The Earliest Image of the Cross

     The holiday season has come and almost gone, and with new year around the corner, I decided I should try to fit one more blog post in before 2014 ends. (I'm not very timely when it comes to writing these up.)

     I recently crossed paths with a fascinating article from the Centre for Public Christianity regarding the earliest images of the cross. While historical research has shown that depictions of the cross in church decorations and jewelry did not become prevalent until after the fourth century, there were actually symbolic likenesses of the cross as early as 200 AD in papyrus manuscripts of the New Testament.

     According to the article, scribes "took the letter ‘t’ (written in Greek as Τ) and the letter ‘r’ (written in Greek as Ρ) and ingeniously laid them on top of each other to form what looks like a man on a cross. The image below is from a manuscript of Luke’s Gospel known as P75, dated to about AD200. The ‘staurogram’, as it is called, is clearly visible."

     The image of the cross is everywhere in Christian society today, but it's nice to see that the symbolism goes back further than we previously were taught. You can read the article in its entirety here: http://publicchristianity.org/opinion/the-first-image-of-the-cross#.VJ0fhsAEN

Happy Reformation Day

Okay, so this post is definitely 16 DAYS late, but better late than never!
Happy Reformation Day!

Despite October 31st being half a month ago, I feel that it's still important to recognise this major turning point in Christian history. On October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenburg, sparking theological discussions throughout the town, and later, throughout the nation and throughout Europe. Many of the religious issues brought up and discussed by Wycliffe and the Lollards found themselves right at home in Luther's mind. Why did he choose October 31st, despite the day's negative spiritual connotations? Well November 1st is celebrated as All Saints Day, and Luther knew that the church would be packed the next day. (Good move, Martin.)

The 500th anniversary of Luther's nailing of the 95 Theses will take place two years from now, and as we get closer, the academic and religious world might see rising interest in the modern impact of the Reformation and similar topics.

On a related note, November 1st is pretty neat also. Protestants (and Lollards) follow the Old and New Testament belief that 'the saints' include all true followers of God, and that All Saints Day can be a day spent in remembrance of all Christians past and present.

Polycarp vs. the Gnostics

Polycarp was a theologian and father of the Christian church in the mid 2nd century. It is recorded that he was a disciple of the Apostle John, and was ordained as Bishop of Smyrna by John himself. He is often remembered for his steadfast faith and witness in the face of his martyrdom in AD 160, but his extant writings are also notable for his battle against gnosticism. Eusebius records the following humourous events in Polycarp's life:



Appalled at the gnostic heretics he encountered in his waning years, he shouted out, "O good God! For what times hast thou kept me, that I should endure such things!"

He recalled that one time while traveling with John, the two entered Ephesus' city baths, and upon finding early gnostic Cerinthus there, both rushed out, exclaiming, "Let us flee, lest even the bath-house fall in, for within is Cerinthus, the enemy of truth!"

On a visit to Rome, Polycarp met the heretic Marcion, who called on Polycarp to 'recognise him' - to which Polycarp replied, "I recognise you... I recognise the firstborn of Satan."
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A a privately-produced film featuring Polycarp's life and death is set to come out in the near future; for more information on that, check out Polycarp: Destroyer of Gods.

Tatian on the Logos

 

The Logos has really become one of my favourite topics, and the Fathers of the Early Church are consistently a flowing source of insight on the Trinity. In the same vein as Tertullian's words, here is another interesting discussion on the subject. In his work Address to the Greeks, Tatian, an Assyrian theologian whose harmony of the four gospels was very popular in the 2nd century church, writes the following in a chapter entitled "The Doctrine of the Christians as to the Creation of the World":

        God was in the beginning; but the beginning, we have been taught, is the power of the Logos. For the Lord of the universe, who is Himself the necessary ground (ὑπόστασις) of all being, inasmuch as no creature was yet in existence, was alone; but inasmuch as He was all power, Himself the necessary ground of things visible and invisible, with Him were all things; with Him, by Logos-power (διὰ λογικῆς δυνάμεως), the Logos Himself also, who was in Him, subsists.

