Thoughts on Authorship of the Pauline Corpus

Modern scholarship sees some of the letters of Paul as being genuinely written by Paul and others as written later by others.

There is strong consensus in modern New Testament scholarship on a core group of authentic Pauline epistles whose authorship is rarely contested: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon.

Several additional letters bearing Paul's name are disputed among scholars, namely Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, Ephesians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus. Scholarly opinion is sharply divided on whether or not Colossians and 2 Thessalonians are genuine letters of Paul.

 The remaining four contested epistles – Ephesians, as well as the three known as the Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus) – have been labeled pseudepigraphical works by most critical scholars

Wikipedia

I am skeptical about this approach. It has flaws that come with the modern historical method.

The letters in question all have Paul's name on them

These are not anonymous letters. Like the other letters, they all have Paul's name on them.

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

2 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

The assumption of the modern critical scholars is that the writers of these letters forged Paul's name on them in order to get them accepted. The burden of proof is on the critics and in my view, they have failed to meet that burden.

The Circulation of the Epistles

The Epistles themselves show that they were copied and shared with other churches but this was on an ad hoc basis (Sufficiency of Scripture?). Saint Peter knew of at least some of the Letters of Saint Paul (Saint Peter on Saint Paul - Scripture and Tradition).

The Letters were quoted by the Church Fathers

Some of the early Church Fathers quoted fewer of the Epistles than others. They quoted what they needed.

Polycarp quoted most of the questioned Epistles and he was very early. Titus is very brief so the lack of quotations from there is not a significant piece of evidence.

Polycarp of Smyrna (69–156 AD) not only quoted from 2 Thessalonians but also the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke, Acts of the Apostles, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Epistle to the Hebrews, 1 Peter, 1 John, 3 John. (The Development of the Canon of the New Testament)

An absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. It seems that a better explanation of the lack of quotes from some the earliest Church Fathers that some of the letters were not in circulation as much as others.

The Letters were accepted by the Church as Canonical

All of these matters were adjudicated by the Church. They were much closer in time to the events and had a motive to ensure the corpus was authentic. The tradition of the Church knew the authentic from the inauthentic epistles.

Writings attributed to the apostles circulated among the earliest Christian communities. The Pauline epistles were circulating, perhaps in collected forms, by the end of the 1st century AD. Justin Martyr, in the mid 2nd century, mentions "memoirs of the apostles" as being read on "the day called that of the sun" (Sunday) alongside the "writings of the prophets. A defined set of four gospels (the Tetramorph) was asserted by Irenaeus, c. 180, who refers to it directly.

Wikipedia

Motives of the Scholars

These scholars have a motive that is so ancient that it is found in the words of the Serpent in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Epistle Reading 2024-12-05

ST. PAUL'S LETTER TO THE GALATIANS 5:22-26; 6:1-2

Brethren, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another. Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

The words, "have crucified" are a single verb in the Greek ἐσταύρωσαν and are in the aorist tense. There's no simple equivalent in English to the aorist tense. It is often translated in the past tense but that does not mean the action from the event isn't continuing. For us, the act of crucifying the flesh came when we came to Christ. It continues all our lives as we walk in the Spirit.

We are called to bear one another's burden. We do this through helping others and prayer. This is the opposite of causing strife among the brethren.

Gospel Reading 2024-12-03

LUKE 21:12-19

The Lord said to his disciples, "Beware of men who will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony. Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.

The Paradox

This is the true paradox of the Christian life. It is the ultimate goal to protect ones on life but to do so requires losing that life. How do we resolve this apparent paradox? It is by realizing that this life is but for a moment compared to eternity. 

How Then Do We Live?

We are told that the way to live this life is to keep ourselves in the love of God.

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

The word, "keep" in this verse is a verb in the aorist tense and it is active. It requires effort (the active part of the verb) without regards to time (the aorist part). The aorist tense -

 Is characterized by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time.

This "keeping" is not a completed act, but it is on-going throughout our entire life in Christ.

Gospel Reading 2024-11-26

LUKE 19:45-48

At that time, Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of robbers." And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people hung upon his words.

 

Nazarite Vows

Josephus briefly recounts an episode where, in the 12th year of the reign of Nero, during the outbreak of the First Jewish-Roman War, Bernice (the sister of King Agrippa II) had put herself under a Nazirite vow and had come to Jerusalem thirty days before she was to offer her sacrifices, Wikipedia

Did Mary take such an oath?

Saints of the Day 2024-11-26

Alypius the Stylite of Adrianopolis

Orthodox Christianity Then and Now

Nikon Metanoeite

Orthodox Christianity Then and Now

Stylianos the Monk of Paphlagonia

Orthodox Christianity Then and Now

George the New Martyr of Chios

Orthodox Christianity Then and Now

Akakios of Sinai who is mentioned in The Ladder, Innocent of Irkutsk

Orthodox Christianity Then and Now

Epistle Reading 2024-11-26

ST. PAUL'S FIRST LETTER TO THE THESSALONIANS 1:6-10

Brethren, you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit; so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us what a welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Church Fathers 2024-11-25

Catherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria

Catherine of Alexandria, also spelled Katherine[a] (Greek: Αίκατερίνη) is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the emperor Maxentius. According to her hagiography, she was both a princess and a noted scholar who became a Christian around age 14, converted hundreds of people to Christianity, and was martyred around age 18. More than 1,100 years after Catherine's martyrdom, Joan of Arc identified her as one of the saints who appeared to and counselled her.

