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A Quick Synopsis of the first Seven Ecumenical Church Councils.

“City (Year) Decision". 1. Nicea (325) Rejected Arianism (the Son of God was the first creation of God the Father) and affirmed that the Son of God is of the same essence (homoousion) as the Father. Wrote the Nicene Creed. 2. Constantinople (381)  Rejected the teachings of the Macedonians, who denied the deity of the Holy Spirit. Expanded the Nicene Creed. 3. Ephesus (431) Christ was affirmed to be one Person, with two full and [...]

By |2024-02-18T16:21:19+02:00February 18th, 2024|Church History, Creeds|0 Comments
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Causal Language and an Inquiry into Divine Procession of the Triune God by Rudolph P. Boshoff

Introduction: The delineation of the Divine procession concerning the Son and the Holy Spirit constitutes a nuanced subject that has engendered extensive debate and discourse over centuries within the domain of Christian theology.[1] Tertullian (c.197) declares very early on that. We have been taught that He [Christ] proceeds forth from God [the Father], and in that procession, He is generated. So that He is the Son of God and is called God from unity of [...]

By |2024-01-13T02:23:34+02:00January 13th, 2024|Church History, Trinity|0 Comments
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The Council where Jesus became God. Answering Adnan Rashid by Pastor Rudolph P. Boshoff

I have always loved history, especially the history of the Church, which is very dear to me. More happened in the first seven centuries of the Church than in the subsequent centuries. In the third century, Alton Gansky noted that. During the first few centuries, the church focused on two primary matters: spreading the gospel and staying alive.[1] John Behr writes in his excellent volume 1, Formation of Christian Theology: The Way to Nicaea, that [...]

By |2023-12-26T11:59:28+02:00December 26th, 2023|Church History, Patristics, Trinity|0 Comments
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Compositional Models in Christology: Christ’s Dual Nature by Pastor Rudolph P. Boshoff

Throughout the history of Christian theology, various compositional models have been proposed to understand and explain the divinity and humanity of Christ. These models attempt to grapple with the complex and central theological concept of the Incarnation. Here are some notable compositional models: Chalcedonian Model: The Chalcedonian Creed, formulated at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, is one of the most widely accepted models in Christianity. It asserts that Jesus Christ is "truly God [...]

By |2023-10-05T09:30:29+02:00October 4th, 2023|Christology, Church History|0 Comments
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What is the difference between one-self and three-self models of the Trinity and why does it matter? by Pastor Rudolph P. Boshoff

The "one-self" and "three-self" models of Trinitarianism are terms that are often used to discuss different theological understandings of the Trinity. Let me explain the differences between them: One-self Trinitarianism (also known as Monarchianism or Modalism): This perspective emphasizes the unity of God and suggests that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are different modes or manifestations of the same divine being. According to this view, there is only one self or person within the [...]

By |2023-06-21T14:30:50+02:00June 21st, 2023|Church History, Trinity|0 Comments
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How did the Greek and Latin Fathers differ in their view of the Trinity? by Pastor Rudolph P. Boshoff

The Greek Fathers and the Latin Fathers, representing the Eastern and Western Christian traditions, respectively, had some differences in their views of the Trinity. These differences were influenced by various factors, including cultural, linguistic, and theological contexts. Here are some key points of contrast: One significant difference between the Greek and Latin Fathers was the language and terminology they used to discuss the Trinity. The Greek Fathers, such as Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, [...]

By |2023-10-04T10:37:04+02:00June 21st, 2023|Church History|0 Comments
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The New Testament Canon: Man-Made of Divine? Notes on my debate with Adnan Rashid by Pastor Rudolph P. Boshoff

Recently I was invited to speak to Ustad Adnan Rashid on the topic, "The New Testament Canon: Man-made or Divine?" Even though text-critical issues are not my forte, I thought a discussion on the temperament of the New Testament community would be something interesting to discuss with Adnan. The five ways in which I wanted to answer the question of this debate were in the following sequence: The nature of Christian inspiration in that which [...]

By |2023-04-29T01:25:49+02:00August 27th, 2022|Church History, Holy Books, New Testament Reliability|0 Comments
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The Gospel behind the Gospels: Evangelion, Kerygma and early rule of Faith by Pastor Rudolph P. Boshoff

R.V.G Tasker Professor of New Testament Exegesis at the University of London remarks that; “There were at least thirty five years of Christian teaching and Christian missionary activity before the believers were in possession of the written records of Christ’s life and teaching, which we know as the four Gospels”… He adds: “Our faith today is bound to be conditioned by the four Gospels. The faith of the earliest Christians was independent of them.”[1] Even [...]

By |2023-04-29T01:26:27+02:00August 26th, 2022|Church History|0 Comments
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Jesus as an adopted Son of God: The Heresy of Adoptionism by Dr Daniel Maritz

Alister McGrath explains the nature of heresy as follows: “One of the more persistent themes in early Christian accounts of heresy is that it smuggles rival accounts of reality into the household of faith. It is a Trojan horse, a means of establishing (whether by accident or design) an alternative belief system within its host. Heresy appears to be Christian, yet it is actually an enemy of faith that sows the seed of faith’s destruction.”[1] Heresies are [...]

By |2021-12-21T11:57:13+02:00December 19th, 2021|Christian Cults, Christology, Church History|0 Comments
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Jesus as a Phantom: The Heresy of Docetism by Dr Daniel Maritz

In Matthew 16:13-18 Jesus asks His disciples an especially important question: “Who do you say that I am?” This question was obviously aimed towards the true identity of Jesus. Although the apostle Peter was there in that instance to answer the question correctly, during the time right after the lives of the apostles[1] many different answers to this very question Jesus posed, appeared on the scene of church history. However, any answer to Jesus’ question which [...]

By |2021-12-19T11:38:50+02:00December 19th, 2021|Christian Cults, Christology, Church History|0 Comments
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