        And by His simple will the Logos springs forth; and the Logos, not coming forth in vain, becomes the first-begotten work of the Father. Him (the Logos) we know to be the beginning of the world. But He came into being by participation, not by abscission; for what is cut off is separated from the original substance, but that which comes by participation, making its choice of function, does not render him deficient from whom it is taken. For just as from one torch many fires are lighted, but the light of the first torch is not lessened by the kindling of many torches, so the Logos, coming forth from the Logos-power of the Father, has not divested of the Logos-power Him who begat Him.

        I myself, for instance, talk, and you hear; yet, certainly, I who converse do not become destitute of speech (λόγος) by the transmission of speech, but by the utterance of my voice I endeavour to reduce to order the unarranged matter in your minds. And as the Logos, begotten in the beginning, begat in turn our world, having first created for Himself the necessary matter, so also I, in imitation of the Logos, being begotten again, and having become possessed of the truth, am trying to reduce to order the confused matter which is kindred with myself. For matter is not, like God, without beginning, nor, as having no beginning, is of equal power with God; it is begotten, and not produced by any other being, but brought into existence by the Framer of all things alone.

William Tyndale's Feast Day

        Yesterday, October 6th, was the 478th anniversary of the martyrdom of William Tyndale, one of history's greatest linguists. Giving up an exceptionally promising career in the field of language, Tyndale devoted his life to the creation and translation of the first modern English translation of the Bible. A master of Greek, Latin, German, French, Hebrew, and other languages, when he couldn't find an English equivalent for his writings, he would create new words and phrases - many of which we still use today. His first edition New Testament of 1526 could be bought for less than a month's wages, and had to be smuggled into England in bales of cloth due to the Bible's status as illegal in any language except for Latin.

        Betrayed by a friend to Catholic authorities, Tyndale was imprisoned in Vilvoorde Castle in Belgium, spending over a year of solitary confinement in the dankest, darkest cell imaginable - a vile, rat-infested hellhole where he did not hear one word of English. Tried by an ecclesiastical court and found guilty of heresy, he was handed over to secular authorities and burned at the stake in 1536.

     
        Over 75% of the King James Bible is straight from Tyndale, and many of the verbiage and phraseology found in the ESV, NKJV, and other versions can be traced directly back to him. Tyndale, along with Chaucer and and Shakespeare, are the men to whom we owe much for the modern English language.
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        Paul Pavao, via his "Christian History for Everyman" site, makes a compelling point regarding the martyrdoms of Tyndale and others:

       "If the Roman Catholic Church is just another denomination competing among others, then the slaughter of William Tyndale and others who tried to make the Scriptures available to everyone is forgivable as long as they acknowledge and repent of it. If, however, the RCC wants to claim that they are the lone preservers of apostolic truth, the one true church, then the many stories like Tyndale's prove their claim false."

Tale Of A Lollard: William White

There are many stories about the Lollards and Wycliffites, ranging from court records to tales of martyrdom. While some may be of questionable authenticity (or perhaps more extravagant than the actual event), many are true accounts of men and women who risked everything to spread a Gospel which relied upon the Bible, rather than tradition. Here is one such story:

          William White, a priest, appears to have been a learned and upright character; he was a follower of Wycliffe, and resigning his priesthood and benefice, he married a godly young woman; but did not cease from his former office and duty, for he continually laboured in reading, teaching, and writing. The principal points he taught were, "That men should seek forgiveness of their sins from God only; and that the pope was an enemy to Christ's truth; and that men ought not to worship images." After several examinations, he was condemned, and burned at Norwich, in September 1424.
          He is related to have been a man of such a devout and holy life, that the people greatly reverenced him, and desired his prayers, notwithstanding he was condemned to suffer as a heretic. One Margaret White [a relative?] said, that if any saints were to be prayed to, she would rather pray to him than any other. When he came to the stake, he was about to exhort the people to stand fast in the truth; but one of the bishop's servants silenced him by a blow upon the mouth. His wife followed her husband's footsteps, and confirmed many in the truth; for which she suffered much trouble.

