Tag: Scripture

by Zachary Shuster

A History of Interpreting Genesis 6:1-4 (Part II)

וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּֽי־הֵחֵ֣ל הָֽאָדָ֔ם לָרֹ֖ב עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וּבָנ֖וֹת יֻלְּד֥וּ לָהֶֽם׃ וַיִּרְא֤וּ בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־בְּנ֣וֹת הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֥י טֹבֹ֖ת הֵ֑נָּה וַיִּקְח֤וּ לָהֶם֙ נָשִׁ֔ים מִכֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּחָֽרוּ׃ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֗ה לֹֽא־יָד֨וֹן רוּחִ֤י בָֽאָדָם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ם בְּשַׁגַּ֖ם ה֣וּא בָשָׂ֑ר וְהָי֣וּ יָמָ֔יו מֵאָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֖ים שָׁנָֽה׃ הַנְּפִלִ֞ים הָי֣וּ בָאָ֘רֶץ֮ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵם֒ וְגַ֣ם אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָבֹ֜אוּ בְּנֵ֤י הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־בְּנ֣וֹת הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְיָלְד֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם הֵ֧מָּה הַגִּבֹּרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר מֵעוֹלָ֖ם אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַשֵּֽׁם׃ Genesis 6:1-4 The Scholastics The euhemeristic stance of the church fathers prevailed in the medieval Latin West, where BW was virtually lost. [1] Even so, Franklin Harkins has shown that “Watchers traditions… found their way into a number of significant medieval scholastic texts,” … Continue reading “A History of Interpreting Genesis 6:1-4 (Part II)” →

by Daniel Sutkowski

Augustine the Evolutionist

[1] For those of you who attended the debate on creationism at the Morning Walk Convention in 2021, you may remember my violation of the debate format by bringing up a quote from Augustine. For those of you who were not there, the debate was a five-person event: two contenders for each side, a representative for each side, and an undecided moderator. As a representative for theistic evolution, I could not come up with any original arguments myself; that was the purpose of the contender. Instead, I was supposed to represent their view to the moderator and only add information … Continue reading “Augustine the Evolutionist” →

by Daniel Sutkowski

The Role of a President

The modern political world often idealizes leaders who “get things done” — in other words, are able to enact an agenda effectively. I see a lot of merit in the arguments for a more powerful executive, though to be fair I have not personally acquainted myself with the arguments against the strong executive. While I am relatively unanchored concerning this debate, I nevertheless want to explore ideas in this piece that look toward scripture to highlight the proper role of a President. To start, consider one of the most pertinent passages regarding this topic when Israel receives its king in … Continue reading “The Role of a President” →

by Daniel Sutkowski

Apostolic Succession Part 2: Heresy, Hooligans, and the Holy

This article is a continuation of a previous post, where I begin my three article journey responding to Zach. In this piece I will look at Apostolic Succession through a historical lens, bringing together many of the “Fact Checks” from my previous post. We will clearly define what is meant by Apostolic Succession and why theological cohesion was sought by the early Church, as well as the condemnation of heresy. In my next article I will discuss scriptural and historical evidence for Apostolic Succession. As with many debated topics, Apostolic Succession can be made into a straw man by its … Continue reading “Apostolic Succession Part 2: Heresy, Hooligans, and the Holy” →

by Camille Lopez

Salvation and Heart Surgery

Several months ago, Danny wrote an article on the concept of free will and its role in salvation. I have also discovered, to my surprise and great delight, that  it is no difficult task for me to plunge back into the friendly fray. The subject of salvation never does grow stale. So it is with eagerness and anticipation that I offer my thoughts on “Salvation and Free Will.” Danny introduces his subject with an analogy to illustrate the role of free will in the individual’s moment of salvation. To do this, he brings back our friend, the Drowning Man, who … Continue reading “Salvation and Heart Surgery” →

by Daniel Sutkowski

Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin

Growing up I often heard the phrase “love the sinner, hate the sin” used as a way to approach the complexity of living in a world where we are called to love a broken and sinful people. This phrase actually comes from St Augustine in his Letter 211 where he writes, “Cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum” or “With love for mankind and hatred of sins.” The phrase, albeit simple, captures an important struggle of taking a nuanced look at each person, distinguishing the good from the bad. While the phrase is not direct from scripture, it is based on … Continue reading “Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin” →

by Nathaniel Michalak

Sorrowful Even unto Death

When listening to Biblical passages from any given Sunday Gospel, the basic theme of doing good deeds and avoiding evil ones can more or less be understood on a rudimentary level. But every now and then, I personally come across a line from Scripture that forces me to scratch my head. Case in point, I was recently reading the Agony in the Garden, and I could not help but notice the irregularity of Matthew 26:38: Then [Jesus] said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” (New American Bible Revised Edition) The … Continue reading “Sorrowful Even unto Death” →

by Daniel Sutkowski

The Call to Evangelize

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) One of the primary duties of a Christian is to make disciples of others. More importantly the Church, however we may understand it, is a missionary church and charged with spreading the Gospel to the whole world. This duty is one of the most important, if not THE most … Continue reading “The Call to Evangelize” →

by Daniel Sutkowski

All of me: the Irrationality of Love  

Walking among the dead with my Dzia Dzia (grandfather) was an oddly inspiring moment. We had just eaten breakfast, after which I took my grandfather to the cemetery to visit my Busia (grandmother). We’d made this trip before, on occasion, and knew it would be difficult, though rewarding for both my Dzia Dzia and me. A vibrant blue sky marked with bright clouds shone upon the green fields and my Busia’s grave as we walked up to her and said a silent prayer, my Dzia Dzia’s voice cracking as he admired the cross my uncle had built for Busia. We … Continue reading “All of me: the Irrationality of Love  “ →