On Honoring Caesar (Tertullian)

 Tertullian's (145-220 AD) Apology is an outstanding early defense of Christianity.  I've written on Tertullian before, but here and now I want to highlight a section (chap. 31-34) where Tertullian said that Christians neither hated Caesar nor dishonored him.  Rather, they prayed for him and gave him high honor, as the Scriptures commanded. "[Do you think that we …

Abortion, Murder, and the Early Church

In the ancient Roman Empire human life was generally not highly valued.  Some Greco-Roman religions involved child sacrifice, shedding of blood, and other inhumane acts.  Roman citizens typically didn’t speak out against the brutal killing methods displayed in the arenas – in fact, people flocked to see humans mercilessly slay each other or be torn …

Tertullian on Honoring Caesar

 Tertullian's (145-220 AD) Apology is an outstanding early defense of Christianity.  Lord willing, I'll comment more on this in the near future.  For now, I want to highlight a section (chap. 31-34) where Tertullian said that Christians neither hated Caesar nor dishonored him.  Rather, they prayed for him and gave him high honor, as the Scriptures …

Prayer: Not As The Hypocrites…

I’ve been enjoying Christopher Hall’s study of the early church’s worship.  Though I don’t agree with every point, and though I think sometimes Hall’s comments seem to get in the way of his explanations, this book is an insightful glimpse into the early Christian church and her worship of the triune God.  Here’s one section …

Tertullian’s Summary of the Lord’s Prayer

Almost every good commentator says that the Lord's Prayer is a summary of so much apostolic teaching.  Tertullian (d. 220 AD) said the same.  What things does the Lord's Prayer contain in summary form?  Tertullian gives a concise example. "The honor of God in the 'Father,' the testimony of faith in the 'name,' the offering …