Text from The Lollards, by George Stokes, 1838, page 30.

An Inquisitor's Description of the Lollards

          Sometime around the year 1400, a Roman Catholic inquisitor named Reinher described the Lollards & Wycliffites in the following manner. For words that border on outright admiration, it is strange that he still believed men of this conduct were highly deserving of censure:

          "The disciples of Wycliffe are men of a serious, modest deportment, avoiding all ostentation in dress, mixing little with the busy world, and complaining of the debauchery of mankind. They maintain themselves wholly by their own labour, and utterly despise wealth; being fully content with bare necessities. They follow no traffic, because it is attended with so much lying, swearing, and cheating. They are chaste and temperate; are never seen in taverns, or amused by the trifling gaieties of life. You find them always employed, either learning or teaching. They are concise and devout in their prayers; blaming an un-animated prolixity [the unnecessarily lengthy prayers of the Romish priesthood]. They never swear; speak little; and in their public preaching they lay the chief stress on charity. They never mind canonical hours, because they say, that a paternoster [Lord's Prayer] or two, repeated with devotion, is better than tedious hours spent without devotion. They explain the scriptures in a different way from the holy doctors and the church of Rome. They speak little, and humbly, and are well-behaved in appearance."

Text from The Lollards, by George Stokes, 1838, 7-8.

A Good Summer

“Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well."
- George R.R. Martin, A Feast for Crows

       Summer 2014 is finishing well for me; the adventures in work, ministries, and various fun sundry activities from the past three months are all worthy to be recounted to future listening ears. Topping it off, in July I asked my beautiful girlfriend to marry me, and we are now counting down the days to our wedding (taking place July, 2015). Along with that, I started a new job teaching jr. high and high school science and Latin classes at a local Christian prep school. The doors the Lord has opened for me have been a great blessing, and I look forward to continuing the work of His Kingdom to the best of my ability.

       Meanwhile, I haven't been on my blog very much - or Facebook, or Twitter, or Youtube, for that matter. I've actually had a Bible review sitting in my drafts folder for the last month and a half, so I'll see about finishing that up soon. In the meantime, here is a quote to mull over from Tertullian, one of my favourite early church fathers:

"Christians are made, not born."
 
       Are we being fine craftsmen, fashioning and sharpening other Christians? Or are we just consumers, ingesting the nice parts of Christianity and ignoring its calls for a change of heart and of action?

The Christian Community in the 2nd Century

          Every once in a while, you read something that simply makes you excited about your Christian faith - whether it's a great sermon, an insightful blog post, or - as in this case - an ancient document. The Epistle to Diognetus is an apologetic treatise written by an anonymous author who was apparently well versed in elegant Greek. Likely penned between 120 and 200 AD, it was not well circulated, as neither Eusebius nor any other early church Father mentions it. The writer addresses himself in chapter 11, stating, "Although I am an instructor of the Gentiles now, I was a pupil of the Apostles once; and what was delivered to me then, I now minister faithfully to students of the truth." (Realistically however, anyone who believed the creed and adhered to the traditional early Christian lifestyle could call oneself a 'pupil of the Apostles'.) The fact that the author refers to Jesus Christ as "the Word" [Logos] reveals that he may have been a Johannine Christian. The epistle's contents hint that the author may have been Justin Martyr.

          The letter opens with a greeting to "my lord Diognetus", likely a nobleman, who is stated to have professed a "deep interest... in Christianity." (While unlikely to be the same man, the private tutor/teacher to Marcus Aurelius was named Diognetus.) The short chapters that follow involve the author detailing the superstitious follies of Paganism, the rigid scrupulousness of Judaism, the characteristics of a true Christian community, the reasons behind the persecution of Believers, the supernatural nature of the Christian revelation and mysterious incarnation, and a list of practical conclusions and a call for an inward reception of Christ the Word [Logos].

