Gnostic Gospels

Possible Influence of Patmos on John The island of Patmos is only mentioned once in the Bible, in Revelation 1. The word Patmos is translated literally as “my killing”, and the island is considered basical sterile by several sources (Davis, 1944 & Gospel Faith, 2016). Little will grow in its rocks. In the strictest sense, sterile means unable to produce offspring or infertile. The island is located in the Aegean Sea, southwest of Turkey. This is where the Emperor exiled John in AD 95…

Many famous works of literature draw upon the world’s most famous book for plot devices, character traits, and over-arching motifs. John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost is a complete retelling of the story of Adam and Eve. C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia and, more recently, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter both feature Christ-like sacrifices at one point in these series. For centuries, literary writers have toyed with adding Christian themes to their works, even if subtly. Lord of the Flies by…

and run with it. It is definite that Jesus’s disciples should live with the Mission of God attached to their lives; because it is God’s command to go into all the world and make disciples. Let 's begin; the mantle of the Great Commission in the Gospel of Matthew is in chapter 28 verse 18, which says, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” A word that should highlight the eyes on the reader is ‘authority.’ Authority in Greek is exousia…

description of the Good Shepherd. In the tenth chapter of the Book of John, Jesus uses the analogy of a shepherd and establishes His authority and the fact He is God. Through a careful examination of the events found in the tenth chapter of the gospel of John, a corresponding review of the name and identity of the God of the Old Testament, and Jesus’ use of…

The fact that most Christians live and swear by is that Jesus Christ lived, died and resurrected while saving the world from its sins and ever since, has granted forgiveness. This is the doctrine which many hold dear and true to their hearts. Many still, however, know very little about Christ as an individual and his interactions on earth with people like us. The primary truth about Jesus Christ is that he is the son of God who represents all truth and justice in the flesh. Because he is the…

As this semester began almost twelve weeks ago, I set out to make a personal change in my life. I wanted to strengthen my relationship with my Heavenly Father and ultimately, become a better disciple of Jesus Christ. I described my goals for this semester as this: “I want to learn about and improve on my believing of Christ’s Atonement and how it applies to me personally. I want to not only believe in Christ’s identity but also in His power to cleanse and to purify and to save. I also want to…

At first glance, we assume that Caravaggio has intentionally diminished the luminescence of the Divine figure of Christ, and chose to represent Him in a very human and less mystical form. Instead of a grand halo, we see a modest light encircling His head, and the greater draw is towards His posture in calling the saint-to-be, Matthew. But there are other elements that may suggest Divinity – for instance, the great beam of light shining through the window casts a forceful presence and unnatural…

As we walk through this life, no one is truly ever alone. When confronted with challenges – perhaps the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or systemic oppression – we always have an answer. The answer to our trials has existed for countless years and survived floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, plague, and death. This resource is not exclusive to any religion, race, gender, political view, or socioeconomic status. In fact, the answer to every problem exists within every continent, belongs to…

The Gospel of John is one of the important synoptic books that has series of events that later culminate with the Raising of Lazarus. After that, there came the death and resurrection of Jesus. Having a wider description of the working of Jesus, forms the significant part of the Gospel hence, the need to understand more about its contents. There are different dates related to the gospel of John citing various arguments and pieces of evidence that individuals stand for while discussing the time…

John 7: John 7 features Jesus ' return to Galilee and then to Jerusalem, following his adventures abroad in Chapter 6. In that chapter, the disciples were focused on heavily in the narrative – they will not be mentioned in this chapter. Instead, the focused is placed upon Jesus ' role in the world of Judea. The concept of Jesus ' hour features heavily in this chapter, as he is to be arrested twice, neither of them being successful attempts on account that it was not his time. Jesus '…