Simon Magus, a 1st-century Samaritan sorcerer from Gitta, gained a following in Samaria and later in Rome by blending Christianity with pagan mysticism. According to Acts 8:9–26, he astonished people with his sorcery and claimed divine power, later attempting to buy the ability to confer the Holy Spirit—earning a stern rebuke from Peter. Historical sources suggest he studied in Alexandria, absorbing Zoroastrian, Hellenistic, and Babylonian…
Story Tag: ChurchHistory
The Church Through the Ages – John H. Ogwyn tomorrowsworld.org
Ryan Welsh
4 months ago in The Church
The Church that Jesus Christ built has faced challenges throughout history, as depicted in Revelation 2 and 3, where Christ addresses the seven churches of Asia Minor. These churches symbolize both literal first-century congregations and different periods of Church history. The first, Ephesus, represents the Apostolic era, where the Church struggled with false teachings and lost its zeal after Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 AD. Smyrna,…
The Trinity: What Is It? – Larry Neff lifehopeandtruth.com
Ryan Welsh
6 months ago in Trinity
The doctrine of the Trinity, a core belief of the Roman Catholic Church and most Protestant denominations, is considered essential to the Christian faith by many. However, its origins and scriptural support raise important questions. The Trinity is not found in the Bible but was a concept developed over centuries. Around A.D. 180, Theophilus of Antioch first mentioned the term, though his description of “God,…