Misconceptions

What Is a Sacrament (and Are They Even Real)?

Sacrament

What is a sacrament? Most people have heard the word, but few can define it clearly. What counts as a sacrament, and why do churches call certain rites by that name? Where did the term come from—and is it even in the Bible?

While many Christians treat sacraments as essential to church life, the concept is a post-biblical invention that emerged centuries after the inspired authors completed the New Testament. Sacraments emerged centuries later as church leaders sought to codify certain church rituals. It wasn’t until the 12th century AD that the Catholic Church formalized the seven sacraments they now recognize.1

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Misconceptions, Word Studies

Set Apart, Not Set Above: The Truth About Saints

Saints

When Paul opens his letter to the Ephesians, he addresses it “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1 BEREAN). This greeting is not unique. Paul consistently refers to Christians as “saints” throughout his letters. But what does that mean? Today, many believers hesitate to call themselves saints, while others reserve the term for a select few. The Catholic Church even has an entire process for declaring certain individuals as saints. These differing views reveal a gap between how the Bible defines sainthood and how we often understand it today.

To clarify, we need to examine three key points: how the New Testament defines a saint, why many assume sainthood applies only to certain Christians, and how the Catholic Church developed its idea of canonized saints.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Eschatology, Misconceptions

Do Angels Have Wings?

Angels

Angels are mysterious beings who appear throughout the Bible, sparking awe, wonder, and fear. However, popular depictions of angels stretch beyond what the Bible teaches. Test your knowledge. According to the Bible, are the following statements true or false?

  • Angels have wings.
  • Angels, cherubim, and seraphim are different words for the same kind of being.
  • Angels have spouses.
  • There are both male and female angels.

Keep reading to see if you answered biblically.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Angels, Misconceptions

The Immortal Soul? Part 11: Depart and Be with Christ

Depart

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. (Phil. 1:21-24 ESV)

When we read Paul’s words in Philippians 1:21-24, they seem to paint a clear picture: Paul believes that when he passes from this life, he’ll immediately be with Christ. This passage has been a cornerstone for the idea that our souls go to heaven the moment we die. It’s a comforting thought, but what if we’ve been reading this through the lens of Greek philosophy rather than biblical teaching? The Bible’s view of the soul is quite different from Plato’s idea of an immortal soul trapped in a physical body. 

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Afterlife, Immortality, Misconceptions

The Immortal Soul? Part 10: Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord

Absent

In our previous post, we explored Paul’s use of the “naked” metaphor in 2 Corinthians 5:1-4. We discovered that rather than referring to a disembodied soul, Paul was using “nakedness” to describe our current earthly existence – incomplete compared to our future glorified state. But this interpretation raises a question: How does it fit with Paul’s words about being “absent from the body” and “present with the Lord” later in the same chapter? At first glance, these phrases seem to support the traditional view of souls existing apart from the body after death.

The task before us now is to study 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 to unravel this apparent contradiction. It is impossible to correctly understand this passage if we fail to respect the Bible’s definition of “soul.” Whatever we conclude about this passage, it must align with the broader biblical teaching about the human constitution and the resurrection.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Afterlife, Immortality, Misconceptions