Church history and the development of Christian doctrine.
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 1019 Higher criticism has generated strong reactions in the church for more than two centuries, and those reactions are largely warranted. It is worth understanding precisely what the discipline is, where it came from, what conclusions it has reached, and why those conclusions deserve the scrutiny they have received, since the issues it raises…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 01167 One of the most instructive parallels in the history of biblical translation is the parallel between the authority claimed for the Latin Vulgate by the mediaeval and Counter-Reformation Catholic church and the authority claimed for the King James Version by modern KJV-Only advocates. The parallel is not coincidental. Recognising it illuminates both positions:…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 01168 The Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Vaticanus are two of the oldest and most important manuscripts of the Christian Bible in existence. Both date from the fourth century AD, making them several centuries older than the manuscripts Erasmus used to compile the Textus Receptus in 1516. Their existence and content lie at the…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 01169 The New Testament has been transmitted in over 5,800 Greek manuscripts, along with thousands more in Latin, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Gothic, and other ancient languages. This remarkable abundance of manuscript evidence is one of the strongest arguments for the New Testament’s textual reliability compared to any other work of antiquity. But not all…
Reading Time: 7 minutesQuestion 0010 Before we can answer why, we should be clear about what we mean by a catechism. The word comes from the Greek κατηχέω (katēcheō), meaning “to teach by word of mouth” or “to instruct.” Luke uses this word in his Gospel when he tells Theophilus that he is writing “that you may have…
Reading Time: 2 minutesQuestion 13002 Today, October 31st, marks Reformation Day. So who was Martin Luther? Luther was a German monk, tormented by his sin, desperately trying to earn salvation through religious practices and good works. He found no peace. Then, whilst studying Romans 1:17 – “the righteous shall live by faith” – everything changed. He realised salvation…