          It was chapter 5's detailing of the characteristics of a Christian community that caught my eye. I would hope that these words, written centuries ago to a unbeliever very much interested in the beliefs of Christianity, would echo true of today's community of Believers:

          "The difference between Christians and the rest of mankind is not a matter of nationality, or language, or customs. Christians do not live apart in separate cities of their own, speak any special dialect, nor practise any eccentric way of life. The doctrine they profess is not the invention of busy human minds and brains, nor are they, like some, adherents to this or that school of human thought. They pass their lives in whatever township - Greek or foreign - each man's lot has determined; and conform to ordinary local usage in their clothing, diet, and other habits."
 
          "Nevertheless the organisation of their community does exhibit some features that are remarkable, and even surprising. For instance, thought they are residents at home in their own countries, their behaviour is more like that of transients; they take their full part as citizens, but they also submit to anything and everything as if they were aliens. For them, any foreign country is a motherland, and any motherland is a foreign country. Like other men, they marry and beget children, though they do not expose their infants. Any Christian is free to share his neighbour's table, but never his marriage bed."
 
          "Though destiny has placed them here in the flesh, they do not live after the flesh; their days are passed on the earth, but their citizenship is above in the heavens. They obey the prescribed laws, but in their own private lives they transcend the laws. They show love to all men - and all men persecute them. They are misunderstood, and condemned, yet by suffering and death they are quickened to life. They are poor, yet making many rich; lacking all things, yet having all things in abundance. They are dishonoured, yet made glorious in their very dishonour; slandered yet vindicated. They repay calumny with blessings, and abuse with courtesy. For the good they do, they suffer stripes as evildoers; and under the strokes they rejoice like men given new life. Jews assail them as heretics, and Greeks harass them with persecutions; and yet of all their ill-wishers there is not one who can produce good grounds for his hostility."

This text is from the 1987 Penguin Classics edition of Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers, translated by Maxwell Staniforth, edited by Andrew Louth.

July Update

          I have been a bit lazy the past few weeks, and haven't gotten to post, but I have had many blog post ideas flying around in my head! I spent the last week of June being a counselor and high school team captain at Southwestern Leadership [Awana] Camp up in Idyllwild, which was a fatiguing but very much worthwhile blast. The spiritual atmosphere of camp really ramped up the last day or so, and I witnessed many changed hearts within the youth I had been working alongside all week.

          On the way back, I had the sobering honour of assisting with traffic control following a fatal accident that occurred on the winding road down the mountain. A motorcyclist had lost control, and ended up underneath a van full of kids from our camp. It wasn't the first terrible accident I had helped with, but it was a solemn reminder to all involved (including witnesses) of the fleeting and temporary life we live here on earth.
          
          Other than that, I have a few minor projects I'm starting preliminary research on, and work has been really heavy. Post-camp, I've been working, reading my Bible(s), and studying history even more than I did while I was in school! Hopefully I will be able to find some time in the busy month of July for some more historical anecdotes, notes from the early church, and maybe even some book reviews! I really do plan to post more often, so perhaps my many ideas will eventually make it onto 'paper' more often than they currently are. Stay tuned, shalom.

Tertullian on the Logos

"In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God... And the Logos became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:1, 14 [NKJV]

Most English Bibles today translate the Greek term Logos as 'word', though it can also mean 'reason', 'thought', 'mind', 'message', and 'wisdom'. God imparted His Logos to the fallen physical world in the form of the Messiah, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and through His sacrifice laid upon Him the sins of the world, saving all those who believe and call upon His name. [Isaiah 53:6, Acts 16:31]

Crafting a clear and solid description of the Logos, however, can be a daunting task, but the writings of the Apostolic Fathers can provide excellent answers for such questions.

I recently finished Paul Pavao's excellent book, In the Beginning was the Logos: The Council of Nicea for Everyman, which earns my accolades as one of the clearest and most accessible books ever written about the history and theology of the early church. Chapter 17 deals wholly with the discussion of the Trinity and the Logos, not just at the Council of Nicea, but also in written works throughout the first several centuries of Christianity. Pages 316-318 highlight some of the fantastic words of Tertullian (c. 160 - c. 225 AD), whose work Against Praxeas describes the Logos in relation to God:

          "Observe, then, that when you are silently conversing with yourself, this very process is carried on within you by your reason, which meets you with a word at every movement of your thought... Whatever you think, there is a word... You must speak it in your mind."[5] 

          "I would not hesitate... to call a tree the son or offspring of the root, and the river of the spring, and the ray of the sun. Every original source is a parent, and everything which issues from the origin is an offspring. Much more is the Word of God, who has actually received as his own peculiar designation the name of Son."