Catherine as a Model for our Lives

Mercurius the Great Martyr of Caesarea in Cappadocia

Orthodox Christianity Then and Now

Gospel Reading 2024-11-25

MARK 5:24-34

At that time, a great crowd followed Jesus and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well." And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

The Fathers

Ephrem The Syrian AD 373

Glory to you, hidden Son of God, because your healing power is proclaimed through the hidden suffering of the afflicted woman. Through this woman whom they could see, the witnesses were enabled to behold the divinity that cannot be seen. Through the Son’s own healing power his divinity became known. Through the afflicted woman’s being healed her faith was made manifest. She caused him to be proclaimed, and indeed was honored with him. For truth was being proclaimed together with its heralds. If she was a witness to his divinity, he in turn was a witness to her faith…. He saw through to her hidden faith, and gave her a visible healing. Commentary on Tatian’s Diatessaron. 

Peter Chrysologus AD 450

No seas were ever so troubled by the ebb and flow of the tide, as the mind of this woman, pulled to and fro by the sway of her thoughts. After all the hopeless strivings of physicians, after all her outlay on useless remedies, after all the usual but useless treatment, when skill and experience had so long failed, all her substance was gone. This was not by chance, but divinely ordered, that she might be healed solely through faith and humility, whom human knowledge had failed through so many years. At a little distance apart from him stood this woman, whom nature had filled with modesty, whom the law had declared unclean, saying of her: She shall be unclean and shall touch no holy thing. She fears to touch, lest she incur the anger of the religious leaders, or the condemnation of the law. For fear of being talked about, she dares not speak, lest she embarrass those about her, lest she offend their ears. Through many years her body has been an arena of suffering. Everyday, unceasing pain she can endure no more. The Lord is passing by so quickly. The time is short to think what she must do, aware that healing is not given to the silent, nor to the one who hides her pain. In the midst of her conflicting thoughts, she sees a way, her sole way of salvation. She would secure her healing by stealth, take in silence what she dares not ask for, guarding her respect and modesty. She who feels unworthy in body, draws near in heart to the physician. In faith she touches God. With her hand she touches his garment, knowing that both healing and forgiveness may be bestowed on this stratagem, undertaken due to the demands of modesty, and not as she otherwise would have preferred. She knew the gain she sought by stealth would cause no loss to him from whom she took it…. In an instant, faith cures where human skill had failed through twelve years

 

Epistle Reading 2024-11-25

ST. PAUL'S LETTER TO THE GALATIANS 3:23-29; 4:1-5

Brethren, before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave, though he is the owner of all the estate; but he is under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption.

It is by adoption that we become sons of God. This is all about theosis. This passage is very well covered in this podcast. 

Church Fathers 2024-11-24

Our Holy Father Clement, Pope of Rome (AD 96)

Our father among the saints Clement of Rome (also called Clemens Romanus to distinguish him from Clement of Alexandria) was the third in succession after the Apostle Peter as bishop of Rome. Clement is known mainly for the letter he wrote to the Corinthians in about AD 96. He is counted among the apostolic fathers.
The letter sent in about the year 96 to the Church of Corinth in the name of the Church of Rome has been attributed to Clement. The letter was sent in an attempt to restore peace and unity in the Corinthian church, where apparently a few violent people had revolted against the leadership of the church community. OrthodoxWiki Page

Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria

Pope Peter I of Alexandria (Greek: Πέτρος Α΄ Αλεξανδρείας, Coptic: Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ ⲁ̅, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ ⲓⲉⲣⲟⲙⲁⲣⲧⲩⲣⲟⲥ ⲡⲓⲁⲣⲭⲏⲉⲣⲉⲩⲥ[1]) was the 17th Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria from 302 to 311. He is revered as a saint by the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Catholic Church. Wikipedia page

Hermogenes, the Martyr

Georgiy Yefremovich Dolganyov was a prominent Russian Orthodox religious figure, a monarchist and anti-communist, who supported the Union of the Russian People and Black Hundreds. In 1917, he was appointed as Hermogenes, Bishop of Tobolsk and Siberia. In April 1918, he was arrested by Bolsheviks and drowned in the Tura River. Wikipedia page

Philoumenos and Christopher the Martyrs

Othodox Christianity Then and Now

Apologetics - Substance and Style

 There are some apologists for the faith who have great content but fail the test of a real apologist.

2 Timothy 2:25-26 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

In our enthusiasm to share the truth of Christ and His Body, the Church, may we keep Hs Spirit at the top of our mind and act as He acts. It's as important how we say something as what we say.

Gospel Reading 2024-11-24

LUKE 18:18-27 At that time, a ruler came to Jesus and asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.' " And he said, "All these I have observed from my youth." And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looking at him said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God.

