Have you ever wondered why the third candle in the advent wreath is pink? Why pink? Why the third Sunday? The short answer is joy! But the long answer is fascinating, and it has something to do with Lent, and something to do with an early Gnostic movement that dismissed Jesus as a real human person.
Hebrews: Heresy and Dogma
The church spent centuries trying to understand Who Jesus is, for what Jesus did and does has to be understood in the framework of His identity.
2 John: Keep in Step With Christ
John’s message is particularly relevant today, as we also try to navigate increasingly treacherous times for Christians, seeking to embrace each other in love while also protecting those whom God has placed in our care from being deceived.
2 John: Remember Christ’s Command
Apostle John, speaking as an elder to the lady, his coworker in Christ, reminded her of the paramount commandment they had received from Jesus: Agape one another, for this is our signature as those who walk in the light, who live in truth, who have put our faith in Christ, who have received the Spirit of God.
1 John 2: Stop Pretending
Gnostics claimed there was no such thing as sin, therefore it was impossible to sin, for it did not exist. There was no point in seeking not to sin, because there was no such thing as “sin” or “sinning” in the first place. John strongly contested such thinking.
The Letters of John: Gnosticism
The seductive charm of this faulty thinking has wormed its way into Christianity at regular intervals, and today is no exception. That is why John’s letters are as relevant now, and vital to the life of faith, as they have ever, every been.