

  • Saul began preaching about Jesus as the Messiah, shocking those who knew his past.
  • He spent years traveling, preaching, and writing letters to churches, which later became part of the New Testament.
  • He adopted the Greek name "Paul", which was common in the Roman world, especially as he spread Christianity to Gentiles (non-Jews).

His Mission and Legacy

  • He undertook several missionary journeys, spreading Christianity across the Roman Empire.
  • He wrote 13 letters (epistles) in the New Testament (e.g., Romans, Corinthians, Galatians).
  • He was eventually arrested in Rome and is believed to have been martyred by beheading under Emperor Nero.

Paul's teachings shaped Christian theology, emphasizing faith in Jesus, grace, and salvation, making him one of the most influential figures in Christian history.

Popular posts from this blog

The Good News

  T he only good news that we ought to know and remember is that Jesus Christ had already won the war against sin and death.  He has made it possible for us to join Him in the afterlife.  All we need now to do is accept Him as He is.  God is alive today and it may be sometimes be difficult to see this.  The world and its demonic nature has still made it look like that only worldly things matter and that the ultimate goal of each one is to achieve their own personal happiness.  This is the biggest lie of all, that we should do all to make us happy. Individual happiness at the expense of someone else is the biggest deception of all. The truth is, our lives are never really about us.  It is ultimately about God and about others.  It is about how you can provide and give joy even at our own expense. This is the model of ultimate and genuine love that Jesus shown us at the cross. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s frie...
Read more

Rest in Peace Pope Francis

The  Life of Pope Francis Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 , in Buenos Aires, Argentina , is the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the first pope from the Americas, the Southern Hemisphere, and the Jesuit order. He became pope on March 13, 2013 , succeeding Pope Benedict XVI. Early Life and Education Jorge Bergoglio was the eldest of five children in a family of Italian immigrants. Before entering the priesthood, he studied chemistry at a technical secondary school , earning a chemical technician's diploma . Later, he experienced a religious calling and joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1958. He studied humanities in Santiago, Chile , and philosophy at the Colegio Máximo de San José in San Miguel, Argentina. He later taught literature and psychology at Jesuit high schools. He also studied theology at the same Jesuit college and was ordained a priest in 1969 . Religious Career Bergoglio became Provincial Superior of the Jesuits...
Read more

The deadly sin of sloth

  In the labyrinthine corridors of the human spirit, there dwells a sinister phantom known as sloth, a spectral wraith that cloaks the soul in the shroud of indolence and inertia. Like a shadow that creeps across the sepulcher of the mind, sloth casts its pall over the aspirations and endeavors of mortals, rendering them prisoners of their own lethargy and torpor. In the bleak landscape of human existence, sloth emerges as a specter of desolation, a ghastly apparition that haunts the recesses of the heart with its icy grip. In the annals of biblical lore, sloth is depicted as a yawning abyss that swallows the soul whole, leaving behind naught but the hollow echo of wasted potential and unfulfilled promise. In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon muses, " The lazy man says, 'There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!'" (Ecclesiastes 22:13) . In this bleak pronouncement, Solomon unveils the self-imposed prison of sloth, wherein the slothful soul cowers ...
Read more