          "But still the tree is not severed from the root, nor the river from the spring, nor the ray from the sun. Nor, indeed, is the Word [Logos] separated from God."

          "Following, therefore, the form of these analogies, I confess that I call God and his Word, the Father and his Son, two. For the root and the tree are distinctly two things, but correlatively joined. The spring and the river are also two forms, but indivisible. So likewise the sun and the ray are two forms, but coherent ones." [8]

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Pavao summarizes Tertullian's view on his page devoted to the Early Christian Definition of the Trinity as the following: "In other words, there was a time when the Logos of God was inside of God. God was alone, but he had fellowship with his own Logos inside of him. When it was time to create the world, it was then that God birthed the Word as the second person of the Trinity."

It is worth noting that Tertullian was the first theologian to use the word "Trinity" (in Latin, Trinitas), though a similar term had been used earlier by Theophilus of Antioch, being the Greek word Triados.

A Word to Awana Citation Achievers

          Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of watching several high school seniors receive their Awana Citation Awards. These young men and women successfully finished their time as Awana clubbers, representing 10 years of Bible memorization, teamwork activities, service work, and various special projects. The journey towards a Citation Award starts in 3rd grade, the first year of Awana's Truth & Training club, and continues through the Trek (7th and 8th grade) and Journey (high school) clubs. 

From the Awana website:
A teenager earning the Citation Award must be a graduating senior. Adults can also earn the Citation. In completing the award requirements, the achiever will have memorised 836 verses, read the entire Bible and completed the 10 third- through 12th-grade handbooks and manuals.

I earned my Citation Award in May 2008, and I still remember exactly what being on stage and receiving it felt like. Would that all Awana boys and girls could strive for such a moment! The Citation is recognised as a prestigious award by many churches and organisations, and a number of Christian colleges and universities award various scholarships to students who have earned one. (As a note, mine earned me $1000 per year at San Diego Christian College.)

During my final year at Awana camp as a camper, the senior's teacher (a certain Mr. Houser,) gave us all some sage advice:

A Citation award is a tool. 

Some tools are earned/bought/received, and then stored in the shed indefinitely. Others are used often at first, but then gradually forgotten about. Others are tossed aside after a period of time, seen as archaic or useless. 

But, some tool are appreciated, and recognised for their usefulness, and are utilised often for the betterment of their owners life, and the lives of those around him. Will you leave your tool to rust in the shed? Or will you find uses for it in the situations that life presents?

That parable struck a chord with me; I've never forgotten it, and its truths are more and more evident with the passage of time.

Of the many fellow clubbers who I've seen earn Citation, some have fallen away, shunning Christianity and the life that the Lord offered them, preferring to pursue the countless and stark attractions of sin. Others have sought to serve two masters, joining their fleshly desires with their faith, and are enduring harsh consequences in an impossible lifestyle. These are people that I saw as my peers, and some I even looked up to. Such is the way of the world; God does not change, and His Word (both the Bible and the Logos Himself) warned us of such individuals.

But there's always a bright side: For every Citation earner who has fallen away, there are many more still that have risen to the challenge and continued on the paths of righteousness, paths that God has laid out and offered to them since the beginning of time. Some serve in their churches as leaders and pastors. Others serve their community as firefighters, law enforcement, and in the military and other government service positions. Some serve as missionaries in far-flung countries, while others travel to their 'lowly' office or job site every day, knowing that the Lord has given them the opportunity to minister and be an example, like many apostles, in the Agora --- the busy markets and places of exchange.

