I’m going to buy myself some time to work on the early church timeline and the notes on the timeline by posting this related video.
The video is an hour long. I try never to do that, but it’s one of those history things where all the facts fall right into place, telling a story and providing an explanation of how things got to be the way they are. I didn’t have to “dig this out” and prove anything. The story just tells itself. It’s complete with maps.
Forgive me for the handwriting on the maps. I drew these out and wrote on them a year ago when my hands were still shaking from chemotherapy, radiation, weakness, and medications. It was hard even to sign my name, much less write on a map with an eletronic pen!
Still, I think everything is legible and comprehensible. You’ll follow this easily. I presented it to about 40 people before I made the video. The video is clearer, but the 40 people had no problem following the less clear version.
I am married, the father of six, and currently the grandfather of five. I teach, and I am always trying to learn to disciple others better than I have before. I believe God has gifted me to restore proper theological foundations to the Christian faith. In order to ensure that I do not become a heretic, I read the early church fathers from the second and third centuries. They were around when all the churches founded by the apostles were in unity.
My philosophy for Bible reading is to understand each verse for exactly what it says in its local context. Only after accepting the verse for what it says do I compare it with other verses to develop my theology. If other verses seem to contradict a verse I just read, I will wait to say anything about those verses until I have an explanation that allows me to accept all the verses for what they say. This takes time, sometimes years, but eventually I have always been able to find something that does not require explaining verses away. The early church fathers have helped a lot with this.
I argue and discuss these foundational doctrines with others to make sure my teaching really lines up with Scripture. I am encouraged by the fact that the several missionaries and pastors that I know well and admire as holy men love the things I teach. I hope you will be encouraged too.
I am indeed tearing up old foundations created by tradition in order to re-establish the foundations found in Scripture and lived on by the churches during their 300 years of unity.
There are a lot of opinions and rumors about Constantine, the Council of Nicea, and the events of the fourth century that changed Christianity to Christendom. Not only will you get the incredible story, with all its twists, plots, and intrigues, but you will find out how history is done and never wonder what is true again.