[dropcap]In[/dropcap] a recent theological discussion, someone spoke about the concept of sin as debt. I was curious as to what the patristic literature had to say and compiled these quotations from most of the major series translated in English. Unsurprisingly, I found quite a few more references to sin as debt in Western writers than […]
[dropcap]In[/dropcap] the Gospel reading for the Third Sunday of Hatour, our Savior declared, “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Lk 14:27). From these divine words, we learn that suffering and tribulations in this world are part of the cost of discipleship and requirements for those who […]
[dropcap]I[/dropcap] once visited a Coptic Orthodox parish for a weekday meeting. Before the meeting began, a “praise and worship team” came into the church with their instruments and began singing a couple of Protestant songs. As odd and surreal as it was to hear these songs in a holy place in which mystical and spiritual […]
But what is the meaning of ‘made righteous in His Blood?” What power is there in this Blood, I demand, that believers are made righteous in it? And what of ‘reconciled through the death of His Son’? Is it really the case that, when God saw the Father was angry with us, He saw the […]
Today, with great joy, we celebrate the Glorious Ascension of our Savior into the heavens. The Ascension was the last step of our salvation: in the OT, the sacrifice was not considered complete until the High Priest entered the sanctuary with the sacrificial victim. Today, our Savior, the true High Priest, enters the Sanctuary of […]