There are lawyers, doctors, teachers, salesmen, chefs, and construction workers who share the achievement that sets you and them apart as leaders in the Body of Christ. Finally, some are pursuing the toughest occupation of all: Raising Godly children in an increasingly hostile world. It is these people who chase after the highest calling, and the one with perhaps the greatest earthly rewards.

In essence, here is my message to Citation earners, from one Awana alumnus to another: 

Your Citation award is a tool, perhaps one of the greatest tools of your young life. The 'tool' portion is not the award itself - in all its monogrammed plastic glory - but rather the journey of the countless Bible verses and studies you've endured. Few Christians have the training you now possess, and fewer still have the grasp of the Bible that have obtained. Follow the path of righteousness the Lord has laid out for you, and it will be there for you when the need to use it arises. Whether your mission field is a third-world country, a business office, or a classroom, the Holy Spirit will bring to mind the verses you memorised, and that will open the doors for sharing your faith in Christ. Though your friends and fellow earners may fall away, stay strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

A related word of advice: If and when your friends and fellow Citation earners do fall away, do not shun them and throw them out of fellowship with you. Instead, continue to act as a beacon of light in their lives. Unless they completely shun you, you are still their friend! Christianity may come to seem foolish in their minds, but continue to exude the love of Christ, and the wisdom granted to us via the Holy Spirit. Keep a vigilant watch over your actions and deeds, lest you be seen as a hypocrite, for even though we may not think it, we are each witnesses and missionaries to those around us.

We all make mistakes and sin, but the mercy we receive, coupled with a heartfelt yearning to repent, is what has given us the ultimate freedom of Life.

To that end, your 'award' marks the beginning of a term of service to fellow believers. You are armed with the truth, the power, and the light: Follow Jesus Christ's command in Matthew 20, and be a Servus Servorum Dei --- a Servant of the Servants of God. 

The road to your Citation was about the journey, not the destination. It's a piece of plastic; never let its true value become clouded or lost on you!



1 Timothy 4:10-12 NKJV
For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the  Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

1 Peter 3:15 NKJV
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Luther: "Contribute to the Honour of God"

           My opinions on Martin Luther oscillate between appalled and inspired, usually ending up around neutral. Catholics and secularists love to focus on all his terrible denunciations of the Roman Catholic Church, Jews, and other groups not in agreement with him (including some Protestant sects); Protestants on the other hand love to focus on his successful split from Rome, contributions to Biblical literacy, and his popular theological doctrines. I would never choose to completely 'endorse' Luther, but some quotes of his are very much share-able, including this one from his "First Sunday After Epiphany" sermon - certainly a Lollard precept:

"He who cannot - by the gracious and lovely message of God's mercy so lavishly bestowed upon us in Christ - be persuaded, in a spirit of love and delight, to contribute to the honour of God and the benefit of his neighbour, is worthless to Christianity, and all effort is lost on him."


Those words of Luther hearken back to the words pious assertion of Clement of Rome, who wrote in his epistle of 1 Clement 44:

"Who, then, is noble-minded among you? Who compassionate? Who full of love? Let him declare, 'If on my account sedition, disagreements, and schism have arisen, I will depart. I will go away wherever you desire, and I will do what the many command. Only let the flock of God live on terms of peace with the elders set over it'."

The Spelling of 'Wycliffe'?

John De Wycliffe retains several titles, including Doctor Evangelicus [the Evangelical Doctor] from the period of his preaching, to the popular and famous Morningstar of the Reformation. But a casual internet search reveals that there seems to be no universally accepted spelling of John Wycliffe's name. The first part, John, is fairly easy and comes from the Latin name Iohannes, but there are actually upwards of twenty different ways of spelling his last name! These include but are not limited to: Wicklif, Wickliffe, Wiclefii, Wiclef, Wiclif, Wiclife, Wicliff, Wicliffe, Wyclef, Wycleff, Wyclif, Wycliffe, Wyclyf, and Wyclyffe.

What do records indicate on the subject matter? According to historian Philip Schaff, the form 'Wyclif' is found in a diocesan register of 1361 (from the reformer's tenure as warden of Balliol College), while an official state document from 26 July 1374 presents the name as 'Wiclif'. Over the last century, scholars have primarily used either 'Wyclif' or 'Wycliffe' - the latter of which continues to be my personal preference. How will future historians spell your name?