The Fathers

Titus of Bostra (died c. 378)

For He speaks of avoiding of evil, not practicing of good. And any cessation from action is easier than any actual work. Our Lord next declares, that though a man has kept the old covenant, he is not perfect, since he lacks to follow Christ. You yet lack one thing, Sell all that you have As if He says, you ask how to possess eternal life; scatter your goods among the poor, and you shall obtain it. A little thing is that you spend, you receive great things.

Jerome AD 420

The young man speaks false, for if he had fulfilled that which was afterwards placed among the commandments, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, how was it that when he heard, Go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, he went away sorrowful?

Epistle Reading 2024-11-24

ST. PAUL'S LETTER TO THE GALATIANS 6:11-18 Brethren, see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

Circumcision - Sign of the Old Covenant

Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant.

Gen 17:9-14 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

The Covenant of Circumcision was Ratified by Joshua at the Conquest 

Joshua 5:2-3 At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

A New Covenant was Promised in the Old Testament

Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Deuteronomy 30:6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

The New Covenant was Inaugurated by Christ

διαθήκη diathḗkē, dee-ath-ay'-kay; from G1303; properly, a disposition, i.e. (specially) a contract (especially a devisory will): Alternately translated as covenant or testament.

1 Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Mathew 26:26-28 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Hebrews Lays this out in Detail

Heb 8:8-13 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

The New Covenant Sign is Baptism

 Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

 

Synergism is Scriptural

The   Greek word, συνεργέω, is transliterated as synergeō and is translated as "workers together" in this passage:

2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

 This same word is used in many passages in the New Testament.

Mark 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with G4903 them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together G4903 for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

1 Corinthians 16:16 That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth G4903 with us, and laboureth.

James 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought G4903 with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

The James 2:22 verse is particularly important. We play an important part in our salvation. We can't save ourselves, only God can save. But we provide faith and works. These things work together.

Epistle Reading for 2024-11-23

2 Cor 5:1-10 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

There are a great many things in this passage that are clearly revealed here more than in other places in Scripture. One of these is the state of the soul after death. We won't be some ethereal disembodied spirit, but we will receive our resurrection bodies. Our bodies will be raised from mortality to immortality.

The judgement of all men will happen. This judgment will be done based on what we did in the bodies we have now. This is a call to live in holiness and the fear of God in the here and now. The judgment will be final.

This life has pain and suffering but glimpses of the glory that is to be revealed. John adds further detail about that life to come.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

The Glory that Christ has with the Father will be ours on that day.

John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Paul referred to the same thing. 

Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Theosis is this - Christ in me, the hope of glory.

Colossans 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

This is not an incidental doctrine. It is the goal of our lives in Christ. It is what we push on towards.

Gospel Reading for 2024-11-23

Luke 10:19-20 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

This is set when the "70 others also" returned to Jesus. They saw that even the demons were subject to them. Jesus saw the Devil fall from power "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." The kingdom of Satan was forever changed and weakened. His power over men was being taken down. Jesus left this authority with His Church.

Tradition in Scripture

The Greek word παραδόσεις (paradosis) is translated in various ways in the KJV and NIV Bibles. This obscures the fact that it's the same word in Greek G3862 in Strong's.

In this verse, it's translated as "ordinances" and is a command to keep the traditions that Paul himself delivered to the Church.

1 Cor 11:1-2 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

There are many examples where the word is translated as "tradition(s)" and used in a negative sense to separate the traditions of man from the traditions of God. For instance:

Matthew 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

In addition to 1 Cor 11 (see above) there are at least two other passages where Paul instructs the Church to follow the traditions he delivered to the Church.

2 Thes 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions G3862 which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

2 Thes 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition G3862 which he received of us.

 

Assurance of Salvation

Protestant Notion of the Assurance of Salvation is Unbiblical

To a Protestant in the Reformed tradition, these words of Paul can be nothing but a theoretical impossibility.

1 Cor 9:27 But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

This ascetic struggle is what the Church calls its members to perform. 

So how can we have an assurance of salvation?

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Saints of the Day - 2024-11-23

Here are the Saints of the Day

Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, Gregory, Bishop of Agrigentum, Dionysios, Patriarch of Constantinople, Ischyrion, Bishop of Egypt, Afterfeast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple, Sisinios the Confessor

Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium

He lived about 340-394 AD. His biography can be found here. He is important for his presentation of Christ as having "two natures in one person". He was not an innovator in terms of substance, but used philosophical terms in a unique way that added to the ability to the Church to communicate the person of Christ.

Gregory, Bishop of Agrigentum

He died circa 590 AD. His biography can be found here. He participated in the fifth Ecumenical Council. He spoke against the Monothelite heresy. Miracles of healing are attributed to him. He was charged with being with a prostitute which was proven later to be false charge but only shown to be so after many trials including prison.

Dionysios, Patriarch of Constantinople

His biography can be found here. Dionysius I (Greek: Διονύσιος; died 1492) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople two times, from 1466 to 1471 and from 1488 to 1490. He was a pupil of Mark, Archbishop of Ephesus, who ordained him as priest.

Ischyrion, Bishop of Egypt

His biography can be found here.

Sisinios the Confessor

His biography can be found here.