An Asgardian Canon Table

        
          The prop masters/creators for the film Thor: The Dark World did an excellent job of creating impressive props and set pieces, but for me, one item clearly stands out from the rest. At one point in the film, Thor and Odin flip through a book describing the history of the Ether dark energy, and whose illustrations and illuminations pay homage to Medieval manuscripts from the Carolingian period. The top page in particular is an obvious copy of a Eusebian canon table - concordance-like reference material that was a staple of countless medieval Bibles and New Testaments. The book was clearly influenced by Codex Aureus of Lorsch (aka the "Lorsch Gospels"), a gospels manuscript whose beautiful illuminations and golden-inked cursive script still stand out to this day. (A canon table page from that manuscript is below.)

The Monk and the Concept of Eternity

          The following folktale is from the introduction to an article by Orlanda S.H. Lie, entitled The Concept of Time in the Medieval World View. The paper is very informative, but my favourite section is definitely the story at the beginning, poignantly illustrating what eternal life might be like. You can read the rest of the paper here: 
http://www.medievalists.net/2014/04/01/concept-time-medieval-world-view/

          Once upon a time a monk left his monastery for a walk in the cloister garden. He had often been pondering the meaning of eternity and heavenly bliss and had frequently  prayed to God, asking him for an illustration of one moment of heavenly bliss. All of a sudden he heard the lovely song of a little bird, perched on the branch of a tree. He stopped to listen and enjoyed his song until the bird flew away. When he returned to the monastery, he was greeted by a porter, whom he had never seen before. “Who are you?” the porter asked. “I am a monk of this monastery,” he answered. “I stepped out for a little walk in the garden.” But strangely enough, he couldn’t find anybody there who looked familiar to him. But not only the people seemed different, somehow the whole place had changed. The monk was utterly confused and did not know what to make of it. When they asked him who the abbot was of the monastery, and whether he could name some of his fellow-monks, he provided them with the names of people none of them knew.  Finally they decided to consult the annals of the monastery. To their amazement they discovered that the monk was referring to people who lived more than three hundred years ago. Moreover, there was also an entry that registered the strange disappearance of a monk who left the monastery one day and  never came back…  And at that moment the monk understood what had happened. This was God’s way of answering his prayer: the pleasure he derived from listening to the bird’s song was God’s way of giving him a foretaste of the timelessness of  heavenly bliss.  If  the beautiful song of this little bird was already enough to make him forgetful of the time, how intensely more pleasurable and  never-ending must then be the joy of heavenly bliss in the after life!

The Evangelists and Their Sources

Here's another interesting introductory document, The Evangelists and Their Sources by Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons in the late 2nd century. Though some of the actual historicity of these statements may be debatable, this provides a concise and informative history of the Gospels and their authors from the proto-orthodox period:



"Matthew published his gospel among the Hebrews in their own tongue [Aramaic], when Peter and Paul were preaching the Gospel in Rome and founding the church there. After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, himself handed down to us in writing the substance of Peter's preaching. Luke, the follower of Paul, set down in a book the gospel preached by his teacher. Then John, the disciple of the Lord, who also leaned on his breast, himself produced his gospel, while he was living at Ephesus in Asia [Minor]. If anyone does not agree to these truths, he despises the companions of the Lord... He despises the Father also, and stands self-condemned, resisting and opposing his own salvation." [Against Heresies III:1:1]

Medieval Souvenirs

A company I follow on Facebook (18thcenturybibles.org) shared a really interesting web post by Medieval book historian Erik Kwakkel. You can read more of Erik's interesting posts on his page: http://erikkwakkel.tumblr.com/
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"Thin pieces of metal that are bluntly attached to precious illuminated pages. It is not something you see every day in a medieval book - or imagined to see at all in such delicate objects. They are pilgrim’s badges, mementos purchased during pilgrimages to holy sites in medieval Europe. They are really not very different from the Eiffel Towers, baseball caps or Big Bens that we carry home in our suitcases today: they are mass-produced, cheap and highly portable souvenirs. If you went to see the shrine of St Thomas Becket, you would take a badge home, partly to show that you had been (like this one). The badges above are special because the pilgrim attached them to the pages of his prayerbook when he came home, which is how they survived. The shiny pieces of metal are religious instruments, of course, but they also proudly emphasize that the owner of the book went on a real pilgrimage: been there, done that!"

The Didache on: The Weekly Meeting

          On the heels of my last post, the weekly meeting of the church is also mentioned in The Didache, in a concise form that differs with Justin Martyr's description. As a note, The Didache - also known as The Teachings of the Twelve Apostles - was first discovered in manuscript form inside a monastery in Constantinople, in 1883. Written sometime between the late 1st and early 3rd centuries, the document likely served as a handbook for new Christians, outlining the lifestyle necessary for church membership. In his Festal Letter [39:7], Athanasius declares The Didache to be among the list of books "not included in the [Biblical] Canon, but appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us, and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness." This particular chapter would be an introduction to the church meeting, rather than a in-depth account.

"Concerning the Lord's Day"

from chapter XIV of The Didache

          On the Lord's own day gather together and break bread and give thanks, having first confessed your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one who has a quarrel with a companion join you until they have been reconciled, so that your sacrifice may not be defiled. For this is the sacrifice concerning which the Lord said, "In every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is marvelous among the nations [Malachi 1:11, 14]."

The Weekly Meeting, circa 150 AD...

          What did 'going to church' look like in Christianity's first 100 years or so? Obviously the book of Acts is our best source, but I was browsing through Henry Bettenson's Documents of the Christian Church and stumbled across a concise passage describing the weekly meeting of Christians during the 2nd century. If this description sounds similar to your church/congregation/fellowship services, you're probably on a good path.

"Weekly Worship of Christians" 

from chapter LXVII [67] of Justin Marty's Apology: 

          
          "Now we always thereafter remind one another of these things; and those that have the means assist them that are in need, and we visit one another continually. And at all our meals we bless the maker of all things through his son Jesus Christ and through the Holy Ghost."

          "And on the day which is called the day of the sun, there is an assembly of all who live in the towns or in the country; and the memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits. Then the reader ceases, and the president speaks, admonishing us and exhorting us to to imitate these excellent examples. Then we arise all together and offer prayers; and as said before, when we have concluded our prayer, bread is brought, and wine and water, and the president in like manner offers up prayers and thanksgivings with all his might; and the people assent with "Amen"; and there is the distribution and partaking by all of the Eucharistic elements; and to them that are not present they are sent by the hand of the deacons. And they that are prosperous and wish to do so give what they will, each after his choice. What is collected is deposited with the president, who gives aid to the orphans and widows, and as such as are in want by reason of sickness or other cause; and to those also that are in prison, and to strangers from abroad, in fact to all that are in need he is a protector."
         
          "We hold our common assembly on the day of the sun, because it is the first day, on which God put to flight darkness and chaos and made the world, and on the same day Jesus Christ our saviour rose from the dead; for on the day before that of Saturn they crucified him; and on the day after Saturn's day, the day of the sun, he appeared to his Apostles and disciples and taught them these things, which we have also handed on to you for your consideration."

          Thus, as tradition, documents, other historical writings dictate, members of the  Christian community met on Sunday in one building or another, typically someone's home or a public or private meeting area. (There was no 'church' per se, because the body of believers IS 'the church', something Lollards fiercely adhere to.) There, they would:

- Read passages of the Old and New Testaments for "as long as time permits."
- Have the chief elder [president/presbyter] teach and exhort those present to follow the examples from the passages that had just been read.
- Have public prayer.
- Have communion.
- Take an offering for the orphans, widows, the sick and imprisoned, and other friends and strangers in need. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my Irish friends and acquaintances, and to all those who are Irish just for one day a year! Enjoy an amazing rendition of "Danny Boy" from my favourite choir.